Gdansk - Free Spirit City

August 1980 – the television showed pictures from Poland, shipyards and workers, strikes and confrontations. Too young to really understand the implications of the events that were unfolding I was still aware that something momentous was happening and also that certain words and names were slipping into people’s vocabulary and memory – Solidarity, Lech Walesa, and Gdansk.

I suppose that for many people like me that period was their introduction to - and remembrance of - Gdansk. It’s a powerful, proud legacy, and one admirably celebrated at the wonderful “Roads to Freedom” Solidarity exhibition in the city.

The history of Gdansk, however, stretches back over 1000 years during which time it has been a wealthy and successful trading port, particularly for such items as grain and timber, and centre of jewellery making and ornamental arts, especially incorporating “Baltic Gold”, also known as amber, a tradition which can still be seen today in the city’s many amber galleries and workshops. German influence on the city has led to it being known as Danzig at various points in its history. It has witnessed change of governance pass between Teutonic Knights, Polish Kings, Prussia and, in more recent times, Nazi occupation followed by Soviet rule until now and the Third Republic of Poland. For two short periods, 1807 to 1814 and 1919 to 1939, the city was granted ‘free city’ status, the latter period under the stewardship of the League of Nations coming to an end with the first shots of World War II at Westerplatte.

Throughout the city’s at times turbulent history there seems to be one word which keeps recurring and which, for me, sums up my feelings about Gdansk. That word is “Freedom”.

Liberty, independence, openness, ease – all those elements of “Freedom” can be found in Gdansk. It has seen struggles for liberty and independence, both in the resistance by postal workers to the Nazi invasion on the first day in World War II through the shipyard strikes and protests of 1970 to the formation of Solidarity ten years later.

This is a city that seems very much at ease with itself, confident yet not assertive, and maybe because of this it seems very at ease with those visiting. The atmosphere was open and welcoming. Some cities seduce you, some pull you in, others bludgeon you into submission, Gdansk simply accepts you. And it feels great.

Quick Tips:

A good place to start exploring Gdansk is along ul Dluga and Dluga Targ which together constitute the main thoroughfare in Gdansk’s old town. Known as the Royal Way (from 1457 the two streets, running one into the other, were used as a processional route during Royal visits) this area was used for parades, ceremonies, and even public executions. Like much of the city centre both streets suffered terrible devastation during the Second World War, however, they have been painstakingly re-built and the beautiful facades of the buildings, especially in Dluga Targ provide a lovely backdrop to the buskers, stalls, cafes, and general bustle of people in this lively thoroughfare. Dluga also contains many places of interest including Uphagen House, a restored townhouse with 18th century interiors, the beautiful Neptune’s Fountain and Artus Court, meeting place for merchants who inspired by Arthurian traditions strove to uphold ideas of chivalry, fraternity, and discussion. At the meeting point of ul. Dluga and Dluga Targ stands the wonderful Main Town Hall incorporating the beautifully decorated Red Room and the slender Tower, from which there are fantastic views over the city. Also from the latter emanate the hourly musical chimes of the 37 bell carillon.

A couple of streets parallel to Dluga runs ul. Mariacki an especially pretty street of townhouses with decorated facades and raised terraces. Along here are some lovely cafes, amber, and craft stalls. At the end of ul Mariacki is the imposing Church of St. Mary, the largest medieval brick built church in Europe. Inside are the impressive Astronomical Clock and the beautiful sculpture “Madonna of Gdansk”. More wonderful artwork is on show at the National Museum of Gdansk which includes works by Polish painters Piotr Michalowski, Stanislaw Wyspianski, and Jacek Malczewski plus Hans Memling’s riveting “Last Judgement”.

A stroll along the Motlawa Canal, past the reconstructed medieval crane and the Maritime Museum, is very pleasant, especially at dusk as daylight is replaced by streetlights hanging along the waterfront. Or for a stroll along the sand – or the 500ft long pier- take a train to Sopot, a lovely and lively seaside town.

For me, however, the highlight of Gdansk is the fantastic “Roads To Freedom” Solidarity Exhibition in the former shipyard No. 2. Moving, inspiring, hopeful what you sense in there stays with you for a long time. Rather like the city itself.

Best Way To Get Around:

A lot of the main old town is more or less pedestrianised and walking around is the easiest and convenient option. Though beware that some streets are cobbled so may be a little uneven under foot.

Public transport – buses and trams – skirt the city centre and the main railway station (Gdansk Glowney) has intercity links within Poland and also local routes to Sopto and Gydnia which together with Gdansk make up what is known as the Trojmiasto (Tri-City) area.

Bus B runs from the airport through the centre of the city stopping at the main bus station Dworzec Glowny PKP, a short walk from ul. Dluga. Ticket prices on buses and trams depend on the length of the journey, based on timetable schedules. Tickets are available for 10, 30, and 60 minutes plus 24 hours with separate tickets for night buses. Each ticket’s time tariff being measured from the validation of the ticket, which is done by stamping it in the machine on board. Tickets can be bought from kiosks or from the driver, though in that case they are more expensive.

This delightful restaurant, on a cobbled street in the old town, specialises in Polish cuisine and seafood. Inside is a high ceiling narrow room, almost like half a room really, with 6 or so tables – the small number of seats making booking recommended – ochre walls are decorated with an eclectic mix of paintings and photos ranging from Victorian-style romanticism, views of Gdansk, still life, and modern art. Dotted around are pot plants, comfy sofas and there is even a piano, all adding to the feel of a cluttered, homely, welcoming parlour. The sort of place you could imagine curing up with a cat on your knee and a good book or enjoying a tipsy, sherry fuelled game of charades.

The food is excellent, very well cooked and with a good choice of dishes. Service too was very good, friendly, yet understated. All in all, Czerwone Dzrwi is a great restaurant with a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. Enter the Red Door and enjoy.

We had:

Marinated Herrings – a lovely strong, fresh taste.
Borsch and Dumplings – warm, comforting, deliciously sweet and sour.

Trout with Herbs and Potatoes - melt in the mouth tasty.
Veal Escalope with Gorgonzola – quite light, the Gorgonzola providing a tasty cheese ‘hit’.

Sweet Dumplings with Fruit and Cream – ooh, so nice. They were eaten so quickly we couldn’t speak, just spent the next few minutes going “Mmmmm”.

2 Goldwasser, 2 beers, 1 espresso.
212 zl inc. 20 zl tip (approx. £38.00/$73.00)

Home to the wonderful Goldwasser Liqueur the Goldwasser Restaurant is in a fantastic location by the Motlawa waterfront. Wooden tables and cushion covered chairs jostle together on the outside terrace, an awning protecting diners from any spots of rain. It’s a lovely setting, great for watching people as they stroll along the embankment and beautiful as night falls, soft lights illuminate the Motlawa and the moon peeps from behind the clouds.

The menu is extensive with fish, meat, and Polish specialties; there is also a reasonably priced set menu. The food is simple and well cooked possibly a little on the heavy side – cream based sauces, dumpling accompaniments etc.. – for some tastes, but one person’s heavy is another persons comfort.

Service was friendly and quick - it is a busy restaurant - though without the sensation of being rushed. If you like good solid food and a romantic setting then Goldwasser will certainly appeal.

We had:

Sole in wine and herb sauce with chips – very tasty, the sole was lightly fried, the sauce tangy with the additional of capers.

Pork ribs with honey and vodka sauce plus dumplings cabbage – the meat was very tender, the vodka in the sauce complimented the honey without being overpowering.

1 beer, 1 fizzy water, 1 espresso, 2 Goldwasser

Apple Pie with cream and ice cream.
172.50 zl inc 15 zl tip (approx. £30.00/$59.00).

Like its neighbour, Goldwasser, Restaurant Barylka enjoys a wonderful position on the waterfront overlooking the embankment and the Motlawa. Its extensive menu includes fish, Polish cuisine plus separate children’s and vegetarian menus. The terrace outside with round iron tables and cushion-padded chairs is very inviting, however, the service we received was, sadly, anything, but welcoming.

When Steve ordered his starter, chicken livers with apple and raspberry sauce, our waitress pulled a face that was at best disapproving at worst disgusted. We asked why, was the dish not on, was it not very nice in her opinion? We were not given an answer and simply left to ponder if we had made the right choice. This feeling continued throughout the meal, as did the indifferent service, and despite some very nice food – the chicken livers were plentiful and delicious – we spent most of the meal feeling on edge, unwanted and unable to relax. The dessert I chose (crème brulee) was not available, nothing untoward as restaurants do run out of things, but again this news was delivered with distaste.

We decided not to leave a tip but when we got the bill a 10% service charged had been automatically added (we hadn’t noticed this on the menu but that was our fault). We were very tempted not to pay it but in the end wimped out, although often we leave an additional tip on top of this if we feel the service has warranted it.

Our visit to Barylka was very disappointing, doubly so because it was our last night in Gdansk but, happily, it was also quite untypical of the service we received elsewhere in the city and, indeed, elsewhere in Poland which we have generally found to be friendly, polite and helpful. We did have the same waitress throughout so I am inclined to think it was just her rather than the ethos of the restaurant. I would still recommend Barylka as the food was very good and the setting excellent and, as I say, I fear we may have simply got an unfriendly waitress. I do hope so, I really do.

We had

Chicken livers with apple and rosemary – well cooked meat with a delicious mix of flavours
Onion soup with cheese toast – nice, clean taste with the toast floating on the top

Halibut with leek and caper sauce plus potatoes and vegetables – lovely creamy sauce and light flavoured fish
Polish roast with potatoes and veg – wholesome, filling, tasty food

2 beers, 2 Goldwasser

173 zl
(approx. £30.00/$59.00)

The Roads to Freedom Exhibition was opened to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the August Agreement and the birth of Solidarity. It is housed in the BHP Hall of the same Gdansk shipyard where the events of August 1980 took place.

The exhibition begins outside the hall, walking through the old shipyard, where two sculptures/gates by the artist Grzegorz Klaman invoke a ships prow and skeleton. Inside the first gate are two LED screens along which words of communist dogma and propaganda flow on one while words of protest slip along the other.

Around the outside of the hall are large photographs showing events of August 1980, not just dramatic montages but also simple scenes of striking workers greeting their families, eating, smoking and taking part in the church masses which were held in the shipyard. Indeed it was the latter which were perhaps the most evocative as it really brought home that these were ordinary working people standing up for their - and others - rights and freedom.

Also just outside the BHP hall is an armoured carrier used to suppress protest during Marshal Law. Indeed inside the exhibition one of the most shocking and memorable images is of water cannons spraying from such a carrier onto people in the streets which we had been walking along a little while before.

Inside the hall the multimedia exhibition charts the resistance to communist rule, such as the protests in Poznan during 1956 and Gdansk 1970, through the birth of Solidarity, the imposition of Martial Law and, finally, the coming of democracy.

Much of this is done through first hand testimony from those involved, strikers, politicians and also, for instance, the artist who created the Solidarity symbol. In one of the first rooms a very thorough history of protest is shown via computer terminals – allowing you to view pictures, video and text at your own pace. In later rooms are a reconstruction of the room where the August agreement was debated and signed, two wooden boards on which are handwritten the 21 demands of the strikers, which are now included on UNESCO’S World Heritage List for their humanitarian and libertarian values. Later rooms concentrate, via video displays, reconstructions, and artifacts, on life under Martial Law when Solidarity and protest was forced underground. Finally the last room shows the legacy of August 1980 - and later 1989 - as communist rule began to crumble and the map of Eastern and Central Europe was re-drawn.

It is an absolutely fantastic exhibition with just so many highlights. Interesting, informative, extremely well informed, moving and hopeful. The latter is, I feel, the lasting, wonderful legacy of August 1980 and the birth of Solidarity – it gave so many people hope. And hope is a commodity that is always needed and should always be valued.

The exhibition is housed in the former Gdansk Shipyard No. 2.
Open from 10am to 5pm, Tueday through Sunday, closed on Monday.

The Church of St Mary is the largest medieval brick built church in Europe and its spires and square tower are a recognizable site on the Gdansk skyline. Begun in 1343, it took 150 years for the church to be completed. Sadly, it suffered a lot of damage during Word War II, the roof was burnt, windows destroyed and the floor ripped up. Many of the treasures from inside the church were, however, saved by being stored in out-laying villages and some, though not all, of these were returned to the church during its post-war reconstruction.

Surrounded by smaller buildings it isn’t easy, externally, to get a sense of how large the building really is, that is better done by viewing the towers and spires from a distance or climbing up the tower itself. Internally the high ceilings and white washed walls make the space self-evident and quite striking. The plainness of the walls forming a suitable backdrop for the ornamental elements contained within the buildings.

The side chapels contain some beautiful pieces of painting and sculpture, particularly the serene Madonna of Gdansk, by an unknown artist, and an especially effecting pieta. In the main body of the church are an impressive carved altar piece, highly decorated pulpit, a number of wall tablets illustrating such religious themes as Charity and the Ten Commandments, a copy of Hans Memling’s “The Last Judgement”, the original of which is in the National Museum, Gdansk and a highly decorated Astronomical Clock. The latter was constructed by Hans Duringer between the years 1464 and 1470. It stands 14 metres tall and depicts not only the time and date but the day, month, lunar phases and positions of the Sun and Moon. At noon a parade of figures representing Adam, Eve, the Apostles, Three Kings and death appears. It is a wonderful piece of practical art, detailed and, with its figures, carvings and dial of zodiacal creatures, quite fascinating to look at.

We stayed in an apartment very near to the church and I liked the way it became a part of our daily routine, passing by its walls as we walked to and from the flat, hearing its bells as we were getting ready in the morning. It exerted a presence even before we visited it and, after, it continued as a kind of comforting focus to our time in the city.

The tower of the Church of St. Mary stands at a bit over 76 meters and is topped by a crucifix which is illuminated at night.

The walk to the top of the tower is not for the faint hearted, a narrow spiral staircase stretches the calf muscles and when you reach the top and think “Thank goodness that’s over” you realise that you are only half way there and can see sets of stairs attached to the side of the building going upwards and resembling Max Escher’s “Ascending and Descending” never-ending staircase. Now it’s not just the leg muscles that are stretched! Mind over matter may come into play. However, this staircase is not never-ending and once at the top you are rewarded with some fantastic views over the city.

There is surprisingly not a lot of space at the top of the tower and it is enclosed with a wire safety net, however, there are handy apertures cut into that for photo taking – or to look through if you chose to rent a pair of binoculars from the man at the top, I think the rate was about 5 zl for 5 or 10 minutes - though depending on how many visitors are there at the time, you may have to wait your turn with the camera.

Despite the rather cramped area the views are wonderful and give you a real sense of the geography of the city. And on a clear day you can see, well, maybe not forever but for a good distance! I’d recommend it. Even with the aching legs.

Housed in an old Franciscan Monastery the National Museum of Gdansk contains works by Polish, Flemish, Dutch, and other European artists plus a gallery of paintings connected with the city, i.e. works by Gdansk painters or of former dignitaries of Gdansk.

The ground floor contains a collection of pottery and porcelain, and gold and silver work by Gdansk craftsmen. The architecture of the building itself is evident and the vaulted ceilings in the old refractory and enclosed cloister are worth noting. To be honest, however, although the exhibits are well worth viewing we found the ground floor had a rather gloomy, uninspiring feel, which totally belies what is found on the next floor.

The first floor of the museum holds the main collection of paintings and is excellently and sensitively set out. Separate galleries focus on the Flemish, Dutch, and European Painters, Gdansk painters and 19th and 20th century Polish painters. The latter includes work by Piotr Michalowski, Stanislaw Wyspianski, and Jacek Malczewski. The latter’s “Autoportrait” 1907 showing him and two children in front of a rural background is quite stunning, absolutely compelling, yet strange and disturbing.

The highlight of the museum’s collection must be Hans Memling’s triptych “The Last Judgement”. Wonderfully detailed and in vibrant colours the saved ascend to heaven while the damned are tormented by demons, all watched over by Christ and administered by Michael the Archangel. There is so much to see in this one piece and it is given pride of place in its own small gallery where you can work around the painting, originally an altar piece, to view it from various angles.

The Town Hall and its beautiful slender tower is another recognisable silhouette on the skyline of Gdansk.

Originally begun in the mid-14th century, on the site of an earlier building, the present Town Hall was remodelled after a fire in 1556. Like much of the old town the Town Hall suffered a great amount of damage during the Second World War and was subsequently rebuilt. Further additions have included a 37 bell carillon which was played for the first time on New Years Eve 2000. The sound of the carillon bells, played through the day on the hour, soon becomes a familiar part of the geography of Gdansk and a pleasant accompaniment to wandering around the old town streets.

Inside the Town Hall the Red Room is a highlight, used as a main council chamber during the summer months it is so highly decorated that there is almost too much detail to take in. An ornately carved fireplace stands against the rich red walls which are themselves ornamented by paintings. The ceiling, too, is covered with further pictures, and carved decoration, including, the central oval painting entitled "The Glorification of the Unity of Gdansk" by the Dutch artist Isaac van den Block. Other rooms though a little less energetic in their decoration, include some lovely furniture such as carved and inlaid wardrobes and standing chests.

The Town Hall is part of the Museum of the History of Gdansk and other exhibits include reconstructions of wartime rooms and shops, such as a bankers office, tailors and inside a pub, which the fixtures, fittings and objects that would have been used at that time. Most effecting are a collection of photographs showing the devastation wrought on the old town during the Second World War, piles of rubble and skeletons of buildings, unrecognisable from the city outside. These are contrasted with photographs of the same scene, now reconstructed. The contrast between them, and indeed when you walk back out onto those streets, really demonstrates just how much restoration needed to be, and has been done.

It's also possible to walk up the tower. Less exhausting and easier on the legs than the climb up St. Mary’s Tower the views over the city are just as rewarding particularly those up and down ul. Dluga