Gdansk - Spring city break 2025

April 2025

I admit we don't travel enough in our own country and, living on the very south of Poland, we have never been to Gdańsk or the so-called Tricity in Poland, and decided it was time to change it, as we heard so many good things about it. Even though we had to cross the whole country, it was definitely worth it, and the drive was actually quicker than expected. 

Day 1 - Drive and arrival in Gdansk in the afternoon, Old Town

After checking into our apartment in the city centre and a little rest, we went for an evening walk in the Gdansk Old Town, which really is as beautiful as they say. We crossed the island 'Wyspa Spichrzowa' to get to Dluga Street - one of the main streets with colourful historical buildings, the Neptune's Fountain, the Town Hall, and other historical landmarks. We then walked towards St Mary's Basilica and the Royal Chapel, and headed back via the charming Mariacka Street, to arrive to the promenade along the Motlawa River ('Dlugie Pobrzeże'), another stunning place with an amazing architecture.

Gdansk Old Town - Dluga Street

Gdansk Old Town - Dluga Street

Gdansk Old Town - Dlugi Targ

Neptune's Fountain

The Crane (Brama Żuraw) on the bank of Motlawa River

Motlawa River

Day 2 - Westerplatte, Stogi Beach, evening in Sopot

This was an intensive day which we started at Westerplatte - the war memorial which honours the heroic Polish defenders of the coast, who fought back against the German attacks at the start of the Second World War. It's a very symbolic place for Polish people, therefore it was our must-do when in Gdansk, and also an opportunity for an important history lesson for our kids.

Westerplatte memorial

Westerplatte memorial

Westerplatte memorial

Straight from Westerplatte we went to the Stogi Beach. I honestly think that the golden sand beaches in Poland are amongst the most beautiful in Europe, and while the weather doesn't always allow to fully enjoy them, we were very blessed with the sunny and warm weather on this early spring day.

Stogi Beach

We then came back to our apartment and went for lunch in a local 'Bar Mleczny' (Milk Bar). 

After that, we headed to Sopot, to spend a lovely evening meeting our friends, and walking on the famous Sopot Pier and the promenade.

Sopot Pier

Day 3 - Old Town and European Solidarity Centre

We took it easy in the morning, with another slow walk in the Old Town, plus a visit in a fish shop 'Krewetka' (Prawn) to get some fresh fish for lunch, which we prepared in the apartment. 

In the afternoon we went to the European Solidarity Centre, a museum located in the old shipyard premises and dedicated to the Solidarnosc (Solidarity) movement - a workers' union and opposition movement in the communist Poland. The building is very modern and really impressive, and the exhibition itself can be followed with an audio guide of your choice in terms of the length of the visit and amount of detail. We were recommended a shorter family version, which worked very well for us. Overall, we very much enjoyed our visit, which we also tried to use as yet another history lesson, especially for our eldest daughter. 

European Solidarity Centre

European Solidarity Centre

European Solidarity Centre

European Solidarity Centre

Day 4 - Galleon cruise, Food Hall Montownia, Jelitkowo Beach, Museum of Emigration in Gdynia

On our last day in Gdansk, we went on a short galleon cruise on the rivers Motlawa and Martwa Wisla towards Westerplatte - a fun thing for kids to do. 

A galleon in Gdansk

We then went for lunch to 'Montownia' - a food hall located in one of the historical premises of the Gdansk shipyard. It's a place with a wide selection of restaurants which serve various cuisines, so it's easy to find something for everyone's taste. We also liked the industrial feel of the place, which also hosts various events and concerts.

Montownia food hall

In the afternoon we decided to make use of the sunny weather and spent some time on the Jelitkowo Beach, from where we headed to Gdynia, for an evening visit at the Emigration Museum. It's a very well organised modern museum, which tells the universal story of emigrants, on the example of thousands of Polish people who left Poland at different times and for different reasons. You can visit it following a story of one particular family who emigrated to the USA in the 19th century. Having had the experience of emigration ourselves, we found it very interesting to reflect on the emigration reasons, emotions and experiences that come with it. We were also some of the last people to visit the museum on that day, which made the visit even more enjoyable. 

Jelitkowo Beach

Emigration Museum in Gdynia

Day 5 - Arrival in Warsaw, Copernicus Science Centre

On our way back home we made an overnight stop in Warsaw, and dedicated the afternoon to visiting the Copernicus Science Centre. While it's quite impressive in size and the number of expertiments and variety of stations, I admit that we found it a bit overwhelming, slightly difficult to navigate through, and extremely crowded, so overall it wasn't such a good experience as we imagined. Still, it is worth a visit.

First time we had a conversation with a human-looking robot - Copernicus Science Centre

Copernicus Science Centre

Accommodation

In Gdansk we stayed in apartments on Łąkowa street, a modern and well-kept complex of apartments with an underground parking and a close proximity to the old town.

In Warsaw we stayed at Novotel Warszawa Centrum, with modern facilities, an impressive view of the Palace of Culture and Science and one of the best breakfasts that we ever had in a 4-star hotel.

We can recommend both places.