Gdansk and Sopot - MY ARCHITRAVEL BLOG

9 facts you will not find on the internet about Gdansk and Sopot (Poland)

This trip was a present from my darling twin sister who decided to impress me on our 22nd birthday. She gave me an envelope with plane tickets inside and asked me to hurry up to pack my stuff. Before our trip, I had heard a lot about Gdansk, but I had no idea how great it would be.

1. Gdansk airport. Gdansk airport is so clean and spacious. I felt very comfortable waiting for our plane on the way back from Gdansk to Kiev. All of the WizAir boarding staff were cheerful and cute. However, what is a trip without any adventure and failed situations? That`s what happened to me. On the way back to Kiev I forgot to take my printed plane tickets and had them only in PDF format on my laptop. It was a little bit strange passing through check-in gates with a 16-inch screen. All of the staff tried to hide their laughter. It was funny. Anyway, our flight took almost 1 hour from Kiev to Gdansk airport.

2. Penthouse from "Komfort Invest". In my opinion, the major factor in determining how good a vacation depends on the quality of accomodations. That's why on our trips we always try to choose a unique and comfortable place to stay. This time my sister chose one of the best penthouses in Gdansk with amazing interior and panoramic views of the modern city center and theMotława river. It is a residential complex from the developer "KOMFORT INVEST" andthe architectural firm "STUDIO ARCHITEKTONICZNE KWADRAT". This complex is located on the street Stara Stocznia https://goo.gl/maps/jjSRhBy9qAN2, near themodernly designed Museum of World War II. We rented this penthouse from a landlord from booking.com. The residential complex has a closed-type indoor patio and openpublic areas on the third floor which are connected by steel bridges and creat a long walking area. Inside this patio, the developer planted many trees and plants to create a lively and eco-friendly atmosphere. Inside the building, you can find a high-tech entrance group and a cozy reception desk. All flats have huge rooms and an open-planfor living rooms and kitchens. The major feature of this penthouse flat is an open terrace with a big lounge zone and view of the modern city center and Motława river. Most flats were designed and furnished by a collaboration of "Scavolini" and"Diesel Living USA". In these type of interiors, you feel more important and free. If you have a chance, I highly recommend that you book a penthouse in this residential complex. To discover more about this building, check these links:

Developer website http://kwadrat-gdynia.pl/contact/ Architects http://kwadrat-gdynia.pl/enbrabank

3. Embankment. When we traveled to Poland at the end of April it was a low season for tourists. The city wasn't crowded and we could easily enjoy the city. There are so many things to see and do in Gdansk that for sure your expectations will be exceeded. We used Google Maps to decide where we will walk next because it indicated all the sights that we wanted to see. If you’re a bit unsure about where to go and are wondering what to see around Gdansk, here’s a little route you can follow: If you look at the first photo, the water that you see is the river Motlawa. It converges with the Matwa Wisla river and runs all the way to the Baltic Sea. I recommend just walking along the embankment. During a walk, you can observe passing sailboats, motorboats, and ones that look like pirate ships. You should definitely stick around to see the Gdansk pirate ships. They are kind of an attraction for tourists and the older local people. It’s probably a bit touristy and overpriced, but they are gorgeous ships and they are pretty cool to see them coming in and leaving. If you start your walk from the pedestrian drawbridge and cross it you will get to the Frederic Chopin Philharmonic, and then you will find a cool monument of big letters which make the word "Gdansk". It's a great photoshoot zone for foreigners. The letters are made from corten steel and create a pretty historical atmosphere. If you continue your walk, on the opposite side of the river you will get a good look at the National Maritime Museum. You can also find a berth for yachts, you can sit on the bench, eat your snacks and admire the view

When we traveled to Poland at the end of April it was a low season for tourists. The city wasn't crowded and we could easily enjoy the city. There are so many things to see and do in Gdansk that for sure your expectations will be exceeded. We used Google Maps to decide where we will walk next because it indicated all the sights that we wanted to see. If you’re a bit unsure about where to go and are wondering what to see around Gdansk, here’s a little route you can follow: If you look at the first photo, the water that you see is the river Motlawa. It converges with the Matwa Wisla river and runs all the way to the Baltic Sea. I recommend just walking along the embankment. During a walk, you can observe passing sailboats, motorboats, and ones that look like pirate ships. You should definitely stick around to see the Gdansk pirate ships. They are kind of an attraction for tourists and the older local people. It’s probably a bit touristy and overpriced, but they are gorgeous ships and they are pretty cool to see them coming in and leaving. If you start your walk from the pedestrian drawbridge and cross it you will get to the Frederic Chopin Philharmonic, and then you will find a cool monument of big letters which make the word "Gdansk". It's a great photoshoot zone for foreigners. The letters are made from corten steel and create a pretty historical atmosphere. If you continue your walk, on the opposite side of the river you will get a good look at the National Maritime Museum. You can also find a berth for yachts, you can sit on the bench, eat your snacks and admire the view.

4. Pedestrian drawbridge. We love just wandering through the streets and don’t necessarily need to visit attractions like museums to enjoy a city. On our first day, we walked around 18 km and we walked each distance every day! We were surprised when we found the pedestrian draw footer bridge. It was located near our rental apartment (Komfort Invest building) on Wartka street. It is a moving bridge made in the minimalist style. It is important to know that the bridge is open half an hour, then closed for half an hour. We actually arrived there at 6 p.m. as it just opened and then saw the sign saying that it was open for the boats every hour to half hour past, and closed to let pedestrians and local runners cross from every half hour past to every hour. Link to 3d video model: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8lGctuiNj4

5. National Maritime Museum. Gdansk is a town filled with water. Canals are flowing through the city center and there is a lot of connection to the water throughout Gdansk’s history. It was a very popular town because of it`s closeness to the waterways in Poland. Today Gdansk is a flourishing city and a lot of it`s historical buildings have been rebuilt and made into museums. One of the museums which we visited was The Crane. Without a doubt, The Crane is the main attraction in Gdansk. It’s also the biggest and oldest preserved port crane in Europe. It was first built in 1944, but a lot of it got destroyed during the war. In 1962 it was rebuilt and became a part of the Maritime Museum in Gdansk. The crane was used for unloading goods and for setting masts on vessels until the 19th century. You can find The Crane address by putting Szeroka Str. 67/68 on Google Maps. The crane is on the opposite side of the island from the ship museum and the granaries.

6. Hidden Old Town. Gdansk is very compact city. All of the attractions can be quickly accessed in the old town section of the city. Mainly tourists walk along the main trails between sights, but you can stroll along the parallel and no less beautiful streets. So, the historic centre of the city is a beautiful place to start your exploration, with some stunning architecture that’s heavily influenced by Germanic and Polish tradition.We really liked Mariacka Street, which looks mystical. Almost in every house, there are galleries selling any type of ambers and workshops. Unusual staircases with railings lead to each entrance. Don’t forget to keep your eyes wide open for the hundreds of gargoyles that line the city streets – some scary, some imposing and some downright adorable!

7. Second World War Museum. A new addition to Gdansk in March 2017, the Museum of the Second World War stands in an imposing modern structure right on the edge of the old city in Władysław Bartoszewski Square. The museum is located 200 meters from the historic Polish post office in Gdańsk and 3 kilometers across the water from Westerplatte Peninsula. This museum was also in front of our rented apartment. As fascinating as the architecture of this building is from the outside, the majority of the museum is actually underground, encompassing approximately 23,000 square meters of floor area. The museum’s opening did not go without controversy and made global headlines for not complying with the current Polish government’s nationalistic ideas. To enter the museum, you climb down a massive staircase down into the structure, where you then have to descend two more flights of stairs to get to the ticket counter and main exhibition area. Admission is 23 PLN (about $7 USD) for adults, and an extra 5 PLN for the audio guide, which is highly recommended. The museum is closed Monday and major holidays, and admission is free every Tuesday.

8. Get out of the center. Sopot city. Accidentally on Google maps, I found an unusual touristic attraction - Krzywy Domek. It was in Sopot city. It is not so far as you think. Only 13 km in one way (3 hours by walk). When I saw this house I was amazed! It was built in 2004 by the design team of Szotynscy & Zaleski. To get a real sense of the Polish seaside, consider spending a day in Sopot where you can enjoy the sandy beaches or walk along the impressive wooden pier at any time of the year. I really liked this small trip to other cities of Poland, but Polina said, it was her longest walk among our other trips abroad)

9. Night Town. We really like Gdansk. As I said, it became my favorite city in Poland. Similar to the Netherlands, Germany and Czech Republic, it looked surprisingly unique. The city is not very small, but it is great for relaxed leisure time and walks along the waterfront. We will definitely come back there again. During this trip, we went to Gdansk and Sopot and both of them were amazing places. We had the best time and met some amazing people along the way.