Friendliest European City: Gdansk, Poland

Gdansk, Poland, is one of three cities that are known as the Tri Cities. Sopot and Gydnia are the other two cities. Gdansk is a lovely historic town that sits on the Baltic Sea. It is also a town that welcomes travelers with open arms and warm smiles. They do not care if you are American or where you are from. Its a refreshing place that does not harbor any of the gloom that you so often hear about in Eastern Europe.

The entire city is a Hanseatic town. It offers a wealth of hotels and restaurants that all offer fantastic top of the line service without costing a fortune. Gdansk combines history, a modern city atmosphere, artistic spirit, and Old World charm. It is also a city that is strongly influenced by both Polish and German flavor.

Gdansk is also known as Danzig but they have veered away from that German name in modern times. It is Poland's most important and largest seaport. It has been the birthplace and hometown of such notable people as Nobel prizewinner Gabriel Fahrenheit and legendary leader of "Solidarnosc" Lech Walesa.

Sightseeing around the area is fantastic. Here is a list of a few things to enjoy during your stay.

1) Main Town
You will want to walk the Dluga Street (Long Street) and the Dlugi Targ (Long Market) This area is a completely restored Hanseatic old town that is truly fantastic. View the Town Hall and Arthurs Court. Be sure to see the St Marys Church which is the largest brick church in Europe. It was built in 1245 and was the only building to come out of WW II untouched and still in its original splendor.

Don't forget to visit the Gdansk Shipyards, too. Also be sure to visit Westerplatte where the first shots of World War II were fired.

2) National Museum
Be sure to visit the National Museum. The museum is housed in a unique Franciscan Monastery. You will be able to view Hans Memling's apocalyptic 16th century altar-piece 'The Last Judgement.' There are also many other truly fantastic artworks to enjoy.

3) Neptune Fountain
The monument was made of bronze in 1606-1613 by Flemish artist Peter Husen.

4) Royal Chapel
This church was designed by architect Tylman van Gemeren. It is the only baroque church in Gdansk.

5) Great Mill
This was the greatest mill in all of Europe. It was built in the middle ages and continued to operate all the way until World War II.

When traveling around Gdansk it is best to use public transportation. You can utilize the fast commuter trains, boats, and buses easily and cheaply. You can purchase one daily ticket for virtually nothing and have unlimited rides.

There are many wonderful places to eat in Gdansk. Here are a few to try. All of these are very reasonably priced and they feed fantastic food.

1) Euro
Dluga 79/80
Tel. 058/3052383

This restaurant is just as its name suggests, it serves European dishes and some Polish.

2) Goldwasser
Dlugie Pobrzeze 22
Tel. 058/3018878

This restaurant serves wonderful mouthwatering international cuisine that is sure to please.

3) Big Johnny
Targ Rybny 6
Tel. 058/3015673

This restaurant serves acceptable international cuisine.

4) Cristal
Grunwaldzka 105
Tel. 058/3413435

This restaurant serves Old Polish plates and also a bit of Italian.

Here are a few places to stay in Gdansk.

1) Holliday Inn
ul. Podwale Grodzkie 9
+48 (58) 3006000

Yes they have a Holiday Inn in Gdansk. It offers clean and nice rooms for cheap.

2) Dal Hotel
ul. Czarny Dwor 4
+48 (58) 5563944

This very nice cheap little hotel is located by the beach at Pomerania. You can even hike the countryside on a wide array of trails. Its a nice location and a nice hotel.

3) Hotel Willa Lubicz
ul. Orlowska 43
+48 (12) 4214865

This is a very nice hotel that has been refurbished. It offers top of the line service and wonderful rooms. You will not be disappointed with a nights stay here. It is also fairly reasonable on rates.

If you are planning a trip to Eastern Europe then I would highly suggest Gdansk as a wonderful location to spend a few days. It is a truly friendly town that adores tourists. You will not be disappointed with this nice town on the Baltic.

Sources:

http://www.gdansk-life.com/

http://www.experiencepoland.com/index.html

http://www.virtualtourist.com/