Top Cities / Gdańsk, Gdynia, Sopot / Highlights of Gdańsk
information from: www.shopandsee.eu
The Long Market (Długi Targ)
The representational Długa Street (Long Street) turns aside slightly and, as a consequence, we
can see the most noteworthy buildings such as: The City Hall – the seat of city authorities, the post office building with its reconstructed interior, Renaissance Ferber House dating back to 1560, Renaissance Lion’s Castle from 1569 as well as the Schuman's House together with the statue of Zeus on its top (at present it is the main office of IT). The extension of the Długa Street constitutes Długi Targ (Long Market) whose Green Gate marks the end of the Royal Route. Długi Targ is a place full of cafes, pubs and restaurants. It is the favourite meeting point of both tourists and local residents, for that reason it is considered to fulfil the role of a peculiar Old Market Square in Gdańsk.
The Neptune Fountain
Neptun's Fountain The Neptune Fountain – was designed by Abraham van den Blocke. The statue was moulded in accordance with a design of P. Husen in 1615 by G. Benning II. The magnificent surrounding fencing with gold crests of Gdańsk and Polish eagles dates back to 1634. Both the shaft and the pool of the fountain were reconstructed during the second half of the XVIII century by J. K. Stender. The main source of the water streams is the trident held by the sea and ocean ruler in his right hands well as the sea horses at his feet and the plinth’s edges. You will have the best view of the fountain sculpture by looking at it from the side and the front side directions.
address: The Neptune Fountain, Długi Targ Street, Gdańsk
Long Bridge (Długi Most)
The Long Bridge – it is a long promenade along the banks of the Motława river, full of Gothic water gates such as Krowia Gate dating back to the XIV c., Chlebnicka Gate from the XV c, St. Mary’s Gate from the XV c. and the Holy Spirit Gate reconstructed in the 1990s as well as the famous Gdansk Crane. The Long Bridge was destroyed in 1945 however, it has already been restructured and now it is of its original shape again.
address: Długie Pobrzeże, Starówka 10
New Ławy House with a girl at the window
A girl at the top window in the tenement house will appear every day from the 1st of May until the 1st of October 2006 at 1p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
The author of the figure’s design is Ewa Topolan, an artist, a sculptor associated with the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. This idea makes a reference to a novel by Jadwiga Łuszczewska - Deotyma (1834-1908) entitled “Panienka z okienka” (“A girl at the window”) which was published at the end of the 19th century in Warsaw.
This ‘old-time romance’ was created after the journey of the 24-year-old Deotyma with her parents by the Vistula River to Gdańsk in 1858. The result of this journey was her fascination with our city and its history. In her novel Deotyna presented the atmosphere of Gdańsk in an exceptionally expressive way, she paid special attention to a young resident of Gdańsk, Hedwiga, who was looking out of the window of a magnificent tenement house, called the Amber House in this “romance”.
Since the moment of its publication, the novel has been reissued lots of times and it has become some kind of an ‘obligatory’ book to read by successive generations of Poles. However, the readers are encouraged to look for the tenement house and the window by the last sentences of the novel: “As the residents of Gdańsk are well known for respecting the monuments of the past, who knows, maybe this souvenir has still been preserved there? Maybe until today a girl at the window is still wistfully waiting and looking out for a sailor from the Puck fleet.”
The sentences quoted above close the novel and sound almost like the author’s testimony. However, at the same time they include a ready scenario and suggestions for further popularization of the over 100 year-old-legend and for the creation of its new material embodiment.
address: Gdańsk, Długi Targ
The Cathedral in Oliwa (Katedra Oliwska)
It is a long brick basilica (107 m) with a transept and a bypass around the presbytery. It was constructed in stages during the Romanesque and Romanesque – Gothic period (XIII c.) as well as in the Gothic period (the second half of XIV c.). The evident elements of the Romanesque – Gothic basilica are, among others, the transept cross pillars, ogive and offset arcades between the naves together with attached columns of trapeze capitals at the pillars. Wonderful late Gothic stellar vaults of the slender nave were not constructed until the year 1582. The Oliwa Cathedral is mainly best known for its massive but splendid rococo organ used in organ concerts during the summer season. The organ was constructed in 1763- 1788 by Jan Wulf of Orneta and finished by an organ master from Gdańsk Fryderyk Rudolf Dalitz. The organ is comprised of 7876 pipes made of oak, fir, pine wood and tin. Inside the cathedral there are 23 altars, mainly of great artistic value. They represent three architectural styles – renaissance, baroque (mostly) and rococo.
address: Katedra Oliwska, 80-330 Gdańsk, ul. Cystersów 10,tel.
Oliwa Park (Park Oliwski)
The Oliwa Park is the last park left of the municipal gardens that used to be very numerous in the past. It is an oasis of beauty and silence in the centre of the city. The Oliwa Park is an ideal place to regain one’s inner balance and the peace of mind.
The first park in this place was here as early as in the XV c., however, the present garden and palace complex was established during the first half of the XVIII century on the initiative of Jacek Rybiński. It was modelled on the examples of the Baroque French garden art. The value of this park is exceptionally high since very rare plants and flowers coming from almost all continents can be seen here. The names of trees coming from various areas of the world are presented on special plates. The following trees and plants, among others, can be admired in the Oliwa Park: astounding European larch and Japanese larch, white chestnut tree as well as European chestnut, red oak and English oak trees, American tulip trees, European white birch, magnolia tree along with Douglas fir and a variety of other exotic trees.
address: Gdańsk-Oliwa
Galeon Tourist Sailing Ship - "Lew" (Westerplatte cruises)
“On board of our ship you will have an exceptional opportunity to enjoy unique moments while listening to live chanties, whereas the guide will be a source of exciting information regarding the history of this city. You are very welcome on the board! We sail to Westerplatte.”
cruises organized: April-September
contact: marekrubacha1@wp.pl , tel.
ZOO, The Municipal Zoological Garden of Sea Coast
At present the zoological garden in Gdańsk is the biggest zoo in Poland. It is one of the most attractive places for both recreation and education on the Coast. Every year the garden is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists as well as the Tri-City residents.
The location of the park was selected on purpose as this area can boast of excellent topographic conditions and mild microclimate of the valley. What is more, thanks to these conditions, during the time since the end of the XIX century until the year 1945, there was a guest house operating there for people suffering from upper respiratory tract ailments and
rheumatism. Both the main building as well as the domestic buildings and the old water mill together with the miller’s mansion dating back to the first half of the XIX century have been adapted for the needs of the zoological garden. The zoo in Gdańsk was opened on 1 May 1954.
address: 3 Karwieńska Street , 80-328 Gdańsk-Oliwa , tel.
Ołowianka Island (Wyspa Ołowianka)
Ołowianka is an island in Gdańsk with the Motława river flowing at its one side and the Stępka Channel at the other side. Within the framework of the city’s return ‘facing the river’ project, the former facilities of Ołowianka heat and power plant have been successfully adopted by the Polish Baltic Philharmonic. Just beyond the island, behind the bridge over the Stępka Channel, there is the Gdańsk Marina situated there. The MS Motława ferry goes between the exhibitions of the Polish Maritime Museum on the Island and the Main City. At present you can reach the Ołowianka island by means of two bridges over the Stępka Channel, they are: the Kamieniarski Bridge (which used to be a drawbridge in the past) from the Szafarnia Street at its eastern side and the bridge extending the Na Stępce Street. The latter bridge was constructed about 1916 as a railway bridge. There is the Polish Maritime Museum, The Fryderyk Chopin Polish Baltic Philharmonic as well as the Royal Granary (converted into a hotel) on the Ołowianka Island. The museum ship SS Sołdek has been moored at the bank of the Motława river.
Gdańsk Nowy Port Lighthouse (Historyczna Latarnia Morska)
The Cleveland Main Lighthouse (today no longer standing), which served as a model to the Gdańsk lighthouse, was erected in 1871 and was considered to be one of the most beautiful lighthouses of America. But why a twin of a Cleveland lighthouse in Gdańsk? It is an enduring mystery. One hypothesis links it with the visit of the City of Gdańsk delegation to the 1893 World Exposition in Chicago. During the visit the delegation would also have made an excursion to Cleveland, Ohio and, struck by the beauty of the Cleveland lighthouse, decided to have a twin built in Gdańsk. Is that how it happened? No one knows for sure, and it remains a historical puzzle, a challenge for a Sherlock Holmes of architecture...
address: Gdańsk Nowy Port , Przemysłowa 6a, 80-542 Gdańsk
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