Might be a bit of a random one, but off to Gdansk with the family for a few days next week.
Any tips or recommendations of any nature most welcome. Ty
x
Let us know how it goes Joe, I quite fancy a trip there.
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If there isnât a nightclub there called Gdanskfloor, there should be. Have fun
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Hi- went a few years ago so canât offer anything current in terms of specific places to go Iâm sorry. However, the town itself is small and compact, so everywhere is easily in reach and walkable. We followed a âwalking tourâ in our little guide book to get our bearings and it took about an hour to complete, so nothing too strenuous. The âold townâ area was a few lovely cobbled streets with local crafts, charming little shops, loads of places to get pierogi and other traditional food. From there its a couple of minutes to get to the docks area. The older buildings were being renovated into new businesses/museums/ restaurants (bit like Liverpool docks) when i went, but as before it was years back. The industrial port is a bit further out. There is a modern shopping area surrounding the old town as well. Loved it at the time ourselves (we went at Xmas time so it was really picturesque), hope you enjoy.
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I went there a few years ago with my other half and really enjoyed it.
The below are recommended with the caveat that (as I donât know the age of your kids), some might not be suitable or will bore them.
If the weather is bad there are 2 x good museums:
Museum of the Second World War - Only 200 visitors an hour are permitted to enter, so to avoid the queues, make sure you buy your ticket in advance online. The museum is free on Tuesdays but the 200-visitor limit still applies and tickets are sold on a first-come-first-served basis. Get there early if you can.
European Solidarity Centre - Perhaps a bit niche for your kids. You follow an audio guide through 7 halls detailing Polandâs fight for freedom post WW2. There is a street food place near there called 100cznia, but I donât know how good the food is. Also nearby is Ulica Elektrykow, once part of the shipyards, but which now has live acts, DJs and food stalls in the Evening: Ulica ElektrykĂłw | Gdansk
If the weather is good you can catch a boat to the Hel Peninsula, which has a variety of seaside towns and nice beaches, although there are several cold war remnants (bunkers, gun emplacements etc) dotted about the place too. Bear in mind it takes 2 hours one way from Gdansk to the town of Hel at the tip of the Peninsula.
If you are pushed for time, then take the train or boat to Sopot, which has a prom and long pier. There is a book shop near the train station with lots of records, but I found nothing of interest there and many were in pretty poor condition.
Even closer is BrzeĆșno Beach just near the new port.
You could easily spend a few days just walking round the pedestrianised old town and by the Motlawa river. They did an amazing job of rebuilding the town considering it suffered a huge amount of damage in WW2. Youâll find all the notable streets like DĆugi Targ, Ulica Dluga & Mariacka just by meandering around.
You get a good view of the town from the top of the Ratusz/Town Hall. Itâs a better view than from the nearby Bazylika Mariacka, which is also worth a visit just to see the scale of it.
If you or your family are into street art, there is a whole estate full of it: Zaspa Itâs a bit out of the centre, but you can get there by tram. Leave at the Startowa tram stop and go to the PilotĂłw Street. Locals often give free tours. That said, there seems to be similar street art areas in every European city, so it may not be worth the schlep. Info here: Murals Gdansk Zaspa - Monumental Art Collection
Wajdeloty street in Lower Wrzeszcz is supposed to be a âhipâ area, but itâs a 20-minute tram ride from the city centre, so we didnât make it.
Restaurants:
Tawerna Mestwin - They specialise in Kashubian regional cooking from the northwest of Poland.
Pierogarnia Mandu GdaĆsk - Lots of different types of Pierogi. Boiled, baked and sweet. Pierogarnia Stary Mlyn is supposed to be good too, but we didnât go.
Canis Restaurant - A mixture of European & Polish dishes in a nice building.
Pan Kotowski - Very traditional Ukranian restaurant. Great food, nice atmosphere, polite staff, and homemade drinks.
Bar Turystyczny A spruced up version of a Milk Bar, a Communist era restaurant that served cheap Polish classic dishes.
Pomelo Supposedly this place does a great Breakfast/Brunch, but we ate Breakfast in our Airbnb, so didnât go.
Bars:
There are quite a few beer & cocktail places in town. Try and have a glass of Gold Wasser, their local spirit. These are a few we liked:
Piwnica Rajców - Decent beer in centre of town. In the vaults of historic Artus Court⊠Does food too.
Brovarnia GdaĆsk Brews their own beer. In Hotel Gdansk. Has waterfront seating.
TLEN Cocktail Bar Gdansk - Cocktail bar with drinks inspired by different regions of Poland.
MaĆa Sztuka Cocktail Bar - GdaĆsk ĆrĂłdmieĆcie -By the river. Interesting cocktails.
Craft Cocktails - 20âs themed bar. Nice interior.
FinallyâŠIMHO the best record shop in Gdansk is Muzyczna Piwnica Winyl Store. Itâs a small room in the basement of a block of flats full to bursting with records. The owner is very friendly and (if my memory isnât playing tricks on me) speaks English. The only downside is itâs a long way from the centre of town and there is nothing of interest near it. Info here: Muzyczna Piwnica PHU Janis | Gdansk
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Thanks for the tips @Elmonopequeno and @Binkiehuckaback 
Already planned to visit the WW2 museum and take a trip up to Sopot so will definitely do those. Will explore and report back.
I have a friend who just moved here, so if you find anything that hasnât been mentioned by all the other excellent recommendations above please share so i can send it over to her!
Its a cute little place. Weâre staying in Old Town which is completely walkable in less than 30 minutes. Locals are super friendly and helpful. The food has been exceptional and very reasonably priced. Weâve had local polish dishes, pizza and trendy burgers: all banging. Went to Westerplatte (on a Pirate galleon!) to see where the Nazi invasion of Poland began. The aforementioned WW2 museum is world class but after several hours there its a little bit heavy. Took a trip up to Sopot yesterday, lovely spot along the Polish Riviera. Havent managed many bars but can see plenty of enticing ones dotted about. Its a bit stag do when night falls but nowhere near as rowdy as Krakow.
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Looks stunning. JealousâŠ
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