I found the ‘Goldilocks’ of European city breaks — everything’s just right

A warm orange sun cushioned by clouds fizzles down before me. As it vanishes, it leaves behind a smudge of hot pink, illuminating the sky.

Everything feels calm. Peaceful. The sea gently rocks beneath our yacht. Of course, the pictures I take don’t do it one bit of justice.

I’m on a mini-cruise, gliding through the Port of Gdansk, that’s been timed to catch the sun going down.

Sailing down the still waters of the River Motława and Martwa Wisła, we pass hulking cranes and stationary ships. Our guide, Mike, points out historic sites – the 700-year-old Wisłoujście Fortress, and the Westerplatte Monument, marking where the first battle of the Second World War took place in 1939. Eventually, we reach the bay, for that uncapturable view.

It’s a relaxed introduction to Gdańsk, a European port city that sits pretty on Poland’s Baltic coast. Over a long weekend in late June, the city reveals itself as the ideal spot for a break – one that, for me at least, gets the balance of everything just right.

There’s a lot going for it: an easily-walkable city centre, ample amenities (it’s a struggle to pack in everything I want to do), and lively energy thanks to a smorgasbord of al fresco dining options. There’s also a rich tapestry of history to unweave, dating back to the 10th century. 

So it’s surprising, then, that Gdańsk doesn’t crack Poland’s top-five most-visited cities – the 2023 list was topped by Krakow, and featured the capital Warsaw, plus Wroclaw, dubbed the ‘Venice of Eastern Europe’.

Still, it’s hardly empty, not quite an elusive ‘hidden gem’ – plenty of tourists join me in combing the Długi Targ (Long Market), and I spy many souvenir shops.

But as I explore, even during peak summer season, I don’t feel overwhelmed. I’m not a dot lost in a crowd.

Getting to grips with Gdańsk’s ‘Main City’

A lot of the action takes place in the city centre: Main City – where you’ll find Długi Targ and connecting Długa Street – and the Old Town, a short walk north.

In the former, the crown jewels are Neptune’s Fountain, the grand Main Town Hall building (home to the excellent Museum of Gdańsk), and the Renaissance gate Brama Złota, which attracts the lens of every camera in the vicinity. 

At the end of Mariacka Street, you can’t miss St Mary’s – a striking Gothic church completed in 1502, said to be the largest brick church in the world. Stepping inside, I arch my neck to view its intriguing Astronomical Clock, a 15th century showstopper made by Hans Düringer that tracks not only the time but dates, solar and lunar positions.

The 78 metre-tall tower offers one of Gdańsk’s best views – if you can tackle its leg-buckling 409 stairs, 150 of which, to my dismay, are a claustrophobic spiral. Slightly out of breath, and jealous of a pigeon that simply flies to the top just as I complete the climb, my reward is spectacular – a sweeping panorama of pastel facades and orange rooftops.

Tucked away near the imposing Green Gate is the Historic Free Zone Museum: a compact but fascinating venue that tells the story of life in the Free City of Danzig – what Gdańsk was called during its spell as a city-state under the League of Nations, from 1920 to 1939. I spend 45 minutes here, peering at old newspapers and relics in glass cases. From here, a 10-minute walk along the Motlawa takes you to the National Maritime Museum.

In the Old Town, Radunia Canal flows past many of the area’s musts, such as the oldest church in Gdansk, St Catherine’s, which dates back to 1227 and houses many early timepieces, as well as the world’s first pulsar clock.

The Museum of the Second World War might be about a major part of history, but it lives in a strikingly contemporary building. It opened in 2017, with a permanent exhibition spanning 5,000 square metres and detailing the scale and impact of the war. As you might expect, it’s really not a ‘pop your head in for five minutes’ type of place. Save three hours for it, at least.

Nearby, I’m keen to see the Polish Post Office Museum, to learn more about one of the first acts of the war. On September 1st, 1939, Germany began its invasion of Poland, and along with the attack on Westerplatte, conducted a siege against the then-Free City of Danzig’s post office. 58 people – many postal workers – managed to hold off the Nazis for 15 hours. 

Alas, it isn’t open during my trip; closed for renovation until late 2026. Instead, I admire the silver Monument to the Defenders of the Polish Post Office outside the entrance. Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, soars above a defender laying on the ground – mail strewn around – as he hands her a rifle.

A fitting tribute to determination, and worth visiting for alone.

A modern museum about the recent past

A yellow crane looms large inside the European Solidarity Centre’s main exhibition.

It was once used by Anna Walentynowicz, an activist fired from Gdańsk’s former Lenin Shipyard for being part of an illegal trade union in August 1980 – which sparked a wave of strikes and the creation of Solidarnośc, an independently-run trade union, the first of its kind in the Eastern Bloc.

Electrician (and future Polish president) Lech Wałęsa was at the helm, and soon it evolved into a social movement leading to the 1989 Round Table Talks, and ultimately the fall of communism in Poland. 

You can even sit inside its cabin. This is one of many immersive elements of the museum, which journeys through the transformative decade, from Halls A to G. As displays detail the timeline of events, interactive screens add extra context via photos, short films, front pages and satire cartoons, even recordings of songs that were banned at the time, listenable through a handheld speaker. 

Each hall is engagingly designed; one room captures the essence of where the Round Table Talks were held, down to the huge 1980s TV cameras in the corners. Another, a giant wall of white and red cards with notes from past visitors, poignantly spells out ‘Solidarnośc’.

Two to three hours could easily be spent here – there are also some temporary exhibitions, a library, coffee shop, and an oasis-like entrance floor, a tranquil space filled with greenery, to consider.

A trip to Malbork Castle, the world’s largest made of bricks

In a nook on the side of Malbork Castle is a towering statue of the Madonna, holding baby Jesus. A holy figure, she shimmers in the distance, adorned in gold and red mosaic tiles. 

She is also, our guide Alicia explains, a reconstruction. Crafted in 1340, she was destroyed in an air raid in 1945, and restored in recent years. 

A lone severed hand from the original is on display alongside the castle’s many exhibits, which include everything from religious statues and amber artefacts to medieval armour and weaponry. As we’re shown around Malbork’s 52-acre complex – it’s the world’s largest brick castle – and explore its many rooms (chapels, a dining hall, prison cells) over three levels, I note many other handless, and headless, statues along the way.

It wasn’t just the Madonna that needed restoring, but much of the castle. Dating back to 1280, it was built by the Teutonic Order, but in the 19th century underwent significant restoration – the extent of the conservation work is part of the reason it’s inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The castle is beautiful, and Alicia points out where lighter, newer bricks contrast with older ones.

As the tour draws to a close, we walk past a black and white photograph of the crumbled castle from 1945, and a man from Warsaw remarks to me that he recalls seeing the castle in that state as a child in the 1950s.

Malbork is just 50-minutes from Gdańsk by car, so it makes for a good day trip. And it isn’t the only one you can do. Gdańsk forms a Tri-City with neighbouring port Gdynia and seaside hotspot Sopot, which, everywhere I go, people keep telling me is a must-visit. If only I had more time…

Pierogies, pastries, and quite a lot of vodka

Heading down into the low-lit bar Piwnica Rajców, I know I’m about to get tipsy. I’m a well-established lightweight on a vodka-tasting experience, where I’ll need to down six strong shots.

Mariana, our host for the evening, asks us to reveal our favourite alcoholic drinks. Ironically, I answer “vodka” – which is true, but typically with a mixer. That also suggests I know something about it, which isn’t the case. Thankfully, she does, and we whir through Poland’s proud history of producing the spirit, dating back to the 15th century.

We clink and cheers na zdrowie! and work through the brands, among them: Żubrówka Bison Grass, which has a blade of the grass in every bottle; Soplica, a sickly sweet vodka I actually love; J. A. Baczewski, a classic potato-based spirit; and Goldwasser, a herbal liqueur with tiny gold flakes, famously produced in Gdańsk from 1598 until 2009, that goes down smoothly.

To continue our education, Mariana recommends trying Machandel, a juniper-based vodka with roots in the city, at nearby Gdański Bowke. Embarrassingly, though, I’m done – and need to eat.

At Pierogarnia Mandu, a window allows you to see the traditional Polish dish pierogi – a giant filled dumpling – being made inside the restaurant. A 20-minute queue stretches from the door to get in, but it’s worth the wait for the generous choice of types (from boiled to deep fried) and fillings (both savoury and sweet). The zurek (sour rye soup, with Polish sausage, bacon and potatoes) is delicious, too.

Elsewhere, vegan spot Manna 68 becomes a highlight of my trip thanks to its welcoming vibe, creative menu, and Silesian dumpling starter. Montownia, a thriving indoor food hall, overflows with options – Greek, Vietnamese, Georgian and Ukrainian eats are on offer, as are street food-style loaded fries, and smash burgers.

Last but not least: sweets. The guided tours and museum-hopping are great, and have given me a whirlwind impression of the city. But a chilled interlude sitting in one of its many bakeries, watching the world go by with a jam-filled pączki (doughnut) in hand?

That really makes everything just right.