Looking at a potential weekend away with the missus in the summer, while the kids are away for a week. Looking at constraints of time, flight times, price etc, Gdansk came up top of the pile.
It looks lovely - https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gdansk&safe=active&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjfwerm_bLTAhWRbVAKHVdOD-UQ_AUICSgC&biw=1536&bih=832
But does anyone have any first hand experience? Worth a trip for a couple of nights?
Cheers, Fraser
I've never been but a couple of friends live there and their visitors like it.
To be precise they live in Sopot, just along the coast, the equivalent of Brighton or Deauville. Lots to see, lots to do, good clubbing, food, sightseeing. Together with Gdynia the area is called the Tri-City as they run into each other like Brighton/Hove, Blackpool/Lytham.
Went to Sopot just next door a couple of years ago for a wedding. I think Sopot, Gdansk and some other place are considered all part of the same conurbation. Nice beach vibe, cheap to eat etc. Think Polish Riviera. Would have liked to explore Gdansk but we didn't have time.
Thanks folks, sounds promising, and much appreciated.
Never been to Gdansk but I have been to Gydnia.
Really liked that.
Also, it may sound a cliche but the local ladies are incredibly beautiful. 😀
Went there a few years ago with work for a couple of days, so only really saw the centre - not at all what I had expected, it was lovely, really nice town square, lots of bars and restaurants, cheap beer and food, friendly and some really nice architecture/sights/history.
Recommended!
I went last year, visited both Gdansk and Sopot, only about 15 - 20 min train ride apart. I'd recommend it, lots to see and some pretty cool bars.
Nice place to have breakfast - https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g274725-d2168970-Reviews-Goldwasser-Gdansk_Pomerania_Province_Northern_Poland.html
I've been, it's lovely for a few days. If you can also get out onto the Jurata penninsular and visit the seaside resort of 'Hel' (assuming the weather is nice) then that would also be a great day out.
Rest assured though that no matter how warm the air temperature is, the 'Baltic' will be just that.
Used to stay in Gdansk & Sopot regularly when I worked in Poland. Great places for the weekend. I didn't like Gydnia that much though.
My other half is Polish, so we have spent a fair amount of time in the Gdansk area.. Mainly flying into and out of, but also a few nice weekends.
Gdansk itself is ok.. Just a city really, plenty of shopping, and it is super cheap (Depending on the exchange).
For meals out, Gdansk old town is a very nice place to go (Stare Miasto in Polish), the tube system is pretty good so you can get around very easily.
Couple of recommendations if I may -
If you want to stay in the centre of Gdansk try and centralise yourself around the old city, loads of great places to eat, and loads of hotels.
We found an amazing Cocktail bar, which I will try and remember!
Pod Bandera is a fantastic restaurant, if you google it you will see the area.
I would definitely recommend staying in Sopot instead of Gdansk, its a lovely quieter place with very easy links into the centre.
We stayed in a very strange hotel called Zhong Hua, a Chinese Hotel with a really nice fish restaurant next door, with amazing breakfast!
Also Molo is a really nice - Basically a really long Pier. If your interested in music, Molo is on cover of Morcheeba's Parts of the Process album.
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This has a really nice cafe/lunch stop at the end too.
Anyway I'll stop going on. But feel free to email me for any more information!
J
Just realised I didn't really answer the question -
Yes its very nice and I like it a lot! So go!
Sounds like a plan, thanks so much folks!
I went to Gdansk in November for a friends 50th and was impressed!
As already mentioned there are nice bars in the old town serving good food at very cheap prices!
The Polish people were very welcoming but puzzled as to why we had chosen Gdansk,
We had an afternoon in Sopot but it was raining all day so sort of spoilt the visit a little, I can imagine it being nice on a summers day.
NS bikes are based there too and there is a small bike park on the outskirts
Edit We stayed in the Mercure Gdansk, they were offering great deals at weekends at the time
Went a few years ago on a stag-do and had a great time. Lovely place, we had amazing weather and would go back in a heartbeat.
RM.
Been twice, once a while ago, and once fairly recently-ish.
The first time we went, the airport was literally a shed with two doors. In fact, i'm certain a few posters here have bigger sheds.
The second time, the airport was an actual building that resembles an airport, still tiny, though.
The city itself has transformed so much between the two visits. It was lovely both times, but it was much more "modernised" the second time (and can only imagine even more modern now)
The waterfront and old town are beautiful. There are some fantastic restaurants around. Westerplatte is fantastic and well worth a visit, if a bit harrowing and likely to bring a tear to the eye:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westerplatte
When I went, you could walk all up to an on the ruins. I don't know if they've taken steps to preserve them or H&S efforts at all.
There is a great torture museum on the waterfront, near the old crane. Well worth going into if you're not squeemish!
Restaurants are great, I remember the portion sizes being huge! Beer is also good, and very lethal.
I'd go again, but the city from what I remember is quite small. Keep a look out for bullet holes all over the older buildings.
if you go in the winter the river freezes. if you go in the summer it can reach 30+ degrees easily.
I went on business a few years ago. The "old town" is in fact a very carefully constructed facsimile - the city was completely destroyed in WW2, and if you look carefully at some of the "old" buildings you can see the concrete behind the facades. Regardless, it's a very nice place to spend a couple of days. There's not much English spoken as I recall so a few words of German may be helpful if you can't get your head around Polish.
I was there with work a few times about 15 years ago. It is all a bit of a blur, so it must have been OK.
Bookmarking as I'm going in September.
Restaurants are great, I remember the portion sizes being huge! Beer is also good, and very lethal.
Excellent !
Folks
Thanks for all the advice, much appreciated. Going next week so will report back with reviews on all your suggestions!
Cheers
Fraser
