We were on assignment in this amazing city, which survived and re-vived after WWII but has retained much of it's more than thousand year history and charm along with development of a very modern approach to life including the newest hotel in town...a Hilton which had opened just 6 months prior to our visit. It was a very welcoming place with coureous, helpful staff, a charming bar and very good food. We would definitely return! Below is a picture taken on a somewhat rainy evening. OK, OK...most of the evenings were rainy and cold but we thought it OK.
The city is water bound with rivers and sea.
A view from the other side of the river from where the Hilton is, gives a good shot of the medieval crane (see below)...no...not the modern looking thin thing...the sepia and black construction that kinda looks like Madame Tousard's version of Darth Vadar. It is a crane, we swear! AND it's a national treasure. We would not make these things up.
Gdansk is called the city of arches and bricks. All the olde structures - some dating back to the 14th century - are made of brick because they have a lot of bricks or...um...clay available in the area. Think: lots of water and silt. The town square or plaza below is surrounded by tall buildings each of individual style. Most are adorned on the outside with paintings...the richer one was, the grander the outside decortations on one's building. Arches are clearly visible as gateways to the center area.
This statue represents..........something. We suspect it's the Polish version of Neptune but we like it anyway.
Walking on the street that runs along the river are many arches which used to be openings for docks. As small vessals carried food and other things into Gdansk they would belly up to the docks, unload and goods were taken into the city through the arches which also served something of protection from bad guys.
Below are some of the buildings we strolled by on a walk from the hotel to a restaurant one late afternoon.
Gdansk is the Amber captial of Europe. We knew there was one somewhere! One of the most charming little side streets in the city is packed with picturesque buildings and stores loaded with amber jewelry, amber statues, amber letter openers, amber wall art, amber tamblyn (just kidding). We investigated the cost of several pieces of jewelry and found that we could afford an amber button for a small child's teeny tiny dress. We don't have any small child but we did think the street was worth a couple of pictures.
Did you know that Celcius of thermometer fame was a Gdansk native? We were eversoenlightened to learn this and yet we failed to take a picture of his house with a thermometer plaque on the outside. We just don't know how we missed this. For all the winter cold and grey that one can find in Gdansk, at its heart it is a welcoming, alive and bright city, water and tradition bound which we would most definitely visit again if we have the chance.
If you are in the neighborhood of Gdansk, we think you should treat yourself to a visit. Just remember to limit yourself when it comes to amber.
Cheers!
