Self-Guided Walking Tour of Gdańsk, Poland (2025)

The Green Gate is a majestic Renaissance-style city gate located at the western end of Long Market Square, standing as an elegant entrance from the Motława River promenade into Gdańsk’s historic centre. Originally built in the 16th century as a residence for Polish monarchs, its elaborate façade blends Gothic and Renaissance elements, featuring ornate sculptures and coats of arms. The gate’s position linking the riverfront and the city centre makes it a perfect starting point for your walking tour, offering stunning views of the waterfront and the city skyline.

Inside, the Green Gate now hosts art exhibitions and cultural events, providing a peaceful contrast to the bustling streets outside. Climbing up to the rooftop terrace rewards visitors with panoramic views of the Motława River, Long Embankment, and the city’s famous spires. This site is a reminder of Gdańsk’s historical importance as a trading port and its architectural grandeur.

Long Market Square is the pulsating heart of Gdańsk’s Old Town and one of the most photogenic squares in Poland. Lined with beautifully restored, colorful merchant houses, it reflects centuries of prosperity from the city’s Hanseatic League days. The square bustles with street performers, market stalls, and cafés, making it an ideal spot to pause and soak in local life while admiring the detailed façades that range from Gothic to Baroque styles.

This lively space is also home to important landmarks such as Neptune’s Fountain and Artus Court. Visitors can enjoy leisurely walks along its length, stopping to explore boutique shops or sample local specialties at nearby eateries. Long Market is especially atmospheric during festivals and evening hours when the buildings are beautifully illuminated.

Neptune’s Fountain stands proudly in Long Market Square as a symbol of Gdańsk’s historic connection to the sea. Created in the early 17th century, this ornate bronze statue of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, was designed to emphasize the city’s maritime wealth and power. Its intricate details and water features make it a popular meeting point and a favorite photo spot for visitors.

The fountain’s location at the centre of the square means it is surrounded by charming cafés and shops, allowing visitors to relax while taking in the lively atmosphere. Local legends even suggest a mystical connection between Neptune’s waters and the famous Goldwasser liqueur, adding an intriguing layer to the fountain’s allure.

Artus Court is a splendid historic building on Long Market Square that once served as a meeting place for Gdańsk’s elite merchants and nobles. Its richly decorated façade and interior banquet halls reflect the city’s wealth and cosmopolitan spirit during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Visitors can admire grand halls adorned with tapestries, chandeliers, and paintings depicting maritime legends and local history.

The court today operates as a museum showcasing Gdańsk’s mercantile heritage, with exhibits including ceremonial objects, furniture, and historic artworks. Walking through Artus Court offers insight into the social and economic life that helped build Gdańsk’s reputation as a trading powerhouse.

The impressive Gdańsk Town Hall towers over Long Market Square with its richly ornamented Gothic-Renaissance façade and an imposing clock tower visible across the city. Originally built in the 14th century and expanded over time, the building served as the administrative and judicial heart of the city. Its architectural details, including statues and intricate brickwork, reveal Gdańsk’s pride and political significance through the centuries.

Visitors can tour the Town Hall’s lavish interiors, including the Great Council Hall decorated with murals, stucco, and period furniture. The building also houses the Historical Museum of the City of Gdańsk, where exhibitions detail the city’s evolution, offering a fascinating glimpse into local governance, art, and culture.

Ulica Długa, or Long Street, is one of Gdańsk’s grandest and most historically rich thoroughfares, connecting the Green Gate with Long Market Square. Once the ceremonial route for dignitaries and royalty, the street is lined with beautifully restored townhouses featuring ornate gables, coats of arms, and decorative motifs. Walking down Long Street offers a vivid sense of Gdańsk’s mercantile prosperity and architectural heritage.

The street is pedestrian-friendly and filled with cafés, amber shops, and boutiques, perfect for leisurely exploration. Along the way, visitors can admire impressive buildings like the Golden Gate and stop to enjoy street performances or local cuisine, all set within an evocative historical atmosphere.

The Golden Gate is a striking Renaissance city gate that forms the eastern entrance to Long Street. Built in the early 17th century, its elegant façade is adorned with sculptures symbolizing virtues such as peace, freedom, wealth, and fame. The gate’s decorative design and strategic location emphasize its importance as a symbol of Gdańsk’s civic pride and openness to trade and diplomacy.

Passing through the Golden Gate immerses visitors into the historic heart of the city, with easy access to the bustling Ulica Długa and Long Market. The gate’s imposing yet graceful presence makes it a popular photo spot and an architectural highlight of any walking tour.

Just outside the Golden Gate, stands the imposing Prison Tower and Torture House (Katownia), once the grim heart of Gdańsk’s medieval justice system. Built in the 15th century as part of the city’s fortifications, the complex later served as a city jail and interrogation center, complete with torture chambers used during the 16th and 17th centuries. Today, its tall red-brick tower and Renaissance façade make it a striking architectural landmark. As part of a walking tour, this site offers a sobering contrast to the nearby merchant houses and lively squares, giving visitors a deeper sense of Gdańsk’s layered history.

The Straw Tower (Baszta Słomiana) is a charming medieval defensive tower that once formed part of Gdańsk’s northern city walls. Built in the 14th century, its name comes from the original straw-covered roof, a distinctive feature that set it apart from other fortifications. Positioned strategically to guard key access points, the tower played an important role in the city’s medieval defense system. Today, the Straw Tower stands as a quiet historical landmark, offering visitors a glimpse into Gdańsk’s fortified past as you explore the old town on foot.

The Great Armory is one of Gdańsk’s most remarkable Renaissance buildings, located just off Long Street. Constructed in the early 17th century, this massive structure was originally designed to store weapons and ammunition, reflecting the city’s strategic importance. Its richly decorated façades feature pilasters, niches, and ornamental statues, making it an architectural gem as well as a symbol of the city’s military readiness.

Today, the Great Armory houses cultural events and exhibitions, blending its historic character with contemporary uses. Visitors appreciate the building’s grandeur and often stop to admire its intricate stonework and distinctive silhouette against the cityscape.

St. Mary’s Church is an awe-inspiring Gothic basilica and one of the largest brick churches in Europe. Built over nearly two centuries, its massive red-brick exterior dominates Gdańsk’s skyline, while inside, visitors find soaring vaulted ceilings, stunning stained glass, and impressive works of art, including the famous astronomical clock. The church’s size and craftsmanship reflect the city’s medieval wealth and religious devotion.

Climbing the church tower rewards visitors with panoramic views over the Old Town and the Motława River. The church remains an active place of worship and a must-see for history buffs and architecture enthusiasts alike.

Mariacka Street is one of Gdańsk’s most charming and picturesque lanes, known for its cobbled surface and historic merchant houses adorned with wrought-iron lanterns and intricate door knockers. This narrow street was historically home to wealthy amber merchants, and today it remains the best place to browse amber shops selling jewelry and souvenirs crafted from the “Baltic gold.”

Walking down Mariacka offers a peaceful contrast to the busier squares, with its quaint cafés and artisan workshops. The street’s timeless atmosphere evokes Gdańsk’s mercantile past and is especially lovely in the early morning or evening light.

Długie Pobrzeże stretches nearly a third of a mile along the Motława River and offers one of the most scenic waterfront walks in Gdańsk. Historically, it served as the city’s main port quay, lined with granaries and warehouses where goods were loaded and unloaded. Today, beautifully reconstructed tenements and the iconic medieval Crane Gate line the promenade, alongside lively cafés and restaurants.

Visitors can enjoy views of historic ships and river traffic while soaking up the maritime atmosphere. The area is pedestrianized and perfect for a leisurely stroll, connecting key sites like the Green Gate and the Crane, and providing a glimpse into Gdańsk’s seafaring legacy.

Brama Żuraw, or the Crane Gate, is one of Gdańsk’s most distinctive landmarks and a testament to its maritime history. Built in the 15th century, it functioned both as a defensive city gate and a giant port crane capable of lifting heavy cargo from ships on the Motława River. Its massive wooden structure and fortified towers make it unique among medieval port cranes in Europe.

Today, the Crane houses part of the Maritime Museum, where visitors can explore exhibits on Gdańsk’s trading past and see the original treadwheel mechanisms used to operate the crane. Walking through this site offers a fascinating glimpse into the city’s role as a key Baltic trading hub.

Ulica Szeroka was once the commercial heart of Gdańsk’s Main Town and remains a lively street full of history and culture. Stretching from Targ Drzewny to the Crane Gate, it is lined with colorful merchant houses, cafés, and important monuments such as the statue of Świętopełk II the Great. The street’s name reflects its original function as a wide trading avenue bustling with commerce.

The street’s historical significance is matched by its modern vibrancy, with amber shops, galleries, and small museums inviting exploration. Visitors can learn about local legends, such as the story behind the Goldwasser liqueur, and enjoy the street’s festive atmosphere, especially during summer months.

Hala Targowa is Gdańsk’s vibrant indoor market hall located near the Old Town. Built in the late 19th century in an eclectic architectural style, it has been a hub for fresh produce, meats, flowers, and local goods for over a century. The spacious interior, marked by iron columns and large windows, buzzes with activity as locals shop for daily essentials.

Beneath the hall lies an archaeological museum showcasing the remains of a 13th-century Dominican monastery, offering visitors a surprising glimpse into the city’s medieval past. Stopping here adds a sensory and historical dimension to the walking tour, connecting the present-day marketplace with centuries of Gdańsk’s urban life.

Jacek Tower (Baszta Jacek) is the tallest surviving medieval tower in Gdańsk and a striking landmark along the old fortifications. Built in the 15th century and named after Saint Hyacinth, it once served as a vital defensive post guarding the northern edge of the Main Town. Though not open to visitors inside, the tower’s soaring brick structure, Gothic design, and commanding presence make it a fascinating stop on any walking tour, offering a vivid glimpse into the city’s fortified past.