Things to do in and around Gdansk, Poland

Travel is slowly coming back, and if you are fully vaccinated, why not choose Poland, and Gdańsk in particular, as your next travel destination?

Gdańsk is s a city on the Baltic coast of northern Poland. It is Poland's principal seaport and the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.

Gdansk Poland

Gdańsk History

To understand where Gdańsk stands today, it is important to explore the city’s complex history - over the centuries it was under Polish, Prussian and German rule, with periods of autonomy or self-rule as a free city-state. Before the 18th century rapid growth of Warsaw, it was considered the wealthiest and the largest city of Poland, as well as an important seaport and shipbuilding town in the late Middle Ages.

Gdańsk Architecture

Parts of the historic old city of Gdańsk, which had suffered large-scale destruction during World War II, were rebuilt during the 1950s and 1960s, and the city is still undergoing through some changes today. The city’s architecture may remind you of the Netherlands or Belgium and there are reasons for it - trade connections with these countries also led to a cultural exchange, a few Dutch architects worked in the city in the 16th-17th centuries.

Mariacka Street

One of the most atmospheric streets of Gdańsk is the charming cobbled Mariacka Street that runs between the waterfront St Mary’s Gate and St Mary’s Church. It was almost completely re-created after WWII, mostly on the basis of old documents, photographs and illustrations, with every ornamental detail unearthed from the debris. It’s the only street with a complete row of terraces, with several artisan amber jewellery shops and some lovely cafes and bars.

Gdańsk Rooftop Views

The pretty rows of historic houses are best seen from above, and Gdańsk has no shortage of great viewpoints. I visited two of them but there are more available. It is important to note that to climb up the towers you need to use narrow staircases and there are no lifts available.

Gdańsk Town Hall

The Main Town Hall in Gdańsk houses the History Museum of the City of Gdańsk and offers amazing views over the city (photos below) from its tower. It is also one of the finest examples of the Gothic-Renaissance historic buildings in the city.

Gdansk view from City Hall

St Catherine’s Church

Another great place for rooftop views is St Catherine’s Church, the oldest church in Gdańsk. It also houses the world's first pulsar clock and the Museum of turret clocks.

Gdansk rooftop view

Sassy Rooftop Bar

In summer, sunset is quite late in the evening and the museums are already closed by then - if you would like to enjoy a rooftop view while watching the sunset, head to Sassy Rooftop bar.

Gdańsk Crane

The Crane is one of the symbols of Gdańsk that represents the city's trading past. As a working crane, it was used to transfer cargoes and to put up masts on ships. At one point, it was the biggest working crane in the world. It also served a defence function and as one of the gates to the city. After the war, it was rebuilt and donated to the Polish Maritime Museum of which it remains a part today.

World War II Museum

If you have time to visit only one museum in Gdańsk, make it the Museum of the Second World War. World War II officially began with the simultaneous German attacks on the Westerplatte Peninsula and the Polish Post Office in Gdańsk, and the museum is symbolically located just a few minutes walk from the Post Office.

Opened in 2017, the building consists of three major spheres, which represent the connection between the past, present and future. The museum includes numerous amount of displays and wartime objects. Those interested in the topic can easily spend a whole day but at least 3 hours are recommended for a visit.

Gdansk WWII museum
Gdansk WWII museum

European Solidarity Centre

In the 1980s, Gdańsk was the birthplace of the Solidarity movement, which played a major role in bringing an end to communist rule in Poland and helped precipitate the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact. To understand how this movement started, evolved and where it led to, visit the European Solidary Centre museum that has been open since 2014.

Gdansk Solidarity Museum

After a visit to the Solidarity Centre, why not explore the hip shipyard area where you can find street food stalls and bars.

Gdansk shipyards

Oliwa Cathedral

Gdańsk has some of the most beautiful churches and one of them is Oliwa Cathedral. One of its interesting features is the organ, built at the end of 18th century, it was at that time the largest organ of its kind in Europe.

Where to eat and drink in Gdańsk

Finding a place for a great meal in Gdańsk is not a problem as the central part of the city has a big selection of restaurants and bars. I have included a few places I had an opportunity to try below.

Restaurant Gvara

If you were to try one local dish in Poland, dumplings are a must-have. They come with different fillings - the ones pictured below are filled with potato and cheese.

Piwna 47

Browar PG4

PG4 Brewery is inspired by the rich culture of brewing beer in Gdańsk. The city has been the brewing centre of this part of Europe for centuries. Already in the 13th century, there were hundreds of small breweries producing craft beers.

You can try a flight of different beers here, and also don’t miss the Jopen beer, which was a Gdańsk speciality produced at least since 1449. With 10,10% alcohol, it is much thicker than regular beers and almost tastes like liquor.

Where to stay in Gdansk

I stayed at the Puro Hotel which is located right in the heart of the city. The hotel had everything I needed for a comfortable stay but you can find many other affordable hotels in the city or rent an Airbnb.

A day in Sopot

If you are staying in Gdańsk for a few days, a great day trip idea would be to visit Sopot, a town on the Baltic Sea, which is only a quick train ride away. Along with neighbouring cities Gdynia and Gdańsk, it forms the so-called Tri-City metropolitan area. Sopot is known for its health spas, sandy beach and its long wooden pier that extends into the Bay of Gdańsk.

Sopot
Sopot Poland
Sopot beach

Sopot has plenty of restaurants and cafes to choose from, most of them serve fish and seafood.

Cafe Kultura below looked like a cosy spot for a cup of tea and a piece of cake.

Slona Woda Restaurant

Oscypek Cheese

Another local specialty to try is Oscypek cheese - a smoked cheese made of salted sheep milk exclusively in the Tatra Mountains region of Poland.

Forest Opera

An interesting place to see in Sopot is the Forest Opera, an open-air amphitheatre built in 1909 and used for various entertainment events and shows, including opera performances and song festivals. Each year, starting from 1964 (with some interruption in the early 1980s), the Sopot International Song Festival takes place here.

Opera Lesna Sopot

Malbork Castle

Another day trip idea from Gdańsk is The Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork, a 13th-century Teutonic castle and fortress. It is the largest castle in the world measured by land area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was originally constructed by the Teutonic Knights, a German Catholic religious order of crusaders, in a form of an Ordensburg fortress. The castle is a classic example of a medieval fortress and, on its completion in 1406, was the world's largest brick castle. It was expanded several times to house the growing number of Knights to become the largest fortified Gothic building in Europe.

Malbork Castle

The castle has several subdivisions and numerous layers of defensive walls. It consists of three separate castles - the High, Middle and Lower Castles, separated by multiple dry moats and towers. The outermost castle walls enclose 21 ha (52 acres), four times the enclosed area of Windsor Castle!

I’d recommend at least half a day to explore the exterior and interior of the castle and to learn more about the Teutonic Knights.

Mennonite Farmers’ House

If you are driving to Malbork Castle, you can stop by one of the Mennonite Farmers’ houses featuring beautiful arcades and wooden decorations. Polish Mennonites came from Netherland and Flandren. They settled down in Żuławy, Poland’s largest area located below sea level. 

I was a guest of the Polish Tourism Organisation. All opinions are my own.

Top 7 villages to see in the Cotswolds

While we all are waiting for travel restrictions to be lifted, I would like to feed your wanderlust with the most beautiful towns and villages to see in the Cotswolds.

Castle Combe

In my opinion, Castle Combe is one of the prettiest villages in the whole area and a definite must-visit. The name may sound a little confusing as there is no castle. But the village does take its name from the 12th-century motte and bailey castle which used to be located to the north of nowadays Castle Combe.

The village was used as a location in quite a few movies, some of them being Stardust and War Horse.

Castle Combe

While exploring the village, do not miss Manor House Hotel pictured below.

Lower Slaughter

Another lovely village with an even more confusing name! It derives from the Old English term ‘slough’ meaning wet land, and not from what you could have thought. The village is built on the banks of the River Eye which also flows through Upper Slaughter.

Lower Slaughter

Don’t miss the 19th-century watermill that now houses a museum. There’s also a craft shop and a handmade organic ice cream parlour. 

Lower Slaughter Cotswolds

The views between the villages aren’t bad either!

Between Upper and Lower  Slaughter

Upper Slaughter

The village is slightly smaller than Lower Slaughter and therefore is less touristy. It’s still worth a visit if you are travelling through the area.

Upper Slaughter
Cottage in Upper Slaughter
Upper Slaughter Cotswolds

Burford

If you fancy a bit of shopping, Burford is the perfect places for it with a relatively busy high street lined up with small shops, pubs and cafes. I always pop in to Lynwood & Co cafe that does the best coffee in the area. On the opposite side of the road, you can find the Cotswolds Cheese Co. shop and The Burford Farm shop that are both worth a visit too.

Burford

Bourton-on-the-Water

This charming village is known as the Venice of the Cotswolds and perhaps that is the reason it’s always very busy and full of tourists. it’s also known for its low bridges and quaint limestone houses and is home to the Cotswold Motoring Museum that features vintage cars and a toy collection.

You can also visit The Model Village which is a one-ninth scale replica of the heart of the village of Bourton-on-the-Water.

Bourton-on-the-Water
Bourton-on-the-Water

Stow-on-the-Wold

Stow-on-the-Wold, originally called Stow St. Edward or Edwardstow after the town's patron saint Edward, is said to have originated as an Iron Age fort with its defensive position on a hill. Same as Burford, it’s a good place for a bit of shopping or for grabbing a bite to eat.

Stow-on-the-Wold

Don’t miss the medieval St Edward's Parish Church with its famous north door flanked by yew trees and Talbot Square lined with lovely little shops.

Bibury

Last but not least, Bibury was once described by William Morris as “the most beautiful village in England”. A picture of Bibury is seen on the inside cover of all United Kingdom passports, making it the most depicted village in the world. Arlington Row (pictured below), a row of weavers cottages built of local stone next to the River Coln, is a very popular tourist destination. I recommend arriving early if you would like to have the village all to yourself.

Bibury

Looking for more places to visit in the area? You can find a separate post on Bath here, Bradford on Avon here and some other suggestions here.

A day trip from London - things to do in Norwich, Norfolk

Taking the advantage of January being a slightly less eventful month of the year, last week I took a train from London to visit a city I haven’t been to before and have been thinking of visiting for a long time. Norwich is only 2 hours away by train from London and if you book your tickets a little in advance (like I did) return journey costs only £20.

Did you that from the Middle Ages until the Industrial Revolution, Norwich was the largest city in England after London and one of the most important too? It is also the most complete medieval city in the United Kingdom. This makes it a great city to visit for a day trip, or you can stay overnight and then head to explore Norfolk Broads.

Norwich Cathedral

Norwich city centre is just a short walk from the train station. I started my trip with a visit to Norwich Cathedral. Built in the 11th century, the cathedral has the second largest cloisters in England and the second-largest cathedral spire.

DSCF4573.jpg

Elm Hill

After visiting the Cathedral, I headed to Elm Hill, a pretty historic cobbled lane with many buildings dating back to the Tudor period. Don’t miss the Briton's Arms coffee house, one of five remaining thatched buildings in the City. There is a number of independent shops there including the Dormouse Bookshop.

Tombland bookshop

While in the area, I popped into Tombland bookshop, located in the 15th century building opposite the Cathedral, specialising in secondhand and antiquarian books displayed on two floors.

The Book Hive

Next on my list were Norwich lanes and while on the way there I went to check out another wonderful bookshop located in a quirky building - the Book Hive. It was very tempting to sit on its windowsill on the first floor with a book in hand but as my time in the city was limited, I headed further.

Norwich Lanes

It’s a lively area consisting of a few streets with a wonderful mix of old and new. Biddy’s Tea room (pictured below) looked particularly lovely.

Biddy's tea room Norwich

The Bicycle shop (on the right photo below) also looked like a really good place for lunch. I could have spent hours browsing through Saint George’s Centre for the Arts vintage treasures (the left photo below).

I have seen those colourful houses on Instagram before and was keen to find them - they are located on the corner of Pottergate and Ten Bell Lane.

Norwich

There are plenty of independent stores to check out - I loved Elm offering a range of plants, ceramics and gifts.

After so much walking I stopped for a quick bite at Strangers coffee house who have three cafes in Norwich.

Wilkinson’s of Norwich is an independent tea and coffee merchant - I loved their selection of loose leaf teas and the rich green colour of the facade.

Castle Quarter

Norwich Market has been in its current position for over 900 years and consists or around 200 stalls.

Norwich market

Don’t miss the beautiful art-nouveau Royal Arcade situated right next to the market.

Norwich Castle is another must-visit attraction in Norwich that unfortunately I only saw from behind the wall as it closes at 4:30pm and I ran out of time. A good reason to come back, isn’t it?

A riverside walk

If the weather is nice, a walk along the river is another great activity to do in Norwich. You can make a quick stop by the restored 15th-century, flint stone watergate and 17th-century Pulls Ferry House and see the Cow Tower, 1300s artillery tower built to defend Norwich from invasion.

Norwich

A few other places to see in Norwich

Marble Hall

The Guildhall, Dragon Hall, Stranger’s Hall and St.Andrew’s Hall

The Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell

City Hall

A trip to Stockholm with a focus on sustainability

I love revisiting Stockholm for a dose of Scandi chic, colourful facades and of course cinnamon buns. This trip was no different in that sense, but in addition to all the usual things, it was focused on sustainability.

Stockholm

First things first - a stroll through Stockholm’s old town Gamla Stan to kick off the trip. Followed by a stop at the Monteliusvagen viewpoint to admire the views of the city.

Stockholm city view

And this takes me to the real purpose of this trip - an exciting launch with Nespresso, which I joined as part of my on-going partnership with the brand. In the evening, we arrived at the launch venue, Spritmuseum - below is the view from across the road.

Spritmuseum

That evening an exciting new product was unveiled to the public. Continuing it’s commitment to sustainability, Nespresso has partnered with a Swedish start-up Vélosophy to produce a bicycle made from recycled aluminium coffee capsules. There are 300 recycled Nespresso capsules in each bike, plus a capsule-shaped bell and cup-holder basket so you can enjoy your favourite drink on the go!

What’s more - Vélosophy is the only bicycle brand in the world with a full one-for-one promise: for every Vélosophy bike produced, another bike is given to a schoolgirl in Africa to improve her access to education. For every RE:CYCLE bike created by Vélosophy in partnership with Nespresso, a bike will be donated to a girl through World Bicycle Relief.

The morning after the event we woke up early to have another walk through old town and were lucky to have it almost all to ourselves.

After an early start, we popped into Stockholm Nespresso boutique for a much-needed caffeine kick. Have you ever heard of Swedish tradition called fika? If you haven’t, you are totally missing out! Fika is the time you take throughout the day for a coffee break with something sweet (very often cinnamon buns) - fika can be shared with family, friends and colleagues.

Nespresso boutique Stockholm

Stockholm archipelago consists of 24,000 islands and the best way to see some of them is to take a boat. That’s how we got to our next location - Rosendals Trädgård.

Stockholm by boat
Stockholm archipelago

Rosendals Trädgård - is a botanic garden focused on biodynamic agriculture. It reminded me of Petersham Nurseries in London if you know what I mean. We had a delicious zero-waste lunch in one of the garden’s conservatories and listened to Jimmy (Velosophy founder) who shared a story of the making of the bike. We then had an opportunity to test the bikes ourselves.

Rosendals Trädgård Stockholm
Stockholm park

You know my love for libraries so during free time I couldn’t miss an opportunity to pop into the gorgeous Stockholm Public Library.

Last stop was Nobis Hotel to see the beautiful spiral staircase and then it was time to go back home.

This post is a part of my on-going partnership with Nespresso.