Gdańsk, the port city

          Gdańsk is one of the largest, oldest, and certainly one of the most beautiful cities in Poland. Being here a couple days it's hard to see everything, and even more difficult to pack a suitcase and move on. This time the weather was not good, but cold and wet of sea even more tempting and revealed the dark charm of the port city.

          Gdańsk is a symbol city, which in its history summarizes the history of the whole Polish nation. It is a city with over a thousand years of history, whose identity over the centuries was influenced by different cultures. In the sixteenth century, it was the richest city in Poland. The city was also an important cultural center. Gdańsk is considered the symbolic place of the outbreak of World War II and the beginning of the fall of communism in Central Europe.

          Gdańsk is one of the most valuable monuments in Poland, despite the fact that almost the entire historic downtown was rebuilt after World War II which destroyed almost the entire old city (unfortunately not all Polish cities have been rebuilt). Important monuments of Gdansk are located in the Main Town (Main Town Hall, Artus Court, House of Uphagen) and Old Town (Great Mill, Old Town Hall, St. Catherine Church), the main located along the Royal Route representative street of Gdańsk - Długa. In the Main Town is the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption - the largest medieval church of brick in the world. Until 1939, there was the Great Synagogue. Other important places in Gdansk is also Westerplatte, whose defense in September 1939 became a symbolic beginning of II World War and the Polish resistance against German aggression.

       Architectural monuments of Gdansk come from different periods, the city reminds a giant, colorful mosaic of styles. You can find the buildings representing the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque and totally fall in love with the colorful townhouses.

          Today, Gdańsk is one of the largest cultural centers in Poland and one of the largest academic centers. In Gdansk take place the world's largest international exhibition of amber and amber products Amberif

Photos by mag jack