Gdańsk Main Town Walking Tour: History & Landmarks
Introduction to Gdańsk’s history and culture in the Main Town, from Baltic trade and the Free City era to the outbreak of WWII. See the Golden Gate, St. Mary’s Basilica, and Arthur’s Court before finishing at the Old Harbor with the Crane and the Polish Post Office.
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Basic Information
Total time
2h 30m
Language
English, Polish, German, Spanish (check the calendar for availability)
Price
Our “Pay What You Wish” tours don’t have a fixed price — you decide how much the experience was worth. At the end of the tour, please make a fair contribution that reflects your satisfaction and appreciation for your guide’s work. Most guests give between €10 and €50 per person.
Meeting point
Square at the Golden Gate (Złota Brama) Nearest public transport: Gdańsk Śródmieście SKM stop, Brama Wyżynna tram and bus stop; Okopowa tram stop
Additional info
☂︎ This tour is organised by Walkative Gdańsk guides. Look for the guide with the yellow umbrella.
❗Our tours run in all weather conditions. High or low temperatures, rain, or snow are never a reason for us to cancel. We’re always here for you! The only reasons for cancellation are extreme weather conditions (such as heavy storms), a guide’s sudden illness, or if there are fewer than 5 registered participants. In such cases, we will always notify you using the contact information you provided when booking the tour.Booking rules
Booking is obligatory. Our “Pay What You Wish” tours are meant for individual travellers and small groups. Large groups (8 or more people) cannot join these tours, as they significantly affect the experience for others and the guide. For school trips, organised tours, or groups of friends, please book our paid option (18€ per person) or arrange a Private Tour. For more information or to schedule a group visit, please contact us directly.
About the tour
Gdańsk, Gdanzc, Dantzk, Danzig… whatever it was called, it always symbolized the same thing – the proud, wealthy, independent, beautiful pearl of the Baltic Sea. Its character, visible until today, was shaped by gold and vanity. Wealthy merchants came here from all corners of Europe and simply considered themselves citizens of Gdańsk – Danzigers.
The source of the city’s prosperity was its perfect location. Established in the 10th century, over time it became the largest city of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the biggest harbor on the Baltic Sea, supplying Europe with Polish grain, timber, and “Baltic gold” – amber. The city was the birthplace of Daniel Fahrenheit, Arthur Schopenhauer, and Günter Grass. Napoleon once said, “Gdańsk is the key to everything,” and created the first Free City of Danzig. Much later, the second Free City of Danzig was intended by Adolf Hitler to become the home of the Nazi movement. World War II – the world’s largest military conflict – began right here on 1 September 1939. It was also here in Gdańsk that the shipyard workers’ strike led by Lech Wałęsa heralded the beginning of the end of communism in this part of Europe.
Come join us for a walk through the cobbled streets of the Main Town, filled with elegant, slender buildings and charming terraces. Visit the biggest brick church in the world, see the largest crane in medieval Europe, and listen to the fascinating history of the City of Freedom.
The last point is near to Monument to the Defenders of the Polish Post Office. Location: https://goo.gl/maps/Rbmy7JwXfbr4EcwQ9.
After the Main Town tour we strongly recommend taking our Nazi Terror to talk about the dark WW2 days and Gdańsk Shipyard Uncovered tour to talk about the cradle of “Solidarity” movement and a fight that eventually brought communism to an end in Europe.
Highlights
- 1
Arthur's Court
A former meeting place for the city’s wealthy merchants and a centre of social life.
- 2
Uplands & Golden Gates
The grand historical entrance to the city's Royal Route, once welcoming Polish kings and guests.
- 3
Prison Tower
Part of the medieval fortifications which once housed a notorious torture chamber and city dungeon.
- 4
Great Armory
An ornate 17th-century building that once served as the city's impressive main arsenal.
- 5
Main Town
The historic heart of Gdańsk, with cobbled streets, elegant buildings, and charming terraces.
- 6
St. Mary's Basilica
One of the world's largest brick churches, dominating the city skyline with its massive tower.
- 7
Artus's Court
A former meeting place for the city’s wealthy merchants and a centre of social life.
8The Crane
The largest port crane in mediaeval Europe, a powerful symbol of Gdańsk's trading history.
Map
Square at the Golden Gate (Złota Brama) Nearest public transport: Gdańsk Śródmieście SKM stop, Brama Wyżynna tram and bus stop; Okopowa tram stop
Our customers said about us
Gdansk
5.0Very Interesting Tour
Marcin knows a lot about the city and relates everything in an interesting way. Highly recomend the tour.
Gdansk
5.0Valerii
The best tour I ever had!
Gdansk
5.0Best guide ever- Tufi
We enjoyed our tour with Tufi immensely. Interesting information about the town, several highlights and the history by a passionate, knowledgeable tour guide. We learned a lot and were not bored for a minute. We can highly recommend the tour and this guide.
Gdansk
5.0David Yurek
Informative/Passionate Tour
Our group of 3 booked this tour Sept 23. Our tour guide TUFI gave us one of our favourite tours "ever". His combination of humour, passion and knowledge was engaging and emotional. Five stars is not enough.
Gdansk
5.0Roger
Brilliant tour of the the city
Really glad I took the walking tour. There is so much history in this city! Our guide Tufi is very knowledgeable, showing each part of the old city and the history behind it. He's clearly very passionate about his city and gave a very emotional summary of its history as we ended in the historically important Post Office.
Gdansk
5.0Vaila Will
Wonderful tour of Gdansk Tue 23/9
Tufi was a wonderful, enthusiastic guide. I had been to Gdansk before but discovered lots more about the city. Tufi’s manner was very engaging and certainly kept our attention for the whole trip. The other four in our group who were visiting the city for the first time were equally delighted.
Gdansk
5.0Anthony Cullinane
We had a great tour with Pavel (Paul) in Gdansk
Paul(Pavel) was a great tour guide, very friendly very knowledgeable and welcomed questions, would definitely recommend him to anyone visiting Gdansk, was a pleasure to have a tour with him, we were not rushed, we had a wonderful time, thank you.
Gdansk
5.0Rolf
Informativer und unterhaltsamer Stadtrundgang
Wir hatten vor 2 Tagen eine sehr tolle zweineinhalbstündige Tour mit Ela. Wir haben alle interessanten Fakten zu den Sehenswürdigkeiten, historischen Hintergründen und dem Wiederaufbau der Rechtstadt und der Altstadt von Danzig erfahren. Alle Fragen wurden ausführlich beantwortet, Die Führung war viel besser als erwartet und ist sehr zu empfehlen.empfehlen.
Gdansk
5.0Gabriela
One of the best!
We had an amazing tour in Gdańsk with Tufi! This was truly one of the best tours we’ve ever experienced. Tufi was incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, and passionate about the city, bringing history and culture to life in such a memorable way. Everything was well organized, and we felt both welcomed and inspired throughout the experience. Highly recommended!
Gdansk
5.0Zsofi
Enjoyable tour around Gdansk
We had luck with Tufi’s guidance around Gdansk. It was a well-built tour with a lot of interesting information filled with great humor. This few hours just flew by. It was very enjoyable!
