Gdańsk Shipyard Walking Tour: The Birthplace of Solidarity
Historical tour of the Gdańsk Shipyard and its role in Solidarity and the fall of communism; we start at Plac Solidarności and move into the yards to trace the city’s industrial past and post‑1989 transformation – Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers of 1970, the shipyard grounds and cranes.
Basic Information
Total time
1h 45m
Language
English, Polish (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
Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers of 1970, Solidarity Square Nearest public transport: Plac Solidarności 02 tram stop; Plac Solidarności 01 tram stop
Additional info
☂︎ This tour is organised by Walkative Gdańsk guides. Look for the guide with the yellow umbrella.
♿️ Tour not suitable for people with reduced mobility or strollers
❗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
The Gdańsk Shipyard is a must-see for visitors to Gdańsk, so we invite you to our Walkative! tour to uncover with us the Shipyard of change.
For many, the Gdańsk Shipyard is the cradle of “Solidarity” and a symbol of the fall of communism in Europe. For fans of industrial buildings, it is a magical space where the industrial architecture of the late 19th century meets the early 20th century, where relics of communism intertwine with modern 21st century architecture.
The Gdańsk Shipyard is a place where imperialism changed into capitalism, where the industrial goals of Nazism changed into the industrial goals of socialism, where communism with the entire Iron Curtain changed into freedom, where the brutal hand of the free market changed the industrial space into a place of entrepreneurship, culture and entertainment.
We will start our tour at Plac Solidarności (next to Pomnik Poległych Stoczniowców 1970 Monument), from where we will take a journey through the dark years of communism, arriving at the Shipyard, where a lot happened and is still happening.
Come to the Gdańsk Shipyard Ucovered Tour by Walkative!
Highlights
- 1
Solidarity Movement
Learn about the birthplace of the trade union that played a key role in ending communism.
- 2
Fall of Communism
Discover the shipyard's role as a symbol of the collapse of the Iron Curtain in Europe.
- 3
Fallen Shipyard Workers Monument
See the powerful monument at Solidarity Square commemorating victims of the 1970 worker protests.
- 4
Industrial Architecture
Admire a unique mix of 19th-century industrial buildings, communist relics, and 21st-century structures.
- 5
Shipyard's Modern Life
Explore how the area has transformed into a vibrant hub of culture, art, and entertainment.
- 6
Communist-era History
Journey through the "dark years of communism" and learn about the industrial goals of socialism.
7Centuries of Change
Hear how the shipyard transformed under imperialism, Nazism, socialism, and modern capitalism.
Map
Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers of 1970, Solidarity Square Nearest public transport: Plac Solidarności 02 tram stop; Plac Solidarności 01 tram stop
Our customers said about us
Gdansk
5.0Donna Wilde
Wonderful tour with Paul
We thoroughly enjoyed the 2+ hours spent walking the shipyard with guide Paul. He was extremely knowledgeable, informative yet entertaining. I will request Paul for as our guide when we return to Gdansk!
Gdansk
5.0Mr and Mrs Gemmell
Gdansk Shipyard Uncovered
Pleased to see Tufi again. Excellent educational inspiring presentation. Left with a far greater understanding of the shipyards role in freeing Poland and eastern Europe from a tyrannical system. Thoroughly recommended
Gdansk
5.0Mr and Mrs Gemmell
Gdansk Shipyard Uncovered
Please to see Tufi again. Another great tour which comprehensively covered the events at this famous shipyard. An inspiring and educational presentation, we left with a far greater understanding of Gdansk, the role of Solidarlity and the courageous people of Poland in freeing eastern Europe from a tyranny
Gdansk
5.0Dr Maureen McTigue
Fascinating Journey of Solidarity movement
We had a relatively medium sized group but Czarek spoke to each person with such emotion & charisma you felt transported to that time in history . His knowledge , clarity of speech & true emotion was evident in his anecdotes & retelling of the chilling stories he experienced as a child . This was one of the best tours I have ever been on . To hear his personal life memories mixed with this time in history makes the moment so much more poignant . He was not too dramatic nor emotional but his ability to capture this moment of tumultous history & share it with cultures that did not live through it is incredible . You felt you were there every step of the way . This tour will change the way you perceive Poland and its struggles . Czarek is a master orator of Polish solidarity .
Gdansk
5.0Magdalena
Super Tour, nur zu empfehlen!
Hatten eine super informative und kurzweilige Tour mit Czarek durch die Werft von Danzig. Am besten haben mir seine persönlichen Erzählungen zur Solidaritätsbewegung und den Fall des Kommunismus gefallen.
Gdansk
5.0Aśka
Gdańsk
W sobotę byłyśmy na wycieczce "Stare Miasto Gdańsk" z Filipem - sztos- wycieczka prawie 3 h a mogłabym chodzi jeszcze drugie tyle. Człowiek z pasją i ogromną wiedzą. W niedzielę byłyśmy w centrum Solidarności z przewodnikiem Pawłem (na mapce wbite Paul). Czas wycieczki prawie 2 h. super przewodnik również z niesamowitą wiedzą i pasją. Polecam, jak będę miała okazję w przyszłości będę korzystać z tej formy zwiedzania ☺️ Po 5 gwiazdek dla Pana Filipa i Pana Pawła ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ps. Córka lat 12 i po jednej i po drugiej wycieczce też zadowolona ☺️
Gdansk
5.0Steve Chapman
Gdansk Shipyard Uncovered
Did this today with Paul as our guide. This was fabulous and we learnt so much from our knowledgeable and amusing guide.
Gdansk
5.0Sina
Fantastic tour with an enthusiastic guide
Kate (Dynamite) really brought the history to life for us through out the tour. Not only just facts but she communicated very well the social tension, emoitions adn struggles of the time using the shipyard as a great backdrop.
Gdansk
5.0Karsten Vest Nielsen
Super guide
Zosia was our excellent guide. She took us on a informative trip on the memory line from the Communism in Poland period in Gdansk and the Solidarity fight for freedom and the history of the Shipyard and the year after. Absolut recommendable.
Gdansk
5.0Kiszuriwalilibori
Prowadził Tufi. Dla mnie bomba :)
Często korzystam z takich spacerów, ten był jednym z najbardziej udanych. Tufi po pierwsze jest bardzo sympatyczny, po drugie potrafi powiedzieć tyle, żeby powiedzieć w zasadzie wszystko a jednocześnie nie przytłoczyć szczegółami. Uwaga, jeżeli wybieracie się na tę wycieczkę po deszczu, załóżcie gorsze buty
