Gdansk City Center part 2 - Riverfront
 OLD TOWN, MOTLAWA, OLOWIANKA ISLAND, GRANARY ISLAND, ZURAW, GREEN GATE, ST MARY'S GATE, BALTIC PHILHARMONIC


Gdansk's Main Town (Glówne Miasto) occupies the most important part of the city center (Sródmiescie) of this Hanseatic city. This is where you find all the historical buildings that Gdanska has been famous for. The city center abruptly ends at the banks of the mouth of Motlawa River, that flows throught the city. This page is about this area. Opposite the old town from the river you will find the island Olowianka where you will find the concert hall and some hotels. Along the part of the river that flows between the city center and the island, you will find tourist boats, a museum boat and small ferries (the oldest one has trafficated the river since 1687). On its bank you wil find open-air restaurants and pubs.

 

THE BANKS OF MOTLAWA RIVER:

Main Town, the rebuilt historical part of Gdansk, seen from River Motlawa. Old gates (Old Gate, St Mary's Gate etc), open-air restaurants and historic former port crane, Zuraw (to the right).

SS Soldek, a freight ship that has been turned to a museum ship. It was built 1949-54. In the background is Olowianka island.

This pirate ship "Galeon Lew" takes visitors to Westerplatte, the place where the first shootings of WWII took place, and is a landmark of its own at the bank of Motlawa.

  

Views of Main Town from River Motlawa

Green Gate (Brama Zielona), the gate to Old Town and Dluga street from a bridge across the Motlawa River.

  

Green Gate was rebuilt after the WWII destruction.

Green Gate, Brama Zielona

Brama Mariacka (St Mary's Gate), one of the old gates towards River Motlawa: view towards St Mary's Church and Mariacka street.

  

Brama Mariacka (St Mary's Gate)

St Mary's Gate houses the Archeological Museum.

 

Zuraw, the structure to the right of the open-air restaurants, is one of Gdansk's most famous symbols. It is the oldest preserved port crane in Europe, built 1442-44.

  

Zuraw had 3 functions: loading crane, defensive fortification and city gate. There is an exhibtion inside and possiblities to see the internal mechanisms.

The backside of Zuraw, the structure to the right of the open-air restaurants, is one of Gdansk's most famous symbols. It is the oldest preserved port crane in Europe, built 1442-44.

  

Zuraw seen from Szeroka street

The odd "zombie" performance that we earlier saw at St Mary's Church now passed our open-air restaurant next to Motlawa river. A lot of things happened during our diner there!

  

This pirate ship "Galeon Lew"

This pirate ship "Galeon Lew" and Centralne Muzeum Morskie (Maritime Museum)

Brama Straganiarska, one of serveral city gates. It is situated in the Northern end of the Main Town and is the entrance to Straganiarska street.

  

Brama Straganiarska

Tyskie is the most common beer in Poland

Hilton Gdansk is one of the city's most luxorious and newest (opened 2010) hotels and is built right behind the historic Swan Tower, that was ereceted by the teutonic order as part of a castle that existed in the 15th century.

  

Maritime Culture Center (Osrodek Kultury Morskiej), a brand new 4-storey maritime museum

Swan Tower (Baszta Labedz) was built on the foundations of Fisherman's Bastion. IT was rebuilt after a fire in 1454.

 
         

 
         

 
         

 

OLOWIANKA ISLAND AND GRANARY ISLAND (WYSPA SPICHRZÓW):

Olowianka is a small island opposite the Main Town. Here you find the concert hall, a hotel and a museum. Wyspa Spichrzów (Granary Island in English, Specherinsel in German) is a somewhat narrower island to the south of Olowianka. Here you find som interesting architecture, as well as some empty grounds since the WWII bombings.

Polish Baltic Philharmonic is a concert hall that is housed in a former power station on Olowianka island from 1898. This neo-gothic building was reconstructed and converted into a concert hall between 1996 and 2008.

  

Polish Baltic Philharmonic

Polish Baltic Philharmonic

Hotel Królewski and the tourist pirate ship "Galeon Lew" along Motlawa, Olowianka island to the right.

  

Hotel Królewski and the new Concert Hall

Hotel Królewski on Olowianka island

Brama Stagiewna, seen from Stagiewna street on Granary Island(Wyspa Spichrzów). Built in the 15th century.

  

Granary Island still has many empty holes since the WWII bombings, but there are also some magnificent buildings there.Swedish bank at Stagiewna street

 
Motlawa   Motlawa   Motlawa

ZUS Oddzial building, situated on Granary Island(Wyspa Spichrzów) opposite the Main Town from the river, is a complex of houses with partly half-timbered facades. It houses social security services.

  

Granary Island

Ruins of 16th century granaries on Granary Island. There is a reconstruction project going on to restore these buildings that were bombed during WWII. Granary was the most important income source in the 1700s and surved over 200 ships a day. Only one of 300 granary buidings survived the bombings.

  

Ruins under reconstruction on Granary Island, a reminder of the deconstruction from the war.

Restaurant on Olowianka Island

 
Chinese restaurant on Granary Island   Hydroster Biurowiece Building   Millennium Bridge

 
Gdansk Main Town and Olowianka   Main Town skyline   Hostel near the Old Town

 
Motlawa bank, Main Town   The pirate ship has a tavern   Danziger Bowke, tavern at Motlawa

 
Goldwasser café   Goldwasser café   Goldwasser café