Whats Gdansk like for a 3 day break?

Trotter

Has anyone here been to Gdansk for a break? Myself and the missis are looking at going around the beginning of April.

We went to Krakow before and loved it so this might be a decent spot for a 3 day break. Any recommendations or experiences that might help us decide would be great.

killbillvol2

Interesting city, lovely old town and plenty of history. Not sure about the weather on the Baltic in April but otherwise go for it.

undo

Gdańsk airport is very close to the city - perfect for a weekend break, you will not lose any time on public trasport between airport and town.

Gdańsk is part of what is known as "Trójmiasto" in Poland, the "three cities area". These three cities are Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot. Gdańsk is the biggest and has a stunning old town. Sopot is where aristocrats used to go for their summer holidays. It has a long pier extending into the sea with a restaurant at the end - I highly recommend you pay it a visit. Gdynia you can skip. It was built hastily between WW I and WW II when Poland was given just a scrap of shoreline with no cities along it. Gdynia was erected to provide Poland with an industrial harbor as quickly as possible - and this is exactly what it looks like, lots of drab concrete.

The Trójmiasto cities are essentially one big metropolis with excellent transport links between them. The fastest probably is SKM, the equivalent of Dublin's DART, which connects them all. But there are also trams and buses that take you around town.

All in all, it is a great spot for a weekend getaway. It is an interesting region and it will not break the bank.

WooPeeA

I was sent there by my employer once for a 2-3 weeks and loved it. Really nice place with friendly people playing music on the beach, great old town with excellent food. Good place for shopping as well. It was during the summer though..


I usually use that site to find hotels in Poland as very often they have better prices than if you would book it directly in the hotel:
http://www.staypoland.com/

There's something more about Gdansk and its attractions:
http://www.staypoland.com/about_gdansk.htm

spurious

Nice relaxed place. Sopot is the big summer place, but in April the weather shouldn't be too bad.
Good food and bars in the 'Old' Town.
Malbork Castle is worth a trip to if you get the chance.

+1 on staypoland.com for hotel deals

Superfint

I've been going to gdansk at least once a month usually for the last 2 and a half years, my girlfriend studys at uni there.
Great place to bring your missus OP, its a beautiful place, old city particularly.
Lots of young foak/students around and most will know a bit of english so you won't be stuck if your lost. Sopot is nice too, definatly worth a visit.
The weather should be ok around april if i remember right.
IMO Gdansk is maybe a bit less crazy than the other big cities in poland, although at the same time there is a good nightlife & the likes in gdansk.
I enjoying shopping there alot, some nice clothes & prices are a bit lower i think.

I will say OP try and avoid taxis if you can as public transport is so good. At the airport to the right theres a busstop, the 210 bus will take you to gdansk city in about 30-35 minutes (Train station best spot to get out, theres a KFC & Mcdonalds beside it,easy to spot)
I presume your flying Ryanair so you'll probably land at 8.30pm polishtime, the 210 bus is there at 8.55pm & 9.30pm.

If you have any questions or anything you can PM me if you like, I'll be there early febuary for a week. Can't wait to get some sweet Roll's from the bakerys there (like little bun shops), they are savage!

Trotter

Thanks for all the advice so far!

We might be looking at the wizz air flight that goes from Cork and lands there around 1am. We might just book a hotel transfer from the airport. My wife was looking at the Radisson online and thought it looked pretty nice.

Blue Punto

superfint

Whats the weather like there in March as I to am looking to go away for a weekend then for my big 40 and Maranello looks like a non starter


Gdansk seems to be gettin great reviews so im interested in going there with the missus myself

WooPeeA

You never know what to expect in March. Can be snowy as well as +10 or more with sunshine for a couple of weeks.

Irish_Nomad

+1 on visiting Malbork castle. It is very impressive.

Taxis are quite cheap as long as long as you get one from a rank or have the hotel call one for you. The ones touting for business (esp. at the airport) charge far more so avoid them. But as someone else said public transport is good too.

If you're looking for something different to buy there is a cluster of shops that specialise in amber in the street one over from the town square.

I really like Sopot. It's a good place to relax and stroll around, and there are several interesting pubs. There's also a big disco just beside the beach. You can also have a look at this place http://polish-blog.com/crooked-house-sopot/
BTW it's still a very popular summer destination, particularly with Germans.

undo

Amber is a specialty along the Baltic coast and you will find lots of places selling amber jewelery all over Gdańsk.

One more place worth visiting is Westerplatte, north of the city center. This is where the Germans fired the first shots of WW II. You will find some of the ruins here, left untouched as a reminder of the cruelties of war, a huge sign spelling out "never again war" in Polish and a massive monument. This is slightly off the tourist track and I am sure many people miss it - while due to its historical significance, I would say the spot is worth visiting.