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I am living here and will be happy to answer any question about this maginificient, historical town - birth place of Solidarity and Mr Lech Walesa. I am retired now but used to travel a lot. I know that well prepared travel may stay in your memory for your life time:)

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I am living here and will be happy to answer any question about this maginificient, historical town - birth place of Solidarity and Mr Lech Walesa. I am retired now but used to travel a lot. I know that well prepared travel may stay in your memory for your life time:)

 

Thank you for the kind offer to answer our questions. We were wondering how best to see your area. What would you recommend? Should we consider going to Malbork Castle, Spot, take city tours of Gdynia or Gdansk? What are the "Do not miss" places? Are there any books or movies about Poland you can recommend?

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I am living here and will be happy to answer any question about this maginificient, historical town - birth place of Solidarity and Mr Lech Walesa. I am retired now but used to travel a lot. I know that well prepared travel may stay in your memory for your life time:)

 

This may be too big a request, but if you could provide a suggested itinerary for cruisers wishing to tour Gdansk on there own that would be great!! We will be in port from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Basically I'm talking about a walking tour once we have reached your beautiful city. If I'm asking too much than a list of the must see sites would also be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

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I'm very interested in hearing your recommendations especially for the "do it on your own" itinerary. We're hikers so walking 8 - 10 miles a day is not a challenge for us.

 

 

I will be trying to answer all your questions in this post, if you don't mind.

I am not familiar with the cruises here but I bet that you will be docking in Gdynia. First thing you will need than is transportation to Old Town of Gdansk. The drive takes at least 1 hr by car and 40 min by train. I drive myself, am not using public transportation very often but what I can say is that you need to take bus from the port, buy tickets from the bus driver and then buy train tickets at the train station. You will need Polish currency - Polish zloties. This is too far to walk from port to the station, in my opinion. Of course the best idea would be taking taxis but they are not cheap here. Also traffic is an issue. My record last year was 1 hr 15 min drive from Gdansk to Gdynia and it was in my car. I don't know how buses are operating. It must be close to 2 hrs for them during rush hours.

I am sure that your ships/agents give you some options. If so - the smaller car you take the more time you will spend in Gdansk.

Old Town of Gdansk - this is really something!!! Go and see Long Street with narrow, Dutch stylished houses, Long Market Square, Long Wharf and you have to drop into Saint Mary's church. Don't skip the Solidarity Shipyard but this is not very close to the Old Town. Transportation is more than welcome once again. If you take a car you will be for sure offered to stop in Oliva - great organ performance and Sopot - great spa and promenade.

Someone asked about Malbork but that is another town. I think that you heard about its Castle. Yes, this is worth visiting but you have to decide if you want to see and relax in Gdansk or go to Malbork.

Try local food, please. Pierogis - filled dumplings or Polish sausage or above all - Polish beer. We have two, yellow treasures - beer and amber in Gdansk

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I will be trying to answer all your questions in this post, if you don't mind.

I am not familiar with the cruises here but I bet that you will be docking in Gdynia. First thing you will need than is transportation to Old Town of Gdansk. The drive takes at least 1 hr by car and 40 min by train. I drive myself, am not using public transportation very often but what I can say is that you need to take bus from the port, buy tickets from the bus driver and then buy train tickets at the train station. You will need Polish currency - Polish zloties. This is too far to walk from port to the station, in my opinion. Of course the best idea would be taking taxis but they are not cheap here. Also traffic is an issue. My record last year was 1 hr 15 min drive from Gdansk to Gdynia and it was in my car. I don't know how buses are operating. It must be close to 2 hrs for them during rush hours.

I am sure that your ships/agents give you some options. If so - the smaller car you take the more time you will spend in Gdansk.

Old Town of Gdansk - this is really something!!! Go and see Long Street with narrow, Dutch stylished houses, Long Market Square, Long Wharf and you have to drop into Saint Mary's church. Don't skip the Solidarity Shipyard but this is not very close to the Old Town. Transportation is more than welcome once again. If you take a car you will be for sure offered to stop in Oliva - great organ performance and Sopot - great spa and promenade.

Someone asked about Malbork but that is another town. I think that you heard about its Castle. Yes, this is worth visiting but you have to decide if you want to see and relax in Gdansk or go to Malbork.

Try local food, please. Pierogis - filled dumplings or Polish sausage or above all - Polish beer. We have two, yellow treasures - beer and amber in Gdansk

 

Where do you recommend for a group of 10 or more go for lunch?

What would you recommend as a nice gift for someone that would represent your country?

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Variety of restaurants inside old town. I like GOLDWASSER restaurant and outside, waterfront garden. Make some reservation if this is summer, it may be difficult to find tables.

Nice gift from Gdansk would be some amber jewellery. We are said to be excellent designers. This is what I take with me visiting friends abroad.

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  • 2 weeks later...
I will be trying to answer all your questions in this post, if you don't mind.

I am not familiar with the cruises here but I bet that you will be docking in Gdynia. First thing you will need than is transportation to Old Town of Gdansk. The drive takes at least 1 hr by car and 40 min by train. I drive myself, am not using public transportation very often but what I can say is that you need to take bus from the port, buy tickets from the bus driver and then buy train tickets at the train station. You will need Polish currency - Polish zloties. This is too far to walk from port to the station, in my opinion. Of course the best idea would be taking taxis but they are not cheap here. Also traffic is an issue. My record last year was 1 hr 15 min drive from Gdansk to Gdynia and it was in my car. I don't know how buses are operating. It must be close to 2 hrs for them during rush hours.

I am sure that your ships/agents give you some options. If so - the smaller car you take the more time you will spend in Gdansk.

Old Town of Gdansk - this is really something!!! Go and see Long Street with narrow, Dutch stylished houses, Long Market Square, Long Wharf and you have to drop into Saint Mary's church. Don't skip the Solidarity Shipyard but this is not very close to the Old Town. Transportation is more than welcome once again. If you take a car you will be for sure offered to stop in Oliva - great organ performance and Sopot - great spa and promenade.

Someone asked about Malbork but that is another town. I think that you heard about its Castle. Yes, this is worth visiting but you have to decide if you want to see and relax in Gdansk or go to Malbork.

Try local food, please. Pierogis - filled dumplings or Polish sausage or above all - Polish beer. We have two, yellow treasures - beer and amber in Gdansk

Polish Pie

How expensive would a cab be for 4 people from the cruise ship to town? Are cabs readily available from town back to the port? We are of Polish heritage and can't wait to sample true Polish food.

 

Thank you for all your other information.

 

Pat & Len

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I would very much like to see the chuch where pope john paul called his home parrish? can you help I have just started to try to find out about this information?Is it easy to get to?

 

I certainly don't pretend to know too much about the papacy, however I don't think Pope John Paul's home church was in Gdansk. I've included a link that provides a short biography. However, if I'm wrong I'm sure someone will set the record straight.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_II

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Polish Pie:

 

I took a taxi to Gdansk from our ship a few years ago right when they had some sort of festival. I swear they had a huge replica of a loaf of bread in the town near a square. Any idea what that was all about?

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Oh, yes. This is an annual big event in Gdansk called Dominican Fair. It lasts for three weeks right in the middle of summer - last two weeks of July and first one of August.

This big loaf of bread has a bakery inside. They offer lovely, Polish bread, which you should try while in Poland, nice pies, donuts called "paczki" in Poland and variety of other veeeeeery tasty products. Go inside if you happen to be there and then. You will love it !!!

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  • 2 weeks later...
I am living here and will be happy to answer any question about this maginificient, historical town - birth place of Solidarity and Mr Lech Walesa. I am retired now but used to travel a lot. I know that well prepared travel may stay in your memory for your life time:)

 

We are arriving in Gyndia & I would like to visit the church where my father was baptized (St. Ignatius). He was born in Ohra/now Orunia -- so I think that it where the church might be. Any help you can provide would be most appreciated.

 

Also, any idea how best to get there?

 

Thank you.

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Variety of restaurants inside old town. I like GOLDWASSER restaurant and outside, waterfront garden. Make some reservation if this is summer, it may be difficult to find tables.

Nice gift from Gdansk would be some amber jewellery. We are said to be excellent designers. This is what I take with me visiting friends abroad.

 

For what ever it is worth, I might also suggest hand carved wooden boxes. I have one that I bought at a small shop at the south-west corner on the main street in Gdansk. It has some designs that are outlined with brass wire. I use it store some of my old 'jewelry' and other nick-nacks.

 

polish%20box.jpg

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I'm traveling on Emerald Princess in June and it looks like they no longer offer the tours of the concentration camp? We plan to do the town on our own, just purchasing a ship transfer by bus to the city center. Anything besides the city center and the church that you would say are must sees?

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As I wrote before - Solidarity Square is a must. This is where freedom came to Poland from. If you like walking it should be about 0,5 hr from the old town of Gdansk. ROADS TO FREEDOM exhibition/museum is close to the square. Absolutely worth visiting.

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