Gdańsk in TOP-10

Just found out that Gdansk was named 9th top destination by Agoda.com, based on analysed customer reviews.


See for yourself: Where to find the best hotels


I say: Well done, and also, I know that few hotels are being built around Old Town, so next year I am waiting for spot in top 5. (that is if Agoda.com does the ranking every year :)

Westerplatte

Today I visited Westerplatte. It is not the first time I've been there. Fist time I was dragged there by my parents and grandparents, then at my adulthood I dragged all my guests there. After all, it is "a must see" to all visitors of TriCity, as the II World War began here.

Sign at Westerplatte that says: No more war

The place haven't changed much since my first visit there. However few years back "outside exhibitions" have been added. Essentially they are display boards placed in few areas that describe the beginnings of the War and explain the significance of the place. All information panels, as well as the display boards have both polish and english description. Which I find to be a nice touch. Finally there is no need to drag a translator along :)

As I struggled to convince anyone to tag along for the tour, I was suprised to see whole families strolling through the woods and by the seashore. It was late afternoon - 4pm - so we had to power walk through the place to make it before the nightfall. We almost did. Although I don't think it made such a difference since the whole day was kind of grim and dark.

Cemetery of Fallen Defenders of Westerplatte

Track of a tank

Outpost "Fort"

The word Westerplatte comes from german and means north island. Nowdays it is a peninsula, but back in XIX century it was an island. As silly as this might sound, until today I didn't relize that on the north side of the peninsula there is sea. I have never walked to this bank before. All my visits to Westerplatte were about going upto the monument and back. I have never walked around. As I have learnt today, that is not all that you can do there. There is whole educational path established that would take you through all important spots on Westerplatte peninsula.

  

Nevertheless if you don't feel like walking around, there are few places that you can stumble upon while walking down beaten path. One of them is barrack, or more ruins of a barrack. It has been secured so you can enter it, and even, if you are brave enough, go down to basement level. I wasn't. During the day, I get goose bumps when I even cross the door arch. But today, after nightfall, it look darn scary to me. I wouln't dare come close to it.

The most known and noticable part of Westerplatte is the Monument of the Defenders of the Coast raised on a mountain. The shape of the monument is supposed to resemble a jagged bayonet stuck in the ground. I also read that there should be seven candles that are refering to the seven days of defense of Westerplatte.

All Saints' Day in Gdansk

Although All Saints' Day isn't something that is strictly related to TriCity, but a cultural thing that is cherished all around Poland, I would like to write few words about it.

In other countries people like to dress up and go to parties, and it is well known as Halloween. We have never celebrated this holiday in such way, however the mode for it started sinking in here as well, and you can see more and more kids in costumes searching for candies at peoples' houses.

In Poland All Saints' Day, or Halloween (if you prefer) has more spiritual tone, where people spend the day thinking about their loved ones that passed away. Many people travel across country to be able to lit a candle and put fresh flowers at their graves.

On that day all cemeteries in every city, town or village is flooded with people, thousand of candles is lit. All that light makes cemeteries look beautiful and hopeful, to me anyways. When I look at countless amount of candles lit, I think of it as a souls of our loved ones that are being kept alive because of our love and memory of them.

It makes me feel hopeful, because even if you are gone from this world, there are people that still love and care about you, and even if you can't be there with them in person, you are in their hearts.

I have taken few pictures, however they don't show the beauty of the place, that can be experiance only when being there.

And if you can't get to your loved one's grave, you can still lit a candle in their memory, by the cross in the heart of cemetery.

Bastions - The Lower Town

Unfortunately I might have underestimated how much work I would have to put into preparing posts and especially pictures for my blog. Now 2-3 posts a week seem to be more like a fantasy, than a reality, however I will try to reach that goal in future, I hope. The fact, that last weekend the time was changed into winter one isn't much helpful. Now it's pitch black when I finish work, so well, to take today's pictures I had get up at crack of dawn to make it before work. Ok, it wasn't that much of crack of dawn :) I guess as the time goes on and the winter's moving in I will have to embrace Tricity "at night" (during the shortest days of year we get in Poland approximately 4 hours of daylight - which is funny if you compare to the longest days of year, that last about 20 hours:)

The Lower Town of Gdańsk is a part of Gdańsk- downtown (belive or not, but it is not the same thing), and of course has a german name - Niederstradt. However I will write more about the Lower Town a bit later. I hope to attend a walk of the neighbourhood with a historian, that knows thing or two about this area, in couple of weeks so I will have more to write about, becuase at present I know pretty much nothing :) Well, I do know that this The Lower Town has rich history behind, but that's about it ;)

Today I would like to show you a piece of the Lower Town, which I think is a gem. I am talking about bastions that are located on south-east bank of the Lown Town island. Yes, Down Town is an island, at least it used to be. Now it's a semi-island, with 90% of being an island and 10% of being an inland. Anyways, that is my theory.

On the picture can be seen  is original gate to City Gdańsk

The bastions were made in first half of the XVII century. To this date five of them survived, and they also have very original names: Wolf, Excess, Bear, Rabbit and Garden. During the times of their glory they protected the city from enimes.

What I like the most about this place is it's weirdness and uniqueness. Just before I visit this place again this morning I was planning to write that,the bastions are peaceful place, but when I got there this chilly morning I realized that it's absolutly not. You can hear the city all around you: trains passing, factory noices (I think they were factory noices), but you can't see most of it. I guess I never noticed that before, becuase I never came there during working hours. And back then it was peaceful there :)

Despite all city noices, it does feel relaxing there. Allthough I was almost running from place to place to take the pictures today, I did feel that relaxing atmosphere there. Just didn't have time to take it all  in :)  You have your birds there flying around and swimming in water. There are benches to sit on, and  further out is playground for kids and something that people call here "gym under a cloud", which essentially is just gym equipment placed outside :), We have fancy names for everything here,oh yes :)

I didn't mention the most characteristic thing about this place. You can't see it much in the pictures, you can notice it when going for a walk there, but it is most noticeable when looking at google maps. The river has a zig-zag shape. I am not most travelled person, but I never seen a man-made zig-zag shaped river, and for most of the part the river maintained it's original zig-zag shape with sharp corners of 90 degree angle.

Also from the highest bastion there is a view of the old city.

Gora gradowa - Thr Hail Mountain

Finally!!! After a week of crapy weather, there was a breakthrough in rain and I was able to go out and take some pictures to share with you. I decided not to start with them all favourite tourist spots, but with something that I have discovered myself lately. I call it hobbit town. However it has nothing in common with hobbits except my imagination :-) I have passed this place on my way home every day, always wandering what it was but never courius enough to check it out. But finally I did. From outside- that is from the road I everyday drive on - it is just big red cross that promises nice panorama of the city, and so I thought it was it. But when i got to visit the place i was amazed that it had so much more to offer than that. I call them hobbit houses but they really not. They used to be houses for saudiers, among others. This place was made in XII century. It was always thought to be militry. The location was perfect to watch over the city for any danger approching. It has very rich history that can be learned when visiting the place. Nowdays, the inside of the buildings are made into kind of interactive museum, which I find so amusing I can go there any Saturday, if I had children. Don't get me wrong. I visit the place and had a blast, playing with the toys as if I was 10, toys desing for 10-year old's. Well, I am 10 years old at heart :) I loved it, but visiting with my cousin also approprate age for ehibitions as I was felt a bit wird. I guess grown ups shouldn's enjoy kids toys anymore, even though they are far more entartaining than the one made for adults :( But going back to main subject, which is hobbit town. It always amaze me, that in the middle of the city there is a place, that traffic stopps, the sound of the city gets mutted and everything slows down. Being there relaxes and also makes you think how was the life back then. At some point it was academy for souldiers, so you wander how did they live, did they have their own hut, or rabbit hole:) for themself or did they have bunk beds? Was the building in the middle their canteen, or where their ate? Where did they have classes? All these questions I ask myself when walking the paths of hobbit town. What I discouvered though it's just a tip of the iceberg, i think. The whole thing is 27 hectarts. Not all of it restored yet, so there is a reason to come back now and again :) I wouldn't complaint about that, more reasons to come, I think YES:) As this is my really first post I do not know how to end it so I just say, see you there I hope :) Oh, and there are the pictures I took today, despite looking nice and warm I froze my fingers to bone, but I hope it was worth it.

Fort Grodzisko