A little bit about why you should read my blog...

When speaking to friends about their travels overseas, Poland is often over-looked as a holiday destination by tourists visiting Europe from Australia, but those that do visit often speak of its culture, history, and its food. Poland has a very long and complicated history, but it can be said that its modern post-Communist history begins in Gdańsk. Gdańsk was the location where the Solidarity movement first got off the ground, evolving from a non-Communist trade union of the same name. This movement helped bring an end to Communist rule, both in Poland, and in other Soviet-satellites. The pre-Communist era is equally troublesome, Gdańsk was the first city invaded by Nazi Germany on the 1st of September, 1939. The city was annexed by Nazi Germany and incorporated into West Prussia until 1945 when it was returned to Poland. This was not the first time in its history that it was annexed by a foreign power, but it was the last. 

Gdańsk was always an important town due to its geographical location and its seaport. Its location by the Wisła (Vistula) River provides it with an artery that leads directly to the capital of Poland, Warszawa. Gdańsk is not only a bustling metropolitan area, but the region also hosts many cultural events for both older and younger generations, and provides the natural beauties of beaches, rolling hills and valleys, lake districts, and forested nature parks. The region has hosted events such as the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship through to the Heineken Open’er music festival and St Dominic’s Fair – a tradition that goes back to 1260AD.

There are many reasons to visit and learn more about the history Gdańsk, and I hope that by sharing my personal experiences and by providing some historical and cultural context to my experiences, that I will create an experience that you, the reader, can relate to.

Handmade magnets at St Dominic's Fair, Gdańsk . This fair

is held over 23 days in the summer and is one of the largest

fairs in Europe. 

Długi Targ (Long Market) in Gdańsk's Stare Miasto 

(Old Town) not only hosts many market stalls and cafes,

but is also home to many museums and galleries.

The Stocznia Gdańskа (Gdańsk Shipyard) where the 

Solidarity union/movement was founded in 1980. 

The Shipyard was founded in 1945 on the site of two former

German shipyards. During the Communist Era the Shipyard

was known as the Vladimir Lenin Shipyard.