travel poland gdansk

My first impression of the historic part of Gdansk was that it was, rather awkwardly, hemmed in by the new and the ruined.
The approach was through a rather convoluted and crowded roadway that provided views of both new construction and old warehouses.
Never-the-less, once one reaches the bridge over the Motlawa River with the historic Green Gate marking the entrance to the old town,
and finds a well articulated, lively shopping area and waterfront.
Our guide explained that the undeveloped wasteland on the opposite bank was sitting stagnant because of long-going debates on ownership and useage.
The arcitecture of the huge historic crane, the Zuwar Krantor, is a one-of-a-kind dynamic anchor to the waterfront.

"Gdańsk, Gduńsk in Kashubian language, also known as Danzig in German and several other names, is a city in northern Poland.
It is the sixth-largest city in Poland, and serves as that nation's principal seaport as well as the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship
and the largest city of the region of Cassubia.
The city lies on the southern coast of Gdańsk Bay (of the Baltic Sea), in a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdynia and suburban
communities, which together form a metropolitan area called "greater Gdańsk" and the Tricity (Trójmiasto) with a population of over a million people.
Gdańsk is, with a population of 458,053 (2006), the largest city in the province of Eastern Pomerania and the Gdańsk Pomerania region.
Gdańsk is situated at the mouth of the Motława River, connected to the Leniwka, a branch in the delta of the Vistula River, whose waterway system
connects 60% of the area of Poland. This gives the city a unique advantage as the center of Poland's sea trade.
Historically an important seaport since medieval times and subsequently a principal shipbuilding center, Gdańsk was a member of the Hanseatic League.
The city is famous worldwide as the birthplace of the Solidarity movement which, under the leadership of Lech Wałęsa, played a major role in
bringing an end to communist rule in Poland. Together with the nearby port of Gdynia, Gdańsk is an important industrial center." - wikipedia

TRAVEL:
2009 -


unless noted otherwise all images copyright d. holmes chamberlin jr architect llc


green gate  green gate   gdansk - old town  old town   waterfront  matlawa river waterfront  


zuraw krantor  zuraw krantor   st. marys  st mary's   doors  doors 


the city at large  the city at large 




copyright d. holmes chamberlin jr architect llc
page last revised april 2015