No doubt Gdansk is a pearl of the Baltic Sea. It has been long on our bucket list. In 2010, our trip to Poland included Krakow, Wroclaw and Auschwitz (an experience I recommend everyone and something we should never forget). Then in 2019, it was Lodz and Warsaw. Somehow, Gdansk was either too far or we had too little time. So this year, we planned a trip especially for Gdansk.

How we got there. There’s always the option of flying into Gdansk, with low cost airlines having weekly flights to and from Gdansk, but we opted for a drive to Gdansk and obviously a road trip. We paid for Hungarian road tax (in MOL petrol stations in Romania), Slovakian road tax (online https://evignetteslovakia.com). In Poland, some highways (i.e. Krakow to Katowice) have toll booths, but card payment works just fine.

Accommodations. We spent the first night in Krakow at the Novotel City West (70 euro without breakfast 2 adults and 1 child). Parking costs an additional 70 PLN/day. In Gdansk we opted for an apartment, located very close to the old town. We chose Rezydencja Wintera by Downtown Apartments (472 euro/ 5 nights). Google maps location: Kotwiczników 12, 80-881 Gdańsk. Public parking available or in the garage. Public parking costs 4 PLN/hour (9Am-5PM). On our return, we chose to stay in Białka Tatrzańska in the Polish mountains, a beautiful mountain resort close to the famous Morskie Oko. Our accommodation was Willa Dorota (160 euro/ 2 night with a fabulous breakfast). Google maps location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/oswF42tPsSkfX44u7. Free private parking.

First stop. Krakow. Only for a night on our way to Gdansk. We walked from the hotel to the Vistula river and the Wavel Castle (roughly 45 minutes) through the Henryk Jordan Park. We had a lovely dinner on a boat turned into restaurant, Aquarius, overlooking the Wavel castle. The promenade along the Vistula river is filled with tourists and locals alike and a great spot to take in the views of the castle. The Krakow eye, the ferris wheel, is located nearby, for a bird’s eye perspective.

Second stop. Torun. On our way to Gdansk, we stopped for lunch and little bit of stretching our legs in this little gem of a town. Torun, on the Vistula river, has somehow eluded bombings from the world war. The old town is definitely worth at least a couple of hours to stroll its paved streets surrounded by red brick buildings. We parked our car in a nearby parking (google maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/YKS9o1bLT34uDSN59?g_st=ipc) and walked for 5 minutes to reach the entry gates into the old town. The leaning tower of Torun is immediately to the left of the gate.

The city claims to be the birthplace of Copernicus. Although there’s no clear evidence to support this, we decided to visit the museum dedicated to the famous astronomer anyways. The museum is great especially as a reenactment of a merchant’s house, from medieval days. More info: https://muzeum.torun.pl/en/the-nicolaus-copernicus-house/.

Torun is also famous for its gingerbread. Lots of stores sell the cookies throughout the old town. But apart from these, two museums tell the story of gingerbread making and offer activities such as baking workshops. I recommend the one located in the building belonging to the oldest European gingerbread factory, with its interactive exhibition, play area, baking workshop or the relativey new exhibition with gingerbread-themed fairy tales and legends, to name just a few. More info: https://muzeum.torun.pl/en/the-museum-of-torun-gingerbread/.

Lunch: we recommend stepping inside for lunch in one of the beautifully decorated dining rooms of Nova 22 (location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/78pmt5QUNGwUk7bDA?g_st=ipc).

The old town hall and the cathedral (usually listed as top attractions in Torun) are a stone throw away from the restaurant.

Main stop. Gdansk. We spent 4 full days here. Gdansk is truly beautiful and filled with history. The main attractions lie on or close to the Dluga street stretching from the Brama Wyżynna gate to Zielona Brama gate. There’s an ample parking right next to the famous street if you need to drive there (google maps location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/R3PW3cMr4daqFAsRA). Lots of museums are located nearby, such as the Foregate Complex immediately close to the Brama Wyżynna gate or the town hall and its museum. Others, such as the Gdansk Museum of Second World War, the Gdansk Museum of Science or the European Solidarity Centre are located a bit further away. The Dlugi Targ square is filled with shops and restaurants, with the Neptune fountain standing tall in its central part. St. Mary’s Church is only a few steps away on a narrow street splitting from the main Dluga street.

A walk from the Most Zielony bridge to the bascule bridge Ołowianka on the banks of the Motlawa river is definitely a must. The old port crane is located here, as well as several maritime museums on either side of the river. An international food fair is located next to the Gdańsk Carousel, while crossing on the other side of the river gets you closer to the Gdansk ferris wheel and food trucks.

Kid friendly Gdansk and around.

• A fun and educational option for rainy days is the Experyment Science Centre. It currently has 5 interactive exhibitions, all designed on the principle of play and learn. The one I loved the most: a simulator for emergency calls teaching kids how to answer the operator’s questions in an efficient way, a victim simulator that teaches kids how to perform CPR and a defibrillator simulator (that was exactly as the real one). It can get pretty crowded, especially on rainy days.

Tickets cost 30 PLN/adult and 25 PLN/child. We easily spent 5hours inside the museum. Underground parking available, usual price for Gdansk area (4-5 PLN/hour). Opening hours: 9AM to 7PM. The museum is located in Gdynia (expect at least 30 min travel time from Gdansk). Google maps location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/eGRH49R9jXjkGioLA?g_st=ipc. More info: https://experyment.gdynia.pl/en/.

• Hevelianum, sort of an interactive science museum with three different exhibitions. Around the world is the first one, on two floors, and kids get to try all sorts of experiments. The second exhibition is Puzzle, for older kids, with a focus on logical games and maths (in a fun way). We spent 3 hours visiting only these two. The tickets are valid for 3 hours only. The last exhibition is on Energy.

Tickets: 30 PLN/adult, 25 PLN/kid (valid three hours). Parking is available at the bottom of the hill, before the traffic lights or right next to the museum. To reach this parking, you need to drive up on the one way street starting at the traffic lights. Prices range 4-6 PLN/hour (as in most locations in Gdansk). Google maps location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/wryyYrJ6Kkrv8XuC6?g_st=ipc. Opening hours: 10AM to 6PM. More info: https://hevelianum.pl/en/

• Our next stop was the kart track next to the stadium, PitStop Gdansk. Super fun track, with several karts suitable for younger kids (starting from 5 years old).

Tickets. Several options available depending on the time, kart power, etc. We payed 89 PLN/12 min. A mask is required (if you don’t have one it costs 16 PLN). Parking is available at any of the stadium parkings (P1 would be the closest). Costs 5 PLN/ hour. Opening times: 10AM to 8PM. Google maps location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jNv6gaTDw1m7fv1QA?g_st=ipc. More info: https://www.pitstop-gdansk.pl/index–EN.html#oferta

• Adventure Park, near Gdynia, some 30 min drive time from central Gdansk. The park is quite big and has some rope tracks for younger kids, older kids and adults, as well as several zip-lines. But the main attraction for us and the reason we went there was the mini quads. Access to the park is free of charge. You pay for the activities.

Tickets. Prices depend on the chosen activities. 15 min on a quad driving on a circular dirt path costs 65 PLN. The tree house trail is a fun circuit above the ground and costs 40 PLN (only the child pays, not the accompanying adult). Free parking available right next to the park entrance. Opening times: 9AM to 7PM. Google maps location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/dcJKP55BaGYwV9mD6?g_st=ipc. More info: https://adventurepark.pl/en/start-english/

• Lemur Park. We’ve seen lemurs before and we’d love to see them in their natural habitat in Madagascar, but until then… did you know there’s a closer European based possibility to see the fluffy creatures? At Lemur Park, near Gdansk, you can interact with lemurs. The entry price comes with one special activity. We were given a token at the ticket office which we could use once/visit to go inside the lemur enclosure (guided activity). Touching is not allowed, but no worries. The lemurs will be all over you . The activity is followed by a snake interaction, if you fancy those kind of things. The park has lots of attractions for kids, such as minigolf, a small dino land, trampolines and more. They are all included in the entry ticket, expect for one. A 5 min ride on the mini quads costs an extra 15 PLN.

Tickets. 69 PLN/adult, 64 PLN/kid (free for kids under 3 years old). Free parking just outside the park. Opening times: 9AM to 7 PM. Google maps location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1GCf13sFeVkto9n16. More info: https://www.lemur-park.pl/nasze+atrakcje.

• A boat ride to Westerplatte, the site of the first World War II invasion, on board the Black Pearl Ship. The embarkation point is on the Motlawa river, in the old town of Gdansk. They sell drinks and meals on board, but tables and deck chairs are quickly occupied so best to arrive early for embarkation. The ride is beautiful any moment of the day, but we recommend the evening cruise. The ride takes about 2hours. Reserve your seats at least the day before.

Tickets. 90 PLN/adult, 70 PLN/ kid (3-18 years old) for return ride. Google maps location for embarkation and on site tickets: https://maps.app.goo.gl/XkUnR7SKreNY8CE29. More info: https://perlalew.pl/en/.

• Malbork Castle, the largest castle in the world, measured by land area and a former castle of the teutonic knights. It’s absolutely impressive and definitely worth the 1h drive from Gdansk. It draws in so many tourists and it is super crowded. They have three different routes to choose from, one of them is actually unavailable due to conservation work. The Historical Castle Route takes about 3h and a guide/audioguide is mandatory. The Castle Grounds Route does not include access to the inside of the castle and takes about 1.5h. A night tour is also available. When buying a ticket online you must choose the entry time. These are every 30 minutes. The audioguide must be picked from the ticket office before starting the tour. Guided tours start from the ticket office. Location of the ticket office: https://maps.app.goo.gl/gsae9NX31veDSapT9

Tickets. Prices depend on the chosen route. Opening times: 9AM to 8PM. Google maps location: Parking around the castle in several spots. we recommend the parking here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/oAioNxPDeNDMNVGh9, where there’s a parking meter (10 PLN /hour). And then crossing the river to get to the castle. More info: https://zamek.malbork.pl/en/home/.

• Gdansk is also home to several maritime museums. Most of all are located on the banks of the Motlawa river, just outside the old town. If you’re travelling with kids, then the one we recommend is the Maritime Culture Centre with its interactive exhibition “People-Ships-Ports”. The visit only lasts for 55 minutes and starts on the hour (11AM, 12AM, etc). The exhibition room is not very big and it’s more like a maritime-themed playground, with computer simulators, educational stands on how tsunami waves are formed, the first diving equipment and more. But the highlight is the pool with the wind generator and several boats (4, when we went) that can be remotely controlled.

Tickets. 26 PLN/ adult, 19 PLN/kid (for the interactive and kid friendly exhibition “People-Ships-Ports”. Several museum pass options are available for combined visits to other exhibitions and maritime museums. Opening times: 11AM to 6PM. Google maps location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/TgdPn5mqtMgNmLGNA. More info: https://nmm.pl/en/ticket-prices/