Excursion Gdansk millennial history tour at Gdansk

Combine a visit to the city of Gdansk and admire the very impressive chamber (Red Hall) in the City Hall of Gdansk or Artus Court.

The Old Town

The city's 1,000 years of history have left a collection of buildings and monuments designed in Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles.  Your guided walk will start near the Golden Gate, a grand ornamental arch that once allowed access through the medieval city's defensive walls.  Continue along Long Street, lined with marvelous buildings decorated with elaborate facades crowded by myriad ornate gables.

Red Chamber

During this stroll, visit the Red Chamber of the City Hall - one of the most beautiful chambers in Poland and in Europe.  See a richly decorated interior and the walls decorated with seven paintings from 1596, by a Flemish painter Jan Vredman de Vries.  This is the largest collection of his works anywhere in the world.  Also see an exceptionally precious work of art - a plafond, divided into 25 fields, filled with paintings by Isaac van den Blocke and a magnificent fireplace - the work of Willem Barth Junior (van der Meer) from Gent.  

After your visit, pass the Long Market and the beautiful 15th century merchant's Palace of Artus Court. Pause at Neptune's Fountain to admire this monumental symbol of Gdansk's Hanseatic past and its connection with the sea before walking down to the waterfront canal.  Then turn up Mariacka or St. Mary's Street, which delights its visitors with its lively atmosphere, quaint shops and lovely terraced buildings.

St. Mary's Church

Your visit in Old Town also includes St. Mary's Church - the pride of Gdansk.  Gothic style St. Mary's is the world's largest brick church, accommodating some 25,000 worshippers.  Situated in the center of Old Town, this medieval church took 159 years to build, and its deceivingly plain exterior belies a bright, spacious interior with large windows and more than 30 beautifully decorated chapels.  The high altar displays a lovely polyptych, the floor is covered with ancient tombstones, and the northern transept holds an amazing 15th-century astronomical clock, complete with the zodiac cycle and a calendar of the saints.    

Upon conclusion of your guided tour some free time will be available to shop or browse before you re-join the coach for the return drive to the pier.

Points of interests

Points of interest seen on this excursion include: Gdansk, Old Town, Golden Gate, Long Street and Market, City Hall, Red Chamber (or Artus Court), Merchant's Palace, St. Mary's Street and Church

Note

Please note: Tour involves moderate walking and is not recommended for guests with limited mobility of for those who utilise a wheelchair.  Guests should dress in seasonal attire and wear flat, walking shoes.  Conservative attire is required for inside visits of religious sites.   The order of sites visited may vary. If the Red Chambers is not available, it will be replaced by a viist to the Artus Court, located opposite the famous Neptune fountain and nicknamed the parlour of historical Gdansk. The works of arts or their replicas accumulated here refer to legends and myths of the ancient times and the Middle Ages. Here you will see the largest tiled stove of Europe; being 10.64 metres high it is lined with 530 richly adorned tiles.

The National Museum is no longer part of the tour, since the "Last Judgement" painting by Hans Memling has been removed in 2025. A copy will be available inside St Mary's Church.