There’s nothing worse to a frequent traveler than being forced to sit still for a long period of time. After having not traveled for eight weeks and having endured the painful process of applying for a freelance visa to live and work longer in Germany, I was restless and stressed. To top it off, Easter weekend was coming up and I suddenly had no plans due to a last-minute cancellation. Ahh, the sometimes lonely life of a newly transplanted person in a foreign land.
It was the perfect time to plan a weekend away all on my own. So true to form, I plotted my escape from Berlin and headed to Gdansk, Poland.
How To Spend A Weekend In Gdansk Poland
1) STAY: Hotel Artus
My weekend started at the very cute Hotel Artus in Gdansk’s city center where I nabbed a rather sweet and stylish little room. Arriving here late Friday evening after a looooong eight-hour train ride from Berlin, I was excited to call this my “home away from home” for a few days.
Best of all, I had a view of St. Mary’s Church and some other classic Polish architecture just outside my window.
2) EAT: Restauracja Euro
After I got settled in, I headed out and looked for something to eat. Unfortunately, being Easter weekend, my options were limited, so I ended up at the rather touristy and overpriced Restauracja Euro where I got my fill of perogies and some tasty homemade Schnapps.
Back at the hotel, I booked the sauna for an hour and spent the time relaxing in complete and utter bliss.
Tip – If you ever happen to stay at the Hotel Artus in Gdansk, book the sauna – preferably for later in the evening. Not only is it super cheap, but you’ll have the entire sauna to yourself (no awkward encounters with other naked strangers are always a plus for me).
3) EAT: Mon Balzac
The next morning, I headed down to the hotel’s cafe Mon Balzac for breakfast. Cute, cozy and relaxing, I ate here rather joyously each and every morning of my stay. It’s actually open all day and plays host to live music some evenings.
4) DRINK: Café Retro
I ventured out to explore for a while and as it was pouring rain, I took a quick break to have a soothing tea at Café Retro.
5) SEE: Neptune Fountain
Finally, the rain tapered off a bit and I was ready to explore more of Gdansk without getting soaked. Excited, I headed straight to the Neptune Fountain. Unfortunately, I found it’d been temporarily removed for restoration purposes.
6) SEE: Gdansk Old Town
A little sad, I continued walking along the wet streets admiring the historic buildings in Gdansk’s Old Town.
Recommended reading: This post, Graffiti And Street Art In Gdansk, Poland.
7) SEE: The Old Crane
As I was walking along the Vistula River, I finally got a glimpse of this old crane. Built in the 15th century, it’s now home to a Maritime Museum.
8) EAT: Goldwasser Restauracja
Next, I had dinner at another tourist haunt Goldwasser Restauracja, right next to the crane. I opted for a non-Polish meal and had steak but didn’t miss the chance to try Goldwasser, a herbal Schnapps infused with gold flakes and produced only in Gdansk.
By the time dinner was over, I was exhausted and headed back to my hotel for an early night. Lame yes, but I was sick with a bad cold.
9) GO: A Day Trip To Sopot
Sunday was spent in nearby Sopot walking along the Baltic Sea and enjoying the best spa experience ever at the Sheraton Sopot Hotel.
Recommended reading: This article about how I spent a day in Sopot, Poland.
Overall, it was a good weekend and increased my ever-growing love for Poland. Yet somehow, I feel I barely skimmed the surface of Gdansk and didn’t get to know the city properly. Gdansk, I will come back to see you!
What do you think about spending a weekend in Gdansk, Poland? Do you have any other tips about what to do in the city?
Good To Know
1) Book a place to stay on booking.com.
Booking.com2) Make your time in Gdansk even better by booking a guided tour.
3) If you love Poland as much as I do, read my other blog posts about the country:
- A Day Trip From Berlin to Visit Szczecin Poland – Find out why you should visit Szczecin Poland. From old castles to modern architecture, numerous museums, & craft beer, learn how to spend the perfect day.
- Poznan Restaurants for Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner – The next time you’re visiting Poznan, Poland try out these delicious and tasty Poznan restaurants for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- The Pharmacy Museum in Krakow Is A Must See – Visit the Pharmacy Museum in Krakow, filled with over 22,000 objects and reproductions of ancient apothecaries.
*Disclosure – This post contains some affiliate links. If you book a tour or hotel, I’ll earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.
Loved that last shot! This just became one of the places I must stop at if I ever go to Poland.
Nice job, I like your photos. They really capture the all around mood of the day you were having….curse the battery charger!
Wow Gdansk looks gorgeous! (Btw, love the post-production on the pics)
@Ryan – Thank you! Gdansk is a really cool city. And Sopot too.
@Michael – Thanks so much. The weekend was one of those weekends where one thing went wrong after another. Despite the mishaps (and there were many), I liked what I saw of Gdansk.
@Roy – Thank you! I heart Instagram. 🙂
Gdansk looks lovely, Cheryl – thanks for sharing your time there!
@Henry – Thanks so much!
I really want to explore more of Poland – I’ve only been to Krakow and Gdansk is very high on my list of Polish places I want to go. You make it look so pretty 🙂
@A Montrealer Abroad – Gdansk is worth a visit. I hope you make it there someday soon. 🙂
Lovely photos, I think you did pretty well with just the iPhone 😉 And Gdansk definitely seems like a nice place to visit. I really have to get myself to Poland 😉
@Jarmo – Thank you so much! Gdansk is good, Poland is good. 🙂
What a beautiful town! I love the old buildings and the river scene.
Your iPhone didn’t fail you, though! We’ve had our camera battery die on so many “important” outings — we really need to either get an extra battery or an iPhone, lol.
Sounds like the weekend turned out quite well. I love your photos and the cute place you stayed in. Eastern Europe continues to call after reading posts like yours.
@Christy – I failed me though! Gah, how could I forget something so vital? I definitely have to get an extra charger as well …
@Lei – Wait until you read about what happened on the way home! All in all it was a good weekend, despite the weather, my cold and not having a proper camera to capture such a beautiful city. And thanks so much re: the photos!
Eastern Europe is slowly taking my heart away from the more traditional beautiful spots. Might be rough around the edges but I love it! 🙂
Wow I love every photo and I am in awe with everything Polish. Great shots I hope to visit this beautiful city some day.
@Alexa – Thanks so much! You’ll love Poland. 🙂
Nice experience after all and gorgeous photos!
Since you love Eastern Europe, try Romania. It will surprise you!
Sounds like a great weekend…love the table in the cafe…
@Dana – thanks! I really really want to see Romania actually. 🙂
@DJ – yeah! Great right?! So cute!
These are great photos.
Love how artsy the hotel looks and I can only imagine how good the perogies were. Too bad about your camera battery, but you still got some fantastic photos.
@Laurel – The hotel was absolutely adorable! If I ever make it back to Gdansk, I can’t imagine staying anywhere else. And those perogies alone make me want to return. 🙂
So jealous! i have always wanted to go to Poland…. and btw… I am always amazed at just how amazing i phone photography can turn out!
@Jade – You should go there for sure! I’m totally in awe of what the iPhone can do too. 🙂
Gdansk is just fantastic! I love the city,interesting history,nice people.Polish food i also like.This year we are going to celebrate Easter here and look so forward to it,the city has many beatiful churches,much to see.
Hey Bjorn –
It’s definitely one of my favorite Polish cities as well. Very cool that you’re celebrating Easter there too!
Enjoy your time.
Cheryl
Well we also travel in Easter 2016 / 28.sunday 27/28 monday 28 Mars but lot museum and sight are closed even some restaurants and , just for info
Yes, good point to make Bjorn. I experienced the same while there as well. Lucky, most places I really wanted to visit were open. 🙂