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Gdansk
Situated in the heartland of Europe, Poland has been both a bridge and a front line between eastern and western Europe. Gdansk is Poland's sixth largest city, with a population of 470,000. The city lies in Gdansk Bay on the Baltic Coast & is bisected by the Martwa Wisla river. Gdansk forms part of the conurbation known as the Tri-City area (Trojmiasto), with the recreational resort of Sopot (pop: 50,000) & the shipyard town of Gdynia completing the trio. As recorded in chronicles 27 March 997wasthe official date of the founding of Gdansk. For ages the city has been an important port and trading center where numerous significant historical events have taken place. It was for example in the Westerplatte region of Gdansk that the first shots of World war II were fired. Gdansk is divided into 10 districts. Historic monuments & shopping are found in the City Centre, Oliwa & Wrzeszcz. The Old Town is located in the central part of town with cafés, art galleries, tourist information, the main railway station, theatres & museums.
Time
GMT/UTC plus one hour
Electricity
220 volts, 50 Hz AC
Weights & measures
Metric
Language and religion
The official language is Polish. Over 95% of Poles are Roman Catholic. Some practise the Eastern Orthodox faith.
Currency
zloty (PLN) 1 PLN = approx. 0.25 USD
There is a number of options to exchange money: banks, hotels, kantors (exchange kiosk). Kantors - privately-run exchanges don't charge a fee, don't require any paperwork, are located just about everywhere, and tend to offer the best rates. Banks sometimes charge a commission, and their exchange rate is usually slightly lower then at a kantor. Hotels offer least favorable conditions.
The ATMs or cash stations are now dotting the streets of the major cities in Poland.
While cash is easier, credit cards are safer and more establishments accept VISA, American Express, Diner's Club, MasterCard, and Eurocard. Traveller's checks can be exchanged at the larger hotels (for a commission and for guests only) or the Banks Pekao, PKO or NBP.
Tourist Info
Tourist Information Center
ul. Heweliusza 27
tel. 301 43 55 / 301 60 96 / 301 93 27
Climate
Poland's weather can vary wildly, even within the same 24 hours. It experiences an average of 30-60 degrees F or 0-16 degrees C in the springtime, which begins in March with blustery winds, rains, and the like but ends with balmy warmth that signals the beginning of summer. Come May, temperatures rise to 70 degrees F or 18 degrees C and remain elevated throughout the summer. A Polish summer never gets too hot, even in July, and is often cooled with rains.
Arthur's Court and Neptune's Fountain
The Old City
Moltawa river water front with Gdansk Crane
Technical University of Gdansk
Shipyard Monument