Gdansk

Gdansk is one of Poland's most historically significant and visually dramatic cities — a Hanseatic League trading port on the Baltic Sea whose Long Market (Długi Targ), lined with Flemish Mannerist facades in vivid colour, is one of the most spectacular streets in Northern Europe. The city was the flashpoint of World War II (Germany invaded Poland here on 1 September 1939) and of Poland's Solidarity movement (the Gdańsk Shipyard strikes of 1980 that began the end of European communism). The Royal Way from the Golden Gate through Long Street to the Green Gate is the processional heart of the old town, lined with merchant houses built when Gdansk was one of Northern Europe's wealthiest cities. The Crane (Żuraw), a medieval harbour crane, is now part of the National Maritime Museum. St. Mary's Church, one of the largest brick churches in the world, contains a 15-metre astronomical clock from 1470 that still functions. The Old Townhall and the iconic Neptune Fountain are nearby. The European Solidarity Centre, opened in 2014 in the Shipyard area, is one of the finest history museums in Europe — a deeply moving account of the Solidarity movement and its global significance. Westerplatte, where the first shots of World War II were fired, is a short bus or boat trip. The beaches of Sopot (part of the Tricity with Gdynia) are excellent in summer. Amber is the local speciality — Gdansk has the finest amber jewellery in the world.