How to Spend 2 Days in Gdansk

Two days in Gdansk gives you time to see the city’s historic signatures, tour mighty Malbork Castle, and savor some delicious food. But you can also head further afield, to Gdansk’s Tri-City neighbors Sopot and Gdynia, the Stutthof concentration camp, or Cold War sites. Read on to find out how.

Day 1: Historic Heritage

**Morning:**Choose any one of a wealth of options to explore Gdansk’s pretty Old Town. Take a city cruise, enjoy a walking tour, ride a bike, or board a hop-on hop-off bus. Don’t miss the Golden Gate, Old Town Hall, Neptune’s Fountain, or St. Mary’s Church with its beautifully engineered astronomical clock.

**Afternoon:**Head out of town to Malbork Castle. The medieval warrior monks known as the Teutonic knights founded this enormous brick-built structure, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the 13th century. A guide can explain how the building evolved from a fortified monastery into the headquarters of a unique religious state.

**Night:**Spend your first evening discovering the hearty flavors of authentic Polish cuisine. Savor a wealth of sausages, cured meats, and cheeses—don’t miss the smoked sheep cheese known as oscypek. Potato pancakes and pierogi dumplings, both sweet and savory, should be on your agenda, alongside lashings of coffee and cake.

Day 2: A Darker Side

**Morning:**Discover the tragic history of World War II Poland during the Nazi German occupation on a visit to the Stutthof concentration camp. Less crowded than the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial, the somber site tells the story of the Jewish people and Polish freedom fighters who died here.

**Afternoon:**On a sunny day, lift your spirits with a trip out to the resort town of Sopot, known for its mineral spas and photogenic Crooked House. Alternatively, learn about the key role Gdansk played in modern Polish history on a shipyard tour. Poland’s first post-Communist president Lech Wałęsa founded resistance trade union Solidarity here.

**Night:**Wrap up your stay in Gdansk by hitting the vibrant nightlife that brings travelers here from all over Europe—and beyond. Enjoy a guided bar-hopping adventure across Tri-City, sample Gdansk’s celebrated craft beers, or savor a signature Polish experience, a vodka-tasting session.