Old Town

On Sunday I headed out to the main tourist area in Gdansk. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was completely enchanted with how beautiful and picturesque it was! Interestingly, not all of the buildings are that old: huge sections of the city had to be rebuilt in the 1950s after WWII. But my untrained eye could not tell the difference and it felt like stepping back in time.

The day was pretty cool and gray. (It was in the mid- to upper-thirties, but down by the water or when a breeze picked up it felt much colder!) The sun did peek out now and then, so I got to see the Old Town in all kinds of light.

Here are a few of my favorites pics from the day:

For 1.5 złoty (which is about fifty cents), I took the cute little ferry across the Motława River. It was only about a 2 minute ride, but it gave me a great view of the buildings I'd been walking along, as well as the Gdansk Crane. The crane is that big weird looking building; it was used since the16th century to lift goods from ships in the harbor.

Other highlights from my afternoon included eating a grilled smoked cheese pastry. I might possibly have loved it so much because it was warm, but I also think it might have been one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted!

The most humorous part of my afternoon came from following signs for the "toalety," only to discover that it was not a free public restroom! In fact, it cost 2 złoty to use it, and the fee was collected by a woman who stood inside the building between gates that separated the male and female sides to take your money. I was pretty taken aback to walk in and find a lady demanding money, but I got a receipt for my visit and everything!

The not-free toilets!

And before I left Old Town, I had lunch at Goldwasswer, a restaurant overlooking the river.

And, yes, there were some crazy people eating outside in the 40 degree weather

It was warm and cozy inside, so I had a nice long lunch of soup, mushroom bruschetta, and Polish apple pie. Luckily the menu had English descriptions for each dish, so I knew what I was getting!

After my late lunch, I wandered through Old Town a bit longer and then I called it a day. It was a super fun afternoon! I had no idea Gdansk would be so beautiful and have such character, but it completely charmed me.

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