THIS IS GDANSK
Population: 455,830 – Established: 10th Century AD - Area: 262.0 km2
A BRIEF HISTORY
Due to its strategic location on Poland’s Baltic coast, Gdańsk has long been fought over by various countries. Over the years, the city has repeatedly changed hands between Poland, Germany and Prussia; and for the twenty years preceding the Second World War, even became a “free city” – allowing separate rule from both the surrounding Polish Republic and the city’s former rulers, Imperial Germany.
Then more commonly known under its German name “Danzig”, it was the invasion of the city on 1st September 1939 by Nazi forces which signalled the outbreak of World War II. German naval forces attacked the peninsula of Westerplatte - home to a small amount of Polish soldiers - in a successful attempt to reclaim the city for Germany.
Following the war the city became part of the Polish People’s Republic, under the new communist rule behind the symbolic iron curtain. Soviet money was poured into the city to help with regeneration of both the city and, more importantly, the shipyards. Due to the investments, Gdańsk quickly became the major shipping and industrial centre of Poland.
Gdańsk also was the birthplace of the “Solidarity Trade Union” movement, a workers’ union which played a major role in the fall of communism in 1990.
HOME OF…
Lech Wałęsa: Political activist and co-founder of the “Solidarity Trade Union”, who won the 1983 Nobel Peace Prize, and served as president of Poland between 1990 and 1995.
Donald Tusk: Since 2007, the Prime Minister of Poland.
Aneta Kręglicka: Although born in Szczecin, the model and 1989 Miss World attended both High School and University in Gdańsk.
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit: German physicist and engineer who created both the alcohol and mercury thermometers, as well as the temperature scale which bears his name.
FIVE THINGS TO DO IN GDANSK
1. European Solidarity Centre
Described as “a must” for any visitor to Gdańsk, this museum will walk you through the Solidarity Trade Union movement in the city, which brought an end to communism in the country.
2. Bazylika Mariacki (St Mary’s Basilica)
Finally completed in 1496 after over 100 years of construction, St Mary’s Church in Gdańsk is recognised as the largest brick church in the world. Situated on Ulica Krowia, the building offers fantastic views of Gdańsk from the top of its bell tower.
3. Westerplatte
A 40-minute ferry ride from Gdańsk City Centre will take you to the historic Westerplatte peninsula. With a small museum dedicated to the Polish Defenders during the beginnings of World War II, and several buildings remaining as they were in 1945; it is an important piece of Polish, and world, history.
4. Długi Targ (Long Market)
Situated between the Ulica Długa and the Brama Zielona (home of the National Museum), the Long Market is a 500-metre strip containing a number of historic buildings, shops, bars and restaurants. The street is also home to both the beautiful Neptune Fountain, and the 16th Century Town Hall.
5. Sopot
Situated just 11km away from Gdańsk, and easily accessible by public transport, is the small coastal town of Sopot. The smallest of the three “Trójmiasto” cities (the second one being Gdynia), Sopot is well known throughout Poland for its status as a holiday resort, and besides the beach, there are a number of attractions to keep you busy including the Pier and the Crooked House. The town is also well-known for its International Song Festival, the largest of its’ kind in Europe after the Eurovision Song Contest.
GETTING AROUND
Located on the Northern Baltic Coast, Gdańsk can be accessed by air, rail and road, as well as by sea. Public transport to the nearby cities of Sopot and Gdynia is widely accessible.
AIR
Renamed in 2004 after the city’s most important revolutionary and former president; the Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport is situated approximately 12km to the west of Gdańsk City Centre, and is accessible by local bus transport.
Gdańsk Airport has regular services to Birmingham, Bristol, Dublin, Edinburgh, Leeds/Bradford and Stansted with Ryanair; and Cork, Doncaster/Sheffield, Glasgow, Liverpool and Luton with WizzAir.
Both LOT and OLT Jetair provide regular flights to Warsaw, from where you can reach most of the other host-cities, whilst EuroLOT depart to Wrocław twice-a-day.
ARRIVING IN GDAŃSK
From Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport, the number 210 bus will take you directly to Gdańsk City Centre and the railway station; whilst the number 110 heads towards the train station in the suburb of Wrzeszcz. Tickets for both are available from the driver, and cost 3.40PLN (70p); and the journey to Gdańsk takes approximately 40 minutes. The number 210 runs every 30 minutes on weekdays, between 5am and 10pm, whilst it runs every hour at weekends.
A taxi from outside of the main terminal to Gdańsk City Centre will cost approximately 50PLN (£10) during the day, and 75PLN (£15) at night. Beware of unauthorised taxis, which do not bear a company logo; and can end up costing a lot more.
RAIL
Gdańsk Główny railway station is situated in the heart of the city, a mere 5-minute walk from the Old Town.
Direct services to Warsaw will take around 6-8 hours, Poznań 5-6 hours, and Wrocław 8-9 hours. Indirect services to Lviv will take over 20 hours; whilst to Kyiv, you will be looking at a journey time of anywhere between 24 and 32 hours!
ROAD
Low-cost bus operator PolskiBus.com offers a service to Warsaw 3-times daily, with a journey time of around 6-and-a-half hours. From Warsaw, it is much easier to travel to the other host cities.
Gdańsk’s main bus station is located on Ulica 3 Maya, just across the street from the train station. This is where the majority of National and International bus services arrive and depart from.
IN THE CITY
Over 75 bus and 10 tram lines make up the Gdańsk public transport system, whilst travelling between Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot is easily achieved by using the “SKM Kolejka” train.
Bus and tram services in the city regularly run between 4:30am and midnight, whilst 10 night-bus lines run throughout the early hours.
Single tickets on the Gdańsk public transport system cost no more than 3.40PLN (70p), whilst a 24-hour ticket for the city will set you back just 11PLN (£2.20).
Also available from ticket machines and kiosks are 72-hour tickets covering all three cities. These are available for bus and tram at 28PLN (£5.60), whilst you can add the SKM trains for 40PLN (£8).
The “Gdańsk-Sopot-Gdynia Plus Tourist Card” also offers transport in the three cities, as well as discounts in various establishments. A 72-hour card will cost 75PLN (£15), whilst a 24-hour card is 45PLN (£9).
FOOD
Prażnica z Węgorzem
A Northern-Polish take on scrambled eggs. Cooked with small pieces of bread and diced smoked eels. Very popular with the local Kashubian ethnic population.
Brzadowa
Also known as Kashubian Fruit Soup, Brzadowa is made with dried apples, pears, plums and cherries. The soup is usually served with dumplings.
Zupa z Żółtej Brukwi
Translated in English as “Yellow Turnip Soup”, this stew is also made with potatoes, swede, carrots and – a Kashubian delicacy - goose meat.
Zylc
Hugely popular within the Pomorskie region, Zylc is the perfect snack to accompany a cold beer or vodka. Served cold, the dish is made from fresh pigs’ trotters served in an aspic gelatine.
Pierniki
Soft gingerbread shapes filled with different fruit-flavoured marmalades, and covered in chocolate.
DRINK
Żywe
A 6.2% amber pale-lager, brewed at the Amber Brewery - just 15 kilometres outside of Gdańsk, in the small town of Kolbudy.
Using only the best ingredients, Żywe is famed for being a totally natural beer – meaning that no artificial colours or preservatives are used. This has resulted in it becoming the first Polish beer to be recommended by the Slow Food Organisation.
Koźlak
Also brewed at the Amber Brewery is the Dark Bock-style beer Koźlak. Almost ruby in colour, some say that its taste has a hint of Turkish Delight.
A 6.6% beer which is good for a couple of pints to get the evening started.
PGE ARENA, GDANSK
Gdańsk’s newly-built PGE Arena is situated approximately 5km to the north-west of the city centre. With a capacity of 43,615, it is the biggest stadium in the Polish Ekstraklasa; and third-largest in the country behind Warsaw’s Narodowy Stadion and Chorzów’s Sląski Stadion.
The external amber-colour design pays homage to the region’s history as “The World’s Amber Capital”; thanks to the number of amber mines and workshops around the 17th century.
The stadium is home to the city’s biggest football club Lechia Gdańsk, who play in the top-flight of the Polish league ladder.
FIRST GAME
On 14th August 2011, the PGE Arena witnessed its first game as Lechia Gdańsk met with KS Cracovia. Lechia’s Ghanaian-born Dutch striker Fred Benson was the first player to score in the stadium, whilst Latvian International midfielder Aleksejs Visnakovs became the first visiting player to net in a 1-1 draw.
The arena held its first international game on 6th September 2011, as Poland hosted neighbours Germany. Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski gave Poland the lead, before a Toni Kroos penalty levelled things up. Jakub Błaszczykowski looked to have won the game for the Biała-Czerwoni with a 90th-minute spot-kick; but with 4-minutes of added-time played, Cacau broke Polish hearts with a last-gasp equaliser.
GAMES DURING THE TOURNAMENT
Gdańsk will hold four games during Euro 2012; of which three are group games, whilst the fourth is a quarter final (all times local).
Spain v Italy – 10th June 2012 (18:00)
Spain v Rep. Ireland – 14th June 2012 (20:45)
Croatia v Spain – 18th June 2012 (20:45)
Winner B v Runner-up A – 22nd June 2012 (20:45)
GETTING TO THE STADIUM
Located between Ulica Uczniowska and Ulica Marynarki Polskiej in the northern district of Letnica, the stadium is roughly halfway between the city and the port.
The ground is served by tram numbers 7 and 10, which run past the train station; and the number 4 which starts at Zaspa.
FAN ZONE
Gdańsk’s Fan Area is situated at Plac Zebrań Ludowych; around 600 metres from the main train station. It is also just off of the main road linking the PGE Arena with the city of Gdańsk. With room for an estimated 50 thousand supporters, it will no doubt be the place to be during the tournament.
Accessible by bus numbers 174, 200, 205, 207, 232 and 256; as well as tramlines 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12 and 92, there will be no shortage of transport to the area. The closest tram/bus stop is Brama Oliwska (Olive Gate), just a short walk away.
THE TEAMS
LECHIA GDAŃSK
Founded: 1945
Nickname: Biało-Zieloni (White-Greens)
Honour Roll:
Puchar Polski: 1983.
Super Puchar: 1983.
Coach: Rafał Ulatowski
Captain: Łukasz Surma
After the Polish were expelled from the city of Lwów (now Lviv) after World War Two, a number of Lechia Lwów supporters decided to set up a new club in the colours of their former team.
Since forming, Lechia have been somewhat of a yo-yo club – being relegated seven times in their history. After a merger with Polonia Gdańsk broke-up, Lechia even spent time playing as far down the ladder as the sixth tier in 2001; but after four successive promotions and three seasons in the I Liga, they eventually returned to the Ekstraklasa in 2008.
During the 1980’s, the Lechia supporters were heavily involved in the Solidarity moment, and regularly displayed anti-communist banners at their games.
As one of the “crown clubs”, Lechia has a strong friendship with both Wisła Kraków and Sląsk Wrocław. This in turn means that they share a common rivalry in the form of Cracovia, Lech Poznań and their local – and biggest – rivals, Arka Gdynia.
ARKA GDYNIA
Founded: 1929
Nickname: Żółto-Niebiescy (Yellow-Blues)
Honour Roll:
Puchar Polski: 1979.
Coach: Petr Němec
Captain: Sławomir Mazurkiewicz
Although from outside of Gdańsk, Lechia’s closest rivals play just 20km away in the Tricity town of Gdynia.
Although they were formed 16 years before Lechia, Arka had to wait until 1974 to get their first taste of top-flight football – and even then they were relegated after just one season. But when they did return in 1976, it eventually led to their highest ever finish (7th) in 1978, and a remarkable Cup Final victory against Wisła Kraków in 1979.
After a successful period during the 70s, the club fell on a quick decline – spending most of the 80s switching between the second and third tiers.
Eventually returning to the top-flight in the mid-noughties, Arka were involved in the corruption scandal which tarnished Polish football. However demotion to the I Liga only lasted a season before they returned to the Ekstraklasa in 2008.
After surviving by the skin of their teeth for two successive years, the club were relegated back to the I Liga in 2011.
ACCOMMODATION
Hotel Focus Gdańsk,
Ulica Elbląska 85
Map Ref. H1
Budget: £
Distance to Stadium: 5.3km
Distance to Airport: 14.0km
Distance to Train Station: 2.4km
Distance to Fan Park: 2.9km
Local Tram/Bus No.: 112, 166, 186, 212.
Hotel Bonum,
Ulica Sieroca 3
Map Ref. H2
Budget: £
Distance to Stadium: 4.0km
Distance to Airport: 12.4km
Distance to Train Station: 0.8km
Distance to Fan Park: 1.2km
Local Tram/Bus No.:130, 178, 184, 384.
Willa Biała Lilia,
Spichrzowa 16
Map Ref. H3
Budget: ££
Distance to Stadium: 5.0 km
Distance to Airport: 12.9km
Distance to Train Station: 1.2km
Distance to Fan Park: 2.0km
Local Tram/Bus No.: 3, 8, 9, 112, 166, 178, 186.
Novotel Gdańsk Centrum,
Ulica Pszenna 1
Map Ref. H4
Budget: ££
Distance to Stadium: 5.1km
Distance to Airport: 12.6km
Distance to Train Station: 1.4km
Distance to Fan Park: 2.1km
Local Tram/Bus No.: 3, 8, 9, 112, 166, 178, 186.
Mercure Gdańsk Hevelius,
Heveliusza Jana 22
Map Ref. H6
Budget: ££
Distance to Stadium: 3.9km
Distance to Airport: 12.1km
Distance to Train Station: 0.4km
Distance to Fan Park: 0.9km
Local Tram/Bus No.: 3, 6, 8, 11, 11, 92, 94, 108, 111, 112, 118, 120, 131, 174, 200, 205, 207, 232, 256.
Scandic Gdańsk,
Podwale Grodzkie 9
Map Ref. H6
Budget: ££
Distance to Stadium: 3.8km
Distance to Airport: 11.7km
Distance to Train Station: 0.1km
Distance to Fan Park: 0.7km
Local Tram/Bus No.: 3, 6, 8, 11, 11, 92, 94, 108, 111, 112, 118, 120, 131, 174, 200, 205, 207, 232, 256.
Qubus Hotel Gdańsk,
Ulica Chmielna 47/52
Map Ref. H7
Budget: £££
Distance to Stadium: 5.2km
Distance to Airport: 12.4km
Distance to Train Station: 1.4km
Distance to Fan Park: 2.1km
Local Tram/Bus No.: 3, 8, 9, 112, 166, 178, 186.
Radisson Blu Hotel Gdańsk,
Długi Targ 19
Map Ref. H8
Budget: ££££
Distance to Stadium: 4.8km
Distance to Airport: 12.3km
Distance to Train Station: 1.0km
Distance to Fan Park: 1.8km
Local Tram/Bus No.: 3, 8, 9, 112, 166, 178, 186.