Sightseeing? Why of course – but online!
While we can now only leave our homes when absolutely necessary, and all entertainment venues have shut down, traditional sightseeing is no longer possible. This is where technology comes to the rescue, making travel a still-viable option. You can always explore Gdansk online!
A bird's eye view of Gdansk
Let us begin with the official Gdansk tourism website. Visit Gdansk now offers virtual tours around the city, with gorgeous panoramic views captured by VISIT POLAND ON-LINE.
These offer a bird's eye view of Gdansk's most beautiful attractions. The maps are interactive – you can look around, zoom in and out, and even inspect various points of interest, restaurants, pubs and cafés.
The panoramic photos were all taken under excellent weather conditions, and a blue sky really brings out the beauty of our city.
https://visitpoland.online/gdansk/
Museum of the Second World War
The Museum of the Second World War is a very modern institution – so it is no wonder that its collections and the building itself can be viewed online. Also available are archived radio programmes, for example. The outside part of the online panorama is extensive, but the inside view is limited to the exhibition on the defence of Westerplatte. There is also a wide range of audio and video materials available on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. It is also a good idea to visit the museum's YouTube channel and the oral history website, which are both full of interesting information. Do not forget that you can also take a virtual walk around Westerplatte!
More information about online tours can be found at:
https://muzeum1939.pl/m2wswirtualnie/aktualnosci/3244.html
European Solidarity Centre
The ESC is also a very modern building, offering equally interesting online tour options. You can enjoy lectures given by experts, digital collections and a panorama of the building's exterior. But by far the most interesting attraction of all is the extensive online exhibition tour. With a few clicks you can be viewing high-definition photos of the ESC's exhibition rooms. You can also read e-books, reports and even conference transcripts. The ESC collection is vast and certainly worth checking out, even if only over the Internet. See for yourself:
Archaeological Museum in Gdansk
This museum is keeping busy as well, having spent the last few years expanding its electronic collection. The results of these efforts can be found here: https://archeologia.pl/aktualnosci-strona-glowna-muzeum/1033-wirtualne-muzeum-archeologiczne-w-gdansku
The museum is also active on social media, but the main attraction is undoubtedly the virtual tour of Sopot's Grodzisko outdoor archaeological museum. You can explore the fascinating history of Gdansk from the comfort of your home, going back as far as the Middle Ages, long before Gdansk even became a city.
Museum of Gdansk
The Museum of Gdansk does not offer a virtual tour, but do not worry. Instead, you can visit http://dziedzictwo-gdansk.pl/online-collection to explore an extensive electronic catalogue of exhibits. The powerful search engine makes navigating the large collection a breeze, and there is a lot to see. Suffice it to say that the museum offers 2,470 photos, more than 1,700 postcards, more than 600 graphics, nearly 540 pieces of jewellery and 140 silver items.
National Museum
Visit http://www.mng.gda.pl/2020/03/19/wydarzenia-w-mng-online to see what the National Museum has to offer Internet users, and do not forget to visit its Facebook profile, as the museum organises many interesting activities there for both adults and children. The museum is also active on Instagram and YouTube. The YouTube channel contains many interesting videos showing the everyday life of the museum, as well as videos about its greatest treasure – Hans Memling's “The Last Judgment”.
National Maritime Museum
Finally, we have the National Maritime Museum, which has a lot to offer its electronic visitors. The greatest hits include virtual tours of the Maritime Culture Centre (available at http://www.nmm.pl/okm-tour/tour.html) and one of Gdansk's hallmarks – the Crane (https://wmm.nmm.pl/virtualtour/zuraw/tour.html). You can even board the Soldek ship-museum: https://wmm.nmm.pl/virtualtour/soldek/tour.html.
Remember that you can also enjoy the view from the online cameras which track everything that is happening at Gdansk's major points of interest in real time: https://www.gdansk.pl/kamera.
As you can see, you can explore our city without leaving the comfort of your home and still have a great time. Enjoy your online travels!
