Classical Gdańsk
If it is your first visit to Gdańsk make sure you see a few flagship places, symbols of the city. If you have been living here for years you have probably passed them on your way home many times. Perhaps it is worthwhile to stop and see them afresh? Every reason is good to have a walk to the Main Town and the Old Town and rediscover the hidden gems of architecture; this is why we invite you for a journey through classical Gdańsk.
The Town Hall at the junction of the Długa and Długi Targ streets was the seat of the Gdańsk area authorities called the Main City since the 15th century. It is currently one of the most important historical buildings. The accurate construction date of the Town Hall is unknown; it is estimated that the first one-floor brick building was built there in the first half of the 14th century. With the development of the city, the town hall was expanded as well and mayors, the City Council as well as the Municipal Tribunal and the Veto Court were debating there. A gold-plated statue of Sigismund III Vasa, the then king of Poland, was placed on a steeple of the building’s tower in 1561. Town Hall rooms were being decorated and beautified to stress the rank of the developing Gdańsk; artists such as Isaak van den Block or Willem van der Meer had their contributions. Most representative rooms were located on the second floor: the Great Council Hall (Red and Summer Hall) and the Great Hall of Court (White Hall). The Town Hall used to be the seat of the city authorities until 1921; it currently houses a branch of the Gdańsk History Museum to which you are cordially invited.
