Located on the Baltic coast near the mouth of the Vistula, Gdansk is a city with more than a thousand years of history. Since the Middle Ages it has been one of the Baltic's most important ports and for centuries was among the largest and wealthiest cities of the Polish Kingdom. The prosperity of its citizens was built on trade connecting Poland with Western Europe.
Gdansk changed European history twice in the twentieth century. On 1 September 1939, the German attack on the Polish military depot at Westerplatte marked the beginning of the Second World War. In August 1980, strikes at the Gdansk Shipyard led to the creation of Solidarność, the first mass anti-communist movement in the Eastern Bloc. With almost ten million members, the movement challenged the communist authorities and contributed significantly to the collapse of the system in Central and Eastern Europe.
Although Gdansk was almost completely destroyed during the war, its historic centre was carefully rebuilt in the style of a great Hanseatic city. Today it is one of Poland's most attractive destinations. St Mary's Church, the largest brick Gothic church in Europe, towers above the city.
Gdansk is also famous as a centre of Baltic amber. The European Solidarity Centre and the Museum of the Second World War provide profound insights into the history of the city and Europe. Nearby Sopot offers a sandy beach and one of the longest wooden piers in Europe.
The history of the Baltic coast is closely connected with the military religious orders, particularly the Teutonic Order, which created its own state in the region and played a major role in medieval Christianisation and settlement.
The centre of the Teutonic state was Malbork, around 65 kilometres east of Gdansk. Malbork Castle is one of the largest Gothic complexes in Europe and the continent's most important medieval brick fortress. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with an extensive museum.
The Cistercians also contributed to the region's development through agriculture, industry and education. Their great monastery at Pelplin, around 55 kilometres south of Gdansk, includes the monumental Gothic Cathedral of the Assumption. The diocesan museum preserves an original copy of the Gutenberg Bible, an exceptional monument of European cultural history.
