Town Halls and Public Buildings to visit Gdańsk

This vast building in Flemish Renaissance style is located between Długa and Długi Targ streets. Originally built in the ^14th century in Gothic style, it was gradually transformed, particularly after the fire of October 1556, into a unique construction. Its tower is topped by a long golden spire with a statue of King Sigismund II Augustus. Completely destroyed in 1945, it now houses the main part of the city's Historical Museum. Here, in superb interiors designed by leading Polish and Flemish artists, you'll find an exhibition on the fascinating history of this thousand-year-old city. Its ceremonial halls are especially worth a visit for their frescoes. Notably, in an oval in the center of the ceiling of the great Council Chamber (Wielka Sala Rady), you can admire the superb fresco of Gdańsk's Apotheosis (1608). Hidden during the war, it depicts the city of Gdańsk atop a monumental triumphal arch. The Creator's right hand grasps the spire of the city hall tower, to symbolize the divine presence, embodied on earth by the city council. The headwaters of the Vistula appear alongside the Tatras, Krakow's Wawel Castle and the fortress of Wisłoujście on the Baltic. Below, the river bathes the Long Market street where, in front of the Artus courtyard are gathered members of the various communities that once made up the city. In summer, you can climb to the top of the tower.