Monuments to visit Gdańsk

Built in 1612-1614 by architect Jan Strakowski to a design by Abraham Van Den Blocke in Renaissance style, it is surmounted by eight sculptures representing allegories of civic virtues (Prudence, Piety, Liberty, Unity, Peace, Justice, Glory and Concord). A rare feature in a city that has erased its German history, an original inscription on the door was restored in the 1990s. It reads: "Prosper only those who are in love. May peace be within your walls, and prosperity in your palaces

The starting point of the Voie Royale, this powerful fortified gateway was built in the ^16th century and once marked the official entrance to the town. It was an outpost of the medieval fortifications. On the east side, the coat of arms of the Hohenzollern family, added in 1884. On the west side are the coats of arms of Gdańsk (two lions), the Polish aristocracy (the arms of Ciołek) and Prussia. Today, it houses Pomerania's regional tourist information office.

The Golden House or Speymannhaus was built in the early ^17th century by architect Abraham Van Den Blocke for a wealthy Hanse merchant. The façade of this beautiful house attracts attention with its rich ornamentation. It features twelve friezes created between 1609 and 1618, separated at each cornice by four busts, including those of Polish kings Ladislas Jagellon and Sigismund III Vasa. At the top, the balustrade is surmounted by statues of ancient figures: Cleopatra, Oedipus, Achilles and Antigone.

Located in the noblest part of Gdańsk - the Long Market, at the entrance to the Artus courtyard - it was designed by Flemish architect Abraham Van Der Block. Construction began in 1606 on the initiative of Mayor Bartłomiej Schachmann and the local authorities, and was completed twenty-seven years later, in 1633. It represents Neptune, symbolizing Gdańsk's relationship with the sea. Legend has it that it was in this fountain, at the end of Neptune's trident, that Goldwasser vodka with 22-carat gold leaf was born!

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.