Discover Local Gdansk: What to Do Around Mercure Gdansk

At Mercure, we believe you shouldn't need a guidebook to feel like you belong somewhere. That's the idea behind Discover Local: since 1973, every Mercure hotel has been built around its neighbourhood, not just dropped into it — from the décor on the walls to the flavours on the menu. Step into any Mercure and our teams are on hand with the kind of tips you won't find in a guidebook: the market stall locals queue for, the bar where nobody speaks English, the walk that skips the crowds. They live here. They know. Discover Local isn't a generic city guide — it's a short, honest list of the restaurants, markets and neighbourhoods our own hotel teams actually recommend to guests, updated as the city changes around us. Below, you'll find our picks for Gdansk, an interactive map to help you find your way, and answers to the questions travellers ask us most. So — where will Discover Local take you?

Gdansk in 5 picks

Długi Targ (Long Market)

Gdansk's grand main square, dating back to the 13th century and once known as the Royal Route for the parades that passed through it. Neptune's Fountain, the Golden Tenement House and the main Town Hall all sit along it.

St. Mary's Basilica

One of the largest brick churches in the world, with a 15th-century astronomical clock inside and a tower you can climb for a rooftop view over the Old Town.

Amber Museum

Housed in the 14th-century Great Mill, this museum digs into Gdansk's centuries-old reputation as the world's amber capital, with jewellery, carvings and raw specimens on display.

Westerplatte

The peninsula where the first shots of the Second World War were fired on 1 September 1939. The preserved barracks ruins and the Monument to the Coast Defenders make it a sober, worthwhile stop outside the Old Town.

European Solidarity Centre

Built on the former Gdansk Shipyard, this museum tells the story of the Solidarity movement that helped end communism in Poland. It's a short walk from the historic shipyard gates where it all began.

Where to eat
Look for pierogi and Baltic herring on menus around Długi Targ, and don't skip a shot of Goldwasser, the local herbal liqueur flecked with real gold leaf, a Gdansk specialty since the 16th century. Restaurants along the Long Market do a brisk trade in both.
A city built on amber and shipyards
Gdansk carries two identities well: the amber-trading Hanseatic port of its Old Town, and the shipyard city where the Solidarity movement began. Spend a morning among the Gothic facades of Długi Targ, then an afternoon at the Shipyard gates and the European Solidarity Centre to see the other side of the story.
Right outside your hotel
Mercure Gdansk Stare Miasto sits just five minutes' walk from the main train station, with rooms overlooking either the historic Old Town or the Gdansk Shipyard. Długi Targ and St. Mary's Basilica are an easy walk away.
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FAQ

It's on the edge of the city, reachable by tram, boat or taxi, so plan it as a separate half-day trip rather than a quick stop.

Yes, especially if you're curious why Gdansk is called the world's amber capital. The setting inside the medieval Great Mill adds to it.

Yes, the tower is open to visitors and the climb rewards you with a wide view over the Old Town's red rooftops.

Where to sleep

See Mercure hotels in Gdansk, all within reach of these picks.

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Where to sleep

See Mercure hotels in Gdansk, all within reach of these picks

View hotels