Ever since I was a little girl growing up in Poland, I've wanted to visit one of the cities on the magical Baltic Sea. What's so magical you say? Well, the Baltic has the largest known deposit of amber in the world, from forests dating from 44 million (!!!) years ago. That impressed me when I was younger, and I desperately wanted to go there and fish out some amber myself. Being that I grew up on the southernmost tip of the country, driving to the northernmost tip where the Baltic is located was not an easy task. Fun fact about Poland: in 1990, there was a total of 381km of highways in .. the ... whole ... country (right now it's around 1,300 km). Oh, and this trip that I was so carelessly wishing for as a child? Why, it's only 800km long! Needless to say, I can't blame my parents for never taking me to the Baltic as a child, as I'm sure it would have been our own version of the Oregon Trail, but I am glad I was able to make my dream a reality this summer!

After spending 4 days in Warsaw (post on Warsaw coming soon), Vlad and I headed to Gdansk (Danzig) for a two night stay. Besides flying, the easiest and most affordable way of traveling is by bus. For your reference, Gdansk is located ~400km north of Warsaw, and it is also the city I most wanted to visit as a child. Per my friends' recommendations, we booked two round trip tickets on Polski Bus for a total of $56USD. The bus ride was a tiring 5.5 hours, but thankfully there was free WIFI and some snacks provided (drinks, buns, and even ice cream! On a bus! So fancy.). 

After reaching Gdansk, we stopped by our Airbnb apartment, dropped off our stuff, and headed towards the town. Having done minimal research on Gdansk prior to our arrival, we did not know what to expect. As it turns out, that was a good thing because we ended up being very pleasantly surprised with this charming, coastal city. There was another surprise waiting for us in Gdansk, as are arrived just in time for the annual St. Dominic's Fair (Jarmark Sw. Dominika). This fair, which lasts for three weeks, dates back to the year 1260. In fact, it's one of the biggest trade and cultural open air fairs in Europe, along with Octoberfest and Weihnachtmarkt. There were lots of vendors selling amber jewelry, handmade art, silk clothing, as well as regional foods. The sounds of live music filled the air, and it made our sightseeing and general exploring that much more pleasant. Basically, we had our own theme music!

To fully fulfill my childhood dreams, on our second day in Gdansk, we took a 45min tram ride to the beach in Jelitkowo. Gdansk has a very large and reliable tramway system which costs only 3 zl ($1) per ride. The weather forecast was not very promising, so we left our swimsuits at home, but at least we dipped our feet in the Baltic Sea, and who knows, maybe even touched a few ambers hidden among the sand!

Geography:  Gdansk is located in the north of Poland on the Baltic Sea

Population:  about 460 thousand people call Gdansk their home 

Best Known for:  Gdansk was at a center of a German-Polish dispute which ignited WWII and was the first city attacked on September 1, 1939 by Germans;  Similar to Warsaw, most buildings in Gdansk were destroyed or damaged during WWII and later rebuilt; birthplace of Solidarity movement under the leadership of Lech Walesa which helped bring down communism in Poland and end the cold war; Amber as the city is often called Amber Capital of the World;

What We Noticed: architecture similar to Amsterdam's, lots of German speaking tourists, many amber vendors, unique souvenirs, extensive and reliable tramway system. 

Quick geography lesson.

Our apartment in Gdansk had some funky, picnic table wallpaper.  First stroll in the Old Town.  The Neptune Fountain in the middle of Dlugi Targ (the Long Market) is Gdansk's most recognizable symbol. The statue was first erected in 1549 and survived the war in hiding. 

We constantly found ourselves looking up at the beautiful buildings, which were very reminiscent of Amsterdam.  So many different designs and colors! We just couldn't get enough of the architecture. 

Walking through Long Market in the late afternoon, we spotted this guy who we named the "bird whisperer". 

There were lots of local vendors selling amber, handmade doilies and toys, as well as candy, bread and other delicacies.  Green Gate (Brama Zielona) in the background.  Sourdough bread stand. Unfortunately the bread was too big for us to eat in 2 days.  At the canal - Vlad contemplating what to eat next.  There was dragon boat racing going on.  

A brave tourist was bungie jumping.   

After walking around for a bit we came across another gate in one of the buildings (St. Mary's Gate) which led to the picturesque Mariacka Street.  

And what a charming street indeed! A plethora of jewelry shops selling beautiful amber pieces, as well as cute cafes and more live music.  

I was not the only one who could not resist taking photos.

One of the many amber jewelry shops. Another cute street corner.  Clock tower on St. Mary's Church (Bazylika Mariacka Wniebowziecia Najswietszej Maryi Panny). Built in the 14th century, it's one of the largest brick Gothic buildings in Europe. It fits around 20,000 people. Insane! Too bad we didn't get a chance to go in.

Vlad in front of the Great Armory (Wielka Zbrojownia) example of Dutch renaissance, built between 1602-1609. It was destroyed in a fire during the war in 1945, but was later rebuilt. What a magnificent building it is! 

Gdansk is a good place to get some unique souvenirs such as amber jewelry or handmade dishes and decorations. I scored a green amber ring and stud earrings set in silver for a total cost of $28USD. 

We wrote a few postcards in a cafe while waiting for our food.  Finally at the Baltic Sea! While it's not a white sand beach tropical island, it was still super cool. Vlad enjoyed walking on the beach. Funnily, we walked from Gdansk to the town of Sopot.    People staying active on their vacation. 

We spent a few minutes resting and sipping beer in Sopot.  Kids' driving school.  Entrance to the beach.  Finally at the Baltic Sea!