The Royal Road in Gdańsk

There is a place in Poland, which makes foreigners very suprised. I had a conversation during my stay with the receptionist in a hostel in Gdańsk and he claimed, that about 90% of visitors out of Poland is amazed with this city. Let's find out why. I am going to explain this on the example of the Royal Road - 600 meter street in the city center.

The Długi Targ street

The history goes back to the 13th century, when Długi Targ and Długa Street were connected into one trade route leading to the rounded market square. Already in 14th century, during Teutonic Knights' occupation it became the most important street and market in the city and it is until today one of the most popular places in Gdańsk. For centuries the inhabitants might buy here meat or even live animals (especially pigs). It was a place, where the richest were living, polish kings were staying and witches, heretics and criminals from nobel families were executed. Of course cutting people's heads off is no longer the attraction, which we can see here, but there is still a lot to admire.

The Green Gate

Let's start our brief walk from the Green Gate (Brama Zielona), the place where the harbour used to be located. It is a water gate - distinctive element of Gdańsk architecture, because it was built directly on the bank of the Motława river. The main building comes from 2nd part of the 16th century and it meant to be a residence of the polish kings. Nevertheless the most "royal" person who stayed here (for ten days) is Marie Louise Gonzaga - the wife of two polish kings. Close enough.

The Golden House

Moving to the west we are passing charming houses with narrow facades. The architecture enthusiasts should take a look especially at one of them. The Golden House. The project was ordered by Johann Speymann - a mayor of Gdańsk, who was a renaissance Erasmus Student (he was studying in Cracow, Strasbourg, Wittenberg, Heidelburg, Koningsberg, Piza, Siena and Padova). Because he was an art fan he decided to build the most beautiful house in the whole city. And it happened in the beginning of the 17th century. The facade has gilded reliefs which present battle scenes and effigies of two polish kings. The sculptures on the top of the house are suppose to present the "cardinal virtues" - prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. The legend says that the facedes were made in Florence and one of them, more beautiful, sank somwhere in the sea.

The tilted stove inside the Artus Court - the biggest on the world

Another attraction I would like to mention is located 20 meters further. The Artus Court used to be a center of the social life in the city. It was a headquarter of the city's brotherhoods which gathered the elite of the city (for regular craftman getting inside was prohibited). In the house talking about business was forbidden, but every evening the all inclusive party occured (visitor had to pay fee in advance and then drink how much he desire). Later on they turned into the drinking eldorados lasting even few days, so it was basiclly 17th century heaven night club. The current look comes from the beggining of 17th century, but the origins of the building we date back to the 14th. Today the construction is decorated with statues of great leaders - Scipio Africanus, Temistokles, Camillus and Judas Maccabeus and medallions of polish kings - Zygmunt Vasa and his son - Władysław. The gothic interior is impressive as well and if you are crazy about the stoves this is the place for you. We can see there the biggest tiled stove on the Earth.

The Artus Court

Being on the Długi Targ it is simply impossible to miss the Neptune Fountain - a rococo masterpiece made in the beginning of the 17th century. Head of  the god is inclined toward the houses, where polish kings used to reside. The work last 30 years, though. There were many reasons of that - the reconstruction of the Artus Court, the war, the engineers screwed up the connection to the water and finally even the designer died.

The Neptune's Fountain.
The City Hall in the background

The City Hall is the building irregularly located in comparison to the other houses. The first contruction at this place comes from 1336 and it has been consistently enlarged during ages. Unfortunately the electric fireplace was not popular back then and that is the reason, why in 1556 the building burned and had to be reconstructed. A spark. Rebuild City Hall has a renessaince architecture style and the statue (of course gilded) of Zygmunt Augustus - a king of Poland - on the top. The influence of the nobel artists we can feel also inside. The Red Hall on the first floor is comparable to the Doge's Palace's interior in Venice. It is worth to pay attention to the tower. Every hour the carillon (musical instrument, whose main elements are the bells) inside plays a melody for the city. During a visit in Gdańsk you should take a look at the relief above the entrance of the City Hall. There is a emblem which is... incorrect. Two lions are looking in the same direction - towards the Golden Gate. The explenation is that the animals turned heads to the place where polish kings where supposed to arrive from. Maybe it is true. Or maybe some hangovered idiot drank too much at the party in the Artus Court the day before. I really do not know.

The Uphagen's House

From the buildings it is worth to pay attention to one more. Uphagen's House. Jan Uphagen was a wealthy man, who bought a house in Gdańsk in 1775 and decided to completely change the interior to adapt it to his standards. He moved in four years later, but works last until 1787, when he was finally able to accept guest in his home. And he died afterwards. But in his will he wrote, that he wanted to keep this place as it was. So people respected that request and today we can see how the rich were living in the end of 18th century.

Moving on we reach the most beautiful gate in Gdańsk. The Golden Gate. It was designed and built in the beginning of the 17th century by Abraham van den Blocke - the dutch architect, who was a designer of almost all of the buildings which have been described - the Artus Court facade, the Neptune's Fountain and the Golden House. The gate has a psalm quote on the wall and again - statues representing Peace, Liberty, Fortune, Fame (aspirations of the citizens) and Consent, Piety, Justice and Prudence on the top.

The Golden Gate

But let's leave the Długa Street to the last part of the Royal Road in Gdańsk. We are standing in front of the Prison Tower - built in 14th century and reconstracted 200 years later. According to the documents it was one of the most strict prisons in Europe - there was nobody who escaped. To the tower an 16th century executioner's house is connected. There is a weired story related to this place. If you take a look on the walls, you can find a small sculpture - body without a head. But on the prewar photos this man has his head and a set of keys and, in fact, he seems pretty "undead". The question is why is that. The obvious conclusion - destroyed during the war. Is it though? As it turns out it was a mistake of the prussians conservators. They thought that there supposed to be a head, so they added one. Well...

The Executioner's House and the Prison Tower

The Royal Road ends about 50 meters further next to the Wyżynna Gate. But there is still much more to see, not only on this particular street, but in whole Gdańsk! Churches, the Westerplatte Peninsula, the Żuraw and so on! In the future I am going to write about them as well. It is a beautiful city and great place to spend weekend with family, friends or even on your own. You just need to discover its existance! Sometimes it is easier than you think to get there. You just need to find out!