Viking Homelands: Gdańsk I (9/1/2018)

Saturday, September 1, 2018

Morning view of the Baltic Sea, it could have been the 18C!

The Viking Star arrived in Gdańsk, Poland after lunch, and we were not in the city center, but about four miles away! We had to be satisfied with the time allotted by our included shore excursion, Gdańsk on Foot, and what we could see on the motor coach to and from town.

From the Viking Star we could see the Westerplatte Monument
(1966, by architect Adam Haupt and sculptors Franciszek Duszeńko
and Henry Kitowski), honoring the defenders of the coast who resisted for
seven days when the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire
in 1939, essentially the opening battle of World War II (KSS)

Powroźnicza Street

Heavily damaged during World War II, Gdańsk was rebuilt, but not always historically accurately, as any traces of German influence were erased. Flemish/Dutch, Italian and French influences were used for the new architecture in a city that was taken over by the Teutonic Knights in the 14C, and was part of the Hanseatic League. After World War I, Gdańsk or Danzig was declared a Free City under the League of Nations. Germany's pretext for invading Poland may have been to take back Danzig.

Gdańsk manhole cover

Długi Targ/Long Market (KSS)

Długi Targ 25-27;
note downspouts

Brama Zielona/Green Gate (1564-1568, by Reiner van Amsterdam
in Flemish Renaissance style) was to be the royal residence
for visiting Polish monarchs, but none ever came

Kolumna meteorologiczna Fahrenheita/
Fahrenheit Meteorological Column
(2008, by Hanna Klementowska)

The column commemorates Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, the Gdańsk physicist who invented the mercury thermometer and developed the Fahrenheit temperature scale.

Złota Kamienica/Golden House (1609-1618, by
Abraham van den Blocke) where statues of Cleopatra,
Oedipus, Achilles, and Antigone wave from above

Panienka z okienka/Maiden at the Window
House where the legend is that in the 17C
Hedwiga was imprisoned by her uncle and
would appear at the topmost oval window

Now a maiden looks out at 13:00, 15:00, and 17:00 during the summer season!

Waterspout/downspout (KSS)

Dwór Artusa/Artus Court (1616-1617, by
Abraham van den Blocke in Dutch Mannerism style)
was the meeting place of knights and aristocrats;
the name is based on the Court of King Arthur

Mercury, the guardian of merchants (and
thieves) stands in front of Artus Court

Fontanna Neptuna/Neptune Fountain with
Ratusz Gdański/Old City Hall (1556 in Dutch
Mannerist style) in the background (KSS)

Neptune Fountain (the statue dates to 1549
and was hidden to survive World War II)

City Hall portal, and on the far right is the standard for length measurements

I thought this was the weights and measures standard!

Plenty of jam on this gofry/waffle!

Dom Uphagena/Uphagen House (rebuilt 18C
merchant house) with a Rococo letter 'A' over
the door for the owner's wife, Abigail

Brama Złota/Golden Gate (1612-1614 in Dutch Mannerist style)

Dwór Bractwa św Jerzego/St George Court (1487-1498, by Hans Glothau
in Flemish style as the seat of Fraternity of St George, an
association of archers) next to the Golden Gate on the right

Wieża Wiezienna/Prison Tower (rebuilt
1593-1604, by Antoni van Obberghen)
as seen from the east

Prison Tower seen from east
in the courtyard (KSS)

Possible homeless person with nice walker
next to the bancomat/ATM

A third line of defense was defined by the Brama Wyzynna/Upland Gate
(1587-1588, by Willem van den Blocke)

They sell an herbal liqueur with gold flakes in it,
and these have Baltic amber chunks in it

Former Arsenał housing the Akademia Sztuk Pięknych w Gdańsku/
Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk (1600-1609, by Antonis van Opbergen
in a fine example of Dutch Mannerist style)

Wrought-iron work

Does this marketing work?

Our guide, Alexandra, with a model of St Mary's
Basilica, which appears to have been
a Rotary Club project (KSS)

Wrought-iron sign

Bazylika Mariacka/St Mary's Basilica (1343-1502)
is among the second largest brick churches in the
world (tied with at least two others)

Kaplica Królewska/Royal Chapel (1678-1681, by Tylman van Gameren in
Baroque style) was built when St Mary's was turned over to the Lutherans

Fontanna Czterech Kwartałów/Four Quarters Fountain (2009,
by Ewa Koprowska-Szulc and Lucyna Kujawa) (KSS)

Ulica Mariacka/St Mary's Street is considered
to be the most romantic/beautiful street in Gdańsk

(The backside of St Mary's Street)

The house of Anna Schilling, a niece and housekeeper
for Copernicus when he served as priest at St Mary's
Basilica; she followed him to Frombork,
only to return due to rumors of their relationship

St Mary's Street is known for the porches and downspouts...

...and amber shops

Collecting money for dogs

Renovated granaries on the Motława River

At this point we were given about an hour of free time, so we took off.
Next: Gdańsk II.