A Peaceful Day in Gdańsk and Sopot

Walking through the streets of Gdańsk, we were wanting to stop and take a photo at every corner. The city was really alive. The streets that were empty the day before were crowded with people that day. There were groups of tourists in the squares. They were listening to their guides trying to get to know the city. I think when you go to a new place the main point is to feel the city atmosphere. Diving into those narrow passages where tour guides do not enter, known only by locals and touching the real texture of the city is a completely different pleasure.

That day the weather did us a favor by warming up ten degrees after the freezing cold of the previous day. We, who didn't want to go out and whose faces were freezing the day before now began to enjoy the streets. The architecture of Gdansk is facinating. The facades of the houses are so detailed and well maintened that I couldn't help but wonder, Is this place really old or was it rebult according to the original? It was very nice to walk among these esthetic structures instead of boxlike buildings and to see the vitality that tourism adds to the city.

During our walk we go in search of local delicacies. We looked around to see if it was possible to find the famous Czech dessert Trdelník here. Actually the pronunciation is a bit complicated. Some call it Chimney cake, some Trdelník. We chose to call it Trendelnik for short among ourselves. The Christmas markets were not open when we were there. But the esthetics of the city made up for this absence. In Poland Zabka markets are like lifesavers. It is a great convenence that they are open until late even on holidays. Regarding food Poland's giant baked pierogies and that famous soup served in bread are complete winter classics. Compared to the ones in Kraków the ones here felt a bit drier, but everything tastes diferent in this atmospher. Then we got hungry and we went into an Italian restaurant. We had spotted this restaurant earlier while walking. We ordered a pizza. It was a truffle pizza and it was meatless, with nothing else in it. So I can say we went a bit vegeterian that day. It was a good pizza along with beer and winter tea. We paid 21 euros in total. This price is for a large truffle pizza, a beer and that winter tea which is not always cheap on its own. I think the price is normal. After all we were right in the center of the main touristic spot. It would probably be much cheaper if this were a less touristy place.

We left the mystic atmosphere of Gdańsk center After walking for a while. And reached Sopot, the Baltic coast with a twenty five minute taxi ride. Sopot, with its villas and parks almost has the atmosphere of Baden-Baden. The main place worth seeing here is Molo. It is Europe's longest wooden pier at five hundred meters long. Ee felt the incredible coolness of the Baltic sea as we walked on the pier. Luckily the weather was windless and calm. The sea was like a sheet. People were walking on the beach. They were walking their dogs. Some of them were watching the seagulls from the pier. Everyone was enjoying the great weather.

The lights on the pier and the shining windows of the Grand hotel made Sopot look like a fairy tale place at night. We checked out the amber shops. Looked closely at those famous Baltic stones. Sopot was a place, especially, with all the amber around. According to what is said it is even possible to find these stones on the beach on stormy days. The calmness before the storm that was coming the next day was really nice. We went back, to Gdańsk with a a few magnets in our pockets and the gray but peaceful image of the Baltic in our minds.

Our plan for tomorrow was ready. We decided to go to the center and explore the places we hadn't seen. I will talk about our adventures in Gdansk on my later posts. Thanks for reading.