Gdansk

Set on the Baltic coast, the port city of Gdansk may surprise with the range of its accommodation. Built in 1451, the oldest house in the city has been converted into the charming Gotyk House (Ulica Mariacka 1). For a taste of local flavour, it can’t be beaten – the historic building even has basement museum dedicated to Copernicus. If high-octane glam is more your bag, the five-star Gdansk Hilton (Targ Rybny 1) has it in spades, with rooms featuring ‘serenity’ beds, a rooftop pool and an ‘urban beach’. At the other end of the scale, Hotel Grand Cru’s (Ulica Rycerska 11-12) exposed brick walls and wet rooms make it a great choice, as is the atmospheric Holland House Residence (Ulica Dlugi Targ 33-34), right in the centre.

Gdansk is famous for its amber, or ‘Baltic Gold’, which can be bought all over the city at spots like Dawid (Ulica Mariacka 13-15). Modern shopping mall Galeria Bałtycka (Aleja Grunwaldzka 141) is great for clothing and electronics, and lays claim to over 200 shops and restaurants. You may prefer to take in reminders of Gdansk’s history at the Madison Park Shopping Gallery (Ulica Rajska 10), which is adorned with symbolic sculptures, or shop for traditional trinkets at Cepelia (Ulica Długa 47), which sells Polish folk art.

Poland is progressively moving away from its reputation for bland, stodgy food, and an example of this refinement can be found at Restauracja Kubicki (Ulica Wartka 5). For good value authentic food head to a milk bar, or bar mleczny, with the pierogi at Bar Mleczny Neptun (Ulica Długa 33-34) highly recommended. Enjoy the ocean views as you dine on underwater treats at the Restauracja Targ Rybny Fishmarkt (Ulica Targ Rybny 6C), one of Gdansk’s top seafood restaurants, before topping your night off with a beer from local microbrewery Brovarnia Gdansk (Ulica Szafarnia 9).

Gdańsk DocFilm Festival

June

This celebration of Polish documentary-making brings hard-hitting topics to the fore. Learn more about issues such as exploitation and unemployment at this festival held at the Neptun cinema.

Sail Gdansk

July

Any boat can take part in this annual race across the Gdansk Bay, which is one of the maritime calendar’s top events.

Heineken Opener Festival

July

Bands such as Kings of Leon and Bloc Party have performed in recent years, and the big names combine with a setting in the seaside town of Gdynia to makes this festival a real draw.

Shakespeare Festival

August

The Tri-City area plays host to a week of performances that pulls in actors and spectators from across the world.

St Dominic's Fair

August

This antiques fair attracts up to 1,000 merchants and artisans, who descend on St Dominic’s Fair to set up all manner of antique and art stalls. Additional entertainment comes through musical performances and fireworks.