Struggling out of my bed in the early hours of the morning, I grabbed clothes and suitcase and headed to Stansted Airport. A flight departure time of 06.10hrs is a very serious matter. Everyone has to check-in on-line or at the machines at the airport so the long line (which, of course is really check-in) is for the Bag Drop. Being a very early flight – not the first one out – meant that the pre-departure lounge with its cafes, restaurants and Duty Free ships was crammed with people anxiously looking at the Departure Boards.

Go To Gate sign finally flashed up and a mad scramble commenced. A leisurely stroll to the gate and a seat while passengers jostled each other in the long queue was the more comfortable option. The flight was full and so were the overhead lockers. Fortunately I had a shoulder bag which fitted under the seat in front.

Now we are off – flight time out was 1 hour 40 minutes – arriving ahead of schedule at the modern airport. There I was met and driven the 12 kilometres ( 7 ½ miles) into Gdańsk. We pulled up outside of a former 18th Century granary now beautifully transformed into the Hotel Gdańsk. This delightfully quirky building not only offers comfortable accommodation but also a fine restaurant offering local dishes and a micro-brewery producing some fine beers.

The hotel looks out over a small marina with the silhouette of the old town in the background. A short walk across a couple of bridges and you are in the centre of this Polish city, capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, situated as it is on Baltic coast and acting as Poland's principal seaport. It is also Poland’s 4th largest city.

Obvious from it’s stunningly stylistic architecture Gdańsk has it’s trading routes in the Hanseatic League. It’s position at the mouth of the River Motława, connects it to the Leniwka River which in turn is a branch in the delta of the nearby Vistula River. This waterway system connects Gdańsk to Warsaw and is why, together with nearby Gnynia, it forms the maritime gateway to Poland .
In modern times the city was the birthplace of the Solidarity which, under the leadership of of Lech Wałęsa, was a major contributor to the end of Soviet influence in Central Europe.

Parts of the historic old city suffered major damage during WWII but was rebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s. While Gdańsk is still a major shipping port the famous shipyards are empty save for one small vessel whose owners are in financial difficulty.

Wandering through the historic centre it is obvious that this part of Poland is a source for amber. There are pretty restaurants spilling out onto the cobbled street offering good quality food at reasonable prices. Thank goodness Poland has retained it’s own currency – the Zeloty – and so is not subject the Euro’s inflated pricing. In the river the museum ship S.S. Soldek is anchored. This was the first ship built in post-war Poland.

The transport system in Gdańsk combines trains, buses, trams and trolley buses. The quality of the roads can vary greatly but a lot of the infrastructure was upgraded in readiness for football’s 2012 European Championship but there is still a lot of ongoing road works in the city.

There’s lots to do and see in Gdańsk and, as mentioned, the cost of food and drink are very favourable. While in Poland I was taken to Malbork Castle which is the largest brick building in Europe. This fantastic fortress is 27 miles from Gdańsk (43 Kilometres). While badly damaged during WWII, apart from the chapel, this gigantic building has been beautifully restored and well worth a visit. Completed in 1404, it is a classic example of a medieval fortress. It was designated a World Heritage Site in December 1997 by UNESCO.

Finally, while in the Malbork area we visited Malbork Commonwealth War Cemetery which was beautifully tended and contained those who died in both WWI and WWII. There was a mixture on Army, Navy and Air Force represented in this now peaceful location. Just a little further down the road is a much larger war cemetery for Russian Military.

GETTING THERE

Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport is located 7 ½ miles ( 12 kilometres) west northwest of Gdańsk

My flight was on Ryan Air from London’s Stansted Airport.

For more information visit www.poland.travel

My visit was facilitated by an organisation called Baltic Gateway. They specialise in individual travel, shore tours for cruise lines and meetings, incentives, exhibitions & conferences. To contact them visit www.balticgate.pl