Where do you go in Gdańsk when you want to have a good time?
The famous 100cznia, Elektryków Street, the Imperial Shipyard, and the Montownia food hall. These are the places now trending in Gdańsk, which are open all day long during the summer season (some of them even all year-round) and which come alive most intensely at night. What exactly makes those places special?
The former shipyard areas are a living museum, full of historic landmarks, but it is a place to live, as well. A place where history intertwines with the present, where on one hand you can have a great time, and on the other hand, reflect on the passing time. The area in question stretches from Gdańsk Shipyard Railway Station to the Dead Vistula waterfront and the artistic space WL4 Mleczny Piotr. There are many mysterious nooks, breath-taking views, unique decorations and lots of delicious food. You will find food trucks serving street food from different parts of the world, craft beers, as well as restaurants full of flavours and good wine. So whatever you are hungry and thirsty for – it’s all there. There are options for carnivores, vegans and vegetarians.
100cznia is the first of the recommended places to start your adventure in this microcosm known by some as a city within a city. Industrial architecture, magical lights, a mini urban beach, a street art gallery and a children’s zone – this is 100cznia in a nutshell. 100cznia operates during the summer season, from the beginning of May until the end of September, offering a relaxation zone, workshops, fairs, meetings and yoga classes during the day. In the evenings and all night long there are concerts, parties, exhibitions and outdoor cinema. It has already become the city’s coolest place to be in and it keeps expanding every year. Since this year, 100cznia Inside has also been open and operates outside the summer season.
Walking along, towards the Dead Vistula river, we reach the famous Elektryków street. The concept is similar to 100cznia, only Elektryków is located on both sides of a post-industrial alley. There are also indoor spaces here, with their typical shipyard ambience. This music and gastronomy spot, just like 100cznia, develops with each season, gaining new gastronomic concepts and new spaces. One of them is Plenum, a creative space open to audio-visual events.
Walking further, we enter the area of the Imperial Shipyard, which is gradually becoming more accessible for the visitors. You will still see old, a bit run-down buildings and spaces here, showing the true face of the Gdańsk Shipyard. Historical buildings are being renovated and gaining new functions, such as the former shipyard fire brigade building, which now functions as a restaurant and wine bar called Mielżyński Gdańsk. At the end of the journey, we reach the artistic space WL4 – Mleczny Piotr. Outside the building, we are greeted by the Rozbitkowie [Castaways], outdoor sculptures by Czesław Podleśny. Inside the building, there are thought-provoking exhibitions created by brave artists. A little further, you can enjoy the viewpoint located at… The Crane. You can also order prosecco up there and enjoy it with a view of the Dead Vistula river.
The newest attraction of the post-shipyard areas is Montownia Food Hall , a city food court in the historic U-Boat hall. The history of this place dates back to around 1940 and is an example of monumental Nazi industrial architecture. At that time, the hall was used for assembling submarine engine components, known as U-Boats. After 1945, the space became the main warehouse of the Gdańsk Shipyard. Today, the hall is being transformed into a grand ‘canteen’, more precisely, a food hall, full of interesting gastronomic concepts from different parts of the world. Here you can enjoy dishes typical of Indian, Vietnamese, Alpine, Mexican, Greek, Italian, and Ukrainian cuisine.
