Main City Town Hall

Gdańsk has two town halls – Main City Town Hall and Old City Town Hall. Main City and Old City are two different districts and often people refer to the Gdańsk historic center simply as “old city”, even locals do so. Main City Town Hall is located in Main City district at 54°20’56″N 18°39’09″E, near Neptune’s Fountain, just about the place where Long Lane and Long Market conects. Although if you ask about old city everyone will point you roughly to this place.

Building started in 1346, but in 1378-1382 it was rebuild, tower was added in 1486–1488. Around 1537 it was again extended and since then it has it’s todays shape.

Ticket prices:

Normal price 16 zł, reduced 8 zł.

The Palowa Gallery (Galeria Palowa), normal price 6 zł, reduced 4 zł.

Viewpoint, normal price 10 zł, reduced 5 zł.

You can also buy 90 day pass to all eight branches of Gdańsk municipal museums, normal price 80 zł, reduced 50 zł.

On Wednesdays entrence is free. See https://muzeumgdansk.pl/index.php?id=362&L=1 for current information.

In 1556 fire damaged the town hall and it had to been rebuild again, this time a 14-bell carillon was mounted on the tower.

During second world war town hall was severely damaged, repairs were performed in years 1946-1970 and are considered one of the greatest and hardest building reconstructions after the war. In year 2000 a new, 37-bell carillon was mounted on the tower.

During renaissance Gdańsk was the richest city in Poland. Of course it has to show off and it starts with the stoop.

Great Hall of Court (Wielka Sala Wety), also called White Hall (Sala Biała). This is the most representative hall in Main City Town Hall, this is the hall in which court was sitting, king’s (and his representative) audiences happened and also Gdańsk citizenship granting ceremony happened. This is the hall in which most Gdańsk treaties and agreements were signed.

At the walls you can see paintings of Polish Kings.

Red Hall (Sala Czerwona). In this hall the city council was debating.

Just look at the ceiling.

I also recommend going to the tower, you have great view over Gdańsk. Tower is 83,5 meter high and you can go to the part above clock. It is the second highest building in the Gdańsk historic center, only St. Mary’s Basilica is higher.

Western view: you can clearly see Long Lane ending with Złota Brama (Golden Gate). Even further you can see Katownia.

Southern view: this is the view on the tenements called kamienica (plural kamienice) alongside street. The narrow street on the bottom right side is Long Lane and the wide street is called Long Market.

East view: Long Market street ending with Green Gate. Behind Green Gate is river Motława and on the other side of the river is  Granary Island (with that awful fairy wheel) with a lot of new hotels being build on it.

Northern view: to the north you can see St. Mary’s Basilica, now under renovation.

But if you look at north-east you will also see Chlebnicka street ending with Chlebnicka gate.