Dominating the main drag of Gdańsk Old Town with its huge clock tower and impenetrable red-brick walls, the 14th-century "Main" Town Hall is home to an exhibition that charts the history of the city through the centuries.
The Main Town Hall (PL: Ratusz Głównego Miasta) home, a Gothic-Renaissance structure originally built in the 14th century and hosted many visiting Polish kings. The Town Hall spire, with a golden replica of King Zygmunt August on its pinnacle, dominates ul. Długa's skyline, a landmark that flags the very centre of Gdańsk Old Town's main street from a distance. The Town Hall was almost completely destroyed during WWII but rebuilt with extraordinary care.
Today, the building is home to the Museum of Gdańsk. Access the building by the gate to the left of the main staircase which leads you to the ticket office on your left and then into the interior courtyard. The first rooms you come across are the ornate Great Council Hall and Great Weta Hall, the latter of which features an impressively-sized fireplace and lavish ceilings paintings, including the Apotheosis of Gdańsk by Isaac van der Block. Subsequent rooms feature vintage 16th and 17th furniture and a sampling of the museum’s 600 silver pieces, which highlight Gdańsk’s silversmithing era. Temporary exhibitions are also shown in the Pile Gallery.
The top floor of the museum features an exhibition showcasing what life was like in everyday Gdańsk right before the war – visitors get a glimpse into the homes and businesses of residents and see a period in time that was about to come to an abrupt end. During the summer months (May to end of Sept) you can climb to the top of the Town Hall tower from here, and enjoy fantastic views of the city and the nearby St. Mary's Basilica. While you're up there, check out the Carillon (bell instrument) set-up, which was inaugurated on New Year's Eve 2000 and is one of only three that can be found in Poland (the other two are also in Gdańsk!).
Average visiting time: 75mins.
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