As World War II officially began with the simultaneous German attacks on the Westerplatte Peninsula and the Polish Post Office in Gdańsk, it's fitting that this superlative museum dedicated to WWII should be built just nearby the latter (about a 10-minute walk north from the Crane). Opened in 2017, this is Gdańsk's top museum, and as such, you need to plan your visit. Entrances are timed and tickets should be bought online in advance.
Those interested in the topic can easily spend a whole day there, and we recommend you don't allot yourself anything less than 3 hours. Our other advice is to spend the extra 12zł for the excellent multilingual audio-guide, which senses where you are and tells you what you are looking at. You can also download the new audioguide app, Muzeum II Wojny Światowej, from Apple Store or Google Play. It's currently available the following in languages: Polish, English, German, French, Ukrainian and Russian. There is possibility to visit the museum's cinema, which has an impressive program of international films (not necessarily WWII-related), and ticket prices of 18zł (reduced 15zł) are comparatively cheaper than your average big cinema chain in Poland.
The heart of the museum is the permanent exhibition which is split into three parts – Road to War, The Horror of War and The Long Shadow of War. Within these three areas, there are a total of 18 rooms or thematic sections covering different aspects of how World War II came about and developed and the suffering it caused. In addition, there is an exhibition for children 'Travel Through Time', which is set in a pre-war time classroom and a temporary exhibition. While the numerous films, photographs and excellent translations mark this museum as one of the best we’ve ever visited, it is the collection of artefacts, many of them personal effects donated by private individuals, that really bring the personal tragedies of World War II to life. While the museum takes a broad international scope, it also trains its lens locally of course, and the story of what happened to Poland and her people during and as a result of the war will no doubt leave an indelible mark on all visitors. There are so many of aspects of the museum to recommend that we've dedicated a separate feature to it, but to summarise, we feel this exhibit is so excellent that it alone justifies a journey to Gdańsk. Make the time, get your tickets and don't miss this.
Those interested in the topic can easily spend a whole day there, and we recommend you don't allot yourself anything less than 3 hours. Our other advice is to spend the extra 12zł for the excellent multilingual audio-guide, which senses where you are and tells you what you are looking at. You can also download the new audioguide app, Muzeum II Wojny Światowej, from Apple Store or Google Play. It's currently available the following in languages: Polish, English, German, French, Ukrainian and Russian. There is possibility to visit the museum's cinema, which has an impressive program of international films (not necessarily WWII-related), and ticket prices of 18zł (reduced 15zł) are comparatively cheaper than your average big cinema chain in Poland.
The heart of the museum is the permanent exhibition which is split into three parts – Road to War, The Horror of War and The Long Shadow of War. Within these three areas, there are a total of 18 rooms or thematic sections covering different aspects of how World War II came about and developed and the suffering it caused. In addition, there is an exhibition for children 'Travel Through Time', which is set in a pre-war time classroom and a temporary exhibition. While the numerous films, photographs and excellent translations mark this museum as one of the best we’ve ever visited, it is the collection of artefacts, many of them personal effects donated by private individuals, that really bring the personal tragedies of World War II to life. While the museum takes a broad international scope, it also trains its lens locally of course, and the story of what happened to Poland and her people during and as a result of the war will no doubt leave an indelible mark on all visitors. There are so many of aspects of the museum to recommend that we've dedicated a separate feature to it, but to summarise, we feel this exhibit is so excellent that it alone justifies a journey to Gdańsk. Make the time, get your tickets and don't miss this.
