A short walking tour of Old Town Gdansk, Poland

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I had a short layover in Gdansk, Poland back in June so we decided to do a little sight seeing. Gdansk can trace its roots back to the 10th century when it was founded by Mieszko I, a Polish duke. From that point onwards, the settlement grew into a wealthy and powerful trading city (particularly in grain) due to its strategic location between Northern and Western Europe, and its ties to the Hanseatic League, an alliance of influential merchant guilds and their trading cities in Germany, the Netherlands and the Baltic region, in the 13th century. Throughout the following centuries, Gdansk (also known in German as Danzig) became the largest city on the Baltic coast and handled most of Poland’s seaborne trade. It also found itself in a literal tug-of-war between the Germans and Polish, a struggle that lasted till the end of World War II, with brief spells of autonomy during the Napoleonic era and after World War I. World War II was the most destructive war, with about 90% of the city destroyed. We ate outside at a small mom and pop restaurant by the water. I tried several traditional Polish dishes including, Wild Boar Stew, Pierogis, Pickled Herring, and assorted pickled vegetables. It was all amazing! After lunch we walked the waterfront and the dulag, it's Main Street. If you are traveling to Europe, Gdansk is worth taking a couple of days to explore!
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Poland
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