Gdansk (Gdańsk)
Gdańsk is famous for its beautifully restored Old Town. Among the city's landmarks are the Fountain of Neptune and the Crane, a large wooden crane next to the Motława river. Long Market (Długi Targ) and Long Street (ulica Długa) are the former Royal Route into the city. The beautifully restored buildings along this route once belonged to Gdańsk‘s most wealthy and prominent citizens. A special feature of Gdańsk‘s traditional buildings is a terraced entrance with railings on both sides.
In August 1980, at Gdańsk's Lenin Shipyard (Stocznia Gdańska im. Lenina), the history of Solidarność (Solidarity), Poland's first legal independent trade union began, which contributed greatly to the fall of Communism in Poland. The area of Gdańsk Shipyard is now subject to a major structural change. Many of the former shipyard's buildings have been demolished.
