Hotels near Long Market and Neptune's Fountain

The Long Market (Dlugi Targ) is the widened, pedestrianised eastern half of Long Street and the natural place to begin any Gdansk itinerary. The row of tall, narrow burgher houses in ochre, mint, and dusky pink was almost entirely rebuilt after 1945, drawing on 17th and 18th century Dutch and Flemish influences that made Gdansk one of the wealthiest ports in northern Europe. Landmark buildings include the Main Town Hall with its 82-metre tower and the Renaissance Artus Court, once a meeting hall for merchant guilds and now part of the Gdansk History Museum.

Right in the middle stands Neptune's Fountain, cast in bronze in 1633 by Peter Husen and Johann Rogge from a design by Abraham van den Blocke. Neptune's raised trident and slight bow are said to reference the Polish king, and the fountain has become the visual shorthand for the whole city. Cafes with heated terraces line both sides of the square in shoulder season, and buskers and amber sellers keep the place lively into the evening.

Pro Tip: Come back for sunset around 21:00 in June - the west-facing facades along Dluga catch the golden light, and the tour groups have thinned to nothing. Sit on the fountain's stone edge with an ice cream from Paolo Gelateria at Dluga 68.