Gdansk Shopping Tips by matcrazy1 Top 5 Page for this destination

St. Catherine's church shop: Postcards, books, gifts

There is small shop at vestibule to St. Catherine's church. They offer good variety of Gdansk postcards, some small gifts, books on Gdansk and the church (mostly in Polish language) and church music on CDs.

What to buy: Postcards, eventually you can look at them to see what to visit in Gdansk.

What to pay: 1.00 - 3.50 zl (€1 = 4 zl) per postcard (average price). About 15 - 30 zl per CD.

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Address: Ul. Podmlynska, 80-850 Gdañsk

Directions: In southern part of the Old Town, close to the Main Town and the Great Mill - 15 min. walk from the Main Railway Station (Gdansk Glowny).

Phone: +48 (58) 305 64 92

Theme: Gifts

Uphagen's House: Postcards and tourist literature

There is the ticket office to the Historical Museum of Gdansk in front of the Uphagen's house. A woman dressed in old style sells postcards, leaflets on the exposition and books on Gdansk (in Polish, German and English). Add some small gifts available there.

What to buy: Postcards - quite good collection. Look at them to see what to visit next in Gdansk.

What to pay: 0.4 - 2.0 zl per postcard or collection of 10 postcards for 4.50 zl (€1 = 4.30 zl).

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Address: Ul. Dluga 12; 80-850 Gdansk

Directions: Along main pedestrian street of Gdansk - Dluga, on the right walking from the Golden Gate. About 20 - 25 min. on foot from the Main Railway Station (Gdansk Glowny).

Other Contact: +48 (58) 301 23 71

Phone: +48 (58) 301 13 63

Theme: Books

Street stalls, Mariacka Street: Gdansk fridge magnets

There is a street stall in Mariacka street where colorful, artistic fridge magnets are sold. They show artistic impressions about various cities and towns around Gdansk and about Gdansk istself as well. They look like kiddy pictures.

What to buy: If I was a foreign visitor, I would probably choose a magnet with the coat of arms of Poland, the white eagle with an yellow crown.

What to pay: If I remember well, 5 zl per magnet (€1 = 4 zl).

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Address: Ul. Mariacka, Gdansk

Directions: Walk eastwards Dluga street, turn left to either Tkacka or Lektykarska st. and turn first right to Piwna, walk along the southern wall of the St. Mary's basilica to Mariacka street. About 30 min. on foot from the Main Railway Station (Gdansk Glowny).

Phone: None, I guess :-)

Theme: Gifts

Pamiatki: Tourist info, amber, silver, gifts

This tiny gift store offers tourist information and sells various gifts like pictures of old Gdansk, paintings and drawings of the Old Town of Gdansk and the Oliva cathedral as well as silver and amber jewelry.

What to buy: Maps and travel guides to Gdansk in Polish, English and German. Maybe some small pictures or drawings if you like such staff.

What to pay: Generally inexpensive although touristy place.

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Address: ul. Cystersow, Gdansk

Directions: Opposite to the main facade of the Oliva cathedral. Read here how to get there.

Theme: Gifts

Pomorski Ogrod Sztuki Ludowej: Folk statues and Kashubian needlework

There is the Pomeranian Garden of Folk Art (Pomorski Ogrod Sztuki Ludowej) in the grounds of the Oliwa Park. There are a few tables put on a lawn where local artists try to sell their treausures: folk statues, Kashubian laces and colorful linen needlecraft, mainly tavleclothes.

What to buy: I liked some wooden high and thin folk statues.

What to pay: Try to bargain in Polish or... body language. Expect to pay some 50 - 200 zl (depends on size) per wooden statue or 30 - 100 zl per tablecloth. €1 = 4 zl.

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Directions: On the right ide of the main pathways from the Abbots' Granary to the Cathedral. Read here how to get there.

Theme: Local Craft

Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashubia

Street stalls,the Oliwa Park: The tax whole in the European Union? :-)

There are a few street stalls with pictures and drawings of old Gdansk set up on lawns along asphalted pathways of the Oliwa park. Each is run by a local artist or a person who pretends to be an artist. Well, sometimes it's difficult to differ them.

Anyway, they themselves usually look interesting and/or strange (well, artists ? :-) but they never allowed me to take them pictures. Their faces were copyrighted but their "art" was not. Maybe they have created "the free economic zone" (read: they enjoy freedom and don't pay any taxes) in the park which, however, belongs to so called European Union which doesn't tolerate such zones and prefers " perfect order" and "big business", right?

What to buy: Pictures and drawings of Gdansk.

What to pay: No fixed prices. Try to bargain to make a good deal. Expect to pay 30 zl - 100 zl - 150 zl (1? = 4 zl) per picture (depends on size, technique, humour of the artist and the God knows on what else). Keep smiling and good luck :-)

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Address: ul. Cystersow 15a, Gdansk

Directions: Along main pathways of the Oliwa Park. Read here how to get there.

Theme: Gifts

Website: http://gdansk-life.com/gdansk/where_is_culture/culture_details/309-Park_in_Oliwa

The Roads to Solidarity gift shop: Everything about the Solidarity movement

There is a gift shop at the entrance to the Roads to Freedom exhibition in the BHP Hall of the Gdansk shipyard. It's a best place to buy various gifts and books related to history of the Solidarity movement including small items with Solidarity logo like pens, lighters, mugs, baseball hats and T-shirts. There are a few CDs whith songs which were played and sang on secret Solidarity meetings when the union was illegal.

What to buy: Most books are in Polish language but a few are in German or English. I'd choose "The Road To Independence. Solidarność 1980-2005." for 150 zl which, except the historical background, includes a lot of photopgraphies and biographies of Solidarity activists.
I liked a toilet paper with caricatures of leaders of communist parties in 1980' which was secretly produced in the underground during the martial law against Solidarity and coupons for basic food (meat, butter, sugar) or even vodka, cigarettes, soap and shoes.

What to pay: Books are suprisingly a bit less expensive than in internet bookstores as I checked and cost 20 - 150 zl. CDs cost 15 - 50 zl, a mug and a T-shirt 25 zl, a baseball hat 9 zl, small items 3 - 5 zl. €1 = 4 zl.

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Address: Ul. Doki 1, Gdansk

Directions: On the grounds of former Gdansk shipyard. About 15 min. on foot from the Main Railway Station (Gdansk Glowny): go northwards to Solidarity Square, pass through the shipyard gate right to the Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers.

Phone: +48 (58) 769 29 20

Theme: Gifts

Website: http://www.inyourpocket.com/poland/gdansk/en/venue?id=POGDENX0036

Street stalls by a parking lot: Travel books about Westerplatte

I arrived in Westerplatte as a first visitor and didn't see any street stalls in and around a bit neglected parking lot. But on the way back to my car I noticed the street stalls with postcards of Gdansk + some funny postcards as well. I always look at the postcards to check what to visit next. Sometimes it helps me to find the most beautiful places off the beaten path, not included in my travel books. They sold some gifts, I didn't like, and a travel guide to Westerplatte, too.

What to buy: Postcards and/or a travel guide to Westerplatte (available in English, German and Polish).

What to pay: Cheap. The little travel guide costs 8 zl (€ 2).

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Address: Westerplatte, Gdansk

Directions: In a district of Gdansk called Westerplatte - drive a car there or take a ship from the Long Waterfront (Dlugie Pobrzeze) in Gdansk downtown. The shop is by a parking lot, walk a bit towards the monument.

Theme: Books

Pamiatki: Gift shop in Westerplatte

"Pamiatki" means souvenirs or gifts in Polish language. There is the store of that name at the entrance to Westerplatte when you should buy tickets to visit a small museum nearby. Well, the shop does not look fancy in any way. It reminds me those old shops we had in Poland till 1990. First of all there is no self-service and they sell numerous, quite different goods mixed together: from ice-creams, cakes, coffee and soft drinks to basic cosmetics, gifts, travel guides and postcards. And the shop assistant can speak Polish only but very well :-). One more thing: no cards accepted there.

What to buy: Well, I would suggest to buy tickets to a small museum (Guard-house No.1) put nearby. Then look at the postcards and small but quite detailed travel guides on Westerplatte (in Polish, German and English). What else? What you need. Maybe films or common batteries for your camera. I didn't like any gifts sold there.

What to pay: Inexpensive shop, no worries. Tickets to the museum cost 2 zl (€1 = 4 zl).

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Address: Westerplatte, Gdansk

Directions: In a district of Gdansk called Westerplatte - drive a car there or take a ship from the Long Waterfront (Dlugie Pobrzeze) in Gdansk downtown. The shop is by a parking lot, walk a bit towards the monument.

Theme: Gifts

Silk Art Gallery: Silk women's clothes

It's an unique shop full of women's clothes made from natural silk - a delicate, soft cloth made from a thread produced by silkworms, a type of caterpillar.

The silk thread is obtained from the cocoon of the silkworm larva, in the process known as sericulture, which kills the larvae. Animal rights activists maintain that the common practice of boiling silkworms alive in their cocoons is cruel. Scientists have successfully created artificial silk using genetically engineered spider proteins. Isn't it the future of the silk industry?

What to buy: What you want. Urszula, my wife, didn't like most of the designs. But there is no accounting for taste.

What to pay: Generally, natural silk is expensive or even very expensive in both the USA and Western Europe. But clothes sold in the Silk Art Gallery are not that much expensive. You may make a good deal.

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Address: Ul. Mariacka 15, Gdansk

Directions: Walk eastwards Dluga street, turn left to either Tkacka or Lektykarska st. and turn first right to Piwna, walk along the southern wall of the St. Mary's basilica to Mariacka street. About 30 min. on foot from the Main Railway Station (Gdansk Glowny).

Other Contact: http://www.isracast.com/tech_new

Theme: Women's Clothes

Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk#Europe