"Old Hansa town turns 1010 this year" a Gdansk Travel Page by annase

Gdańsk celebrated its 1000 years of existence in 1997. The residents of the city originated from Germany, Poland and other parts of the world contributing to its cosmopolitan ambience. Throughout its turbulent history, Gdansk has been a major trading centre on the Baltic Sea. It joined the medieval Hanseatic League in the 14th century that aimed to promote and protect trade between the towns of Northern Germany and adjacent countries.

In the 17th century, it was one of the few Polish cities to survive the Swedish invasion. After World War I, it was declared the Free City of Gdańsk/Danzig. The city was nearly levelled during the World War II and meticulously rebuilt for the next two decades. In 1970, a massive demonstration against the Communist regime originated in the Gdańsk Shipyard. 10 years later, another shipyard protest led to the creation of the Solidarity Labour Union. In 1990, former shipyard worker and Solidarity leader Lech Walesa was elected President of newly-Democratic Poland.

Whilst visiting Gdansk, it worth popping into the neighbouring Sopot and Gdynia as well (the three cities are called "the Triple City or TriCity").