I spent last week in Gdansk, Poland. There are some incredibly beautiful parts of Gdansk; it has a gorgeous old-town (rebuilt/restored post-war like so many European cities… not SO old) and a beautiful riverside.

What probably interested me most though, was its history, and gritty, industrial side. Both the WWII museum and Solidarity Centre are really excellent resources, I can’t recommend them enough if you’re in town.

The Solidarity Centre is (as you’d expect if you’re aware of the history) on the site of the former shipyards and there’s still a lot of industrial stuff going on down there, so it was a fascinating place to be.

With that in mind, even though I did get pictures of the ‘prettier’ stuff, I really wanted to focus on the stark, heavy, grittier elements of Gdansk. There are more (which may come in a follow-up later), but for now, here are some of my favourites.

In particular, I love the little flower shop, the lone chair and the abandoned kids’ park. Let me know what you think.

Bridge-and-chimneyFlower-ShopGdansk-ChairIndustrial-GdanskLOT-Polish-AirlinesOil-watermarkedOvergrown-Park