Poland > The old center of Gdansk

We get up early. The entire guesthouse is still asleep. Today, too, we have a long travel day ahead. We’ve chosen to cover a lot of kilometers in the first two days—we’re heading for the North Cape, after all, not Germany.

Poland - The Dutch Quarter in Potsdam consists of 134 houses built in Dutch style

As we carry our bags downstairs, we’re relieved to find someone in the kitchen. We can pay her there. This girl doesn’t speak a word of English either, but with a bit of German and gestures, we manage. Because it rained last night, we didn’t visit the Dutch Quarter (Holländische Viertel) yesterday. We drive there with the car. It’s not easy—one main road is closed. When we try to go left, the navigation keeps sending us back to the blocked street. Nothing is progressing. Only when we drive the other way does it quickly find a new route. The Dutch Quarter consists of 134 red-brick houses. It is the largest collection of houses built in Dutch style outside of the Netherlands. After this visit, we leave Potsdam and return to the highway, passing south of Berlin and continuing eastward.

Poland - The center of the old Hanseatic city of Gdansk

Just before the border, we stop to refuel. The cafeteria doesn’t look appealing for breakfast, so we select a bakery from the list on our navigation system. This brings us to the town of Müllrose. We order two sandwiches and coffee in the small shop. Meanwhile, our car attracts some attention in the town square. Just outside Müllrose, we cross the Polish border. The customs officers are standing by the roadside but mostly talking among themselves. Every car is allowed to pass. We drive into Poland, heading toward Warsaw. Soon we approach the first toll booth of our trip. After about two hours, we turn off toward Bydgoszcz. It’s around noon. We take a side road and park by a small lake. We make a sandwich and try to brew coffee, but that doesn’t work. The car’s inverter can’t handle the coffee maker’s power. Strange, since it worked last year—perhaps the battery has deteriorated. We eat the sandwich with a cola. The weather is pleasant today. It’s cloudy, but the sun occasionally breaks through. We sit comfortably in the sunshine. The route northward no longer runs on highways. The two-lane road winds through the rolling Polish landscape, sometimes between trees but mostly across open fields. In villages, the speed limit drops to 50 kilometers per hour. Eventually, we reach the A1 toll road to Gdansk. Around 5:30 p.m., we enter the old city. Our hotel is right in the historic center. Getting there is not easy; several times we’re directed into pedestrian areas. At the hotel, payment is required, but we don’t yet have Polish zlotys. We search for an ATM. The first one doesn’t work with our card.

Poland - The Long Market Dlugi Targ is the central square of Gdansk

Neither does the second. Luckily, the third dispenses Polish currency. We park the car in front of the hotel. It’s paid parking, but on Sundays, no payment is required. From the hotel, we walk into the old town. Gdansk is an old Hanseatic city. Several Dutch helped reclaim land and build the city, which is reflected in the architecture. Many houses have stepped or bell-shaped gables. Painted in pastel colors, the houses give the city a fairy-tale-like quality. The streets in the pedestrian area are filled with terraces. Many tourists stroll the streets, and a lively atmosphere prevails. We settle on a terrace by the Motlawa River. Just in front of us, a replica of a VOC-era ship sets off on a tour with tourists. The terrace is very pleasant, and we decide to have dinner there as well. After eating, we continue exploring the streets. As dusk falls, we finish the evening with a beer at the central Dlugi Targ (Long Market) square.