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Gdansk
Gdansk (Sopot and Gdynia) set up next to each other, are situated on the Polish Baltic Sea coast and are commonly called the Tri-City. Altrough their origins are separated in time by a period of ten centuries, at present they are tied to each other for ever. Gdansk used to be a jewel of the Hanseatic League. Conveniently situated at the mouth of the river Wisla, on the main trade route, the town of Gdansk grew to be one of the biggest and rubest Baltic ports in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Old City with big buildings and burgher houses built in the style of the north European Renaissance by master - builders from Flanders and the Netherlands is decorated with characteristic antethresholds. The streets do not coverge in the market place, but run down towards the River Motlawa and the old Gdansk harbour together with Dlugi Targ (Long Market), which plays the role of the city's main market. Some Dutch towns, e.g. Amsterdam have similar urban layouts.
Among many historical monuments a special mention is due to the gigantic Gothic St. Mary's Church (Poland's biggest) erected in 1343-1502, the Town Hall, the late gothic Artus Court which used to be the seat of the merchants' guild, and one of the city's symbols - an anacent crane in the form of a Gothic twin tower gate. The town possesses a number of interesting monuments from other periods too. They include the gothic cathedral in Oliwa (a former Cisterian Abbey) with an amaizing Rococo organ. The city has not always been Polish: it changed hands between the Poles and Germans six times, and for three periods it maintained an independent status.
The Second World War destroyed 90% of Gdansk town centre, and extensive restorations were undertaken immediately after the war. Worth seeing is a memorial to the shipyard workers killed in the 1970 riots, a symbol of the fight for freedom. Nearby, in the Gdansk Shipyard area, the workers' protest movement Solidarity began. With their protest, the Tri-city workers triggered the social and political changes, brought about freedom and democracy to Poland and Central Europe.
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