Polands hidden pearl: From seaside to history

Just drive off, right into the somewhere. Just not to the German Baltic Sea, which is as full as a soccer stadium on the German coast. We get into the car and set course north. We want to go to Poland, a country we last visited many years ago. What adventures are waiting there? Today we sail to the famous "Westerplatte", the place where WW2 starts. 

You can read the first part here, second here, 3 here

In the morning, the city is still quiet, even this one. Gdansk, Poland's pearl on the Baltic Sea, lies in the sunshine and promises a wonderful day with a gentle breeze. We spent it yesterday in the towns around and in the beautiful old town of Gdansk. Now today we are going out to sea to sail where natural beauty, great moments of history and the memory of terrible events far in the past pass by like a movie.

Onboard at the "Black Pearl"

We sign on aboard the "Black Pearl", a beautiful soul seller from the fleet of the Pirate Cruise shipping company. The ship is black, it carries dark sails and golden ornaments, a real caravel from the Hanseatic era, but of course on the most modern state. This ship is not laboriously sailed or cruised against the wind in the bay, but is driven by a diesel engine.

Out on the river, into the fun. To the left and right, Gdansk passes by, highly polished and full of construction sites, a panorama of modernity and history. They have turned an old harbor area into the new home of the world-famous symphonic orchestra, and next to it is a carnival with a Ferris wheel, including a bridge for pedestrians that turns twice an hour from the middle of the river to the banks as if by magic. Our boat is heading for the Westerplatte, we start from the Green Gate, from the water we have again a wonderful view of the sights of the city, the churches, gates and towers.

Everything is so new

Everything is new and fancy and far from finished. Behind a lift bridge that just points steeply into the air, the area of Gdansk's ongoing development into a real metropolis begins. High-rise buildings and expensive apartments grow out of the ground here, where fish used to be landed or ships repaired and built.

Almost invisible is the place where the path of the new, no longer communist Poland began: an inconspicuous factory hall on the left was the birthplace 40 years ago of the anti-communist workers' movement Solidarnosz, which was founded here by striking shipyard workers and gradually spread so widely that the communist leaders eventually lost all their power.

From bankruptcy to rise

By the time Solidarnosc formed, the Polish people had already turned their backs on their dictators: Two years earlier, a Pole had been elected pope; moreover, Poland was bankrupt and the breeding ground for revolution was in place. Under the leadership of Lech Walesa, who was still working as an electrician at the time, 17,000 Gdansk citizens joined the strike. A shock that reached the entire system of the Soviet empire, causing everything to collapse.

Today, the view of Gdansk from the water shows that the decision was spot on. Everything is booming here, the transport of goods, the construction industry, tourism. We turn with the "Black Pearl" from the river Mottlau onto the Vistula and set course for the peninsula Westerplatte, another place with a lot of nature and even more history. 

Where the gunfire starts

The place gained world fame, because on August 25, 1939 the "Schleswig-Holstein", a battle cruiser, docked here and a few days later, on September 1, from this ship the gunfire on Poland was opened and the Second World War began. Incredibly how the scenery changed: everything here is beautiful and green, you can walk along the sea, between well-kept grounds and a view of the Hel Peninsula to the north.

Poland is proud of this place, because here very few Polish defenders put up fierce resistance to the Germans after the "Schleswig-Holstein", officially visiting, started shelling the Polish ammunition depot on Westerplatte without warning at 4:45 a.m. on 01.09.1939. Subsequently, infantry units tried in vain to capture the ammunition depot. Without success. The Polish defenders surrendered to the German superiority only after seven days - 3,400 attackers were opposed by only 218 defenders, but they fought with lion's courage.

Ruins with lionhearts

In 1966 the Westerplatte Monument was unveiled. It is impressible 23 meters high, made of 236 granite blocks and has a total weight of 1150 tons. The giant stone stands on the bank of the harbor channel in the middle of an artificial hill, so that it can be seen from far away. The remains of the former fortifications are scattered everywhere.

The most impressive being the remains of the barracks of the Polish army, which was really shot into ruins. Only wallskeletons remain, steel reinforcements and broken concrete walls. Many Polish visitors pause here to remember the brave men who fell here to stop the German invaders.

Polish country songs

"Never again war," reads a large plaque at the edge of a meadow, bridging the gap from the past to the present. Our "Pirate Cruise" ship now sails back to Gdansk with his diesel engine, twice an hour one of the ships are on this tour. A polish country singer with his guitar sings along the ride back on board, we are watching all the huge ships in the harbor, the fishermen and the kids on the shore who are give us a wave. Great day, great views, great experienceses.

Tomorrow we will continue to the Kuhrische Nehrung, the Vistula Lagoon as seen from here. There we will run almost to Russia. Really!

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