Walk in Gdańsk: Main Town

The Main Town is one of three old districts of Gdansk, close to the Old Town and the Old Suburb. The most precious monuments of the Main Town are situated along the Royal Way which is Dluga Street and Dlugi Targ.

Złota Brama, Gdańsk / Fot. Shutterstock

The Golden Gate was built in the years 1612-1614, on the site of the fourteenth-century Gothic Długouliczna Gate, and was designed by Abraham van den Blocke. Its sophisticated Renaissance style stone sculptures express the 1648 parapets, made by Piotr Ringering. There is a set of eight sculptures, four on each side, which is an allegorical representation of civic virtues and symbolizes the aspirations of the townspeople: Pax ('Peace'), Libertas ('Freedom'), Fortuna ('Happiness'), Fama ('Fame'), Concordia ('Consent'), Iustitia ('Justice'), Pietas ('Piety') and Prudentia ('Consideration'). On the front wall a German quotation from Psalm 122 has been placed, stating: Let peace take those you love. May peace be within thy walls, and the security of your palaces! The Latin inscription on the ul. Długa side says, the consent of a small republic grows - disagreement leads to a great fall. Adjacent to the Golden Gate is the Fraternity Brotherhood of St George's Manor, built between 1487-1494 in a late Gothic style.