Do it in the Tri-City! Alternative guide - part two
Lower Town of Gdańsk / Fot. Agencja Gazeta
Gdańsk, Dolne Miasto
Warsaw has its Praga district, Łódź - Bałuty, and Gdańsk has Dolne Miasto (Lower Town). This historic district, today seriously neglected, situated between the Motława circumfluence and the New Motława, lies just a few minutes' walk away from the Main Town. For years, it has been thought of as a place where it is better not to show your face not only after dark, and, while Warsaw's Praga has already been colonised by trendy bars, artists and representatives of the liberal professions, Dolne Miasto is still awaiting such a makeover.
The district acquired its present shape at the end of the 19th century, with its architecture dominated by attractive houses, sadly unrenovated for a long time, as well as industrial facilities. The most interesting buildings can be found in Łąkowa St., the main artery in Lower Town. The most impressive are the former seats of the Royal Gymnasium and the infantry barracks, which, now thoroughly refurbished, serve as the premises of the Music Academy (with a restaurant and a hotel as part of the complex). It is also worth visiting the seriously run-down Royal Rifle Factory and the neo-Gothic church of the Immaculate Conception (formerly the chapel of the nearby hospital complex). At the end of Łąkowa St. you will find a disused tram depot and at the junction with Ułańska St. - a cult restaurant Kameralna, all in purple, crystal and gold.
Dolne Miasto is also home to the Łaźnia Centre of Contemporary Art, located in an early 20th century bath complex. The centre's major project is the City of Gdańsk Outdoor Gallery, a series of artistic works from all over the world, presented in public space, as part of the plans for the revitalisation of this dilapidated district. So far, works have been displayed in two places: under a bridge in Śluza St. and in the vicinity of the subway in the junction of Łąkowa and Ułańska streets. The exhibits in the first place include an impressive installation Invisible Gate by the New York Front Studio (the entire tunnel underpass in Śluza St. being coated in reflector tinplate) and LKW Gallery (i.e. a massive TIR lorry 'stuck' under the bridge, in whose container art workshops are held). The subway presents a project Staging Anonymous by Dominik Lejman and a work Untitled by Esther Stocker from Austria.