Walk in Gdańsk: Main Town
The Green Gate, Gdańsk - Zielona Brama /Fot. Shutterstock
The Green Gate. The gate which we admire today, was built between 1568-1571. It was constructed in the place of the Kogi Gate which had been demolished a few years earlier, and had been the oldest of Gdańsk's water gates, dating from 1357. The creators of the present gate were: Regnier of Amsterdam and Hans Kramer. Its Mannerist style is still impressive. The gate, as well as the broad tenement house, simply a palace, was built to host the Polish kings visiting the city. Here the so-called Royal Route began, running down ul. Długa and the Long Market to the Golden (Złota) and Wyżynna Gates. Interestingly, the Green Gate was not ever visited by any of the Polish monarchs. The only royal visitor was in 1646 by the future wife of Władysław IV, and later Jan Kazimierz, Maria Ludwika Gonzaga. For a short time the Society of Natural History was based at the gate. Today the National Museum organizes exhibitions, various meetings, conferences and shows here. In one of the Green Gate's rooms is the office of the former President, Lech Walesa.