Cycling to freedom – a cycling tour with history in the background. . .

The trip is worth starting with the entrance to the footbridge over Jana z Kolna Street, from which we can observe the extensive industrial landscape, which is a prelude to the route that awaits us. It is worth mentioning that it is the same footbridge that was immortalized in the final scene of one of the most important films of Polish cinema, “The Man from Iron”, directed by Andrzej Wajda.

On the left, just down the street, you will see a preserved fragment of the brick wall of the former entertainment hall and a monument commemorating the victims of the tragic fire of 1994 during a rock concert.

Cycling among artists and shipbuilders

Entering the Gdansk Shipyard you will experience a unique journey through the history of this place. This iconic space will open the door to a fascinating world of legendary shipyard cranes, workshops and still operating docks.

During the tour it is worth paying attention to the names of the streets you will walk through: Carpenters, Toolmakers, Electricians – these are

important elements of the heritage of the Gdansk Shipyard, which evoke the spirit of bygone times.

Be sure to check out 100cznia, which will awaken in you the industrial character of the place. In the former halls there are spaces for artists and concerts, while in the complex consisting of cargo containers there are bars with street food.

Coming down the Narzedziowcow Street for crossing with Elektrykow Street will reach the former warehouse, where the popular music club B90 operates. Its name refers to the historical number of the building. This is one of the most iconic concert stage in Northern Poland!

The next street we will visit will Narzedziowcow Street, the heart of the XIXth century Imperial Shipyard and the legendary Gdansk Shipyard. Take a look at the industrial buildings from the IXth and XVth centuries: production halls, workshops and warehouses. These are former jobs of the people who created the history of August ’80 and Solidarity. At the same time, take a look at the “Szatniowiec” and see a collection of antiques and everyday objects from the times of the Polish People’s Republic.

In the former forge you will find a truly unique one – a powerful forging press from the end of the IXth century. This is the oldest preserved device in the yard. Not far away is the M3 Crane, which functions today as a viewing point, it is worth climbing it and looking at the panorama of the shipyard and the port part of Gdansk from a height of over 30 m. For sure You haven’t experienced such view yet.

In the former forge you will find a truly unique one – a powerful forging press from the end of the IXth century. This is the oldest preserved device in the yard. Not far away is the M3 Crane, which functions today as a viewing point, it is worth climbing it and looking at the panorama of the shipyard and the port part of Gdansk from a height of over 30 m. For sure You haven’t experienced such view yet.

Road to Freedom by bike

Ahead of you is the most important point of the trip – the European Solidarity Centre. The rusty structure of the building refers to the ships being built in the yard and the industrial character. Here you will see the legendary plaques with 21 demands of August ’80, learn how communism fell in Poland and Eastern Europe, who initiated it and where the most important events took place, enter the famous Health and Safety Hall, where the August agreements were signed and you will stand under the Monument of the Fallen Shipyard workers 1970 and Gate No. 2.

From here we head to Motlawa, where a new district is being built on the grounds of the former ship repair workshops. You know there were shipyards here in the Middle Ages? In 1470 the Gdansk ship Peter von Danzig underwent renovation, thanks to which the city acquired the famous triptych “The Last Judgment” by Hans Memling. Only the name of Stara Stocznia Street bears witness to the former character of this place. The Museum of the Second World War stands out among the new buildings being built here.

Motlawa opens to bicycles and pedestrians

You can get to the other side of the river by a drawbridge. On the Olowianka Island be sure to take a commemorative photo with the inscription GDANSK, you can easily find it on the square next to the Philharmonic. There is also a great place for a longer stopover with a view of Motlawa tenement houses.

By the way, pay attention to the destroyed old granaries at the Stepka Canal. These are the remains of World War II, which are still waiting to be rebuilt. This part of Gdansk is just beginning its second life. New housing estates are being built and an attractive promenade leads along Motlawa River towards its mouth to the Martwa Vistula River. The tour ends at the Polish Hook, the place whose name has been in existence since the beginning of the XVIIth century.

The proposed bike ride is worth combining with a cruise around Motlawa and Martwa Vistula.

See places you can’t reach by bike and take a look at work in the Harbor and shipyards from a river perspective.

Interesting places on the tour route

• A memorial plaque and a fragment of the wall of the former Shipyard Hall – this was the site of the concert hall, where on 24 November a tragic fire occurred during a rock concert. Seven people died and more than 300 were burned. The hall burned down completely. On a fragment of the wall there is a memorial plaque and the inscription “Life though beautiful is so fragile. . . understood by the one who rubbed against death”. This is an excerpt from the lyrics of a song by Golden Life, who were playing in the concert hall at the time.
• The hall for the prefabrication of hull sections – the hall with the famous inscription Gdansk Shipyard was built at the turn of the 1930s and 1940s. XVth century for military production of the Third Reich. After World War II it was the largest and most modern hall of the Gdansk Shipyard.
• 100cznia – a complex of former workshops and production halls (including carpentry, wood drying, plumbing department), in which functions a cultural and entertainment space popular among the inhabitants of Tricity. The interiors are also used by artists and are a kind of art gallery.
• The former workshop of Lech Wałęsa – located in the workshop hall of electric trolleys right next to 100cznia.
• NOMUS a New Art Museum – a museum of contemporary art located in the building of the former shipyard vocational school. It is also a place for discussion and learning about art and its free interpretation.
• Elektrykow– the former buildings of the electrical department house the B90 concert club and creative space for artistic events. It is one of the trendiest places to spend free time in the Tri-City.
• Narzedziowcow – the heart of the former Imperial Shipyard and its main communication route. Here are the historic buildings of the tool shop, the hardening shop, the mechanical processing hall, the boiler room and the locksmith shop. Anna Walentynowicz had her place of work in the last building.
• M3 Carne – the only shipyard crane available for sightseeing. It is a lookout point, which is located at an altitude of 30 m.
• Forge Hall – the building dates back to the 80s. XIXth century and housed a forge and a locksmith workshop. Inside you can see a powerful forging press from the late XIXth century.

• Imperial Marina – a small marina combined with a relaxation zone and a barman’s bar with home-made food
• Sculptures coming out of the sea (Rozbitkowie & Pakerzy) is an artistic composition made by the sculptor Czeslaw Podlesny. It is located on the former ramp of the Hull Department. The exhibition shows robots coming out of the water and moving towards the city. The sculptures are made of old machinery, car parts or electrical installations.
• Milky Piotr – former warehouse of the Imperial Shipyard, which houses art studios.
• Building of the Shipyard Management – a magnificent neo-Gothic building from the 70s XX. From the very beginning it was the headquarters of the management and administration, initially the Imperial Shipyard and then the Gdansk Shipyard. Now, after the revitalization, the building again houses offices.
• BHP Hall – the place where the historical August Agreements were signed in 1980 and the Inter-Company Strike Committee were held. Originally, during the operation of the Imperial Shipyard, the building was a torpedo warehouse.
• The European Solidarity Centre is a cultural institution whose mission is to preserve in memory the ideas and achievements of Solidarity and the peaceful revolution that contributed to the fall of communism. It is a place open for meetings, conferences and debates. An important element of the functioning of the ECS is museum activity. There are modernly arranged exhibitions presenting the heritage of Solidarity. The most valuable exhibits are the original boards with 21 demands of the Inter-Company Strike Committee. In 2003, the plaques were inscribed on the UNESCO International Memory of the World List as one of the most important documents of the XXth century.
• Solidarity Square – located in front of the European Solidarity Centre. The central part of the square is dominated by the more than 40 m tall Monument of the Fallen Shipyard workers. It was built in 1980 and commemorates shipbuilders killed by the communist regime in December 1970. Next to the square is the famous Gate No. 2, from which Lech Walesa announced the end of the strike and the signing of the August Agreements in August 1980. It is also the site where, in December 1970, shots were fired at workers, killing 2 people and wounding 11 others.
• St. Jackob Church – a Gothic temple from the XVth century. The monument is located on the cultural route Pomorskie Way of St. James.
• The Museum of World War II is one of the most modern museums in Europe and one of the largest exhibitions in the world dedicated to the Second World War. It commemorates the victims and heroes of those times and also shows the stories of ordinary people and everyday life at that time.
• The drawbridge on Motlawa River – connects the quay at Wartka Street with the Olowianka Island. In the immediate vicinity there are numerous monuments and attractive space to relax.
• Polish Hook – a small peninsula located at the mouth of Motlawa River and the Martwa Vistula. In the IXth century, the Klawitter Shipyard was located here. At present, the quay has been pre-developed and a promenade has been created.

Also check out these other hikes or trails in this area:

• Along the shore of the Gulf of Gdansk
• Spa City Break

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