Cruise Port Of Call Gdańsk, Poland

Gdańsk (Eng. spelling Gdansk) is located on the coast of the
Baltic Sea and is noted for beautiful beaches and waterfront
activities along with Old Town Gdańsk featuring stunning Gothic
and Renaissance buildings, including the famous St. Mary’s Church and
the medieval Gdańsk Crane.

Gdańsk/Gdynia are also famous as the place where the revolt
started that brought down the Soviet Union. It started as a workers
strike in the shipyard and spread throughout Poland.

Where Your Ship Docks

While Gdańsk has ocean access most cruise ships will tie up at the deep water facilities in Gdynia about 20 miles from Old Town Gdańsk. Don,t expect public facilities at most piers and walking out can be a challenge.
Wheelchair Accessibility – This port has a dedicated cruise ship pier but the ease of disembarking varies by the individual ships gangway designs. Most piers disembark near town but that is some distance from Gdańsk. For passengers using wheelchairs there can be a moderate ramp incline to deal with..


Transportation


The cheapest way to get from Gdynia to Gdańsk costs only US$2.00, and the quickest way takes just 27 minutes with the train from Gdynia to Gdansk. Rideshare with Uber is available from Gdynia to Gdańsk for as little as US$12 and should take about 26 minutes depending on traffic. A taxi will cost about US$30.


Currency


The local currency is the Polish Zloty (PLN) with 0.26 Zloty equal to 1 US Dollar (1 PLN = 0.26 US$). Credit cards are welcome and ATMs are available.


Tipping


Tipping in Poland is simple. Do it for good service and no more than 10%.


Attractions


The heart of the city is the Motlawa River waterfront. This picturesque waterfront along the Motlawa River is perfect for a stroll, renting a small boat and offering stunning views of the famous Gdańsk Crane and visiting inviting cafes.

The Gdańsk Crane is a medieval port crane in Gdańsk, Poland, built in the late 14th century. It’s one of the biggest wooden structures of its kind in Europe and played a crucial role in the city’s shipping industry.

The Gdansk Crane down the river on the left

The European Solidarity Centre – A museum dedicated to the history of Solidarity and the fight for freedom in Poland, providing insights into the country’s socio-political changes.


St. Mary’s Church in Gdańsk is one of the largest brick churches in the world, known for its impressive Gothic architecture and intricate design.
Amber – Gdańsk deserves the title of the World Capital of Amber. Jewellery of amber have been produced here for centuries. Visit the Museum of Amber displaying natural lumps of the resin and its inclusions, as well as finished products,

Amber – Gdańsk deserves the title of the World Capital of Amber. Jewellery of amber have been produced here for centuries. Visit the Museum of Amber displaying natural lumps of the resin and its inclusions, as well as finished products,

Baltic Amber


Old Town Gdańsk is famous for its stunning architecture, historic character and amazing atmosphere that includes the iconic Main Town Hall Square and St. Mary’s Church. It all provides a beautiful glimpse into the city’s history, but understand much of it is not what it seems.

Gdańsk suffered almost total destruction during the war from both sides, especially in the spring of 1945 when it became a last-ditch German stronghold against the Red Army’s advance on Berlin. Gdańsk had become a military stronghold after being remade into a German vision of what the city should look like featuring iconic German architecture.

The Water Gate 1945

The siege of Gdańsk and Danzig was launched by the Red Army against Nazi Germany’s occupied Poland in March 1945. Gdańsk was left in complete ruin due to the bombardments, street fighting, and resulting fires, with most of the city’s landmarks completely destroyed.

Prayers & Help For The Blue Ridge

My Father was born and raised in the mountains of western North Carolina. Our family has lived in those mountains since the beginning of the eighteenth century when they started farming a piece of land along Broad River beneath Chimney Rock. Over seven generations we spread out through the Blue Ridge Mountains and by 1928 the original family homestead was covered by the waters of Lake Lure created by a new dam. Most residents of the area identified as Scotts-Irish with some English and more than a few Cherokee Indians. I know that Scotts-Irish seems a contradiction and while many Scotts kept their traditions and tartans they all thought of ourselves as a community..

As a kid I spent a lot of summers there and one of my favorite places was the tiny town of Chimney Rock We hiked the trails around the rock, visited rainbow falls, fished the lake and square danced in the main street of the town on Saturday evenings.

The town of Chimney Rock and more than a few others are all gone from the flooding from Helene. The remains of Chimney Rock can be seen in Lake Lure. The dead number in the hundreds and while you can pray for the it’s the survivers that desperately need your help…

Looking up the main street of the small tourist town of Chimney Rock
The small town of Chimney Rock
The Samaritan’s Purse

The Cajan Navy

Cajun Navy Relief

A Great Georgia Wine Drive

Looking for an opportunity to see some great scenery and sample some really good American wines? Try a few days driving in the north Georgia mountains, hiking and visiting wineries. Georgia wines were a real pleasant surprise. In general, their quality is very good and the wineries are fun to visit. Before you go it’s a good idea to check in with the wineries first, as many have seasonal reduced hours so be sure and update days and hours before you head out and also ask about pricing, as each winery has a different charge for sampling. Today most have websites you can check for information.

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Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville

If you’re new to driving around Georgia or you’re flying into Atlanta we have suggestions on a good way to get started.

Amicalola Falls

Head north out of Atlanta on I-75 and for a great first stop check out the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville, Georgia. The gardens are beautiful and diverse featuring over 1,200 different plants including 80 varieties of magnolias, oaks and maples. There are some nice lily ponds and a mountain stream flowing through the plantings. The gardens are also home to an impressive concert series in the summer.

Sunset Amicalola Falls Lodge

A couple of hours north from the gardens is  Amicalola Falls Lodge inside the state park. The lodge is great, with modern, well furnished rooms. It sits atop the tallest cascading waterfall in the Southeastern U.S. (729 feet). The falls are paralleled by a staircase with 604 steps and the park is also crossed by The Appalachian Trail. Spend an evening sitting out on the deck of the lodge watching a mountain sunset. The Lodge also features a nice restaurant with reasonable prices.

Wolf Mountain Vineyards
Dahlonega, Georgia

WNearby is The Cottage Winery in Cleveland, and Cavendar Creek Vineyards, Montaluce Winery and Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery near Dahlonega, Georgia. Dahlonega is a quant mountain town that also offers tasting rooms for many of the region’s wineries – sort of one stop shopping and tasting.

Tubing thru Helen

From Dahlonega check out the Alpine town of Helen. The town has been a tourist destination for years. There you’ll find the Habersham Winery with a nice tasting presentation and gift shop. Years ago to save the town, Helen rebuilt itself as an Alpine village featuring Bavarian food and gifts and offers a number of interesting restaurants and accommodations. The town is also popular for the tubing stream that flows through it. Be sure to look into The Old Bavaria Inn, an old-world tavern specializing in imported beers and classic German fare.

Helen, Georgia
Helen, Georgia

Not far from Helen is Brasstown Bald, the highest peak in Georgia at 4,784 feet above sea level operated by the National Park Service. Not far from Brasstown Bald is the town of Hiawassee on Lake Chatuge. From there you’re near Crane Creek Vineyards in Young Harris. Friday happy hour may require reservations as it is a very popular evening event in the area.

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Crane Creek Vineyards

For area accommodations there’s the Chatuge Lodge within walking distance of the Fred Hamilton Gardens and the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds. The Fairgrounds opened in 1978, and are home to several popular events throughout the year including the Georgia Mountain Fair, Georgia Mountain Moonshine Cruizin, Georgia Mountain Fall Festival, Superstar concerts, and Georgia’s Official State Fiddlers’ Convention. Any of those events have impact on room availability and rates so, if you’re planning on going, check dates and make plans well in advance. In the same area are also Odom Springs and Paradise Hills Wineries.

Red Barn Café

Down the highway forty miles is Tiger Mountain Vineyards & Winery famous for their wine and restaurant, the Red Barn Café. It was selected as a top-ten winery restaurant by USA Today. Their Petit Manseng won a gold medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition some years back. They also offer a highly recommend Sunday Brunch.

For an off-beat tourist stop there’s “Goats on the Roof” in Tiger, a throwback tourist stop featuring gifts, food, ice cream and yes – goats on the roof. Nearby is also Tallulah Gorge for some serious hiking. This is a beautiful and rugged area and was the setting of the Burt Reynolds movie Deliverance as well as Disney’s The Great Train Chase.

Tallulah Gorge

Tallulah has an interesting visitors’ center and a number of trails with steps that go to Tempeste and Hurricane Falls and then further down into the gorge. To go beyond the main trail into the creek to slide on the rocks, you need a permit. You can get them at the visitors center but only a small number are issued each morning so you need to be there when the park opens.

Another nearby stop is the Mark of the Potter in Clarkesville, an interesting store featuring local pottery and crafts.

Still, the main attraction in north Georgia is the wine. Growing in popularity and quality it offers a number of great wines that can hold their own aainst any other region. Following is a partial listing of North Georgia wineries:

Find More on Georgia Wineries Here

Surfs Up In Rotterdam

On a recent morning in Rotterdam we set out walking with our first destination being the city market*. Only two blocks from the market we stumbled across people actually surfing in the middle of the city.

Welcome to Urban Surf Rotterdam – RiF010 is the worlds firsts surf pool in the middle of a city! Here people come to surf or bodyboard on perfect created waves. From a location in the heart of Rotterdam, you can also paddleboard and canoe. From what we saw it’s a big hit

*We were surprised at Rotterdam’s market (MARKT HALL), because it wasn’t a typical European central market but primarily a collection of places to eat, most with just counter service. The assortment ran a wide range of ethnic foods

Discovering Kruger National Park, South Africa

Visiting Kruger: The Ultimate Safari Experience For The Trip Of A Lifetime Rated as one of the world’s greatest wildlife experiences and reported to be the number one African safari destination, Kruger National Park is not to be overlooked when considering your travel plans. Larger than many countries and containing mostly undeveloped land, Kruger is…

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Todays Images • Mykonos

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Todays Image • A Little Necessity

While spending a day in Warnemünde, Germany we kept finding these portable WCs around the town. Our first reaction was these were new permanent additions added to fix a shortcoming in this beach resort town. After a while we found a large lot where carnival rides were being taken down and realized that Warnemünde must have just finished up with a festival and these were a temporary need.

French EUROmodul public restrooms in Copenhagen

There is however a French company that is having some success with free standing WCs in a number of cities. Actually we think that’s a great idea considering how often we’ve gone searching for a WC in strange cities.

Read more on this urgent concern HERE.

From our blog

Todays Image – The Stellenbosch Mandela

Stellenbosch is the heart of South Africa’s acclaimed wine region and in this South African college town is a unique memorial to the country’s most highly regarded leader. It’s a intriguing design by local artist Strijdom van der Merwe, which sits in front of the Town Hall on Plein Street. Unveiled in October 2013, the Mandela Memorial Square exhibits a laser-cut steel silhouette of Mandela’s face, which appears on two sides of a concrete block clad in white marble. The remarkable thing about this sculpture is many visitors cannot see the face of Mandela but only abstract patterns. In every case, if they take a photo with their cellphone and look at the picture Mandela’s portrait is obvious.

If you visit South Africa don’t miss an opportunity to visit Stellenbosch and try South Africa’s great wines. Only 40 miles north of Cape Town with over a dozen great vineyards to visit and a number of tours to take.

Where In The World #4?

What country claims this baked treat as its own? This is a traditional European pastry made from sweet yeast dough. This unique treat is crafted by wrapping strips of the dough around a conical baking tube, which is then grilled usual over coals till it achieves a golden brown color and crispy exterior. Answer •…

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Civil Unrest, War, Natural Disasters and International Travel

We’re asking for your opinion… I think Clint Eastwood said it best; “If you’re looking for a guarantee in life, buy a toaster.” We have, over the years, visited over one hundred countries and on a few occasions we’ve found ourselves in some touchy situations, but we have always been cautious in selecting when and…

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Looking for Travel Inspiration?

This Intentional Traveler features thousands of pages of information on destinations, great maps, amazing images, detailed travel help and just a few stories for the fun of it. Chance are we’ve got what you’ve been looking for, so take a moment and explore this incredible world with The Intentional Travelers. CLICK FOR GREAT TRAVEL IDEAS!…

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