Gdansk Waterfront – Granary Island, Ołowianka and the Long Embankment

The Gdansk waterfront packs its sights into a short stretch of the Motława: the Long Embankment (Długie Pobrzeże) with its water gates and the Crane, Ołowianka with the maritime museum’s granaries and the Sołdek ship, and Granary Island (Wyspa Spichrzów), which is buzzing with life again after decades in ruins. You can see it all on foot in a single afternoon, crossing from bank to bank by footbridge and ferry.

This guide takes you on a loop around the historic port. At the end we suggest how to combine your walk with a cruise and what to check before you set off.

Gdansk waterfront – sights and walking route at a glance

The most convenient starting point is the Green Bridge (Most Zielony), which offers a view across the old port. From there, walk north along the Motława and then come back along the opposite bank.

Stage	What to see	Tip
Green Bridge	panorama of the Long Embankment and Granary Island	a good spot for your first photo
Long Embankment	the water gates and the Crane	walk by the water and admire the façades from a distance
Fishermen’s Embankment and Fish Market	St John’s Gate and the Straganiarska Gate, the bend in the Motława	from here you can see the whole of Ołowianka
Ołowianka	Sołdek, Maritime Museum granaries, Philharmonic	cross by the drawbridge footbridge or by ferry
Granary Island	new quayside, rebuilt granaries, Stągwie Mleczne gate	return to the Long Embankment via the swing footbridge

The Long Embankment in Gdansk – water gates and the Crane

The Long Embankment is a promenade along the west bank of the Motława, formerly known as the Long Bridge (Długi Most). For centuries wooden piers for unloading ships stood here, and in the 17th century they were joined into one continuous quay. After the war the quayside was rebuilt, and today it’s one of the most popular places for a stroll in the city.

Along the way you’ll pass a series of water gates: the Renaissance Green Gate (Zielona Brama), the Gothic Bread Gate (Brama Chlebnicka) with the city’s coat of arms still without its crown, St Mary’s Gate (Brama Mariacka) with three coats of arms above the passage, and the Holy Spirit Gate (Brama św. Ducha), rebuilt in the 1990s. Beyond them stands the Crane (Żuraw) – a port crane built in 1444 which, according to the National Maritime Museum, is the largest and oldest surviving port crane in Europe. Inside, huge wooden treadwheels were turned by workers walking inside them to hoist cargo.

Two fun facts to start your walk

According to the guide published by Gdansk tourist information, before the Second World War the Green Bridge had a mechanism for raising its spans, and its name refers to the mosses and lichens that turned the stone green. The Green Gate, meanwhile, was built from small bricks that Dutch ships carried as ballast. The ships arrived in Gdansk loaded with bricks and left loaded with grain – so the bricks stayed behind.

Beyond the Crane begins the Fishermen’s Embankment (Rybackie Pobrzeże) with St John’s Gate (Brama Świętojańska) and the Straganiarska Gate, followed by the Fish Market (Targ Rybny) – a spot with a great view of the whole opposite bank.

Ołowianka in Gdansk – granaries, the Sołdek and the Philharmonic

Ołowianka became an island in 1576, after the Kanał na Stępce canal was dug. It owes its name to the warehouses for lead (ołów in Polish), which was shipped in by water. Today it’s one of the most interesting places on the Motława:

• Sołdek – a steamship launched at the Gdansk Shipyard in 1948, the first ocean-going ship built in post-war Poland. Since 1989 it has been moored at Ołowianka as a museum ship.
• The Ołowianka granaries – Panna, Miedź and Oliwski, rebuilt in 1985, house exhibitions of the National Maritime Museum. Flood-level marks from the 18th and 19th centuries have survived on the Panna granary.
• The Polish Baltic Philharmonic – housed in the converted buildings of the former municipal power station, built in 1896–1898.
• The Royal Granary (Spichlerz Królewski) – dating from the early 17th century, now a hotel.

You can reach Ołowianka by the drawbridge footbridge from the Fish Market side, opened in 2017. The footbridge is raised regularly to let vessels through, so you may sometimes have to wait a moment – which is an attraction in itself. The “Motława” ferry also runs between the banks.

Granary Island in Gdansk – from ruins to a new waterfront

Granary Island lies between the Motława and its man-made channel, the New Motława (Nowa Motława), dug in 1576. In the 16th century around 340 granaries stood here, and at night the island was locked up and dogs were let loose to protect the goods from thieves. In 1945 the buildings were almost completely destroyed, and for decades the northern part of the island remained in ruins.

Today the northern tip has been rebuilt, and a pedestrian quay runs along the water. It’s linked to the Long Embankment by a swing footbridge at the end of Świętego Ducha Street – it’s 57 m long and has been in operation since 2020, as reported by the City of Gdansk news portal (in Polish). At the eastern end of the island, don’t miss Stągwie Mleczne (the “Milk Churns”) – a gate dating from 1517–1519 next to the Stągiewna Bridge (Most Stągiewny), which since 2022 has once again been a drawbridge.

Tips for your waterfront walk

• Wear comfortable shoes – there are cobbles and uneven surfaces along the way.
• On drawbridges and swing footbridges, follow the signals and don’t step onto the span while it’s opening.
• Drinking alcohol on quaysides and riverside promenades is generally prohibited in Poland – for a toast, choose a bar or restaurant, or the deck of a boat.
• During St Dominic’s Fair (Jarmark św. Dominika) at the turn of July and August, and during the Baltic Sail tall ships rally, the quaysides get exceptionally crowded.

The Gdansk waterfront from the deck – a walk and a cruise in one day

A walk shows you the details; a cruise shows you the whole panorama at once. The order that works best: first a walk along the quaysides during the day, then a cruise at sunset or in the evening, when the façades light up above the water. We describe exactly what you can see from the water, depending on the route, in our post Gdansk river cruise on the Motława – what you’ll see from the deck.

At a private boat party in Gdansk with BoatParty, the boat is just for your group for 2 hours. The departure time, boarding point and route are agreed when you book, and package prices for groups of 30 or more start from €20 per person. Before you go, check what to bring on a boat party – and our boat party checklist will make the whole planning process easier.

FAQ – the Gdansk waterfront

What are the main sights on the Gdansk waterfront?

A short stretch of the Motława is home to the Long Embankment with its water gates and the Crane, Ołowianka with the National Maritime Museum granaries, the Sołdek ship and the Baltic Philharmonic, and Granary Island with its new quayside and the Stągwie Mleczne gate.

How do you get to Ołowianka?

The easiest way is the drawbridge footbridge from the Fish Market (Targ Rybny) side. The “Motława” ferry also runs between the banks, and from the east two bridges over the Kanał na Stępce canal lead onto the island – from Szafarnia and Na Stępce streets.

Can you drink alcohol on the Motława quaysides?

Drinking alcohol in public places, including quaysides and riverside promenades, is generally prohibited in Poland. For a toast, choose a bar or restaurant with outdoor seating, or the deck of a boat.

Does a BoatParty cruise pass Granary Island and Ołowianka?

The route is agreed individually when you book. In the historic centre of Gdansk, both Granary Island and Ołowianka may be visible from the water – it depends on the cruise option you choose.

The Motława quaysides – summary

The Gdansk waterfront is best discovered twice: once on foot, up close, and once from the deck, from a distance that shows you the whole picture. Plan a walk along the Long Embankment, Ołowianka and Granary Island, then set sail with us on the Motława in the evening – we’ll prepare an initial offer for your group.