Long Market and Neptune Fountain

Long Market (Długi Targ) is the ceremonial heart of the Main Town in Gdańsk, in the Pomeranian region of northern Poland. Together with Długa Street it forms the Royal Route, the road along which Polish kings once processed through the city. It runs from the Golden Gate in the west to the Green Gate on the Motława river in the east, and the whole ensemble was rebuilt after the heavy destruction of 1945, with the narrow, gabled merchant houses restored to their historic facades, many with painted or sculpted decoration. The centre of the square is marked by the bronze Neptune Fountain, cast in the early 17th century and completed in 1633, which has become an emblem of the city. The nearby Artus Court, a former meeting hall of merchants and now part of the Museum of Gdańsk, and the tall tower of the Main Town Hall frame the view along the street. Visitors mostly come to walk, photograph the facades and sit at the pavement cafes, and the street is free and open at all hours as a public space. A walk from the Golden Gate to the Green Gate takes about ten minutes without stopping, but most people spend 45 minutes to an hour looking at house details, the fountain and the shopfronts selling amber jewellery. The best photo angles are from the western end looking east toward the Town Hall tower, and from beside the Artus Court with the fountain in the foreground. Mornings before about 10AM and evenings after the tour groups leave are the quietest, and in the evening the lit facades are especially atmospheric. Midday in July and August, and the weeks around the St. Dominic's Fair in late summer, bring the heaviest crowds, with street performers and market stalls filling the square. Because the street is paved with stone setts, comfortable shoes are advisable. The area is a short walk from Gdańsk Główny station and is served by trams and buses stopping near the Town Hall, making it a natural starting point for any visit to the city.