Harbour and Westerplatte Boat Cruise

The harbour and Westerplatte boat cruise is a seasonal sightseeing trip departing from the Motlawa quay at Dlugie Pobrzeze, near the Green Bridge (Zielony Most) in Gdansk, Poland. The boats travel down the Motlawa and along the port channel to Westerplatte, the peninsula at the mouth of the Dead Vistula where the first shots of the Second World War were fired in September 1939. The trip is about 8 km one way and takes roughly two to three hours return, depending on the operator and the length of any stop.

The route passes the Gdansk Crane, Granary Island, the shipyards where the Solidarity movement began, container terminals and the 16th-century Wisloujscie Fortress. Commentary is generally provided in Polish and English, and many operators add German. Westerplatte has a memorial, ruined guardhouses and walking paths, and some cruises allow passengers to disembark briefly or arrange a landing as a separate option.

There are no fitness or skill prerequisites. The cruise is suitable for families, older visitors and children of any age, with infants and young children usually travelling free or at a discount. Prices of about 60-100 PLN per adult are typical, varying with the operator, boat type and whether a stop at Westerplatte is included. Zegluga Gdanska and other licensed harbour-cruise operators run services; the boats are inspected and licensed for passenger carriage. No equipment is required, though a windproof jacket and sunscreen are advisable because the open upper decks are exposed to Baltic wind and sun.

Safety is handled by the crew, who brief passengers on life jacket locations, deck rules and emergency exits. Boats carry lifebuoys and life jackets in the required numbers, and the crew is trained for man-overboard procedures and harbour evacuation. Passengers should keep to the designated areas, avoid leaning over the rails and follow instructions when boarding and disembarking at the quay.

The season runs from April to October, with the widest choice of departures from June to August. Summer afternoons are busiest, so earlier sailings are calmer. Cruises can be cancelled or shortened in strong wind, storms or poor visibility, and in the shoulder months departures may be fewer and weather dependent.