Foregate Complex and Highland Gate

The Foregate Complex at Targ Weglowy forms the grand western entrance to the Main Town of Gdansk, in Poland's Pomeranian region. It combines the Highland Gate (1588), the Prison Tower and the Torture House into one fortified group that visitors pass through when they approach the Old Town on foot from the railway station. Together they are the first part of the Royal Way, the ceremonial route along which monarchs once entered the city. The Highland Gate is an imposing Renaissance structure with sculpted coats of arms and decorative stonework, designed to impress arriving visitors and to display the wealth and independence of the city. Beside it, the Prison Tower and the Torture House belonged to the medieval defences and served as a place of confinement and punishment. The Museum of Gdansk runs the complex with exhibitions on medieval justice, crime and punishment and the city's defences, and visitors can see cells, instruments and displays that explain how law was enforced in the old republic. Some content is grim, so parents should judge its suitability for younger children. A visit takes 45 to 60 minutes. Hours are Monday 10:00 to 16:00 with free entry, closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday to Sunday 10:00 to 16:00, and Thursday 10:00 to 18:00; the complex is closed on public holidays and on 24 to 26 December, 31 December, 1 January and 6 January, and visitors should confirm at muzeumgdansk.pl. A standard ticket costs 18 PLN and a reduced ticket 13 PLN. The best photographs of the Highland Gate are taken from the approach from the station side, with the Golden Gate visible beyond, and from the moat edge looking at the stonework. Because the rooms are small, crowds build up quickly at midday in summer, and weekday mornings are the quietest. The complex is about 8 minutes on foot from Gdansk Glowny railway station.