Westerplatte (Guardhouse No. 1 and Defenders' Monument)

Westerplatte is a peninsula at the mouth of the Dead Vistula in Gdansk's Nowy Port district, in Poland's Pomeranian region, and is the place where World War II began on 1 September 1939. Polish soldiers of the Military Transit Depot held out against the German attack there for several days, and the site has since become the country's best-known war memorial. Visitors arrive by bus and walk through a wooded, windswept landscape dotted with ruins. Among the main features are the ruined Guardhouse No. 1, which now houses a small museum, and the Monument to the Defenders of the Coast, a tall stone monument on a hill that dominates the peninsula and can be seen from far away. Paths link the remains of barracks, the former railway embankment and other ruined buildings, with information boards explaining the course of the defence. A visitor centre and an exhibition in the Elektrownia building give historical context. The peninsula is exposed, so visitors should dress for wind and rain even in summer. A visit takes two to three hours, depending on how many of the sites are entered. The monument and the surrounding peninsula are free, while Guardhouse No. 1, open seasonally from April to September, costs 8 PLN, or 5 PLN reduced. The monument gives the best photographs, especially from the lower path looking up, while the harbour entrance offers views of ships. Weekday mornings are quietest, and summer weekends can be crowded with coach groups and organised tours. In winter many facilities close or have shorter hours, and 1 November and 24, 25, 26 and 31 December are closed days. The museum institution that runs the Museum of the Second World War administers the site, so visiting both together gives a fuller picture of the events of September 1939.