The Pomeranian Voivodeship (Pomorskie) is Poland's Baltic coast region, centred on the Tricity of Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia. It combines Gdańsk's rebuilt Hanseatic Main Town, the Teutonic fortress of Malbork, the sandy Hel Peninsula, the moving dunes of Słowiński National Park and the lake-studded villages of Kashubia and Kociewie.
Pomerania (Pomorze Gdańskie, Pomerelia) is Poland's Baltic gateway and one of its most contested lands. Gdańsk first appears in written sources in 997, when Saint Adalbert baptised its inhabitants, and it grew into a Hanseatic trading city that joined the Hanseatic League in 1361. The Teutonic Order took the region in 1308-1309 and built the vast brick fortress of Malbork (Marienburg), its capital from 1309. After the Thirteen Years' War, Gdańsk and Royal Prussia came under the Polish Crown in 1454-1466, and the city became rich on the grain and amber trade. The partitions of Poland brought Prussian, then German rule, and after 1920 Gdańsk became the Free City of Danzig while Poland built a new port at Gdynia. The war began here on 1 September 1939 at Westerplatte and the Polish Post Office, and the Main Town was largely destroyed in 1945 before being rebuilt in a decades-long programme. In August 1980 the strike at the Gdańsk Shipyard produced the Solidarity movement, which helped bring down Communism across Eastern Europe. The Pomeranian Voivodeship was created in 1999, with Gdańsk as its capital. Kashubian, a Slavic language recognised as a regional language in 2005, remains alive in the villages around Kartuzy, Kościerzyna and Wejherowo.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Pomeranian.
-
1
Gdańsk First Recorded
Saint Adalbert (Wojciech) of Prague preaches and baptises in the Pomeranian stronghold of Gdańsk, the earliest written mention of the city.
-
2
Teutonic Order Arrives
The Teutonic Order enters Prussian lands at the invitation of Duke Konrad of Masovia in 1226 and begins construction of the castle at Malbork in 1274.
-
3
Order Seizes Gdańsk and Moves to Malbork
The Teutonic Knights take Gdańsk in 1308 after a massacre of its defenders and residents. In 1309 the Grand Master moves the order's capital to Malbork.
-
4
Gdańsk Joins the Hanseatic League
Gdańsk becomes a member of the Hanseatic League and a major Baltic port for grain, timber and amber.
-
5
Battle of Grunwald
Polish-Lithuanian forces defeat the Teutonic Order, weakening its hold on Pomerelia although Malbork is not taken.
-
6
Thirteen Years' War
Gdańsk and other Prussian cities rise against the Order and are incorporated into the Kingdom of Poland by Casimir IV Jagiellon in 1454. The Second Peace of Toruń in 1466 confirms Polish rule over Pomerelia and Royal Prussia.
-
7
Gdańsk's Golden Age
Gdańsk becomes one of the richest cities in Europe, exporting Polish grain through its port; much of the Main Town's Dutch-influenced architecture, including the Golden Gate (1614), dates from this period.
-
8
Swedish Deluge
Swedish armies overrun much of Poland; Gdańsk resists a siege and stays loyal to the Polish Crown.
-
9
Partitions
The First Partition gives most of Pomerelia, including Malbork, to Prussia in 1772. Gdańsk follows in the Second Partition of 1793.
-
10
Free City under Napoleon
Napoleon creates a first Free City of Danzig, ended after the siege of 1813.
-
11
Free City of Danzig and the Polish Corridor
Under the Treaty of Versailles Poland gains access to the sea through the Polish Corridor; Gdańsk becomes the Free City of Danzig under League of Nations protection.
-
12
Gdynia Built
Poland builds a new seaport at Gdynia from 1921 and the town receives city rights in 1926, growing into a model modernist port city.
-
13
World War II Begins
The German battleship Schleswig-Holstein shells the Polish garrison at Westerplatte, and Polish Post Office defenders in Gdańsk resist for hours. Westerplatte holds for seven days.
-
14
Stutthof Camp Founded
Nazi Germany sets up the Stutthof camp near Sztutowo. About 110,000 people are deported there and an estimated 65,000 die before liberation in May 1945.
-
15
Destruction and Reconstruction
Soviet forces capture Gdańsk after heavy fighting. About 90 percent of the Main Town lies in ruins; Poland begins a decades-long rebuilding programme based on historic drawings and photographs. Malbork Castle is also heavily damaged.
-
16
Coast Protests
Strikes over food price rises in Gdańsk, Gdynia and Szczecin are crushed; dozens of workers die, with the worst shootings at Gdynia.
-
17
Gdańsk Shipyard Strike and August Agreements
Workers led by Lech Wałęsa strike at the Lenin Shipyard. On 31 August the government signs the Gdańsk Agreement recognising free trade unions, and Solidarity is formed.
-
18
Round Table and Free Elections
Negotiations between Solidarity and the government lead to partly free elections in June 1989 and the end of Communist rule. Wałęsa becomes president in 1990.
-
19
Malbork Castle UNESCO Listing
The Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
-
20
Pomeranian Voivodeship Created
Poland's administrative reform creates the Pomeranian Voivodeship, with Gdańsk as its capital.
-
21
EU Accession
Poland joins the European Union; Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot see a surge in tourism and investment.
-
22
New Memory Museums
The European Solidarity Centre opens in 2014 and the Museum of the Second World War in 2017.
Historical eras
The chapters of Pomeranian's past.
Early Medieval Pomerania
Slavic Pomeranian dukes ruled the coast from fortified settlements such as Gdańsk, which first appears in 997; Polish and Pomeranian rulers competed for control.
Teutonic Order and Hanseatic Period
The Teutonic Order built brick castles across Pomerelia and made Malbork its capital in 1309, while Gdańsk grew as a member of the Hanseatic League.
Royal Prussia and the Golden Age
Under the Polish Crown, Gdańsk became a rich, largely self-governing grain port with Dutch-influenced architecture.
Partitions and the Free City
Prussian and German rule gave way to the Free City of Danzig in 1920, while Poland created the new port of Gdynia.
War and Occupation
World War II began at Westerplatte; Nazi Germany ran the Stutthof camp, and the Main Town was devastated in 1945.
Communism and Solidarity
The Main Town was reconstructed, workers' protests broke out in 1970, and the 1980 shipyard strike gave rise to Solidarity.
Modern Pomerania
Free elections, the 1999 creation of the voivodeship, EU accession in 2004 and new museums have made Pomerania a major cultural and tourism region.
Historical sites
Places where Pomeranian's past comes alive.
Malbork Castle
Teutonic Order capital from 1309 and the largest castle in the world by area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.
Where: ul. Starościńska 1, Malbork
Admission: 65 PLN ($17) Historical Route in the 2026 spring-summer season
Westerplatte
Site of the Polish garrison's seven-day defence in September 1939, with ruined guardhouses and a 1966 monument.
Where: ul. Majora Henryka Sucharskiego, Gdańsk
Admission: Grounds free; museum branch about 15 PLN ($4)
Museum of Gdańsk (Main Town Hall)
City history museum in the Main Town Hall with period interiors.
Admission: about 25 PLN ($7)
St. Mary's Church
One of the largest brick churches in the world, rebuilt after 1945 war damage.
Where: ul. Podkowiańska 5, Gdańsk
Admission: Church free; tower about 15 PLN ($4)
Gdańsk Crane
Medieval harbour crane on the Motława and a symbol of Gdańsk's Hanseatic trade.
Where: ul. Szeroka 67/68, Gdańsk
Admission: about 20 PLN ($5)
Golden Gate
Ornate gate at the start of the Royal Route, designed by Abraham van den Blocke.
Where: ul. Długa, Gdańsk
Admission: Free
European Solidarity Centre
Exhibition on the Solidarity movement and the 1980 shipyard strike.
Admission: about 35 PLN ($9)
Oliwa Cathedral
Former Cistercian abbey church with a rococo organ and a long nave, the place where the 1660 Peace of Oliva was signed.
Where: ul. Cystersów 11, Gdańsk
Admission: Church free; organ recital about 20 PLN ($5)
Stutthof Museum
Memorial on the site of the Stutthof concentration camp, where about 65,000 people died.
Where: ul. Muzealna 6, Sztutowo
Admission: Free
Gniew Castle
Teutonic Order castle above the Vistula, later a residence of the Polish king Jan III Sobieski.
Where: ul. Zamkowa 3, Gniew
Admission: about 30 PLN ($8)
Kwidzyn Castle and Cathedral
Castle of the Pomesanian Chapter with a covered corridor to its cathedral.
Where: ul. Katedralna 1, Kwidzyn
Admission: about 20 PLN ($5)
Sztum Castle
Teutonic Order castle on the Malbork-Kwidzyn route, now a branch of the Malbork Castle Museum.
Where: ul. Galla Anonima, Sztum
Admission: about 10 PLN ($3)
Lębork Castle
Teutonic Order castle in western Pomerania, later a ducal seat.
Where: ul. Przyzamcze 2, Lębork
Admission: Free to view the exterior
Pelplin Cathedral
Former Cistercian abbey church of the Kociewie region with Gothic vaults and a Gutenberg Bible nearby.
Where: plac Mariacki 2, Pelplin
Admission: Cathedral free; Diocesan Museum about 15 PLN ($4)
Museums
Curated collections that tell Pomeranian's story.
Museum of the Second World War
Large core exhibition on the causes, course and aftermath of World War II, opened in 2017.
Hours: Typically 10AM-6PM Wed-Sun, 10AM-4PM Tue, closed Mon
Admission: about 30 PLN ($8)
European Solidarity Centre
Exhibition on the Solidarity movement and the 1980 shipyard strike.
Hours: Typically 10AM-6PM, longer in summer
Admission: about 35 PLN ($9)
Museum of Gdańsk (Main Town Hall)
City history museum in the Main Town Hall with period interiors.
Hours: Typically 10AM-4PM Tue-Sun
Admission: about 25 PLN ($7)
Emigration Museum in Gdynia
Museum in the 1933 Maritime Station telling the story of Polish emigration.
Hours: Typically 10AM-6PM Tue-Sun
Admission: about 25 PLN ($7)
ORP Błyskawica and Dar Pomorza
Museum ships on Gdynia's Pomeranian Quay: a destroyer and a sail training ship.
Hours: Typically 10AM-5PM Tue-Sun
Admission: about 20 PLN ($5) per ship
Hevelianum
Science and history centre in the fortifications of Gradowa Hill.
Hours: Typically 10AM-6PM Tue-Sun
Admission: about 30 PLN ($8)
Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze
Poland's oldest open-air museum, founded in 1906, with relocated Kashubian farmhouses.
Hours: Typically 9AM-5PM in summer
Admission: about 25 PLN ($7)
Museum of Kashubian-Pomeranian Literature and Music
Museum in Wejherowo devoted to Kashubian and Pomeranian writing and music.
Hours: Typically 10AM-4PM Tue-Sun
Admission: about 10 PLN ($3)
National Anthem Museum in Będomin
Museum in the birthplace of Józef Wybicki, author of the lyrics of the Polish anthem.
Hours: Typically 10AM-4PM Tue-Sun
Admission: about 12 PLN ($3)
Museum of the Kościerzyna Region
Regional museum in the market square of Kościerzyna, the capital of southern Kashubia.
Hours: Typically 9AM-4PM Tue-Sun
Admission: about 10 PLN ($3)
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.
Walking tours
Walking tours of Gdańsk's Royal Route typically start at the Golden Gate or the Neptune Fountain on Long Market; both tip-based and paid guided tours operate daily in season. The Gdańsk tourist information centre on Długi Targ can supply current operators.
Day tours
Guided day trips from Gdańsk cover Malbork Castle, Westerplatte, Stutthof and the Hel Peninsula. At Malbork the official guide fee is 350 PLN ($92) per group in the 2026 spring-summer season, in addition to the entry ticket.
Self guided tours
The Royal Route in Gdańsk is easily done on foot; information boards and the Museum of Gdańsk app describe major buildings. The Westerplatte trail follows numbered ruins and monuments.
Audio tours
An audio guide at Malbork Castle costs about 15 PLN ($4) per person in the 2026 spring-summer season; audio guides are also offered at the Museum of the Second World War and the European Solidarity Centre.