Visitors guide to Gdańsk in Poland.

You might be imagining a quiet city surrounded by fog and cobblestones if you have never visited Gdańsk, Poland. I was, too, until I strolled into its Old Town and realised I had been quite significantly underappreciating it. Gdańsk is either a miracle or evidence that time travel is real—one of those places that somehow feels both delightfully old and shockingly contemporary simultaneously.

Walking along the Royal Way, the main street that snakes through the Old Town, feels like stepping into a postcard, but with the kind of postcard where someone also left their latte on the corner table. The street is lined with vibrant merchant homes, each one more extravagant than the one before. You could start to wonder if you have mistakenly entered some Renaissance Instagram filter. You feel a little bad for only seeing the beautiful, bold, and unashamedly beautiful architecture after you snapped a picture with it.

Then the waterfront comes into play. The Motława River sparkles in the sunshine; cafes and boats line the quay. If you like looking at old buildings from a little further away while acting as though you know something about maritime history, you might take a river cruise. Climb the medieval Crane on the riverbank if you're feeling especially daring; once used to load goods, it now primarily serves as a reminder that, when it comes to construction projects, people have always been a little bit extra.

History lovers, get ready. Gdańsk is the birthplace of the Solidarity movement, which helped bring down communism in Poland. Naturally, there is a museum for it. It is interesting, moving, and precisely the right level of heavy for anyone who likes to learn while also trying not to feel too bad about their own decisions. The city proudly displays its past, but does not ask that you become a full-time academic to value it.

Gdańsk's cuisine is yet another happy surprise. Pierogi, which are dumplings filled with everything from potatoes and cheese to mushrooms, are everywhere. And yes, you will probably eat more than your fair share. And there's also local beer and mead since the locals apparently believe a drink goes well with good architecture and history. Who am I to object truthfully?

Gdańsk is also very easily walked. You may spend hours meandering tiny alleys, finding little shops, or stopping into unusual museums like the World War II Museum, which, somewhat strangely, is both quite poignant and very captivating. And when your feet hurt, you can sit in a coffee shop, sip your coffee, and watch the world pass by as you discreetly criticise the visitors who are photographing thirty selfies with the same statue.

Gdańsk has this sly approach of gradually growing on you by the time you leave. It's beautiful without trying too hard, friendly without being too much, and has just the right amount of oddities to make you feel like you've found a secret instead of just crossing off another city on a list. You could come believing you would view "just another European city," yet depart questioning how you ever thought so.