This lovely street wasn’t always so lively and carefree. On September 1, 1939, Adolf Hitler invaded this once-German city, sparking World War II. By the end of the war, nearly 80 percent of the city had been destroyed, and the main street was in ruins. Locals stubbornly rebuilt their town with the help of detailed drawings and photographs, mostly using the original brick. Today, excursion boats ferry history buffs through shipyards to Westerplatte point, where the war’s first shots were fired.

Right outside the Main Town’s Golden Gate is the Amber Museum, dedicated to the globby yellow stuff that’s sold all over the city. Almost 75 percent of the world’s amber — a fossilized tree resin — is mined in northern Poland, much of it washing up on beaches following winter storms. Amber comes in 300 distinct shades, from yellowish-white to yellowish-black, opaque to transparent. I didn’t believe it either, until I toured the museum, which shows off amber clocks, amber chandeliers, amber beer steins, a model ship with delicate amber sails — you get the idea. There’s even an unfinished altar made entirely of amber at St. Bridget’s Church.

If you’re interested in visiting a milk bar (bar mleczny), consider Bar Mleczny Neptun, the city’s most popular. Milk bars are government-subsidized cafeterias, a holdover from Poland’s communist days, when lowly workers could barely afford to eat out. Bar Mleczny Neptun has more charm than most milk bars, thanks to its outdoor seating along the most scenic stretch of the main drag. Load your tray with traditional Polish foods, such as borscht or pierogis, pay the cashier, and do a double-take when you realize how little you spent. My bill for a full meal usually comes to about $4 or $5.

Just 15 minutes north of the Main Town, the charms of the old core fade quickly as you come across the Gdańsk Shipyard. Here, in the place that Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa called the “cradle of freedom,” a motley collection of brave shipyard workers took on and ultimately ended the USSR’s stranglehold on Eastern Europe. In August of 1980, a shipyard crane operator and known dissident was fired unceremoniously, sparking a strike. Upon hearing this news, Wałęsa — an electrician who had been fired for being an agitator — rushed to the shipyard and scaled the wall to get inside and rally the protestors.

Near the shipyard, the excellent “Roads to Freedom” exhibit tells the inspiring story of those workers and re-creates the difficult communist reality they were struggling to change. A typical phone booth is marked Automat Nieczynny — “Out of Order” — as virtually all phone booths were back then. An authentic WC is stocked only with old newspapers (actual toilet paper was cause for celebration). A replica of a typical 1970s grocery store captures the desperate days when government rationing led to rampant food shortages. You can see a display case filled with phony wheels of cheese marked “fake,” a loaf of bread with a cigarette butt baked into it, and shelves stocked only with vinegar and mustard (about all you could buy during lean times).

Only a few decades after the fall of communism, Gdańsk is changing. Neighborhoods that the communists left as World War II rubble are now being remade into posh condos and shopping malls, and a futuristic stadium shaped like a translucent glob of amber was built for the 2012 Euro Cup soccer tournament.

Despite modernization, Gdańsk will always have a powerful history. Exploring the lanes of this city, I always imagine that around each corner, I might bump into old Lech Wałęsa — now happily retired — still wandering the time-passed streets.

Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and follow his blog on Facebook.