Then, there was Gdańsk itself.
Gdańsk is a city in northern Poland, right on the Baltic Sea. That means you can smell the salty air and sometimes hear seagulls overhead. The city is famous for its colorful buildings that line the old town streets. They look like something out of a storybook—tall, skinny houses painted in bright shades of yellow, blue, green and red. Walking down the main street feels like stepping back in time.
Gdańsk is not just pretty, it is also very important in history.
One of the most powerful parts of our trip was visiting the European Solidarity Centre, also known as the Solidarity Museum. This museum tells the story of the Solidarity movement, which began in Gdańsk in 1980. At that time, many Polish workers were unhappy with the communist government. They wanted better working conditions and more freedom. Shipyard workers in Gdańsk went on strike, and a movement called “Solidarity” was born.
At the museum, we saw huge photographs, old posters and even the gate from the shipyard where workers gathered. We learned about brave people who stood up peacefully for their rights. One leader of the movement was Lech Wałęsa, who later became the president of Poland. It was amazing to think that regular workers helped change the future of their country.
As we walked through the exhibits, I felt proud to be living in Poland during this year. Learning about Solidarity helped me understand the strength and courage of the Polish people even more. It also reminded me that history is not just something in textbooks.
