Sopot 8
394 km (245 miles) NW of Warsaw.
* 43,000. £ @ n ul.
Dworcowa 4, (058) 550 3783.
_ International Festival of Song
(Aug). http://www.sopot.plThe most popular resort town
on the Baltic coast, Sopot was
established as a sea-bathing
centre in 1824 by Jean
Georges Haffner, a phy sician
in the Napoleonic Army. Since
the 17th century, Sopot has
been favoured by the wealthy
burgh ers of Gdańsk for their
mansions. In the inter war
years, it attracted some of the
richest people in Europe.
The pier is a conti nuation
of the main street, collo-
quially known as Monciak.
Considered the longest pier in
Europe, it is 512 m (1,680 ft)
long with a bench running all
the way around it. Filled with
bars and restaurants, the pier
is a pleas ant place to enjoy a
beer and the sea air. Visitors
also flock to the Art Deco
Sofitel Grand Hotel (see p221),
built between 1924 and 1927,
which overlooks the beach.
In the hills behind the
town is the Opera in the
Woods (Opera Leśna), built
in 1909 and the venue for the
International Festival of Song.
Founded in 1961, this was
once regarded as Eastern
Europe’s answer to the
Eurovision Song Contest.POLAND 207VISITORS’ CHECKLIST211 km (131 miles) NW of
Warsaw. * 203,000. £ Toruń
Główny, ul. Kujawska 1.
@ ul. Dąbrowskiego 26.
n Rynek Staromiejski 1, (056)
621 0931. _ Kontakt Theatre
Festival (May/Jun), Probaltica
Baltic Arts and Music Festival
(mid-May). http://www.torun.plMalbork 7
316 km (196 miles) NW of Warsaw.
* 40,000. £ @ n ul. Dworkowa
17, (055) 612 1000. # summer. 0
= http://www.zamek.malbork.plMalbork, the castle of the
Teutonic knights, was begun
in the 13th century. In 1309, it
was made the capital of an
inde pendent state established
by that order. The first major
phase of building was the
Assembly Castle, a fortified
monastery later known as the
Upper Castle. The Middle
Castle was built after 1310,
and includes the Palace of
the Grand Master, a structure
almost with out equal in medi-
eval Europe, built between
1382 and 1399 by Konrad
Zöllner von Rotenstein (c.
1335–90), the 23rd Grand
Master of the Teutonic Order.
The Summer Refectory and
Winter Refectory are along-
side. The Upper Castle’s inner
court yard is surrounded by
slender Gothic arches withtriangular vaulting. The
partly recon structed farm
buildings in the Lower Castle,
abutting the former Chapel of
St Lawrence, have been con-
verted into a hotel.Malbork Castle, the great fortress on the Nogat river- Castle of the Teutonic
Knights
ul. Przedzamcze 3.
Little more than ruins remain
of the castle that the Teutonic
Knights began building in
Toruń during the 13th century.
Before the castle was built at
Malbork, Toruń was the
knights’ capital. The castle
was extended in the 14th
century, however, it was
destroyed in 1454 when
the people rose in rebellion
against the knights. Only the
latrine tower – a tower over-
hanging a stream that acted as
a sewer – was left standing,
although part of the cellars
and cloisters still survive.
The Gothic house that was
built on the site in 1489, pro-
bably with materials scavenged
from the castle, was the meet-
ing house of the Brotherhood
of St George.
P New Market Square
The New Town emerged as a
separate civic entity in 1264.
Although it does not have as
many historic buildings as the
Old Town, it has a lively
atmosphere. In summer, the
Market Square (Rynek
Nowomiejski) is filled with
fruit and vege table stalls. In
the centre is a former
Protestant church, built in
1824, probably by the German
architect Karl Friedrich
Schinkel. It has been con-
verted into a gallery of
contem porary art. Fine houses,
some with ornate façades
like that of the Baroque
house at No. 17 surround the
square. On the corner of
ulica Królowej Jadwigi is the
Golden Lion pharmacy, origi n-
ating in the 15th century.
Towering granite central column,
Summer Refectory, Malborkare perfectly level – so that
beer glasses in the pub that it
now houses can be set down.