Hanseatic city of Elblag

Elblag

Elblag is one of the oldest cities in Poland. It is over 780 years old. It is an ancient Viking port, former Hanseatic trading power, former capital of the Teutonic Order. Its "golden age" was in the 16th and 17th centuries, when Elblag was the main seaport of the Republic of Poland. The city boasted a beautiful Old Town, which was almost completely destroyed during World War II. The persistence and perseverance of Elblag citizens caused that the old town has been rebuilt for over 30 years. Thanks to that, one of the oldest cities in Poland now has the youngest Old Town in the country.

„New Old Town” is being rebuilt in a spirit of spectacular and internationally unique retroversion. The reconstruction of the Old Town is preceded by detailed archeological works, therefore Elblag is one of the best researched archeological cities in Europe. Among the hundreds of thousands of artifacts found during the archaeological works are glasses from the fifteenth century (the oldest found in Europe), or the fifteenth century giterna (one of only three such instruments preserved in the world).

The central part of the Old Town is St. Nicholas Cathedral, with the highest tower on the right side of the Vistula River (97 m).

The journey along the Elblag Canal also begins in the heart of the Old Town. It is the only functioning waterway in the world with a system of slipways and sluices, thanks to which ships overcome nearly 100-meter difference in terrain level.

Elblag is a unique city in one more aspect - it is an open art gallery. There are more than 50 spatial forms and sculptures in various places in the city, which have been created here since the 1960s.

Facts & Figures

Founded

Year 1237

Location

54.15587 latitude and 19.40445 longitude

Population

118582

UNESCO World Heritage

The Elblag Canal, a world-class monument of hydrotechnical art., begins in the very heart of the Old Town. The world's only operating waterway with a system of inclines and sluices. They allow ships to overcome the 100-meter difference in water levels. Currently, the Elblag Canal is in the process of being included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

What is the city known for?

Elblag Canal, a world-class monument of hydraulic engineering. The only operating waterway in the world with a system of inclines and sluices. Thanks to them, the ships, on special rail carts, overcome the 100-meter difference in water levels. Interestingly, the carts are mechanically propelled, only by the force of the water flow.