Things to do at Westerplatte

Westerplatte is the peninsula at the mouth of Gdansk's harbour where the Second World War began on 1 September 1939, when the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire on the small Polish garrison stationed here.

It is not a lively waterfront outing: the site is a memorial, made up largely of ruined barracks, bombed-out casemates and a hilltop monument rather than any staged re-enactment.

Reaching it from the Old Town takes a bus ride of under 30 minutes, or a water tram of 45-75 minutes each way (April to October only); the surrounding grounds, open and free to enter, are a straightforward walk of 45-60 minutes on foot. Treat it as a sober half-morning stop, not a scenic seaside stroll.