St Mary's Gate (Brama Mariacka) is a late-Gothic gate on the Motława riverfront in Gdańsk, the passage from the old quay into Mariacka Street. Step through its arch from the water and the whole street opens up in front of you, ending in the huge brick tower of St Mary's Church: one of the best views in the Main Town.
St Mary's Gate at a glance
- Where: on the Long Embankment (Długie Pobrzeże) along the Motława, at the river end of Mariacka Street in the Main Town.
- Built: in the 15th century; the gate is first recorded in 1484. It was rebuilt in 1958–1961 after its destruction in 1945.
- What it is today: a public passage between the riverfront and Mariacka Street; the Archaeological Museum is housed in the buildings beside it.
- Time needed: 10 minutes for the gate, 30 to 45 minutes if you walk the length of Mariacka Street up to the church.
A water gate of a Hanseatic port
Medieval Gdańsk was a member of the Hanseatic League and lived from its harbour on the Motława. Goods came in by water, and a row of gates along the quay let merchants, sailors and porters pass from the wharves into the streets of the Main Town. St Mary's Gate, recorded in 1484, guarded the street that led straight to St Mary's, the main parish church of the city.
In 1945 the fighting for the city left the Main Town in ruins, and the gate was badly damaged. It was rebuilt between 1958 and 1961, during the long post-war reconstruction that brought back the old street plan and the historic façades of Gdańsk. Mariacka Street behind it, almost completely destroyed, was rebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s.
What to look for
- The view through the arch: stand in the gateway on the river side and look up the street; the tower of St Mary's Church fills the frame.
- The city arms: two lions hold the coat of arms of Gdańsk, two white crosses under a crown on a red shield. Their colours were restored in 2006.
- The late-Gothic brickwork of the gate, which belongs to the same line of waterfront buildings as the other gates along the Long Embankment.
- The porches of Mariacka Street: raised stone terraces in front of the merchants' houses, with carved railings and steps down to the street.
- The gargoyles: stone water spouts above the porches, some carved as dragons or fish, which carry rainwater away from the terraces.
- Amber: jewellery galleries and workshops line the street, many of them in the basements below the porches.
Why it is called Amber Street
Amber washes up on the Baltic coast, and finds from prehistoric times show that it was already traded here along the old Amber Road. Today so many amber jewellers have their shops on Mariacka Street that it is often called Amber Street. It is at its busiest in summer during St Dominic's Fair, a trading fair whose history goes back to 1260.
Tips for your visit
- Come early in the morning or in the evening: Mariacka is narrow and fills up with tour groups in the middle of the day.
- For the classic photo, stand on the quay just in front of the gate; for the whole waterfront, cross to the other bank of the Motława and look back.
- Walk the street slowly from the river to the church, then go into St Mary's Church before heading on to Long Market.
Nearby
- St Mary's Church: at the top of the street, one of the largest brick churches in the world; you can climb its tower for a view over the old town.
- The Gdańsk Crane (Żuraw): the medieval port crane on the waterfront, now part of the National Maritime Museum, a few minutes' walk along the quay.
- Long Market and Neptune's Fountain: the main street of the Main Town, with Artus Court, a few minutes' walk south.
- The Green Gate: the gate at the river end of Long Market, built in the 16th century as a residence for visiting Polish kings.
See Gdańsk with World City Trail
Our Gdańsk scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 24 minutes of walking. It includes the High Gate, the Golden Gate, Artus Court and Neptune's Fountain. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Polish.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Gdańsk.
Play the Gdańsk scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Gdańsk →
Play the outdoor escape game in Gdańsk →
Facts checked in October 2026.