The Christmas Market will begin in Gdańsk on 24 November. For four weeks, an event regarded as one of the most beautiful in Europe will put us in a lovely pre-Christmas mood. This year we are all celebrating in Gdańsk!
The Market town will once again transform Targ Węglowy, ul. Bogusławskiego, ul. Tkacka and Zbrojownia into places full of pre-Christmas magic. For the first time, Zespół Przedbramia will also be lit up. From 24 November to 23 December, residents of Gdańsk, the Tricity and tourists will fill them with cheerful, festive bustle. It is a traditional place to meet, to look for original gifts and to go for winter walks. The Christmas Market has become Gdańsk’s pre-Christmas calling card, as confirmed by, among others, the European Best Christmas Markets 2023 poll. 48 thousand internet users voted it the second most beautiful in Europe.
– The Market in this place has already become a tradition, which has been embraced not only by Gdańsk residents who flock to the stalls, but the event also attracts many tourists. We have already taken high places in several polls, and the Market gets better year after year – says Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Mayor of Gdańsk.
– We are starting in just a week. On Saturday there is the grand opening and a parade. Later the illuminations will light up too, not only here on Targ Węglowy but across the whole city. In these dark times, each of us needs light and cheerfulness – she adds.
Inspiration and gifts
According to research carried out during the last Christmas Market, visitors who come looking for gifts appear in the Christmas town to get inspired and to find special, unique presents. The Market, which begins on 24 November, will meet these expectations. A special offer of crafts and handicrafts will appear at more than 80 stalls – 45 of them in Zbrojownia. That is also where a special
display case – “Christmas Treasury of Ideas” – will make its debut. There, Market exhibitors will present the most interesting gift inspirations.
– We ask our guests what they are looking for at the Market. That is how we know that, besides good food, it is gift inspiration. That is why we will provide inspiration and gifts that can be bought at more than 80 craft stalls – lists Paweł Orłowski, Vice-President of the Management Board of Międzynarodowe Targi Gdańskie.
A world of flavours
More than 60 festive stalls will be filled with the flavours of cuisines from around the world. Family or social gatherings, so popular at the Christmas Market, will be able to take place over dishes from 17 countries and regions of the globe. Among them we will find, among others, Polish, Kashubian, oriental, Crimean Tatar and Hungarian cuisines. Fans of sweets will not walk past Dutch poffertjes, doughnuts, churros or chimney cakes. Those who prefer savoury flavours will be able to choose between: sprats
in batter, roasted chestnuts, pierogi, langos or raclette.
Hot chocolate and various kinds of tea infusions will warm you up. Gourmets can look forward to spiced, raspberry and orange mulled wine. It tastes best in the original Christmas Market mug, which is ideal for all kinds of drinks. And most importantly, part of the proceeds from the sale of the mugs will go to Fundacja Hospicyjna.
AmberSky Christmas Adventure Corner
New on the map of the Christmas Market 2023 is the Christmas Adventure Corner
with AmberSky. This is a special place with attractions prepared for the youngest: the VR simulator Santa’s Magic Sleigh, the Gdańsk Carousel, the Observation Wheel on Ołowianka and new this season: a spinning coaster – Spinning Barrels. In the pre-Christmas rush it is worth finding time for moments of joyful abandon and fun with family and friends. One shared ticket makes it easy to use all the attractions.
The adventure will no doubt begin with the spinning coaster making its debut at the Market. The Spinning Barrels structure varies in height – the track loops into a figure of eight, along which the cars – barrels – travel. The cars also spin around their own axis at different speeds, depending on the number of passengers and their weight, which makes every journey unpredictable, exciting and full of new experiences.
The Gdańsk Carousel on Targ Węglowy will once again delight with its beautiful figures, decorations and lighting. Just before this year’s Market, its new, hand-painted version appeared, made in an Italian workshop. It moves smoothly and gracefully, although it is worth knowing that the whole thing weighs… 15 tonnes. 30 people can ride at a time, and the ride lasts a few minutes.
Right next to the Carousel, Santa’s Chalet will be waiting for Market guests, and inside it a meeting
with the host. All you need to do is get into Santa’s sleigh, put on “magic” VR goggles and see with your own eyes how Santa delivers presents to all the people in the world in just one night!
The fourth element of the Corner is the AmberSky Observation Wheel, which you have to travel to Ołowianka to ride.
The attractions price list is available on the website bożonarodzeniowy.pl.
Workshops for the youngest and Residents’ Day
In the Artistic Corner in Zbrojownia there will be Santa’s Workshop, where Christmas workshops for primary schools and preschools will take place. The programme includes a meeting with Santa, Christmas arrangements and an attraction from the AmberSky Christmas Travel Corner. More information
at bożonarodzeniowy.pl.
On 12 December we invite you to Residents’ Day for people living in Śródmieście – interesting workshops and surprises have been prepared for the Market’s neighbours – electronic registration will apply. We welcome holders of the Gdańsk Resident Card.
– At the Market about 40 stalls belong to businesses from Gdańsk, and a little over 60% to businesses
from Pomerania, so the Market also boosts our local economy – says Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Mayor of Gdańsk.
A varied and rich programme
This year’s artistic programme fills almost every day of the Market. On Tuesdays music fans will be able to listen to Christmas concerts. Performing will be the band Słowiańska Dusza Świątecznie, Gospel Carol Singing and Carol Singing with the GUMED Choir. On Wednesdays visitors can grab the microphones and sing the most beautiful Polish and international Christmas hits at karaoke. On Thursdays there will be surprises to delight the eye: Fire Theatre and Parades, and the ear: Fairy-tale reading with the Wybrzeże Theatre and the Wojewódzka i Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna. On Fridays the organisers will invite little ones to activities with Akademia Zabawy i Edukacji Wykrzyknik, and older visitors to an evening dance party with Christmas DJ sets. On Saturdays there will be a Christmas mix: performances by Zespół Pieśni i Tańca Gdańsk and Neptun, or Winter Adventure with the Trefliki.
Traditionally, the Market will be visited by Santa Claus and the event’s official mascots, Mr and Mrs Orzechowski, who are just waiting to take a photo with visitors or record Christmas greetings. Sundays are a time for loved ones. Children and their parents will be able to watch performances and take part in activities by Teatr Qfer, listen to carol singing with the Carillon or have fun
with Caritas, which will promote volunteering and the joy of sharing goodness.
From 1 December, together with Wedel we will invite you to the opening of the windows of the Advent calendar, which will traditionally become part of the Advent gate.
Atmospheric decorations, stalls with extraordinary products and a rich artistic programme, including creative workshops – all of this will be organised by Regionalna Dyrekcja Lasów Państwowych w Gdańsku.
One of the special chalets at the Christmas Market will be the chalet of Gdańska Organizacja Turystyczna – Santa’s Gift Factory, which will stand near the large “JARMARK” sign on Targ Węglowy. Everyone who visits will be able to buy attractive Gdańsk souvenirs, naturally with a Christmas theme, but not only. A delicious surprise will also await in the chalet. Packages from the Smaki Gdańska project will be on sale there, available in versions for 1, 2 or even 4 people. And that is not all! GOT has prepared a competition for holders of the Gdańsk Resident Card. By scanning QR codes you can win fantastic prizes. The task will be to hunt for 10 “cubes” with codes and scan them. All the details of the competition will be available
on jestemzgdanska.pl on the day the Market starts.
– We try to make sure that celebrating at the Gdańsk Christmas Market brings something new every year. This year several new features have been added, including a spinning coaster. We positioned it so that during the ride you can admire the panorama of the Market at the same time – reveals
Paweł Orłowski, Vice-President of the Management Board of Międzynarodowe Targi Gdańskie.
– It was also important to us not to hide the beautiful, renovated façade of Teatr Wybrzeże, which we wanted to show off to visitors. The theatre’s management also works with us on the Market programme. Thanks to this we will be able to hear our wonderful actress Dorota Kolak, who will read Christmas fairy tales. The extensive Market programme can be found on the refreshed website bożonarodzeniowy.pl. I warmly invite you to visit it – she adds.
The Market helps
As every year, the Christmas Market invites you to take part in special and charitable campaigns. These include the “Christmas Wardrobe”, which will be used to swap toys – a toycrossing campaign. In Zbrojownia, the bookcrossing shelf known to everyone will appear again, as part of a campaign organised in cooperation with the Wojewódzka i Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna.
Grupa GPEC, together with AMBEREXPO, will raise funds for Fundacja Hospicyjna. In the winter chalet of Grupa GPEC you will be able to buy tickets, the proceeds from which will go to the Foundation’s charges. The tickets will entitle you to start “The Magic of Christmas” with a single button. Giant elves will help with this, and they will also pose for a souvenir photo in a beautiful Christmas setting.
Hospicjum im. Dutkiewicza w Gdańsku invites you to a special charity concert: “Let’s Sing
with Santa for Fundacja Hospicyjna”, in which artists from Cappelli Gedanensis, among others, will take part.
In the singing atmosphere there will also be a meeting with Santa and the elves.
In Zbrojownia the Smyk “Teddy Bear Gate” will be created once again. At the end of the Market, when you buy Market mugs, you will be able to adopt a teddy bear. The money from the purchase of the mugs will go to the Hospice’s charges.
– I wanted to express my gratitude that we can be at the Christmas Market for another year
in Gdańsk. I am grateful that you remember us and support the oldest Gdańsk hospice, Hospicjum im. Dutkiewicza. Our volunteers in yellow T-shirts collecting donations will be at the Market. In addition, we are working with Grupa GPEC, which will prepare a Christmas surprise, and there will also be a carol concert. These activities will allow us to raise funds for the hospice – says Agnieszka Paczkowska, Vice-President of the Management Board of Fundacja Hospicyjna.
The organisers of the Market have also joined the Christmas with Ukraine campaign, which is being carried out
at 30 European Christmas markets, supporting the Faina.ua foundation.
The moose is in a laughing mood
In recent years Lucek the Moose has invariably been the most popular. This year too he will accost passers-by and joke about all sorts of situations. Although his sense of humour is usually “dry”, the crowds in front of his chalet show that he knows how to look after the good mood of “his” guests.
Let’s Light Up Christmas!
Let’s Light Up Christmas in Gdańsk! The popular and much-appreciated campaign returns. It will light up even more places than a year ago thanks to more than 150 illuminated figures, which can be admired at 9 locations in Gdańsk from 5 December 2023 to 2 February 2024. There will be new features here too. For the first time, Floating Lilies will appear in Park Oliwski. On the promenade in Brzeźno there will be a Port Gantry Crane almost 8 metres wide, whose patron is the Port of Gdańsk Authority. It will be accompanied by the already familiar shipyard cranes, 11 and 12 metres tall. On ul. Tkacka a Rocking
Horse will make a stop. We will walk through the Gate with a plant motif by Zbrojownia, and in Park Oruński we will find the Lightships and the illuminated Little Bridge. Right at the entrance we will be welcomed there by the Gate Illumination, which will also appear in Park Kuźniczki. On Skwer Ruchu Młodej Polski a 6-metre-high Carillon will stand, Droga do Wolności will be lit by the Solidarność sign, Rybackie Pobrzeże by #GDN, and Skwer Stogi will be decorated by the BalticHub Christmas Tree.
For the duration of the Market, the streets of Gdańsk’s historic centre, thanks to beautiful illuminations, will turn
into a Christmas town. This is partly thanks to the Strategic Partner of the Christmas Market and Gdańsk Illuminations – Gdańskie Wodociągi.
The supporting partner of the Gdańsk Christmas Market is Grupa GPEC – sponsor of the Gdańsk illuminations.
MARKET ATTRACTIONS NON-STOP
– YOUNG GDAŃSK RESIDENTS' CHRISTMAS TREE
– AMBERSKY CHRISTMAS TRAVEL CORNER
– Gdańsk Carousel
– Flight simulator SANTA’S SLEIGH
– Spinning Coaster SPINNING BARRELS
– Observation Wheel
KATARZYNKA THE TALKING POSTBOX
CHRISTMAS STAGE WITH SANTA’S THRONE
SANTA’S WORKSHOP
ADVENT GATE – SURPRISES FOR CHILDREN
GPEC MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS
LUCEK THE MOOSE
ANGELIC MILL
GROVE WITH A WAYSIDE SHRINE
ENCHANTED FOUNTAIN BY WEDEL
ILLUMINATIONS AT THE MARKET 20 figures!
ILLUMINATED SIGN: CHRISTMAS MARKET
LIGHT CANOPY ON UL. BOGUSŁAWSKIEGO
LIGHT CANOPY and GATE AT THE ENTRANCE TO ZBROJOWNIA
FIGURES – CLOCK, CANDELABRAS, ARMCHAIR, BAUBLE
THREE LUMINOUS GATES, GAZEBO, WEDEL CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN, WINGS
Key information:
Stalls open to visitors:
Sunday – Thursday 12:00–20:00, Friday – Saturday 12:00–21:00
Christmas Market: 24 November – 23 December
Targ Węglowy, ul. Bogusławskiego, ul. Tkacka, Zbrojownia, Zespół Przedbramia
WWW: bożonarodzeniowy.pl
FB: facebook.com/jarmarkbozonarodzeniowygdansk
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/jarmarkbozonarodzeniowy/
TIK TOK: @gdansk_bozonarodzeniowy
