Gdańsk in winter: what to do from November to February. Weather, Christmas market, ice rink, museums and the sea

Gdańsk in winter is a city without queues: the Christmas market runs from 20 November to 23 December, there is an ice rink ten minutes from the main station, more than a dozen museums to escape the cold, and empty beaches you walk along in a woolly hat. Days are short: in December and January it is light for 7 to 8 hours, so plan anything outdoors before 3 p.m. and keep the evening for the lights, museums and restaurants. Below we have gathered what to do in Gdańsk in winter, from November to February: the weather and daylight month by month, outdoor and indoor attractions, ideas for families with children, a weekend plan and where to stay so that everything is within walking distance. Information as of 4 November 2026.

Gdańsk weather in winter and daylight hours: November to February

Winter in Gdańsk is windy and damp, but rarely very cold. The average temperature is about 5°C in November and about 0 to 2°C from December to February. Snow does fall, but by the sea it usually does not stay long; you are more likely to get sleet and wet cobblestones. The wind from the bay makes it feel a few degrees colder, so a windproof jacket, a hat and waterproof shoes matter more than a thick coat.

The other thing to prepare for is the light. On the shortest day of the year the sun rises after 8 a.m. and sets before 3:30 p.m. The table shows what to expect in Gdańsk in November, December, January and February, and what is happening in the city at the time.

Sunrise and sunset times are for Gdańsk in winter time (CET). Temperatures are long-term monthly averages; in any given week it can be 8°C or −10°C.

Christmas market and festive lights: 20 November to 23 December

The biggest winter attraction in Gdańsk is the Christmas market on Targ Węglowy (Coal Market), two minutes from the Golden Gate. In 2026 it runs from Friday 20 November to Wednesday 23 December, with stalls open daily from 12:00 to 20:00 and until 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Entry is free. In December a Christmas tree stands on Długi Targ (Long Market), and Długa, Mariacka and Targ Węglowy are decorated with lights that come on at dusk, from about 3:30 p.m.

It is busiest at weekends after 4 p.m. If you want to eat and look at the stalls without elbowing your way through, come on a weekday between 12:00 and 15:00 or at a weekend right after opening. Details, getting there and parking are in our separate article on the Gdańsk Christmas Market 2026.

After 23 December the city slows down. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day most restaurants and shops are closed, public museums close from 24 to 26 December, and the lights stay on. If you are coming then, read our article on Christmas in Gdańsk, and before 31 December the one on New Year’s Eve in Gdańsk.

Ice skating in Gdańsk: Plac Zebrań Ludowych and Hala Olivia

The city ice rink run by the Gdańsk Archipelago of Culture (GAK) is on Plac Zebrań Ludowych, about 10 minutes on foot from Gdańsk Główny station and about 20 minutes from Długi Targ. In the 2025/26 season it opened on 22 November in a heated tent hall. One hour on the ice cost PLN 25, a family ticket PLN 75 and skate hire PLN 20. Sessions started at 2:30 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday and at 11:30 a.m. at weekends. GAK announces the opening date and prices for 2026/27 shortly before the start, in previous years in the second half of November; check the current timetable on the GAK website before you go.

The second option works all year round: Hala Olivia on al. Grunwaldzka, about 25 minutes by tram or SKM train from the centre. Public skating takes place at set times, usually in the afternoons and at weekends, between training sessions and matches; the arena publishes the schedule. It is the answer for November, before the city rink opens, and for February, when the centre gets busy during the school holidays.

Museums in Gdańsk in winter: indoor attractions

In winter museums are the main part of the programme, especially once it gets dark outside. The biggest choice is in the city centre, within a 15-minute walk of Długi Targ:

• Museum of the Second World War: ticket PLN 33, the main exhibition is free on Tuesdays until 4 p.m., closed on Mondays. Allow half a day.
• European Solidarity Centre: PLN 40, closed on Tuesdays, about 2 hours.
• Amber Museum in the Great Mill: PLN 37, free on Mondays, closed on Tuesdays.
• Main Town Hall and Artus Court: PLN 26 each, free on Mondays, closed on Tuesdays.
• Hevelianum on Góra Gradowa: PLN 30 for three exhibitions, family ticket PLN 80, closed on Mondays.
• Museum of Illusions: PLN 49, open daily, about an hour.

Guardhouse No. 1 on Westerplatte, the Museum of Gdańsk Science and the Water Forge in Oliwa close for the winter, and all public museums are closed from 24 to 26 December. The full list with prices, free days and a one-, two- and three-day plan is in our article on museums in Gdańsk, and for a day of heavy rain we have a separate list: what to do in Gdańsk when it rains.

The sea in winter: beaches, piers and Westerplatte

The beach in winter is one of the best things about Gdańsk. The sand is firm, the air is clean, and over a few hundred metres you pass only a handful of people walking their dogs. The closest beach to the centre is Brzeźno: about 25 minutes by tram from near the station, with a free wooden pier, a promenade and a few places open all year. From Brzeźno the promenade takes you to Jelitkowo (about 4 km) and on to Sopot. On the other side of the port is Stogi, a wider and wilder beach with pine forest behind the dunes, also reachable by tram.

Outside the season you can walk onto Sopot pier without a ticket. In 2025 the fee applied from 11 April to 30 September and entry was free for the rest of the year; check the rules for 2026/27 on the pier’s website. From Gdańsk Główny to Sopot it is a quarter of an hour on the SKM train. Westerplatte is open all year and free, with bus 106 from the centre; Guardhouse No. 1 is closed in winter, but you can freely visit the monument, the grounds and the Port Canal waterfront. If you like birds, in January and February hundreds of ducks and swans winter at the Mewia Łacha reserve on Sobieszewo Island at the mouth of the Vistula, and with a bit of luck you will see seals on the sandbanks.

One practical note: with a northerly wind it is a few degrees colder on the beach than in town. Gloves and a flask of tea turn a half-hour walk into a two-hour one.

Gdańsk in winter with kids: things to do

With short days and changeable weather, alternating works best: an hour or two outside, then something indoors. Combinations that work in winter (places open all year are in our article on things to do with kids in Gdańsk):

• Ice rink and Christmas market in one afternoon: Plac Zebrań Ludowych and Targ Węglowy are about a 15-minute walk apart. Last season a family ticket for the rink cost PLN 75.
• Hevelianum: hands-on exhibitions where children can touch everything, plus a view over the city from Góra Gradowa. It is about a 20-minute walk from Długi Targ; after dark, take Podwale Grodzkie back rather than the paths through the park.
• Museum of Illusions for a rainy morning, about an hour.
• Epiphany procession on 6 January: in previous years people gathered at about 11:30 on ul. Piwna and the procession went along Tkacka and Długa to Artus Court. Epiphany is a public holiday in Poland and shops are closed.
• Majaland Gdańsk in Kowale, an amusement park for children up to about 12 with most attractions indoors, about 25 minutes by car from the centre. Getting there, tickets and opening hours are in our article on Majaland Gdańsk.
• Brzeźno beach on a sunny day: the pier, the playground by the promenade and hot chocolate in one of the cafés on the way.

School winter holidays in the Pomeranian region fall on 1 to 14 February 2027. During that time the ice rink and Hevelianum are busiest in the middle of the day, so it is better to arrive right after opening.

A winter weekend in Gdańsk

Saturday. In the morning, the Museum of the Second World War before it gets crowded (about 3 hours). Lunch in the Main Town. After lunch, at about 1:30 p.m., walk along Długa and Długi Targ, through the Green Gate to the Motława, past the Crane to Ołowianka or Granary Island; do this in daylight, before 3 p.m. After dark: the Christmas market on Targ Węglowy in November and December, the ice rink in January and February. Dinner in the centre and something warm to finish the day: we describe a few places in where to warm up in Gdańsk on cold evenings.

Sunday. Before noon take the SKM train to Sopot, walk onto the pier without a ticket, walk along the beach towards Jelitkowo and take the tram back to the centre (about 3 hours in total). In the afternoon, the European Solidarity Centre or Hevelianum, both open on Sundays. If you have a late flight or train, you can leave your suitcases for those few hours at the 24/7 luggage storage on Granary Island; getting to the airport is covered in how to get from Gdańsk airport to the city centre.

Where to stay in Gdańsk in winter

In winter location matters more than in summer: it is dark at 3:30 p.m., often windy, and between one attraction and the next you will want to go back to a warm flat for an hour. The most convenient areas are the Main Town, Granary Island and the area around Targ Węglowy: from there the Christmas market, the museums, the Motława and the station are a few minutes’ walk away, and Brzeźno beach is one tram ride.

We run more than 150 apartments in the very centre of Gdańsk, each with its own kitchen, which is more useful in winter than in summer: you have breakfast without going out in the rain, and you have somewhere to dry your jacket between a walk and a museum. In January and February the average nightly price of our apartments is clearly lower than in summer; Christmas and New Year’s Eve are the most expensive, so book those dates early. You will find them on the apartments in Gdańsk page, and below we show a few options close to Długi Targ.

Gdańsk in winter: frequently asked questions