Neptune's Fountain in Gdańsk

The Neptune Fountain (Fontanna Neptuna) in Gdańsk is the city's best-known landmark: a bronze statue of the Roman sea god, trident raised, standing on Long Market (Długi Targ) in front of the Artus Court since the 1630s. It sums up the story of Gdańsk as a wealthy Baltic port and Hanseatic trading city, and it is the natural starting point for exploring the historic Main Town. Seeing it costs nothing, and it is one of the top things to do in Gdańsk.

Where is the Neptune Fountain?

Gdańsk (pronounced "g-DAHNSK") lies on Poland's Baltic coast, about 3 hours from Warsaw by express train. The fountain stands in the pedestrian heart of the Main Town (Główne Miasto) on Long Market, the wide square at the end of the Royal Route, where Polish kings once processed into the city. It is roughly a 15-minute walk from Gdańsk Główny railway station; the fountain stands about 20 m in front of the Artus Court entrance (GPS 54.348568, 18.653267).

A short history

The city council, led by mayor Bartholomäus Schachmann, commissioned the fountain to replace an older well. Design, sculpting and casting work ran from 1606 to 1615. Abraham van den Blocke designed the Neptune figure, and the Flemish artist Peter Husen made the casting model. The statue was cast in bronze in 1612 in the city foundry, using a mold by bellfounder Gerdt Benning, and weighs about 650 kg (1,430 lb).

Delays caused by the rebuilding of the Artus Court and the Thirty Years' War meant the fountain only began working on October 9, 1633; a wrought-iron fence followed the next year. In 1757–1761, sculptor Johann Karl Stender added Rococo elements to the basin, and the fence gained Polish eagles and Gdańsk coats of arms.

During World War II the fountain was dismantled and hidden in the village of Parchowo, while its base was bricked up; the trident and part of the sea horse were lost. After restoration it returned to Long Market and was switched back on on July 22, 1954. The most recent major renovation, in 2011–2012, added a new water treatment system and lighting.

Fun facts

• According to a Gdańsk legend, Neptune "invented" the city's famous Goldwasser liqueur: angered by the coins thrown into his fountain, he struck the water with his trident and shattered the gold into tiny flakes, which have glittered in the herbal liqueur ever since.
• Thieves repeatedly broke off the sea horse's fin from the 1980s on, so conservators eventually had it made from a brittle, worthless material to take the profit out of stealing it.
• A replica of the fountain stands in the Mini-Europe miniature park in Brussels.

What to look for

• the bronze Neptune in a dynamic Mannerist pose,
• a basin of black-and-blue Belgian marble on a black tuff stem,
• Rococo sea creatures around the pool,
• the ornate iron fence with gilded Polish eagles.

For the best photos, frame Neptune against the white facade of the Artus Court, shoot along Długa Street with the Main Town Hall tower behind, or look down on the fountain from the town hall tower's viewing platform. The fountain is lit up at night.

Practical information

The fountain is in an open public square, so it is free to see at any time. The water, however, runs only in the warmer months. According to Gdańskie Melioracje, the city company that maintains Gdańsk's fountains, Neptune is traditionally switched on after Easter and turned off at the end of September, because frost could damage its narrow nozzles. Visit in winter and you will see the statue without water; exact dates depend on the weather.

You only need a few minutes at the fountain itself, but it usually anchors a 2–3 hour walk through the Main Town. The square is flat, though partly cobbled, and works for strollers and wheelchairs.

How to get there

From Gdańsk Główny station, walk through the Upland Gate and Golden Gate and along Długa Street — the historic Royal Route — to Long Market. Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport is linked to the city center by train and bus. The center has paid parking zones, so public transport, a bike or a parking lot on the edge of downtown is the easiest option.

Is it worth visiting?

Absolutely — it is free, central and genuinely beautiful, especially in the evening light. Combine it with the nearby sights:

• Artus Court, the former merchants' meeting hall, now part of the Museum of Gdańsk,
• the Main Town Hall and its tower,
• the Green Gate and the medieval Crane on the Motława River,
• Mariacka Street with its amber workshops and St. Mary's Basilica.

About 15 minutes' walk away is the Museum of the Second World War, and a bus ride takes you to Westerplatte, where World War II began.