Gdańsk is a major port city on Poland’s Baltic coast, with around 489,000 people. With more than a thousand years of history, it developed into one of the most important trading cities of the Baltic and became a powerful member of the Hanseatic League. Much of the historic centre was destroyed during the Second World War but was extensively reconstructed, including the colourful façades along Długi Targ, the medieval Crane and the enormous St Mary’s Church. Gdańsk also occupies a central place in modern European history: the German attack on nearby Westerplatte on 1 September 1939 marked the beginning of the Second World War in Europe, while the Solidarity movement emerged from the Gdańsk Shipyard in 1980 and helped bring about the collapse of communist rule in Poland. The city’s metal history is equally notable as the birthplace of Behemoth, formed in Gdańsk in 1991 and later becoming one of Poland’s most internationally successful extreme metal bands.

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