We’re about to enter season nine of the Local Guides project, taking us to walks and lectures taking place in various quarters of Gdańsk. Open meetings, during which Local Guides may broaden their knowledge of individual districts (free of charge) take place from April until June. The lectures are open for all lovers of Gdańsk wanting to discover the unique history of the city. At the end of June, CCI invites everyone to regular walks taking visitors on alternative routes around Zaspa, Biskupia Górka, Dolne Miasto, Nowy Port, Orunia, Oliwa, and – for the first time –  also Sobieszewo Island.

“Walks around various districts of Gdańsk enjoy unfading popularity among locals and tourists alike. In 2018, more than 5,500 people took part in tours organized by Local Guides. With this project, we are able to show individual districts and their histories from the perspective of locals who live there – they are the ones planning the routes, building on their memories as well as trivia and anecdotes from local life. This year, Local Guides will be making their debut on Sobieszewo Island”, says Barbara Sroka from the City Culture Institute.

Local Guides on Sobieszewo Island, lectures and walks between 6 April and 8 June

Who is the hero of Sobieszewo Island? Why was the Vistula being ‘bold’ here? What was donated for parish use? The City Culture Institute and Treasure Island of the Gdańsk Archipelago of Culture invite everyone with an interest in Sobieszewo to open lectures showcasing the third largest island on the Polish coast, which features two nature reserves. The series of lectures will also serve as a preparatory course for future Local Guide around the area.

The full programme of meetings is listed on https://bit.ly/2UUGBSd.

Lecture venue: Gdańsk Archipelago of Culture – Treasure Island (Wyspa Skarbów GAK), 3 Turystyczna St., Gdańsk Sobieszewo

Local Guides in Oliwa, lectures and walks between 7 April and 10 June

 “This spring we want to show Oliwa as both a nobly old and beautifully modern district of Gdańsk – the present-day space around us as well as the one portrayed by painters, described by poets and writers. Together, we will look at the different images of this part of the town: hearing about the artists it enchanted, getting to know the stories carried by the local stream, interesting anecdotes about atmospheric tenement houses and memories locked in the rattle of trams. We will discover awe-inspiring and nostalgic places. All inhabitants and fans of Oliwa are invited to our open, free lectures and walks,” announces Magda Majchrzakowska, Local Guide coordinator in Oliwa.

The full programme of meetings is listed on https://bit.ly/2JJLuMT

Lecture venue: Oliwa Town Hall of Culture, Sala Sceniczna, 25 Opata Jacka Rybińskiego St.

Local Guides in Nowy Port, lectures and walks between 17 April and 15 June

Our meetings will look back at the history of the district and its post-war development. Participants of the lectures will find out about the migrations around Nowy Port and get to know what the district looked like on old postcards. “We will take a peek into places that are normally off limits, such as the depot, the harbour master’s office and a tugboat. We will also have the opportunity to visit the garden next to the Maritime Church and areas owned by the Border Guard”, says Katarzyna Werner, Local Guide around Nowy Port. “Those looking for alternative routes may choose the graffiti tour or the port sounds route”, she adds.

The full programme of meetings is listed on https://bit.ly/2YqDSlO

Lecture venue: Neighbourhood House (Dom Sąsiedzki) in Nowy Port, 49 Wyzwolenia St.

Local Guides in Orunia, lectures and walks between 10 April and 12 June

This year, participants of our meetings will get to know the history of the Gdańsk Printing House, the largest Polish enterprise in the Free City of Gdańsk. The Polish Academy of Sciences – Gdańsk Library will be showcasing its collection on the history of Orunia, and we will also learn about the district’s strategic location in terms of the city’s defence system. “We will hear about the Orunia urban renewal project and the plans associated with it. A cycling tour will take us around interesting natural locations, showcasing the tourist potential of the area. And, last but not least, we will check whether crime was really as widespread in Orunia as in present-day urban legends”, says Aleksandra Abakanowicz, Local Guide around Orunia.


The full programme of meetings is listed on  https://bit.ly/2CFYUns

Lecture venue: Orunia Station – Gdańsk Archipelago of Culture (Stacja Orunia GAK), 9 Dworcowa St.

Local Guides in Dolne Miasto, lectures and walks between 4 April and 13 June

 “If you think we’ve already said all there is to say about Dolne Miasto during the last five years with Local Guides, the sixth year will prove you wrong”, announces Jacek Górski, Local Guide around Dolne Miasto and chair of the Dolne Miasto Storytellers Association. “Have we already talked about masonic lodges? About the Red Army’s struggle for Dolne Miasto? The synagogue on Szopy St.? The Gdańsk Tobacco Monopoly building? This is what the lecture plan looks like. The guided tour will take place in May in the form of an early morning ornithological walk”, invites the guide.

The full programme of meetings is listed on https://bit.ly/2HWXtV8

Lecture venue: ŁAŹNIA CCA, 1 Jaskółcza St.

Local Guides in Zaspa, lectures and walks between 11 April and May/June

Zaspa is where it all began. Local Guides have been organizing tours of Zaspa’s Monumental Art Collection since 2011. Our oldest route still attracts fans of street art, architecture, aviation and local trivia. “We will start with a lecture about artists who created the Collection, talking about Zaspa in the context of mural art around the world (11 April). Like each year, we’ll be joining the nationwide Slow Art Day (27 April) and take the route of love, which is the main focus of this year’s edition”, says Jarek Orłowski, Local Guide around the collection of murals.

The Zaspa murals are one of the most photogenic sightseeing attractions. The spring edition will also include a photographic workshop and lecture devoted to the fascinating history of the district’s urban development design and its bold assumptions that were never fully implemented.

The full programme of meetings is listed on http://bit.ly/2TK77fL.
Starting point of walks, lecture and workshop venue: Gdańsk Archipelago of Culture – Plama (Plama GAK), 11 Pilotów St.

Local Guides in Biskupia Górka, lectures and walks between 27 April and 18 June

 “Like in recent years, this year we have also planned walks around places that are normally difficult to access – we’ll be visiting the fortifications and the vicinity of the Paul Beneke Youth Hostel. We will also ponder on the oldest military history of Gdańsk. We will discover the origin of street names around Biskupia Górka and the Zaroślak estate, find out more about the Cafe Bischofshöhe restaurant and see new exhibits and treasures related to our district (new ones keep cropping up!)”, says Magdalena Kamrowska, Local Guide and member of the Biskupia Górka Association.

The full programme of meetings is listed on http://bit.ly/2WEyPwf.

Lecture venue: Gdańsk School of Higher Education, 24b Biskupia St.

Co-funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Cultural Promotion Fund. Programme: Accessible Culture.

www.ikm.gda.pl/lokalniprzewodnicy

Organized by: City Culture Institute, City of Gdańsk

District partners: Biskupia Górka Association, Dolne Miasto Storytellers Association, From Liberation to Freedom Group, Gdańsk Community Foundation, Stacja Orunia GAK, Plama GAK, Wyspa Skarbów GAK.

Partners: Sobieszewo Island District Council, Society of Friends of Sobieszewo Island, Oliwa Town Hall of Culture, Oliwa District Council, Staraoliwa.pl, Nowy Port of Art Association, Neighbourhood House in Nowy Port, ŁAŹNIA CCA, Waga Association, biskupiagorka.pl, Gdańsk School of Higher Education.

Media patrons: Gazeta Wyborcza Trójmiasto, Radio Gdańsk, Trójmiasto.pl, Poznaj Świat, iBedeker.pl