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The Lech Walesa Airport is situated about 15 km from the city centre. It also has a City Terminal in the centre at ul. Heweliusza 13-17 (opposite the Mercure Hevelius Hotel). This allows passengers to check in, drop off luggage and find out flight information on the day of departure. All information about airlines, departures and arrivals etc. is available here.
Disabled info – You can request assistance at the airport in advance by filling out the online form located here.
Services at the airport – There are the usual range of cafés and shops, as well as a tourist information point, currency exchanges and car rental located at the airport. Full details of shops and facilities can be found on the airport's website here.
Gdańsk Głowny Train Station is located on ul. Podwale Grodzkie. Phone: +48 58 721 5415.
The station is located close to the Old Town and although the main building is not open 24 hours the ticket office, currency exchange and left luggage facilities are. The main building is closed from 01:00am – 03:30am but you can still gain access to the ticket office by patrolling security guards.
ATMs and public telephones are also available within the main hall. To get from the station to the town centre go down the steps facing McDonalds and turn right. Head for the EMPiC bookshop and then turn right again and head up the steps leading to ul. Podwale Grodzkie. The Old Town is a five minute walk from here.
Be aware that the main station in Gdansk, Gdansk Glowny, is actually two separate stations – the main station runs the PKP or intercity/long-distance services, and the other serves the SKM or local and regional services. They have separate ticket offices and platforms, and not much of the signage is in English.
The railway network in Poland is well organized both in respect of convenient connections and the standard of travel. Some people have even suggested that Poland is best visited by train. You will find all information about travelling by train, including timetables, reservations and prices here (the site has an in-built Google Translate feature).
For further (and perhaps easier to access) timetable information, although not for booking tickets, try Bahn.de (the German railways site) which carries full timetable information for trains across Europe, including international services.
Fast and express trains run between the largest cities. Fast trains run between the larger cities without stopping at smaller stations. Express trains run between the main Polish cities.
Regional trains carry passengers to smaller towns. Travelling by slower trains you can visit smaller Polish towns and villages. These trains usually run over short routes and often stop at all the local stations.
Be aware that the main station in Gdansk, Gdansk Glowny, is actually two separate stations – the main station runs the PKP or intercity/long-distance services, and the other serves the SKM or local and regional services. They have separate ticket offices and platforms, and not much of the signage is in English.
Train fares depend on the route, the kind of train and the class of travel. Different promotional prices are always on offer, so it's worth checking and trying to book in advance for the best deals. For details ask at any railway station.
Polish trains have very diverse standards. Express trains are of the highest standard, regional or the slower trains are of the lowest standard. All trains, except for the slower ones, are divided into first and second class carriages. Intercity trains and many express trains have a separate restaurant car. Some trains also have special smoking compartments. Long-distance trains are often equipped with additional sleeping-cars.
Disabled info – The Polish State Railway offer seats to disabled passengers in special carriages, and in some stations there are lifts on some platforms, but this varies from station to station.
You can reach most small towns in Poland by bus using the local buses, and all the host cities are all linked by long distance bus companies. The Polish national bus company is PKS (who have a website, but unfortunately it's only in Polish). Many long distance routes are served by Polski Express.
Most of the major bus terminals are in the centre of towns, and the bus station in Gdansk is next to the main train station, Gdansk Glowny. Tickets are bought at the bus station or for a slightly higher price onboard from the driver of your bus.
There are also many small, private bus companies which use micro-buses on special routes. To get to some of the really small towns and villages or more isolated parts of the country these small micro-buses are the only mode of transport. The micro-buses can be found near bus stations and railway stations and you buy your ticket from the driver.
If you are travelling to Gdańsk from other countries by car your best access routes are:
- from Berlin - via Szczecin, Koszalin and Słupsk
- from the eastern border of Poland - via Białstok and Olsztyn
- from the Czech and Slovak border - via Cracow and Warsaw
- from the Czech and German border – via Wrocław, Poznań and Bydgoszcz
- from the Czech border – via Katowice, Czestochowa, Lódź and Toruń
Once in Poland your main access routes to the Tri-city are:
- E28 from the west via Gdynia
- E75 from the south via Gdańsk
- E77 from the east via Warsaw
- A1 from the south via Gdańsk
The approximate mileage between Polish venues is as follows:
Warsaw – Gdansk = 209 miles / 336km
Warsaw – Poznan = 187 miles / 301km
Warsaw – Wroclaw = 214 miles / 344km
Gdansk – Poznan = 181 miles / 291km
Gdansk – Wroclaw = 270 miles / 435km
Poznan – Wroclaw = 102 miles / 164km
Car Hire Details – There are many places in the city centre where you can rent a car, as well as a couple of companies located at the airport (see the links above).
As in other parts of Europe when renting a car you sign a contract with the agency to undertake the following obligations:
• Full responsibility for the rented car.
• Only the person(s) mentioned in the contract can drive the car.
• The renter has to pay a deposit which and pay the fee according to the car hire company price list and the extra charges dependent on the client's requirements as stipulated in the contract.
The cost can range from as little as PLN 100 to PLN 400 a day depending on the make of car. With your rented car you can travel around Poland and to neighbouring countries (except those on the eastern border). To rent a car you will need a valid ID card or passport, a driving license and a credit card to use as a security deposit. In some places you can use cash, but these are rare.
History – The PGE Arena (formerly known as the Baltic Arena) was constructed. PGE (the Polish Energy Group) bought the naming rights to the stadium in late 2009 for five years. The facade of the stadium has been built to resemble amber, which has long been mined in the areas around Gdansk and the Baltic coast.
The stadium is home to Lechia Gdansk, and it also hosted a friendly between Poland and Germany in September 2011 as the new National Stadium in Warsaw was not yet ready.
It is a UEFA Category 4 stadium, and three group matches and one quarter final match are due to be played here.
Capacity – 44,000
Accessibility – The stadium can be reached by rail, tram and bus.
Stadium web link: www.pgearena.gdansk.pl
Directions – The stadium is located in the Letnica neighourhood, close to the waterfront, around 6km from the city centre.
The stationary Fan Embassy in Gdańsk will be located at Targ Węglowy.
Each host city will have a permanent, stationary Fans' Embassy throughout the tournament, as well as mobile Fans' Embassy teams operating in the days around matches played in that city. The mobile teams will be based at strategic points throughout the city (transport hubs, near the fanparks and stadiums, etc) and all Fans' Embassy staff will be on hand to offer advice and assistance to all supporters, either in person or by phone/email.
In each host city the Fans' Embassy will serve as a crucial source of information as well as a meeting point for all visiting supporters. The essence of a Fans' Embassy is to provide fan-specific services - such as ticket availability, public viewing facilities, locally applicable legislation, stadium regulations, match-day arrangements, etc.
However, you will also be able to obtain more general information you would normally find at a tourist office: accommodation, details of local transport timetables and routes, sightseeing opportunities, money exchange, etc.
The staff of the Fan Embassy will generally be drawn out of the local fan scene and will offer visiting supporters detailed and relevant information in their own language, as well as provide swift and simple solutions to any problems that may arise.
Fans' Embassies will be located in easy to reach central areas and will be open daily throughout the tournament. Find out where they are by visiting their dedicated section of the web page and drop by once you arrive in town!
Once the preparations and arrangements from the host cities are finalised we will put all information on public viewing here.
As can be expected with all host cities, availability during EURO 2012 is likely to be limited, so we advise fans to book as early as possible. Gdansk does have a range of accommodation available, with much of it listed through the city's tourist board website. Check the links below for the varying types of accommodation available:
In most hotels, breakfast is included. In guest-houses this can vary, and information about breakfast is usually provided at the point of booking. Check-out times are typically between 10am and noon. In the larger hotels you can pay by debit and credit card. In some smaller hotels, guest-houses, hostels or camping paying by cash is preferred. Some will insist on cash payments and be unable to process credit cards, so bear this in mind.
The level of hotel service in Gdańsk is similar to other western European cities. The most popular foreign language in Poland is English, and the second is German. In most hotels you can communicate in English easily. In other places of accommodation English is known at least to a basic level. If not, do not hesitate to ask someone for help in translation.
You can book through the website links above, or alternatively try Hotels.com, Booking.com, Hostelbookers.com, Hostelworld.com. Before booking anywhere, we would advise you to check out independent reviews, if possible, through Tripadvisor.com.
The main tourism website for the city can be found here (it has versions in seven different languages, including English).
There are four main nightlife areas in and around Gdansk to head for. The area from the main railway station to "Długa" street is the most central, while the area of "Wrzeszcz" to the northwest of the city, where the Gdańsk University of Technology is located, is popular with students. The seafront has a number of bars and restaurants, as does ul. Bohaterow Monte Casino (commonly called Monciak) in Sopot, a spa town further up the coast to the northwest of Gdansk.
The Gdansk tourist website offers a full list of eating and drinking establishments, split into categories (pizzerias, bars/fast food, cafés, pubs and restaurants). All the bars and restaurants are handily marked on a map, too.
Remember that in Poland it is prohibited to drink alcohol in public places, with the exception of properly licensed designated places, such as bars, restaurants, open air cafés, etc.
You should tip in restaurants and cafés, and it is also not unusual to tip taxi drivers. Typically around 10% of the bill is common, and to not tip implies that the food or service has been poor.
Be wary, however. If you present your payment to the waiter/waitress and say 'thank you', it is implied that they will keep the change. That could be an expensive mistake if you're paying a few PLN for a coffee with a 50 PLN note!
Lechia Gdańsk was founded in 1945, and play in white and green. Their biggest success was in 1983 when they won the Polish Cup as a 2nd division team, and ended up playing against Juventus in Europe. The game became a chance for showing support for 'Solidarnosc' and freedom, because the game was transmitted by Italian TV – in Poland at the time the TV coverage was censored.
During the communist era Lechia's fans were well known for their contribution in fighting for freedom, and at each game police tried to repress the supporters. Those years made Lechia fans tough in their beliefs.
In 2001 after some major financial problems the club were forced to start again from the bottom – Poland's 6th division. The club continues to exist thanks only to its fans – who gave money for everything – even for players' boots. After 5 years the club had retained its place in the second division, with large help from the city. They have since been promoted to the top flight (the Polish Ekstraklasa) and hope to establish themselves as one of the biggest clubs in Poland.
Famous former players include Andrzej Szarmach, Tomasz Wałdoch, and Sławomir Wojciechowski.
Lechia Gdańsk fans are also one of the mentors of football supporters society in the country. They were among the first groups to travel around the country for Lechia's games. They have long-standing friendships with three other clubs – Wisła Kraków, Śląsk Wrocław (the longest in Poland, at 34 years) and Gryf Słupsk. In Poland these 'fan friendships' means a great deal to both sides.
The group that is responsible for the choreography in the stadium is "Ultras Lechia Gdansk", a part of "Lwy Północy", which is the only official supporters' association. They organise transport for away games, produce fans' material, make tournaments for fans and children, organise patriotic, social, charity actions and promote their city.
Lechia fans like to participate in each away game if it is possible. However, at the end of last season the Polish prime minister gave an order to football authorities to prohibit fans in Ekstraklasa for travelling to away games. Lechia fans are known as "Lechistas", and are among the most passionate in the country.
Lechia's fans don't have one place where they meet, but that kind of place for sure will be the new sport pub on the PGE Arena.
Today Gdansk is a dynamically developing city and a well known tourist destination, with a renovated and beautiful Old Town, full of charming places. Highly recommended is a walk through Dluga Street and Dlugi Targ Street, Mariacka (St. Mary's) Street and along the Motlava River. The Old Town in Gdansk offers not only historical monuments, but also it is a place where Gdansk's nightlife is starting to wake up and is home to a number of interesting places including good restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs and clubs.
During the summertime Gdansk also means sandy and clean beaches with a high quality of sea water, offering numerous attractions such a sports equipment rentals, water slides, and bars. A very popular place to enjoy the summer break is the 130-meter pier located in the Gdansk-Brzezno district, the longest wooden pier in Europe.
Here is a list of all the tourist information points throughout the city.
Malbork Castle, located in the city of Malbork around 60 kilometers south of Gdansk, is high up the list of nearby attractions. The Castle is the largest UNESCO-protected brick castle in the world. It was built in the 13th and 14th century in Prussia by the Teutonic Knights, a German Roman Catholic religious order of crusaders. From 1309 till the end of their supremacy Malbork was their military and political headquarters. The outermost castle walls enclose 52 acres which in fact contains three castles – the High, Middle and Lower ones, separated by multiple dry moats and towers.
The city of Sopot is well-known as a Polish premier spa town, and is full of popular bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. It is one of the main centres of nightlife in the tri-city area (Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot). The main street, ul. Bohaterow Monte Casino, is one of Poland's most famous streets, commonly called Monciak. Sopot's pier, built in 1827 and renovated lately with a brand new marina is the longest wooden pier in Europe.
The Hel Pennisula is a 35 kilometers long sand bar peninsula located around 70 km north of Gdansk. It is a paradise for all windsurfers and kitesurfers, with a full sports infrastructure.
Sunday 10 June 2012, 18.00CET
#5: Spain vs Italy
Thursday 14 June 2012, 20.45CET
#14: Spain vs Ireland
Monday 18 June 2012, 20.45CET
#21: Croatia vs Spain
Once the arrangements from UEFA are finalised, we will put all specific matchday information here, including:
UEFA ticketing points
Match day transport (park and ride, etc)
EURO street signage
Cordons/checks, etc
To leave a social legacy in Poland and Ukraine UEFA supports, besides RESPECT Fan Culture – Fans' Embassies, three further programmes that aim on social change.
50% of all European disabled people have never participated in leisure or sport activities. EURO 2012 provides an opportunity to improve access to football and for the removal of physical, sensory and intellectual barriers in public places in the region. It is recognised that supporting and playing football is an integral and vital part of European culture and tradition. Football is increasingly diverse; this naturally includes many more disabled people. The Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE) has formed a disability alliance in the region to help to deliver the awareness project, Respect Inclusion – Football with No Limits.
EURO 2012 offers a unique chance to promote a positive message of diversity and inclusion. The programme will be delivered on behalf of FARE by the long established regional partner, the 'Never Again' Association. Civil society organisations, and ethnic minorities in particular, have been motivated to engage with the preparations. Important stakeholders have signed up to the anti-discrimination agenda. The FARE activities concentrate on minimizing the risk of racist incidents during the tournament as well as promotion of anti-discrimination measures.
RESPECT your Health - Euroschools 2012 is the official community health education programme of the UEFA EURO 2012. This one-year project aims to promote a healthy lifestyle, with a focus on smoking prevention, responsible alcohol consumption, healthy diet and physical activity among young people and their families in Poland and Ukraine. Through a train the trainers approach, local institutions and NGOs in the eight UEFA EURO 2012 host cities will be empowered to activate their communities and promote good health. A guide will help coaches, teachers, social workers and Orlik animators use the power of football and sport to engage communities, increase health literacy levels, and establish a common feeling of ownership for public (sport) grounds.
UEFA EURO 2012 will be tobacco-free. A complete ban on the use, sale or promotion of tobacco will be in force in both indoor and outdoor areas of all match venues. Put into place to protect the health, safety and comfort of all fans and other tournament participants, the tobacco ban complements other activities such as Respect your Health that use the force of football to promote social issues.
EURO tournaments bring people together on and off the pitch. All sorts of encounters are made, some closer than others. The fun may know no bounds, but there are of course rules. Encounters between people from all over Europe can be unforgettable, as long as they are respectful, good humoured and a danger to no one. Show HIV and AIDS the red card. The HIV virus doesn't play fair, so you have to. Unforgettable encounters should leave no lasting damage. When you think fun and passion, think health too: condoms protect!
The Lech Walesa Airport is situated about 15 km from the city centre. It also has a City Terminal in the centre at ul. Heweliusza 13-17 (opposite the Mercure Hevelius Hotel). This allows passengers to check in, drop off luggage and find out flight information on the day of departure. All information about airlines, departures and arrivals etc. is available here.
Disabled info – You can request assistance at the airport in advance by filling out the online form located here.
Services at the airport – There are the usual range of cafés and shops, as well as a tourist information point, currency exchanges and car rental located at the airport. Full details of shops and facilities can be found on the airport's website here.
Gdańsk Głowny Train Station is located on ul. Podwale Grodzkie. Phone: +48 58 721 5415.
The station is located close to the Old Town and although the main building is not open 24 hours the ticket office, currency exchange and left luggage facilities are. The main building is closed from 01:00am – 03:30am but you can still gain access to the ticket office by patrolling security guards.
ATMs and public telephones are also available within the main hall. To get from the station to the town centre go down the steps facing McDonalds and turn right. Head for the EMPiC bookshop and then turn right again and head up the steps leading to ul. Podwale Grodzkie. The Old Town is a five minute walk from here.
Be aware that the main station in Gdansk, Gdansk Glowny, is actually two separate stations – the main station runs the PKP or intercity/long-distance services, and the other serves the SKM or local and regional services. They have separate ticket offices and platforms, and not much of the signage is in English.
The railway network in Poland is well organized both in respect of convenient connections and the standard of travel. Some people have even suggested that Poland is best visited by train. You will find all information about travelling by train, including timetables, reservations and prices here (the site has an in-built Google Translate feature).
For further (and perhaps easier to access) timetable information, although not for booking tickets, try Bahn.de (the German railways site) which carries full timetable information for trains across Europe, including international services.
Fast and express trains run between the largest cities. Fast trains run between the larger cities without stopping at smaller stations. Express trains run between the main Polish cities.
Regional trains carry passengers to smaller towns. Travelling by slower trains you can visit smaller Polish towns and villages. These trains usually run over short routes and often stop at all the local stations.
Be aware that the main station in Gdansk, Gdansk Glowny, is actually two separate stations – the main station runs the PKP or intercity/long-distance services, and the other serves the SKM or local and regional services. They have separate ticket offices and platforms, and not much of the signage is in English.
Train fares depend on the route, the kind of train and the class of travel. Different promotional prices are always on offer, so it's worth checking and trying to book in advance for the best deals. For details ask at any railway station.
Polish trains have very diverse standards. Express trains are of the highest standard, regional or the slower trains are of the lowest standard. All trains, except for the slower ones, are divided into first and second class carriages. Intercity trains and many express trains have a separate restaurant car. Some trains also have special smoking compartments. Long-distance trains are often equipped with additional sleeping-cars.
Disabled info – The Polish State Railway offer seats to disabled passengers in special carriages, and in some stations there are lifts on some platforms, but this varies from station to station.
You can reach most small towns in Poland by bus using the local buses, and all the host cities are all linked by long distance bus companies. The Polish national bus company is PKS (who have a website, but unfortunately it's only in Polish). Many long distance routes are served by Polski Express.
Most of the major bus terminals are in the centre of towns, and the bus station in Gdansk is next to the main train station, Gdansk Glowny. Tickets are bought at the bus station or for a slightly higher price onboard from the driver of your bus.
There are also many small, private bus companies which use micro-buses on special routes. To get to some of the really small towns and villages or more isolated parts of the country these small micro-buses are the only mode of transport. The micro-buses can be found near bus stations and railway stations and you buy your ticket from the driver.
If you are travelling to Gdańsk from other countries by car your best access routes are:
- from Berlin - via Szczecin, Koszalin and Słupsk
- from the eastern border of Poland - via Białstok and Olsztyn
- from the Czech and Slovak border - via Cracow and Warsaw
- from the Czech and German border – via Wrocław, Poznań and Bydgoszcz
- from the Czech border – via Katowice, Czestochowa, Lódź and Toruń
Once in Poland your main access routes to the Tri-city are:
- E28 from the west via Gdynia
- E75 from the south via Gdańsk
- E77 from the east via Warsaw
- A1 from the south via Gdańsk
The approximate mileage between Polish venues is as follows:
Warsaw – Gdansk = 209 miles / 336km
Warsaw – Poznan = 187 miles / 301km
Warsaw – Wroclaw = 214 miles / 344km
Gdansk – Poznan = 181 miles / 291km
Gdansk – Wroclaw = 270 miles / 435km
Poznan – Wroclaw = 102 miles / 164km
Car Hire Details – There are many places in the city centre where you can rent a car, as well as a couple of companies located at the airport (see the links above).
As in other parts of Europe when renting a car you sign a contract with the agency to undertake the following obligations:
• Full responsibility for the rented car.
• Only the person(s) mentioned in the contract can drive the car.
• The renter has to pay a deposit which and pay the fee according to the car hire company price list and the extra charges dependent on the client's requirements as stipulated in the contract.
The cost can range from as little as PLN 100 to PLN 400 a day depending on the make of car. With your rented car you can travel around Poland and to neighbouring countries (except those on the eastern border). To rent a car you will need a valid ID card or passport, a driving license and a credit card to use as a security deposit. In some places you can use cash, but these are rare.
History – The PGE Arena (formerly known as the Baltic Arena) was constructed. PGE (the Polish Energy Group) bought the naming rights to the stadium in late 2009 for five years. The facade of the stadium has been built to resemble amber, which has long been mined in the areas around Gdansk and the Baltic coast.
The stadium is home to Lechia Gdansk, and it also hosted a friendly between Poland and Germany in September 2011 as the new National Stadium in Warsaw was not yet ready.
It is a UEFA Category 4 stadium, and three group matches and one quarter final match are due to be played here.
Capacity – 44,000
Accessibility – The stadium can be reached by rail, tram and bus.
Stadium web link: www.pgearena.gdansk.pl
Directions – The stadium is located in the Letnica neighourhood, close to the waterfront, around 6km from the city centre.
The stationary Fan Embassy in Gdańsk will be located at Targ Węglowy.
Each host city will have a permanent, stationary Fans' Embassy throughout the tournament, as well as mobile Fans' Embassy teams operating in the days around matches played in that city. The mobile teams will be based at strategic points throughout the city (transport hubs, near the fanparks and stadiums, etc) and all Fans' Embassy staff will be on hand to offer advice and assistance to all supporters, either in person or by phone/email.
In each host city the Fans' Embassy will serve as a crucial source of information as well as a meeting point for all visiting supporters. The essence of a Fans' Embassy is to provide fan-specific services - such as ticket availability, public viewing facilities, locally applicable legislation, stadium regulations, match-day arrangements, etc.
However, you will also be able to obtain more general information you would normally find at a tourist office: accommodation, details of local transport timetables and routes, sightseeing opportunities, money exchange, etc.
The staff of the Fan Embassy will generally be drawn out of the local fan scene and will offer visiting supporters detailed and relevant information in their own language, as well as provide swift and simple solutions to any problems that may arise.
Fans' Embassies will be located in easy to reach central areas and will be open daily throughout the tournament. Find out where they are by visiting their dedicated section of the web page and drop by once you arrive in town!
Once the preparations and arrangements from the host cities are finalised we will put all information on public viewing here.
As can be expected with all host cities, availability during EURO 2012 is likely to be limited, so we advise fans to book as early as possible. Gdansk does have a range of accommodation available, with much of it listed through the city's tourist board website. Check the links below for the varying types of accommodation available:
In most hotels, breakfast is included. In guest-houses this can vary, and information about breakfast is usually provided at the point of booking. Check-out times are typically between 10am and noon. In the larger hotels you can pay by debit and credit card. In some smaller hotels, guest-houses, hostels or camping paying by cash is preferred. Some will insist on cash payments and be unable to process credit cards, so bear this in mind.
The level of hotel service in Gdańsk is similar to other western European cities. The most popular foreign language in Poland is English, and the second is German. In most hotels you can communicate in English easily. In other places of accommodation English is known at least to a basic level. If not, do not hesitate to ask someone for help in translation.
You can book through the website links above, or alternatively try Hotels.com, Booking.com, Hostelbookers.com, Hostelworld.com. Before booking anywhere, we would advise you to check out independent reviews, if possible, through Tripadvisor.com.
The main tourism website for the city can be found here (it has versions in seven different languages, including English).
There are four main nightlife areas in and around Gdansk to head for. The area from the main railway station to "Długa" street is the most central, while the area of "Wrzeszcz" to the northwest of the city, where the Gdańsk University of Technology is located, is popular with students. The seafront has a number of bars and restaurants, as does ul. Bohaterow Monte Casino (commonly called Monciak) in Sopot, a spa town further up the coast to the northwest of Gdansk.
The Gdansk tourist website offers a full list of eating and drinking establishments, split into categories (pizzerias, bars/fast food, cafés, pubs and restaurants). All the bars and restaurants are handily marked on a map, too.
Remember that in Poland it is prohibited to drink alcohol in public places, with the exception of properly licensed designated places, such as bars, restaurants, open air cafés, etc.
You should tip in restaurants and cafés, and it is also not unusual to tip taxi drivers. Typically around 10% of the bill is common, and to not tip implies that the food or service has been poor.
Be wary, however. If you present your payment to the waiter/waitress and say 'thank you', it is implied that they will keep the change. That could be an expensive mistake if you're paying a few PLN for a coffee with a 50 PLN note!
Lechia Gdańsk was founded in 1945, and play in white and green. Their biggest success was in 1983 when they won the Polish Cup as a 2nd division team, and ended up playing against Juventus in Europe. The game became a chance for showing support for 'Solidarnosc' and freedom, because the game was transmitted by Italian TV – in Poland at the time the TV coverage was censored.
During the communist era Lechia's fans were well known for their contribution in fighting for freedom, and at each game police tried to repress the supporters. Those years made Lechia fans tough in their beliefs.
In 2001 after some major financial problems the club were forced to start again from the bottom – Poland's 6th division. The club continues to exist thanks only to its fans – who gave money for everything – even for players' boots. After 5 years the club had retained its place in the second division, with large help from the city. They have since been promoted to the top flight (the Polish Ekstraklasa) and hope to establish themselves as one of the biggest clubs in Poland.
Famous former players include Andrzej Szarmach, Tomasz Wałdoch, and Sławomir Wojciechowski.
Lechia Gdańsk fans are also one of the mentors of football supporters society in the country. They were among the first groups to travel around the country for Lechia's games. They have long-standing friendships with three other clubs – Wisła Kraków, Śląsk Wrocław (the longest in Poland, at 34 years) and Gryf Słupsk. In Poland these 'fan friendships' means a great deal to both sides.
The group that is responsible for the choreography in the stadium is "Ultras Lechia Gdansk", a part of "Lwy Północy", which is the only official supporters' association. They organise transport for away games, produce fans' material, make tournaments for fans and children, organise patriotic, social, charity actions and promote their city.
Lechia fans like to participate in each away game if it is possible. However, at the end of last season the Polish prime minister gave an order to football authorities to prohibit fans in Ekstraklasa for travelling to away games. Lechia fans are known as "Lechistas", and are among the most passionate in the country.
Lechia's fans don't have one place where they meet, but that kind of place for sure will be the new sport pub on the PGE Arena.
Today Gdansk is a dynamically developing city and a well known tourist destination, with a renovated and beautiful Old Town, full of charming places. Highly recommended is a walk through Dluga Street and Dlugi Targ Street, Mariacka (St. Mary's) Street and along the Motlava River. The Old Town in Gdansk offers not only historical monuments, but also it is a place where Gdansk's nightlife is starting to wake up and is home to a number of interesting places including good restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs and clubs.
During the summertime Gdansk also means sandy and clean beaches with a high quality of sea water, offering numerous attractions such a sports equipment rentals, water slides, and bars. A very popular place to enjoy the summer break is the 130-meter pier located in the Gdansk-Brzezno district, the longest wooden pier in Europe.
Here is a list of all the tourist information points throughout the city.
Malbork Castle, located in the city of Malbork around 60 kilometers south of Gdansk, is high up the list of nearby attractions. The Castle is the largest UNESCO-protected brick castle in the world. It was built in the 13th and 14th century in Prussia by the Teutonic Knights, a German Roman Catholic religious order of crusaders. From 1309 till the end of their supremacy Malbork was their military and political headquarters. The outermost castle walls enclose 52 acres which in fact contains three castles – the High, Middle and Lower ones, separated by multiple dry moats and towers.
The city of Sopot is well-known as a Polish premier spa town, and is full of popular bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. It is one of the main centres of nightlife in the tri-city area (Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot). The main street, ul. Bohaterow Monte Casino, is one of Poland's most famous streets, commonly called Monciak. Sopot's pier, built in 1827 and renovated lately with a brand new marina is the longest wooden pier in Europe.
The Hel Pennisula is a 35 kilometers long sand bar peninsula located around 70 km north of Gdansk. It is a paradise for all windsurfers and kitesurfers, with a full sports infrastructure.
Sunday 10 June 2012, 18.00CET
#5: Spain vs Italy
Thursday 14 June 2012, 20.45CET
#14: Spain vs Ireland
Monday 18 June 2012, 20.45CET
#21: Croatia vs Spain
Once the arrangements from UEFA are finalised, we will put all specific matchday information here, including:
UEFA ticketing points
Match day transport (park and ride, etc)
EURO street signage
Cordons/checks, etc
To leave a social legacy in Poland and Ukraine UEFA supports, besides RESPECT Fan Culture – Fans' Embassies, three further programmes that aim on social change.
50% of all European disabled people have never participated in leisure or sport activities. EURO 2012 provides an opportunity to improve access to football and for the removal of physical, sensory and intellectual barriers in public places in the region. It is recognised that supporting and playing football is an integral and vital part of European culture and tradition. Football is increasingly diverse; this naturally includes many more disabled people. The Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE) has formed a disability alliance in the region to help to deliver the awareness project, Respect Inclusion – Football with No Limits.
EURO 2012 offers a unique chance to promote a positive message of diversity and inclusion. The programme will be delivered on behalf of FARE by the long established regional partner, the 'Never Again' Association. Civil society organisations, and ethnic minorities in particular, have been motivated to engage with the preparations. Important stakeholders have signed up to the anti-discrimination agenda. The FARE activities concentrate on minimizing the risk of racist incidents during the tournament as well as promotion of anti-discrimination measures.
RESPECT your Health - Euroschools 2012 is the official community health education programme of the UEFA EURO 2012. This one-year project aims to promote a healthy lifestyle, with a focus on smoking prevention, responsible alcohol consumption, healthy diet and physical activity among young people and their families in Poland and Ukraine. Through a train the trainers approach, local institutions and NGOs in the eight UEFA EURO 2012 host cities will be empowered to activate their communities and promote good health. A guide will help coaches, teachers, social workers and Orlik animators use the power of football and sport to engage communities, increase health literacy levels, and establish a common feeling of ownership for public (sport) grounds.
UEFA EURO 2012 will be tobacco-free. A complete ban on the use, sale or promotion of tobacco will be in force in both indoor and outdoor areas of all match venues. Put into place to protect the health, safety and comfort of all fans and other tournament participants, the tobacco ban complements other activities such as Respect your Health that use the force of football to promote social issues.
EURO tournaments bring people together on and off the pitch. All sorts of encounters are made, some closer than others. The fun may know no bounds, but there are of course rules. Encounters between people from all over Europe can be unforgettable, as long as they are respectful, good humoured and a danger to no one. Show HIV and AIDS the red card. The HIV virus doesn't play fair, so you have to. Unforgettable encounters should leave no lasting damage. When you think fun and passion, think health too: condoms protect!
Getting There
Stadiums 
Fans' Embassies
Public Viewing 
Accommodation 
Going out 
Local Club(s) 
Fans 
Things to do and see 
Match day Info 
Respect 
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