About This Location
Stop at the center of Długi Targ and look at the bronze figure commanding the square. This is Neptune’s Fountain - one of the best-known symbols of Gdańsk and its bond with the sea. The statue was designed by Abraham van den Blocke, cast in 1615, and the whole fountain was finally put into operation in 1633, after years of delays and technical trouble. Neptune is not placed here by accident. In the early sixteen hundreds, Gdańsk’s wealth came from ships, grain trade, and Baltic connections, and this sea god was a clear message: the city’s power flows through water. Look at the confident pose, the trident, and the way the fountain sits like a small stage in front of the grand building behind it. Now shift your attention to that facade - Artus Court, Dwór Artusa. The first Artus manor here dates back to the mid-fourteenth century, and for centuries this was a key meeting place for merchants and an address linked to elite brotherhood life in the city. It was where status was displayed, deals were nurtured, and public life had a glamorous setting. Take a moment to read the building like a story carved in stone. The facade is packed with figures and symbols meant to impress: lions holding the city’s coat of arms, and statues that point to trade, luck, and civic values. It is the kind of front wall that tells you this place was designed to be seen and talked about. If you go inside, the tone changes from street spectacle to indoor theater. The main hall became a showcase for art and prestige, and its most famous object is the Renaissance tiled stove - described as the largest in Europe, nearly eleven meters tall, built from hundreds of richly decorated tiles. After the destruction of 1945, the building and much of its interior had to be reconstructed, but the goal stayed the same: to bring back the “parlor” of historic Gdańsk.