Attraction in Gdańsk

Fontanna Neptuna

The bronze Neptune Fountain, cast in the early 17th century, has stood in front of the Artus Court since 1633 and became the symbol of Gdansk. Local legend claims the god's trident scattered gold flakes into the water, inspiring the herbal liqueur Goldwasser.

Reviewed and updated July 2026

Fontanna Neptuna, the Neptune Fountain, stands on Dlugi Targ in front of Artus Court. The bronze figure of the sea god was cast in the early 17th century, and the fountain was completed in 1633. It has been treated as the symbol of Gdansk ever since, a fitting one for a city that made its fortune from the sea and the Baltic trade.

Why see the Neptune Fountain

You will pass it either way, because it sits on the main square of the Royal Route. It is worth pausing for. The fountain is a fine piece of Mannerist metalwork, framed by an ornate wrought-iron rail, with the grand facade of Artus Court behind it. It is also the city's default meeting point and photo stop.

What to see at the fountain

Neptune stands with his trident raised over a low basin, ringed by a decorative railing added a little after the fountain itself. Look up from the figure to the arcaded front of Artus Court, the merchants' hall it was designed to complement, and across the square to the tall burgher houses. The bronze was dismantled and hidden for safekeeping during the Second World War, then reinstated afterwards, so what you see survived the destruction of the old town.

The Goldwasser legend

Local legend ties the fountain to Goldwasser, the clear herbal liqueur flecked with tiny gold leaf that has been made in Gdansk for centuries. The story goes that Neptune, annoyed at the coins people tossed into his water, struck it with his trident and scattered the gold into flakes. It is a tale rather than a history, but it is the one every guide tells here.

How long to spend at the fountain

A few minutes. This is a stop on a walk rather than a destination in itself. Combine it with Artus Court, the Main Town Hall and the walk down to the river, and you have covered the heart of the old town.

Getting to the Long Market

The fountain is on Dlugi Targ in the middle of the Main Town, a pedestrian area about ten minutes on foot from the main railway station. For getting around Gdansk more widely, see the Gdansk guide.

Nearby on the Long Market

The fountain sits among the main sights of the old town:

Artus Court, directly behind it, a branch of the Gdansk Museum.
St Mary's Basilica, a couple of minutes north.
The Green Gate and the Motlawa waterfront, at the river end of Dlugi Targ.

Good to know

The fountain is outdoors and free to see at any hour. It runs in the warmer months and is usually switched off and sometimes covered over winter, so do not expect flowing water in the cold season.

Common questions about the fountain

How old is the Neptune Fountain?

The bronze figure was cast in the early 17th century and the fountain was completed in 1633, which makes it one of the oldest secular fountains of its kind in Poland.

Is it the original statue?

Yes. The bronze was removed and hidden during the Second World War, which is why it survived, and it was put back in place after the war.

Frequently asked questions

The bronze figure was cast in the early 17th century and the fountain was completed in 1633, making it one of the oldest secular fountains of its kind in Poland. It is the original bronze, which survived because it was removed and hidden during the Second World War and put back afterwards.

A few minutes. This is a stop on a walk rather than a destination in itself, best combined with Artus Court behind it, the Main Town Hall and the walk down to the river.

It stands on Dlugi Targ in the middle of the Main Town, on the pedestrian Royal Route, about ten minutes on foot from the main railway station. It is the city's default meeting point and photo stop.

It is outdoors and free to see at any hour, but it runs in the warmer months and is usually switched off and sometimes covered over winter, so do not expect flowing water in the cold season.

More attractions in Gdańsk

View all

Long Market

The grand main thoroughfare of Gdansk, a wide promenade of merchant facades running from the Golden Gate to the river.

Bazylika Mariacka

One of the largest brick churches in the world, this vast Gothic basilica can hold up to 25,000 people. Climb its 405 steps to a viewing terrace for a sweeping panorama over the red rooftops of the old town.

Zuraw

The medieval port crane on the Motlawa riverfront is the largest medieval port crane in Europe, once able to lift loads of up to two tonnes using giant human-powered treadwheels. It now forms part of the National Maritime Museum.

Long Street and the Royal Route (ulica Długa)

Długa (Long Street) is the main pedestrian street of Gdańsk's Main Town and the western stretch of the historic Royal Route, lined with tall reconstructed burgher houses and the city's landmark buildings.

National Maritime Museum and SS Sołdek

Gdańsk's National Maritime Museum spreads across historic granaries on Ołowianka Island and the opposite Motława bank, with the SS Sołdek, a post-war Gdańsk-built cargo ship, moored alongside as a floating museum you can board.

Main Town Hall (Museum of Gdansk)

The Main Town Hall in Gdansk is a Gothic and Renaissance civic building at the corner of Dluga Street and the Long Market, now the main branch of the Museum of Gdansk.