Attraction in Gdańsk

Long Embankment (Motlawa Waterfront)

The historic quay along the Motlawa River in Gdansk, once the working heart of the Hanseatic port and now the city's main waterfront promenade for strolls, cafes and river cruises.

Reviewed and updated July 2026

Long Embankment (Motlawa Waterfront) — Photo: Diego Delso / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Long Embankment (Dlugie Pobrzeze) is the historic quay running along the Motlawa River on the edge of Gdansk's Main Town, and people come for the river-level view of the medieval crane and the row of gabled townhouses reflected in the water. Once the working heart of the Hanseatic port, it is now the city's main waterfront promenade, where you can walk the riverbank, stop at a cafe or board a cruise.

What you see along the quay

The embankment is punctuated by a series of medieval water gates, the openings that once let the city meet the river directly. From the walkway you get the classic Gdansk panorama, with the tall wooden bulk of the medieval crane on the far bank and the gabled facades leaning over the water. Wooden and modern boats line the moorings, so the scene changes with the traffic on the Motlawa.

The Hanseatic port that built the city

This quay was where the trade happened. As part of the Hanseatic port, the Motlawa waterfront handled the goods that flowed in and out of Gdansk, and each water gate connected a street of the Main Town to a specific stretch of the river. Walking here today follows the line the merchants and dockworkers used, which is why the crane and the gates still anchor the view rather than any modern landmark.

Cafes, cruises and a riverside walk

The promenade suits an unhurried stretch of a day rather than a fixed itinerary. You can sit at a waterside cafe, watch the boats, and pick up one of the river cruises that board directly from the quay. It works well early, when the light is on the townhouses, or in the evening once the riverbank fills up.

How it fits a visit to Gdansk

The Long Embankment runs right off the Main Town, so it pairs naturally with the streets and squares just behind it and makes an easy link between sightseeing and the river. Use it as the waterfront leg of a day in the old centre, then continue along the bank or cross the Motlawa to Granary Island. See the wider Gdansk guide for what sits alongside it.

Good to know

River cruises board directly from the quay, so check departure times and routes with the operators on the day, as schedules shift with the season.

Frequently asked questions

You can walk the riverside promenade, stop at a cafe, photograph the medieval crane and gabled townhouses across the water, and board a river cruise that departs from the quay.

It runs along the Motlawa River on the eastern edge of the Main Town, so it is a short step from the main historic streets and squares of the old centre.

Yes, river cruises board directly from the quay. Timetables and routes vary, so check current departures with the operators on the day.

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