Attraction in Gdańsk

Mariacka Street (ulica Mariacka)

A short cobbled lane in Gdansk running between St. Mary's Basilica and the Motlawa waterfront, lined with reconstructed patrician houses and amber shops. It is widely called the most photogenic street in the city.

Reviewed and updated July 2026

Mariacka Street (ulica Mariacka) is a short cobbled lane in Gdansk's Main Town that runs from St. Mary's Basilica down to the Mariacka Gate on the Motlawa waterfront, and people come for its amber shops and its street of raised house terraces. Reconstructed patrician houses line both sides, fronted by stone staircases and stone gargoyles that give the lane a distinct look, which is why it is often named the most photogenic street in the city.

What you see along the lane

The houses on Mariacka Street stand behind raised terraces known as przedproza, reached by short stone staircases that push the front doors up above the cobbles. Look up and you will spot carved stone gargoyle waterspouts along the facades, which locals nicknamed 'pukers' for the way they throw rainwater out into the street. Between the terraces and the shopfronts, the lane stays narrow and enclosed, framed at one end by the brick tower of St. Mary's Basilica and at the other by the Mariacka Gate opening onto the river.

The heart of the amber trade

Mariacka Street has long been the historic centre of Gdansk's amber trade, and that role still shapes what you find here today. The lane is packed with amber jewellery shops and workshops, from small studios to display windows full of polished Baltic amber set in silver. Browsing the stalls and shopfronts is part of the experience, whether or not you buy, and it ties the street back to the trade that made this part of the city famous.

Who it suits and how to visit

The street works well for photographers, anyone shopping for amber, and travellers who want a slower walk away from the wider main streets. Because it is short and flat, it takes only a few minutes to stroll end to end, though most people linger over the terraces and shop windows. Come early in the day if you want the lane quieter for photos, as it fills up once tour groups arrive.

Fitting it into a Gdansk visit

Mariacka Street sits neatly between two anchors of the Main Town, so it slots into almost any walking route through the old centre. From St. Mary's Basilica at the top you can climb the tower or continue to the Long Market, while the Mariacka Gate at the bottom puts you straight onto the Motlawa waterfront and its riverside walk. For where it fits in the wider city, see our Gdansk guide.

Good to know

Visit early in the morning if you want the lane relatively empty for photographs, as it grows busy once tour groups reach the Main Town.

Frequently asked questions

It is widely called the most photogenic street in Gdansk, known for its reconstructed patrician houses with raised terraces (przedproza), stone staircases and gargoyle waterspouts, and for being the historic heart of the city's amber trade.

They are stone waterspouts on the house facades that channel rainwater off the roofs into the street. Locals nicknamed them 'pukers' for the way they appear to spit water out over the lane.

It runs between St. Mary's Basilica at the upper end and the Mariacka Gate at the lower end, which opens onto the Motlawa waterfront in the Main Town.

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