Piwna and Garnizon bars

Two areas of Gdansk hold the densest run of craft-beer bars and pubs. Piwna street, in the Main Town beside St Mary's Basilica, is the central option, its name meaning beer street. The Garnizon quarter in Wrzeszcz, a redeveloped district north of the centre, is the other. Between them they cover the city's craft-beer scene for anyone wanting Polish breweries on tap.

The pull is Polish craft beer on tap. Polish craft brewing has grown quickly over the past decade, and these bars pour a rotating range from breweries around the country. Taps change often, so treat each bar's list as a moving target rather than a fixed menu.

Piwna runs through the Main Town, so it keeps you in the old town for a pub crawl within a few minutes' walk. Garnizon, in Wrzeszcz, is a newer quarter built on a former garrison site, with bars, restaurants and a more local, less touristy feel. Wrzeszcz is a short train or tram ride north of the centre.

Good for travellers who want to sample Polish craft beer, for an evening bar crawl, and for anyone who prefers a cluster of pubs to a single venue. Garnizon suits those keen to drink where more locals do, away from the main tourist streets.

Piwna sits beside St Mary's Basilica in the Main Town, a short walk from the Long Market. Garnizon lies in Wrzeszcz to the north. For a cocktail bar in the same central area, see Jozef K. The Gdansk guide explains how the districts connect.

Piwna earned its 'beer street' name after 1945, and the run of bars leans on Polish producers old and new. Browar Piwna, a brewery and restaurant on the street since 2012, pours unfiltered, unpasteurised house beer, while Józef K serves the nearby Browar Amber, a brewery that was going before the craft wave. For sheer choice on Piwna, Uwaga Piwo at number 24 keeps a large tap wall (listed at 18 lines).

Up in Wrzeszcz, the Garnizon side is built on former military ground. Pub Browar Spółdzielczy occupies the basement of an old garrison building with around 22 taps, Browar Vrest pours its own beer at the Stary Maneż venue, and Labeerynt runs a rotating multi-tap in a basement nearby. Tap lists change constantly, so treat any single line-up as a snapshot and check each bar's boards on the day.