Gdansk Stag Do

A Gdansk stag do gives you everything that makes Poland good for stags (cold beer, proper vodka, generous portions) with a seaside twist. The old Main Town is gorgeous, full of tall, painted merchant houses along the river, and the beach resort of Sopot is a short train ride up the coast. It feels less trodden than Krakow, which I count as a plus. You’ll hear far fewer stag chants in the next bar, and the ones you do hear will be yours.

Start in the Main Town. Długi Targ (the Long Market) and Długa street form the grand old thoroughfare with Neptune’s Fountain in the middle, and the streets around it, such as Piwna and Mariacka, are full of cellar pubs and bars. Down by the Motława river there are terraces for the early evening. Look out for the vodka bars, where shots come with cheap snacks like herring or tartare. They’re perfect for one quick round before moving on, which is what everyone says before the fourth round.

For a bigger night, take the train to Sopot. Monte Cassino street (Monciak to the locals) runs down towards the sea and is lined with bars and clubs, busiest in summer. Some Sopot clubs have stricter dress codes at weekends, so pack proper shoes. In summer, the old shipyard area also has outdoor bars and stages that make a good change of scene.

And the local speciality is Goldwasser, a herbal liqueur with flakes of real gold floating in it. Buy the stag one. He’ll swear he can taste the gold.

Gdansk has a solid menu of stag activities. Shooting ranges, outdoor go karting and a tank ride on an off-road military course all keep the competitive types busy. In the warmer months, a private boat cruise on the Bay of Gdansk is a fine way to spend an afternoon with a drink in hand.

The city’s history is worth an hour or two, even on a stag. The shipyard is where the Solidarity movement began, and the European Solidarity Centre tells that story well. Westerplatte, just outside the centre, is where the Second World War started. It’s a sobering stop, and a good one for the morning after, when the group is quiet anyway.

• Drinking in public. Poland bans drinking in public places, and Gdansk stops shops selling alcohol between 10pm and 6am. Bars and pubs carry on as normal, so do your drinking indoors.
• ID. Clubs want a passport or national ID, and photocopies often get turned away.
• Getting there. Gdansk airport has flights from a good number of UK airports. Check what flies from yours before you pick dates.
• Getting about. The Main Town is walkable. The SKM train links Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia (together they’re called the Tricity), and you need to validate your ticket before boarding. Late at night, use Bolt or another app rather than street taxis.
• Money. Poland uses the złoty. Carry some cash, as a few vodka bars and food stalls don’t like cards.
• When to go. Summer is best for Sopot, the beach and the shipyard bars. Out of season it’s colder and quieter, but the Main Town pubs carry on regardless.

My plan would be Main Town bars on Friday, an activity on Saturday followed by a night in Sopot, and something gentle and historical on Sunday. If you like the sound of Poland, Krakow is the bigger, busier option, and Riga gives you another Baltic old town to compare. Gdansk packages will appear below as UK stag companies add them.

I’d base the lads in the Main Town. It’s walkable, it’s gorgeous, and the cellar pubs on Piwna and Mariacka, plus the terraces down by the Motława river, are all on your doorstep. You can do the first night entirely on foot and still find your way back to bed.

Sopot is the other option, especially in summer when Monte Cassino street is at its busiest and the beach is right there. But I’d still sleep in Gdansk and treat Sopot as a big night out, since it’s only a short train ride up the coast and the Main Town gives you more for the rest of the weekend.

My practical tip: plan the journey home before you leave for Sopot. The SKM train links the two, and you need to validate your ticket before boarding. Late at night, use Bolt or another app rather than street taxis to get back to your beds.

Friday Fly into Gdansk airport, drop the bags and head for the Main Town. Walk the length of Długi Targ and Długa, past Neptune’s Fountain, then duck into the cellar pubs on Piwna and Mariacka. Find a vodka bar for a round of shots with herring or tartare, and buy the stag a Goldwasser so he can tell everyone he tasted the gold.

Saturday Daytime is for the competitive types. I’d book the tank ride on the off-road military course, because nothing settles a group argument like a tank. In the warmer months, a private boat cruise on the Bay of Gdansk is a fine afternoon with a drink in hand. Then catch the SKM train to Sopot for the big night on Monciak, with its bars and clubs running down towards the sea. Pack proper shoes for the clubs with dress codes, and bring a passport or national ID, not a photocopy. In summer, the outdoor bars and stages at the old shipyard are a good change of scene.

Sunday The group will be quiet anyway, so make it a history morning. Westerplatte, just outside the centre, is where the Second World War started, and the European Solidarity Centre tells the story of the Solidarity movement at the shipyard where it began. Finish on a Motława terrace with one last cold beer before the flight home. Remember shops can’t sell alcohol late at night and drinking in public places is banned, so keep the final round indoors.