Built in 1612, the Golden Gate was designed by Abraham van den Block, son of the man behind the decoration of the Upland Gate. It's a sort of triumphal arch ornamented with a double-storey colonnade and topped with eight allegorical statues.
The four figures on the side of the Prison Tower represent Peace, Liberty, Wealth and Fame, for which Gdańsk was always struggling to achieve in spite of foreign powers (sometimes including the Polish kings). The sculptures on the opposite side symbolise the burghers' virtues: Wisdom, Piety, Justice and Concord. Today's figures are postwar copies of the 1648 originals.
Once you pass the Golden Gate, you are on the gently curving ulica Długa, one of the loveliest streets in Poland, which, despite its name (meaning ‘Long Street’), is only 300m in length. In 1945 it was just a heap of smoking rubble. Stop at the Uphagens’ House to see the restored historic interior, a collection of sumptuously decorated rooms with period furniture from the 18th century.
