St Dominic's Fair

The Jarmark sw Dominika was granted by papal bull in 1260 to the Dominicans of Gdansk and has been held, with interruptions, ever since, which makes it one of the oldest continuously running fairs in Europe. It fills the streets of the old town for about three weeks from late July into August with something on the order of a thousand stalls - antiques and bric-a-brac, which is the part with real character, alongside crafts, amber, food and a great deal of ordinary market goods - plus concerts, street performance and events on the Motlawa. Attendance is counted in the millions. The historical claim is genuine and the modern event is frankly commercial; the interesting stalls are the second-hand and antique ones, which cluster in particular streets and are best worked early in the morning. The old town buildings behind the stalls are the reason to come anyway.

What you actually see

• A fair since 1260 - granted by papal bull to the Gdansk Dominicans.
• Around a thousand stalls - through the old town streets for three weeks.
• Antique and bric-a-brac rows - the part with character, best early.
• Events on the Motlawa - concerts and street performance along the water.

When to go

Late July into August. A day.

Honest expectations

It is very crowded and much of what is sold is ordinary market stock. Old town restaurants are full and priced up. Accommodation in Gdansk is at its most expensive. Early morning is far better than afternoon.

Nearby

The Motlawa waterfront and the crane are in the middle of it.