Green Gate (Branch of the National Museum in Gdansk)

What to expect

The Green Gate (Zielona Brama) in Gdansk is not a museum with a permanent collection but a 16th-century gate closing Długi Targ on the Motława side, in which the National Museum in Gdansk (Muzeum Narodowe w Gdańsku) shows temporary exhibitions. The branch neither has nor collects holdings of its own, so what you see inside depends on the exhibition that happens to be on.

The exhibitions occupy two main rooms, each of more than 250 m², on the first and second floors. The museum shows old and modern art here, and the building is also used for meetings and conferences. The museum calls the gate itself one of the most important historic monuments of the city; its form is an example of Netherlandish Mannerism.

Visitors rate the branch highly: on Google Maps it has 4.7 out of 5 from 2078 reviews (read on 25 October 2026).

Who it suits: those who come for a particular exhibition of old or modern art by the National Museum, and those strolling along Długi Targ who want to see the historic gate at the end of the square from the inside. It is also a good choice for pupils and students, who get a much cheaper ticket here.

Who should skip it: anyone looking for a permanent exhibition on the history of Gdansk or for the museum’s collections, because the branch has neither and the exhibitions change. Wheelchair users should also be careful: there is one step up to the entrance and no accessible toilet in the building, although a lift takes you to the floors with the exhibition rooms.

How long: the museum does not give a visit time, so this is our estimate: for one exhibition in two rooms of more than 250 m² each, plan about an hour. If the exhibition does not grip you, there will be time left for a walk along Długi Targ to the neighbouring museums.

Tips

• Check what is on. Both rooms serve mainly temporary exhibitions, and the branch has no collection of its own that you could come to see instead. Before your visit, check on the museum’s website (linked in the practical information box) which exhibition is running.
• Closing day. When planning your visit, remember: closed on Mondays. The museum also closes the branch on a few set days a year, mostly holidays, so around the holidays check the date on its website.
• A cheaper ticket for young people. Pupils and students aged 7-26 pay much less than the reduced ticket (20 PLN (about 5 EUR)). The exact amount, as well as the family or “friends” ticket (bilet przyjacielski) for 3-8 people and the group ticket from 10 people, is given in the museum’s price list.
• A ticket for several branches. If you want to see more branches of the National Museum in Gdansk within a week, the museum sells a 7-day ticket, valid for one entry to the permanent and temporary exhibitions of every branch. There is also an annual bearer ticket; the prices of both are in the museum’s price list.
• Tourist Card. The Green Gate is a partner of the Tourist Card (Karta Turysty) of the Gdańsk Tourist Organisation: the card with the Odkrywca package covers entry to the branch. If you already have the card, check this before you buy a ticket.
• Curators’ tours included. The museum includes curators’ tours of an exhibition in the ticket price, so if you happen upon one, you will not pay for it separately. A guided tour for an organised group costs extra, on top of the tickets.
• Entrance and coats. The ticket desk is straight ahead of the entrance door and has an induction loop. You hang your coat yourself on a rack in the public area of the building.
• Accessibility. A lift takes you to the rooms on the first and second floors, and you can enter with an assistance dog without restrictions. The building has no toilet for people with disabilities and no baby-changing table, nor tactile maps, Braille plates or sound navigation.

Getting there

• Address: Długi Targ 24, 80-828 Gdańsk. The entrance is from the Długi Targ side.
• Nearest stops: according to the ZTM Gdańsk timetable, the closest stops are “Chmielna 03” (about 263 m; lines 112, 138, 166, 178, 186, 212, C80 and N8) and “Chmielna 01” (about 290 m; lines 8 and 9). A little farther are “Żabi Kruk 03” (about 294 m; lines 112, 138, 166, 178, 186, 212, C80 and N8), “Chmielna 04” (about 299 m; the same lines plus N9) and “Żabi Kruk 02” (about 304 m; lines 8 and 9).
• Via Brama Wyżynna: the museum directs visitors to the “Brama Wyżynna” stop and gives about 700 m from there, about 10 minutes on foot along ul. Długa and Długi Targ. According to the ZTM Gdańsk timetable, trams 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9 stop at “Brama Wyżynna 01” and “02”, lines 108, 183, 208, N14, N78, N8 and N9 at “Brama Wyżynna 03”, and lines 106, 111, 112, 123, 132, 138, 154, 166, 178, 186, 189, 212, 289, M32, N1, N4, N5 and N89 at “Brama Wyżynna 05”. It is a longer walk, but a good option if you are on a tram line other than 8 or 9.
• By rail: the museum says the nearest station is Gdańsk Śródmieście, about 15 minutes on foot. From Gdańsk Główny station you can walk in about 20 minutes, or take the tram one stop to Brama Wyżynna and continue on foot.
• By car: the gate lies in the historic centre of Gdansk, which has traffic restrictions, and you cannot drive up to the entrance itself. The museum provides no parking space for people with disabilities; the nearest spaces are on the streets and car parks of the Main Town (Główne Miasto) next to Długi Targ and ul. Długa.

Nearby

Three places that are easy to add to a visit to the Green Gate (distances in a straight line):

• Baszta Tajemnic - Wax Museum, ul. Motławska 14 - about 270 m. It stands on Granary Island and describes itself not as a classic museum but as an interactive adventure on five floors, so it is entertainment for families rather than a second art exhibition.
• Gdansk Crane (Żuraw), ul. Szeroka 67/68 - about 310 m. The present port crane was built in 1442-1444, and the exhibition on three levels tells the story of the port of Gdansk in the 17th century; the museum gives an average visit time of one hour for it.
• Blue Lamb Granary (Błękitny Baranek), ul. Chmielna 53 - about 340 m. The Archaeological Museum in Gdansk has permanent exhibitions here, among them “Miasto pod miastem” (The City Under the City), so it is a good complement for those who miss a permanent exhibition at the Green Gate.

Background

Standing on Długi Targ, you face the gate that closes, on the Motława side, the square the museum calls the most prestigious in the city. The museum and the Polish Wikipedia agree in dating its construction to 1564-1568.

According to the Polish Wikipedia, it was built by Regnier of Amsterdam and Hans Kramer of Dresden as the Gdansk residence of the kings of Poland. The museum classes its form as Netherlandish Mannerism.

The royal past does not mean interiors furnished for show today: the National Museum’s branch has no collection of its own, and its two main rooms serve temporary exhibitions of old and modern art. The building also hosts meetings and conferences, so it is sometimes a venue for events, not just exhibitions.