Marta Szymańska

I was born in Gdańsk in 1985, and my father worked at the Lenin Shipyard during the strikes of 1980 that gave birth to Solidarity. I remember the martial law tanks only as a small child's story, but I grew up with the history all around me. I studied German and Scandinavian philology in Gdańsk and in Uppsala, which explains the Swedish. I have been a licensed guide since 2013. My city is complicated: Hanseatic, German, Polish, Kashubian, a free city between the wars and the place where the Second World War began. I like to explain it honestly and show both the brick merchant houses on Długi Targ and the cranes of the shipyard. I also love the Malbork castle trip, because the Teutonic Knights are a good story. I am precise and patient. I live on Mariacka street among the amber shops and I own far too much amber jewellery for a local. From Gdansk, I now guide on live video with my phone, and the chat stays open for your questions the whole time.