The Long Market is the centrepiece of Gdansk's rebuilt Old Town, a long rectangular square flanked by the tall, ornate burgher houses that made the city famous during its Hanseatic heyday. At one end stands the Golden Gate; at the other, the Green Gate marks the entrance to the riverside. In the middle, Neptune's Fountain has stood since 1633. The Town Hall tower gives the best view over the rooflines from above.
The Royal Route passes through the Long Market, the ceremonial road along which Polish kings entered the city. Today it is a pedestrianised stretch lined with amber shops, restaurants, and the occasional street musician. Come in the evening when the facades are illuminated and the crowds thin slightly.
The Artus Court on the market's south side was once the meeting place of Gdansk's merchant elite. Its interior hall, with the largest tile stove in the world — nine metres tall and decorated with hundreds of painted panels — is worth the small entrance fee.