Westerplatte Monument

Monument Monument marking WWII battle site at Gdańsk peninsula

On Gdańsk’s Westerplatte peninsula, the Monument commemorates the 1939 outbreak of World War II; visitors tour the memorial, bunker remains and the nearby museum exhibitions.

Westerplatte Monument is a World War II memorial on the Westerplatte peninsula in Gdańsk, Poland, commemorating the Polish garrison that defended the port entry at the outbreak of the war in 1939.

A large sculptural monument and plinth dominate the site; visitors also walk among preserved defensive earthworks and the ruins of the prewar Polish Military Transit Depot. The location is used for remembrance ceremonies and interpretation panels on site explain the sequence of events during the week-long defence.

The peninsula was the scene of the Battle of Westerplatte from 1 to 7 September 1939, when a small Polish garrison resisted German forces and naval bombardment. The memorial complex and the remaining depot structures were created after the war to mark the defenders and the opening of hostilities in Poland.

The monument sits on the Westerplatte peninsula at the entry to the port of Gdańsk on the Baltic coast, within the city limits of Gdańsk. The site is a short drive from the city centre and visible from the harbour approach.

Battle dates: The Battle of Westerplatte took place from 1 to 7 September 1939 and the site commemorates the Polish garrison that resisted the German attack at the outbreak of World War II.
Access: Accessible from central Gdańsk by road and by seasonal tourist boats that call at the Westerplatte peninsula.

What to See #

Monument and ruins: Large concrete memorial sculpture and viewing plinth standing on the Westerplatte peninsula, adjacent to the remains of the prewar Polish Military Transit Depot and defensive earthworks. The site includes visible ruins of guardhouses and warehouse foundations from the 1939 garrison.
Memorial area: Commemorative plaques, memorial crosses and interpretive panels located around the site that explain the Battle of Westerplatte and list the names of the defenders and fallen.

How to Get to Westerplatte Monument #

Westerplatte is a short tram or taxi ride from central Gdańsk. Local public transport (trams and buses) serves stops near the peninsula; the site is walkable from Gdańsk’s Motława waterfront in 20-30 minutes.

Tips for Visiting Westerplatte Monument #

Arrive early to walk the peninsula before tour buses; the memorial park is quiet at dawn.
Read the eyewitness accounts at the small on-site museum before visiting the mound and monument - they give human scale to the ruins and battlefield markers.
Combine a Westerplatte visit with a stroll along Gdańsk's Motława Riverfront to see how the city reconstructs memory in both public and private spaces.