User:Juliana/Wikimania2010

- "Welcome to Gdańsk" - "1 About Gdańsk and Poland" - "2 Conference Venue":

- "2.1 Baltic Philharmonic"
- "2.2 Central Maritime Museum"
- "2.3 Hotel Królewski"
- "2.5 Map"

- "4 Moving around Gdańsk" - From "5 Entertainment and leisure time" we take:

"5.1 Climate", "5.2 Currency", "5.3 Cost of living", "5.4 Leisure"

- "7 Getting to Gdańsk" - "8.2 Wikimedia-related events in Poland"

(information about 2010 Warsaw Conference should be added)

- "9 Support" everybody who officially or personally supported us

(needs to be updated)

- "10 Security" - "12 Additional events and activities"

- this should somehow merged with the program proposal

- "13 Environmental issues" - leave as is" - "15 Gadgets and stuff" we can leave this one

We move this: - "2.4. Internet access" goes to "About Gdańsk" as it covers municipal

Wi-fi

We remove for now:

- "3 Accommodation" - "5.5 Party for attendees", "5.6 VIP Party" - "16 Pros and Cons"

We need to update and provide new one: - "6 Sponsorship and budget" - "8.1 Team organization" - "11. Wikimania Gdańsk in the media"

(has to be updated!)

- "17 Gallery" - we may want to re-organize this.

There are also some useful things on the talk page:

http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimania_2010/Bids/Gda%C5%84sk

we should create a FAQ from this.

Willkommen in Danzig

Für zeitnahen direkten Kontakt zum Organisationsteam, bitte den IRC #wikimania-gdansk channel benutzen oder Email an inquiries@wikimania2010.pl bzw. die Diskussionsseite talk page.

...eine Wikimania Konferenz in Danzig könnte die Präsenz von Wikimedia-Projekten in Zentral - und Osteuropa stützen und fördern, ebenso wie auch die der Staaten im Norden, die des Balkans und die Nationen der ehemaligen Sowietrepublik. Polen ist durch seine zentrale Lage in dieser Region und entsprechende Verbindungen zu vielen dieser Länder ideal (per Flugzeug, Zug oder Fähre) zu erreichen.
Ich glaube daran, dass Mittel - und Osteuropa, gerade wegen seiner spezifischen regionalen Geschichte, viele Möglichkeiten auf dem Feld der freien Kultur
I believe that Central and Eastern Europe, due to the regions' specific history, has both plenty to offer in the field of free culture (as proven by Polish Wikipedia, or the strength of Polish free software communities), and also faces particular challenges. These are worth highlighting and addressing by organizing the Wikimania conference in Gdańsk.
— Alek Tarkowski, Public Lead, Creative Commons Poland (from the endorsement)

Die einzigartige Geschichte der Stadt Danzig macht sie besonders interessant im Hinblick auf ihre kulturelle Vielfalt. Eine stolze 1000 Jahre alten Hansestadt, die hin und her zwischen dem polnischen und dem deutschen Einflusssphären verschoben hat, ist perfekt für ein Treffen von Menschen aus der ganzen Welt. Aber es gibt noch mehr: Gdańsk war für eine lange Zeit eine freie Stadt ohne Abhängigkeiten an die damals angrenzenden Länder Deutschland und Polen. Wahrhaft kosmopolitisch und exterritorial diente Gdańsk als Drehscheibe für den internationalen Handel, Diplomatie und Tourismus. Als solche hat sie eine lange Tradition als Ort für interkulturellen Vermischung. Manchmal wird Gdańsk auch als das Venedig des Nordens bezeichnet. Kürzlich war hier die Wiege der Solidarnosc-Bewegung, die zum Sturz des Ostblocks führte, damit ist Gdańsk auch ein Symbol der Freiheit und ein Beispiel für die menschliche Fähigkeit, unsere gewalttätige Vergangenheit zu überwinden, zu erreichen über die politischen und nationalen Grenzen unterteilt, weitgehend im Einklang mit Wikipedia Philosophie.

The unique history of Gdańsk makes it particularly interesting in terms of cultural diversity. A proud 1000 year old Hanseatic town, which has shifted back and forth between the Polish and German spheres of influence, it is a perfect match for a meeting of people from all around the world. But there is more: Gdańsk for a long time was an independent merchant city, not paying its homage to the bordering countries. Truly cosmopolitan and extraterritorial, it served as a hub for international trade, diplomacy and tourism. As such, it has a long tradition of being the place for cross-cultural mingling. Sometimes called the Venice of the North, the beautiful maritime city is a pearl of Northern European architecture, superbly equipped for conferences, and full of places to dine in, as well as things to see or do. Recently best known for being the cradle of the Solidarity movement, which led to the fall of the Soviet bloc, Gdańsk is also a symbol of freedom and an example of the human ability to overcome our violent past, reach beyond political divides and national borders, much in line with Wikipedia philosophy.

About Gdańsk and Poland

Poland lies in the heart of Europe, on the eastern edge of the European Union. It is thus ideally suited to attract participants from across the whole of Europe and indeed the world.

Gdańsk on Wikipedia: af an ar be-x-old bs br bg ca cs co cu cv cy da de dsb et el es eo eu fi fo fr fur gv gl ko he hsb hr io id ia is it ja jv csb ht la lv lb lt hu mk mt na nl nap no nn oc nds pl pt ro qu ru se sc sq simple sk sl sr szl sv tr uk vo yi zh

The millennium-old Gdańsk is the sixth largest Polish city, forming a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdynia and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity (Trójmiasto), with a population of over 800,000. Gdańsk itself has a population of 458,053 (2006). It is the richest historic site among the Baltic cities. Most of the attractions are several centuries old (although it should be noted that many did not survive World War II intact and were rebuilt afterwards). These are located along the Droga Królewska (The Royal Tract), in the Main Town and the Promenade.

Restored houses, whose original designs date back to the 16th and 17th century and which used to belong to the patricians, imbue the city with a specific spirit. Among these is the Uphagen House, where a department of the Historical Museum of Gdańsk is located, as well as the Gothic-style Old Town Hall.

The Długi Targ (Long Market) - in the 13th century a merchants' route - is the home of the Fountain of Neptune, the city's symbol, as well as Dwór Artusa (Arthus' Court), Złota Kamienica (Golden House) and Nowy Dom Ławy, where daily at 13:03 (as well as at 15:03 and 17:03 in the high season) one can see a 17th-century damsel peering out of one of the windows!

The island of Ołowianka hosts the building of the Baltic Philharmonic Theatre as well as the Central Maritime Museum of Gdańsk - the proposed venues for the conference, located in buildings adapted from 19th-century power and heating plants and visible from the Old Town's promenade.

One of the most frequently visited streets of the city's Old Town is Piwna Street, with its numerous cafés and clubs. There is also a nearby Ewan Cabaret - a local counterpart of the Parisian Moulin Rouge.

The city is also the home of the Teatr Wybrzeże, which - together with the National Theatre in Warsaw and Teatr Stary in Kraków - forms the core of the Polish theatre world. Nearby, on the Targ Drzewny (Wood Market), one can find the statue of Jan III Sobieski, and Korzenna Street houses the Old City Hall, where richly-ornamented chambers as well as the old Mayor's office can be visited. An Irish pub is located in the Hall's basement.

Another place worth mentioning is the Gdańsk Shipyard, where the fight against real socialism had one of its major chapters written. The square in front of the Shipyard is the place of the Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers commemorating the first three shipbuilders who died in December 1970. In August 1980 the shipyard was the birthplace of the Solidarność labour union and freedom movement (please note that 2010 will witness Solidarity's 30th anniversary - the celebration of freedom in the political sense, which might additionally be accentuated by the celebration of free culture in the very same city), which will be commemorated by the Europejskie Centrum Solidarności (European Solidarity Centre), planned to be built by 2013 and forming a complex of museum and conference facilities. Currently the exhibits for the Centre can be viewed in the underground rooms of the National Board of "Solidarność" Labour Union, located in Wały Piastowskie Street.

Among other tourist sites there are Westerplatte, where the Second World War began, and the Cathedral in Oliwa, where baroque organ concerts are played.

Gdańsk is also a popular tourist destination because of its numerous beaches, piers, cultural events and coastal attractions, which attract young and old alike.

TriCity is a seat of learning, being home to Gdańsk University, Technical University, Medical University, Music Academy, Academy of Fine Arts, Maritime Academy, Academy of Physical Education and Sport and many other high schools. Gdańsk Technical University also boasts Galera, the country's most powerful computing cluster, built with the use of 1344 quad-core Xeon CPUs.

The city's potential for hosting large events was confirmed and will be put to another test this year, when the 20th anniversary of the major political changes in the region will be combined with the 70th anniversary of the start of WW2, which - according to the Polish government - may happen in Gdańsk.

Country: Poland
City proposed: Gdańsk
Venue: Polish Baltic Philharmonic en pl
Proposed dates: July 9-11, 2010
Contact person: Wojciech Pędzich

Phone: +48 660 121 725

Email: wpedzich@wp.pl

Conference venue

The venue for the Wikimania 2010 in Gdańsk encompasses the Polish Baltic Philharmonic and the adjacent Polish Maritime Museum situated on the small island of Ołowianka, linked with the rest of the city by two bridges and a small ferry. The Philharmonic, located in what used to be the local cogeneration plant, is one of Gdańsk's key cultural spots, but also the venue and would-be venue of events of worldwide prominence. For instance, the city's bid for hosting the UEFA Euro 2012 group phase draw names the Philharmonic as the draw's venue.

The most distinguished hitherto held event was the recent 25th anniversary of Lech Wałęsa being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with the participation of other laureates: the 14th Dalai Lama, former South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk, Iranian human rights activist Shirin Ebadi, and Argentinian nonviolence advocate Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, as well as eminent European politicians, including French president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Thus, despite its purely artistic name, the Polish Baltic Philharmonic is able to hold various types of conferences, which has been confirmed by the city's Mayor Paweł Adamowicz in an interview with Dziennik Bałtycki.

An initial reservation of the venue has already been made. If Gdańsk is granted the right to host Wikimania 2010, the reservation will duly be made binding. Moreover, although Ołowianka island is not currently a part of Tricity's Academic Computer Network (TASK), the support of Gdańsk's authorities has resulted in TASK's promise of connecting the conference venue to the network by a 100-megabit optic fibre connection if the city is chosen as the host for Wikimania 2010. Baltic Philharmonic operates on a 4-megabit radio connection, but again, if Gdańsk is chosen as the host of Wikimania 2010, the venue can operate on 2 radio transmitters at 54 megabits per second each.

Baltic Philharmonic

Concert Hall: 850 permanent seats + up to ca. 150 additional chairs (theatrical setup)
Green Hall: 180 chairs.
Oak Hall: 100 chairs.
Jazz Hall: 200 chairs.
Foyer

The common yard of the Polish Baltic Philharmonic (on the right) and Hotel Królewski (on the left)
back view of the Polish Baltic Philharmonic
Concert hall of the Baltic Philharmonic
Concert hall of the Baltic Philharmonic

Central Maritime Museum

The following conference rooms are available:

Main conference room (up to 200 people) photographs and floorplan
Slavic Chamber (28 m x 12.5 m) photographs and floorplan
Dolomite Chamber (18 m x 14.70 m) photographs and floorplan
Arsenal (21.5 m x 9.45 m) - photographs and floorplan
Additional conference room for 30 people - photograph

Central Maritime Museum front
Banquet Hall
Dolomite Chamber
Slavic Chamber

Hotel Królewski

A small conference room (20-25 seats) adjacent to the hotel's restaurant, two suites where interviews/press meetings for ca. 30 people can be held. The hotel has proved itself as a stable partner in co-organising large events, including the recent 25th anniversary of awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Lech Wałęsa; apart from organising a banquet, the hotel provided the space for interviewing the Dalai Lama.

Internet access

Most of the area of the old City in Gdańsk is covered by a public free wifi with a many additional hot spots being provided in cafes, restaurants and shopping areas. Additional wifi infrastructure will need to be implemented by the Wikimania team. Ołowianka island will be supplied with a 100-megabit optic fibre connection, provided by TASK, Tricity's academic network operator.

Currently the city authorities have covered much of the the Old Town with 2 Mb/s free wireless Internet access^[2], hosted from 8am to 10pm during the high season. As of 2008 tourist season the western part of the Ołowianka island, where the conference will be held, was not yet in range of the wifi network.

Securing broadband internet access for Wikimania 2010 conference attendees is no. 3 on our list of priorities^[3].

Map

A custom made map with the most important locations of the proposed Wikimania 2010 conference in Gdańsk is available. (based on Google maps)

For comparison you can look at the more recent summer satelite images of Gdańsk provided by the Polish website Zumi.pl. (in Polish)

Accommodation

Gdańsk is currently developing its accommodation infrastructure as part of the city's preparations for the UEFA Euro 2012 football matches. New hotels are constantly being built, some of them in the immediate vicinity of the Philharmonic. The total target number of hotels for the city is 47.

The centre of Gdańsk hosts five dormitories, all of which can accommodate over 600 people. Six hostels located in the city centre can provide beds for over 400 people. These are in addition to the eight downtown hotels of varying standards.

Also, as Gdańsk is a popular tourist destination for Polish and foreign visitors, there is a well developed infrastructure of private flats and rooms for short-term sublet.

Student dormitories

Dom Studencki Nr 1 Akademii Medycznej

Address: ul Dębowa 9, 80-204 Gdańsk, tel. +48 58 349 13 11 [9]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 25 minutes on foot

Beds: 396

Dom Studencki Nr 1 Akademii Muzycznej

Address: plac Wałowy 15a, 80-821 Gdańsk, tel. +48 58 301 79 23 [10]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 15 minutes on foot

Beds: 70 (7 singles, 12 doubles, 9 rooms for three, 4 rooms for four)

Dom Studencki Nr 2 Akademii Muzycznej

Address: ul. Łąkowa 1/2, 80-743 Gdańsk, tel. +48 58 300 92 60 [11]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 15 minutes on foot

Beds: 136 (10 singles, 18 doubles, 30 rooms for three)

Dom Studencki Akademii Sztuk Pięknych

Address: ul. Chlebnicka 13/16, 80-830 Gdańsk, tel. +48 58 301 28 16 [12]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 10 minutes on foot

Beds: unknown, the place has 10 guest suites among other rooms

Price: 64.20PLN $14.55 €13.79 £11.88 / night

Dom Studencki Nr 6 Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego

Address: ul. Podwale Przedmiejskie 20, 80-824 Gdańsk, tel. +48 58 523 62 18, +48 58 523 62 19 [13]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 15 minutes on foot

Beds: single and double rooms, number unknown

Price: from 60PLN $13.6 €12.89 £11.11 / night up

Hostels

Szkolne Schronisko Młodzieżowe nr 1 Wałowa

Address: ul. Wałowa 31, 80-858 Gdańsk, tel/fax: (+48) 58-301-23-13 [14]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 15 minutes on foot

Beds: 96 (1 single, 5 doubles, 3 rooms for three, 1 room for four, 1 room for five, 3 rooms for six, 1 room for seven, 4 rooms for eight)

Price:

14.00PLN $3.17 €3.01 £2.59 for students and teachers
18.00PLN $4.08 €3.87 £3.33 for others
+ additional costs - bedsheets, luggage keep, etc.

Bursa Gdańska

Address: Podwale Staromiejskie 51/52, 80-845 Gdańsk, te;. +48 58 301 36 64 [15]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 15 minutes on foot

Beds: 100 in rooms for three and four

Price: 20PLN $4.53 €4.3 £3.7 / night (40PLN $9.07 €8.59 £7.4 / night for a room with a bathroom and TV) for teachers and students, extra 5PLN $1.13 €1.07 £0.93 / night for the others

Bursa Gdańska

Address: ul. Lastadia 41, 80-880 Gdańsk, tel. +48 58 305 41 14 [16]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 15 minutes on foot

Beds: unknown, rooms for three and four

Old Town Hostel

Address: Długa Grobla 7, 80-754 Gdańsk, tel. +48 58 351 31 31 [17]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 10 minutes on foot

Beds: 36 = 1 double (with one bed), 2 rooms for four, 3 rooms for six, 1 room for eight

Price: 40PLN $9.07 €8.59 £7.4 / night, including breakfast, 140PLN $31.73 €30.08 £25.91 / night for the double, including breakfast

Baltic Hostel

Address: 3 Maja 25, 80-802 Gdańsk, tel. +48 58 721 96 57 [18]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 20 minutes on foot

Beds: ca. 100

Price: 40PLN $9.07 €8.59 £7.4 / night, including breakfast

Gdansk Hostel

Address: Grodzka 21, 80-841 Gdańsk, tel. +48 58 301 56 27 [19]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 10 minutes on foot

Beds: ca. 40

Price: 55PLN $12.47 €11.82 £10.18 PLN / night

Hotels

Novotel Gdańsk Centrum (***)
Address: 80-749 Gdańsk, ul. Pszenna 1, tel: +48 58 300-27-50 [20]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 7 minutes on foot

Hotel Gdańsk (****)
Address: 80-755 Gdańsk, Szafarnia 9, tel. +48 58 300-17-17 [21]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 2 minutes on foot

Beds: 84 + suite = 10 singles, 26 standard doubles, 11 premium doubles, presidential suite

Price (weekday/weekend: 410/350 for a single, 490/350 for a standard double, 520/490 for a premium double, 1200/1200 for the presidential suite

Hotel Hanza (****)
Address: 80-888 Gdańsk, Tokarska 6, tel: +48 58 305-34-27 [22]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 10 minutes on foot

Beds: 89 + 7 suites = 17 singles, 36 doubles, suites

Price: 395 / single, 465 / double, 685-890 / suite

Restauracja - Hotel Podewils (*****)
Address: 80-755 Gdańsk, Szafarnia 2, tel: +48 58 300-95-60 [23]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 1 minute on foot

Hotel Królewski
Address: 80-751 Gdańsk, ul. Ołowianka 1, tel: +48 58 326-11-11 [24]

Distance from the conference venue: on site

Kobza Haus
Address: Gdańsk, Spichrzowa 20 B, tel: +48 58 351-30-91 [25]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 5 minutes on foot

Pica Paca
Address: 80-750 Gdańsk, Spichrzowa 20, tel: +48 58 320-20-70 [26]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 5 minutes on foot

Willa Litarion
Address: 80-750 Gdańsk, Spichrzowa 18, tel: +48 58 320-2553 [27]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 5 minutes on foot

Willa Biała Lilia
Address: 80-750 Gdańsk, Spichrzowa 16, tel: +48 58 301-70-74 [28]

Distance from the conference venue: ca. 5 minutes on foot

Moving around Gdańsk

Gdańsk has a system of bus/tram public transport aided by the Fast Urban Railway (abbr. SKM) connecting all the cities of Tricity and adjacent towns. The city is covered by 86 bus lines (10 of them being night-only lines) and 11 tram lines altogether.

Gdańsk has recently completed the modernisation of its bus fleet which now consists only of low-floor buses meeting the eco-standards of the European Union, most of them manufactured by Solaris Bus & Coach. Currently, new trams are being bought—both new as well as used ones from Dortmund—and the replacement will have been largely completed by summer 2010. Together with this, tram stops are gradually being equipped with LCD monitors displaying up-to-date timetables.

The proposed Wikimania venue is located within walking distance from Gdańsk's key bus stops and tram stops located along the Wały Jagiellońskie (view location on Google Maps) and Podwale Grodzkie avenues (view location on Google Maps^[5]), as well as from the main train station located in a late 19th century building at Podwale Grodzkie. Thanks to that, participants may easily reach the venue by any means of transport from any point of Tricity with no more than one change of bus/tram, as the majority of Gdańsk's lines have a stop along at least one of the aforementioned streets.

Moreover, the walk itself will take the participants through the city's oldest and most beautiful areas, first along Długa Street and subsequently, along either Długi Targ or the parallel, enchanting Mariacka Street.

Optionally, participants may also reach the venue from Podwale Przedmiejskie Street (view route on Google Maps).

Participants arriving by plane (see below for ways of getting to Gdańsk) will be able to reach the city centre by bus (line B) or taxi (it should be noted that foreign visitors are in danger of being cheated by dishonest taxi drivers, which can be avoided by picking licensed taxis from local taxi corporations). Those arriving by train will most probably get off at the main railway station right next to the tram and bus stops at Podwale Grodzkie.

Options are being examined of providing participants with dedicated means of transportation between the airport, their hotels/hostels and the conference venue. There is a good chance that we will be able to rent a Konstal N retro-tram. Moreover, a deal with one of the taxi companies might be signed thanks to which a discount will be offered to participants.

Gdańska Organizacja Turystyczna (Gdańsk Board of Tourism) is planning to introduce a "tourist card" in the spring of 2009. The card, at the cost of 65PLN $14.73 €13.96 £12.03, will enable its owner to move around Tricity using public transport as well as offer discounts at up to 80 places which are worth visiting. The card will be valid for three days, making it a good choice for the participants of the three-day-long Wikimania.

If by any chance the "tourist card" were not introduced, below are the current ticket prices for buses and trams in Gdańsk.

Price of ticket (in PLN)		What it lets you do
Normal	Half price^[6]	What it lets you do
3.00PLN $0.68 €0.64 £0.56	1.50PLN $0.34 €0.32 £0.28	One ride of any length of time or distance, counted from entering to leaving the vehicle (no changes allowed)
9.10PLN $2.06 €1.96 £1.68	4.55PLN $1.03 €0.98 £0.84	Valid for 24 hours from the moment of punching, without limitations
4.20PLN $0.95 €0.9 £0.78	2.10PLN $0.48 €0.45 £0.39	Valid for up to 60 minutes from punching on a day line. It is allowed to leave one vehicle and enter another. or: For night lines - for up to 45 minutes (enough to ride across the entire city)
2.80PLN $0.63 €0.6 £0.52	1.40PLN $0.32 €0.3 £0.26	Valid for up to 45 minutes from the moment of punching. It is allowed to leave one vehicle and enter another.
2.00PLN $0.45 €0.43 £0.37	1.00PLN $0.23 €0.21 £0.19	Valid for up to 15 minutes from the moment of punching. It is allowed to leave one vehicle and enter another.
Hand baggage, wheelchairs, prams, bikes, pets - free of charge.

And here are the SKM ticket prices. As the prices depend on the distance covered, the table shows prices for rides between a selection of the most popular stations.

Fare	Distance	Where it lets you go
2.20PLN $0.5 €0.47 £0.41	1-6 km	Gdańsk Główny - Gdańsk Wrzeszcz Sopot - Gdańsk Przymorze-Uniwersytet
3.10PLN $0.7 €0.67 £0.57	7-12 km	Gdańsk Główny - Sopot Gdańsk Główny - Gdańsk Przymorze-Uniwersytet Sopot-Gdynia Główna Sopot - Gdańsk Wrzeszcz
4.00PLN $0.91 €0.86 £0.74	13-18	Gdynia Główna - Reda
4.50PLN $1.02 €0.97 £0.83	19-24	Gdańsk Główny - Gdynia Główna Sopot-Reda
5.60PLN $1.27 €1.2 £1.04	25-30	Gdańsk Przymorze-Uniwersytet - Reda
6.50PLN $1.47 €1.4 £1.2	31-40	Gdańsk Główny - Reda Gdańsk Wrzeszcz - Reda

Tourists using public transport are advised to always have valid tickets. Ticket inspectors working in Gdańsk's public transport are often perceived as rude and some are incapable of comprehending foreign languages.

Entertainment and leisure time

Climate

24/7 weather reports will be available thanks to Polscy Łowcy Burz (see list of supporters). By 2010 we will have had full weather coverage also for the Baltic Sea, which may prove crucial information for those who wish to reach Tricity using sea transport.

Weather data from worldweather.org
Month	July	August
Mean temperature - maximum	21.0°C (69.8°F)	21.3°C (70.3°F)
Mean temperature - minimum	13.3°C (55.9°F)	13.1°C (55.6°F)
Mean total precipitation	66.7 mm	55.8 mm
Mean days with rainfall	13	12

Currency

The złoty (ISO 4217: PLN, sign: zł) is the currency of Poland. It is subdivided into one hundred groszy (gr). The coin denominations currently in use are: 1 gr, 2 gr, 5 gr, 10 gr, 20 gr, 50 gr; 1 zł, 2 zł and 5 zł. The banknotes used are: 10 zł, 20 zł, 50 zł, 100 zł and 200 zł.

Currency exchange may be done through banks or currency exchange offices (called kantor in Polish). The rates at the exchange offices are usually more favourable than at the banks. Exchange offices are easily available at the Gdańsk airport and the railway station, as well as throughout the city. American dollars, Euros, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars, Czech korunas, Hungarian forint, Japanese yen and Swedish krona are all widely exchanged, as well as most other currencies.

Numerous ATMs located throughout the city can provide Polish złoties to virtually any credit or debit card holder, due to being part of international ATM networks such as Euronet, Cirrus/Mastercard and Visa PLUS. Most credit and debit cards are widely accepted in shops, cafés and restaurants, the most popular being Visa, Visa Electron, Maestro and Mastercard. However, there is normally a minimum spend level required (generally about 20 zł) for card payments to be accepted.

Travellers' cheques are not commonly accepted, but can be exchanged for cash at most banks.

Currency exchange rates

Currency	Currency code	Buying	Selling
US dollar	1 USD	4.4119	4.5011
Australian dollar	1 AUD	2.9870	3.0474
Canadian dollar	1 CAD	3.2759	3.3421
Euro	1 EUR	4.6546	4.7486
Hungarian forint	100 HUF	1.1300	1.1528
Swiss franc	1 CHF	4.7033	4.7983
Pound sterling	1 GBP	5.4029	5.5121
Japanese yen	100 JPY	3.2471	3.3127
Czech koruna	1 CZK	0.1913	0.1951
Danish krone	1 DKK	0.6259	0.6385
Norwegian krone	1 NOK	0.4495	0.4585
Swedish krona	1 SEK	0.4276	0.4362
Special Drawing Rights	1 XDR	5.8673	5.9859

Last modified: 2022-12-06

Cost of living

Food

Drinks

McDonald's "BigMac" sandwich - 7.50PLN $1.7 €1.61 £1.39
McDonald's "Big Mac menu" - 13PLN $2.95 €2.79 £2.41
3-course meal at Sphinx (budget restaurant chain) - 35PLN $7.93 €7.52 £6.48
3-course meal with wine at a high-end restaurant - 110PLN $24.93 €23.63 £20.36
Fried flounder with chips and salad - 18PLN $4.08 €3.87 £3.33
"Pizza Hut" large classic pizza - 29PLN $6.57 €6.23 £5.37^[7]
"Snickers" candy bar, 57g - 1.59PLN $0.36 €0.34 £0.29^[8]
Take-away kebab - 8PLN $1.81 €1.72 £1.48

Coca-Cola (1 litre) - 3.35PLN $0.76 €0.72 £0.62^[9]
"Nałęczowianka" mineral water (1,5 litre) - 1.59PLN $0.36 €0.34 £0.29^[10]
"Żywiec" beer (500ml aluminium tin) - 2.99PLN $0.68 €0.64 £0.55^[11]
"Łaciate" milk, 3.2% fat (1 litre) - 2.65PLN $0.6 €0.57 £0.49^[12]
"Hortex" apple juice (1 litre) - 3.15PLN $0.71 €0.68 £0.58 ^[13]
Żubrówka vodka (0.5 litre) - 18.79PLN $4.26 €4.04 £3.48^[14]
Cup of coffee at a barista café - 10PLN $2.27 €2.15 £1.85

Leisure

According to Trojmiasto.pl, Tricity's regional portal, in the metropolis one can find 38 fast food restaurants, 144 bistros, 133 tea/coffee shops, 151 pizza restaurants, 136 pubs, 361 restaurants and 7 wine bars.

When in search of pleasures other than relishing the tastes of a variety of cuisines and beverages, one may also play billiards / pool in one of 14 billiards clubs, visit one of 15 casinos, or play bowling in one of six bowling clubs.

Tricity's prestigious cultural nature is additionally accented by a number of events organised: Gdańsk hosts Festiwal Dobrego Humoru (Festival Of Good Humour, a comedy and satire festival), Jarmark św. Dominika (St. Dominic's Festival, a trade and culture event reaching back to 1260 AD), Festiwal Szekspirowski w Gdańsku (Shakespearian Festival), Yach Film Festval (one of the few video clip festivals), Gdynia is home to Polish Film Festival and Open'er Festival, while Sopot, a popular spa and tourist resort, is home to Sopot International Song Festival and a number of other music festivals.

Party for attendees

Plac Zebrań Ludowych is a square in the city centre where until 1997 the city's youth and tourists could spend hours in the Cricoland amusement park. The place was used for this purpose until 2001, when the city authorities decided it would host the concerts of Gdańska Scena Muzyczna, a series of summer concerts of the country's greatest pop and rock stars with audiences well beyond the venue's capacity. In winter, the square hosts a 600-square metre ice skating rink.

The attendees of the party will have the possibility of testing their teamwork skills - the essence of Wikimedia projects in a number of contests:

"Glass tower" - standing on top of a growing tower of crates, handed over by team members;
"Mission Impossible" - collecting the letters of a password while being suspended on strings controlled by the team members;
"Journey through the swamp" - building a bridge with a few crates and getting through a "danger zone";
"2D jigsaw puzzle" of 1x1m piece size;
Stilt walk;
"3D blocks" - building a fortress with inflatable elements;
"Compass" on which one person has to get through a "danger zone" with the aid of the team members controlling the compass with a number of strings;
"Jackstraw" with 2-metre long pieces
"Mega-sized building blocks"
"Raft" - controlled by other team members; one participant has to get through a number of checkpoints without touching the ground;
"High jump", while being handed over the crossbar by other team members;
Shooting range;
Climbing wall.

Afterwards, while tasting delicious meals, attendees will witness a witch show, will be told their fortunes, can learn their witch tricks, and will see the miserable end the inquisition and the executioners have dealt them, all the time having a chance to try out numerous contests (e.g. timed chopping down cabbage heads). After the witches are gone the knights will present the show of their weapon mastery. The participants will be able to mint their own souvenir coins (1 wiki?) and finish off the night with a fire dance show.

because such an amount of attractions is time-consuming, we are considering shortening of the programme, with an impact on the budget.

For the time of the party the square will be covered with a special tent, most probably the same in which the rink is located during wintertime.

VIP party

Sopot's Dream Club advertises itself as the most prestigious and exclusive club in Poland. Recently opened in Monte Cassino Street in Sopot (the city's promenade, hosting a variety of shops, cafés, clubs and restaurants in rows of century-old buildings and extending onto Europe's longest wooden pier) in the street's most characteristic building, so-called Krzywy Domek (Leaning House), the club has a 100-square metre VIP hall reachable by a private lift.

The place is a unique combination of a club and a discotheque. It is probably the only place in Poland where top DJs can perform with top music artists in one night. The owners have put tremendous effort into the personnel's appearance, allowing the visitors to go back in time to the 1920s the moment they step through the club's threshold. Cream-of-the-crop service combined with the luxury of the VIP area will certainly turn into a remarkable night.

On demand the club can organise a dance party with a DJ, a concert of a star of the organisers' choice, a dance show performed by Moulin Rouge dancers, a Frank-Sinatra-style singer, or a wind instrument trio.

Sponsorship and budget

Budget

Service	Description	For	Cost	Additional information
Venue	lecture halls, press room, technical assistance	3 days	95000 zł / $21500	possible cost decrease - sponsorship
Accommodation	16 PLN / day reimbursement for each participant	500 beds * 5 days	37500 zł / $8500	None so far
Technical	WiFi, A/V, laptops, projectors, etc.	5 days	35000 zł / $7900	for accommodation and the conference venue
Medical backup		500 participants	no cost	Medical backup by local Red Cross organisation
Insurance	Accidents, liability insurance, medical care	500 participants	16892 zł / $3800	Different discounts possible
Catering	2 lunches, 1 dinner provided by "Rarytas" restaurant^[15]	500 participants * 3 days	40000 zł / $9100	Raised by ca. 15% from the realistic costs
Promotional materials	Brochures, flags, t-shirts, gifts, ID badges...	500 participants	30000 zł / $6800	Also prepared by sponsors
Participant package	Programme, lecture overview, city plan, etc.	500 participants	25000 zł / $5700	We hope these to be covered by sponsors
Transport	To and from Gdansk airport	300 participants + 50 VIPs	10000 zł / $2300	We hope these to be covered by sponsors
Organising committee	Uniforms (50), Transportation, volunteers (50), security		32000 zł / $7300
Guests - VIP	all inclusive (accommodation, transport, meals)	20 VIP's * 5 days	110000 zł / $24900
Scholarships		30 full scholarships	137000 zł / $31100
Interpreters	Available via the cooperation with University of Gdańsk, as part of "Interwiki Night Live"	10 people	no cost
Parties	Party for attendees	500 attendees	150000 zł / $34000	We hope these to be covered by sponsors
	VIP party	80-100 VIPs	30000 zł / $6800
WikiExpedition	Museum passes, accommodation, fuel, etc.	40 participants	30000 zł / $6800	Estimate made by Przykuta when working on the first WikiExpedition
Unforeseen expenses	Includes inflation, waste disposal, etc.		50000 zł / $11300	Seriously raised to ensure feasibility and security
Total			828392 zł / $187800

Getting to Gdańsk

Poland is a member country of the European Union. This means that all citizens of EU member states with a valid travel document (passport or European ID card) are allowed to travel freely within Poland for up to 3 months. Citizens of other states may need Schengen visa, see the map for quick reference.

All the countries below have visa-free access to the EU for at least 90 days.

Austria*

Belgium*

Cyprus*

Denmark*

Estonia*

Finland*

France*

Germany*

Greece*

Guatemala

Honduras

Hungary*

Ireland*

Italy*

Latvia*

Malta*

Poland*

Romania*

Spain*

Sweden*

* - EU member states

By air

The city has its own international airport, the Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport (see the flight map), located in the western part of Gdańsk 10 km from the city center, near the Tricity Ring Road as well as the start of one of Gdańsk's main streets (ulica Juliusza Słowackiego), which largely facilitates access by car or bus to virtually every part of the city (view location on Google Maps).

All the prices quoted below are the cheapest available one-way tickets for adults, without extra charges and reflect ticket reservation a few months in advance. Prices for October 28th - 29th, 2008, as quoted by http://esky.pl

Exchange rates: see today's exchange rates on the website of the Polish National Bank.

Travel time includes waiting time for connecting flights. If the cheapest flight took unreasonably long without a large price difference, it was omitted.

Air connections to Gdańsk (Poland) from European cities
City	Airfare	Airlines	Number of stopovers	Stopover cities	Travel time	Additional remarks
Amsterdam	814PLN $184.5 €174.88 £150.66	SAS	1	Copenhagen	4h55	-
Athens	646PLN $146.42 €138.79 £119.57	Lufthansa	1	Frankfurt	12h30	-
Budapest	357PLN $80.92 €76.7 £66.08	Lufthansa	1	Frankfurt	5h45	-
Brussels	591PLN $133.96 €126.97 £109.39	LOT	1	Warsaw	4h20	-
Frankfurt	247PLN $55.98 €53.07 £45.72	Lufthansa	0	-	1h40	Alternatively, a cheaper option (133PLN $30.15 €28.57 £24.62), flight with Ryanair from Hahn airport, located further from the city centre
Helsinki	344PLN $77.97 €73.91 £63.67	Lufthansa	1	Frankfurt	6h55	-
Liverpool	80PLN $18.13 €17.19 £14.81	WizzAir	0	-	2h30	-
London	162PLN $36.72 €34.8 £29.98	WizzAir	0	-	2h10	-
Madrid	790PLN $179.06 €169.72 £146.22	SAS	1	Copenhagen	8h25	-
Moscow	857PLN $194.25 €184.12 £158.62	SAS	1	Copenhagen	20h30	A less time-consuming connection by the same route (8h10) costs 928PLN $210.34 €199.37 £171.76.
Moscow	550PLN $124.66 €118.16 £101.8	Aeroflot/PKP or PKS Gdańsk	1	Kalinigrad	2h + 6h or 3.5h	A cheaper and less time-consuming connection via Kalinigrad.
Paris	651PLN $147.56 €139.86 £120.49	SAS	1	Oslo	5h25	-
Prague	335PLN $75.93 €71.97 £62	Lufthansa	1	Frankfurt	3h35	-
Rome	561PLN $127.16 €120.53 £103.83	SAS	1	Copenhagen	6h05	-
Istanbul	610PLN $138.26 €131.05 £112.9	Lufthansa	1	Frankfurt	12h30	-
Stockholm	114PLN $25.84 €24.49 £21.1	WizzAir	0	-	1h04	-
Vienna	753PLN $170.67 €161.78 £139.37	SAS	1	Copenhagen	8h00	-
Vilnius	455PLN $103.13 €97.75 £84.21	LOT	1	Warsaw	3h45	-

Air connections to Gdańsk (Poland) from African cities
City	Airfare	Airlines	Number of stopovers	Stopover cities	Travel time	Additional remarks
Cairo	1856PLN $420.68 €398.75 £343.52	Tarom, LOT	2	Bucharest, Warsaw	18h55	Less time-consuming connection via Munich and Warsaw takes 8h35, but costs 2892PLN $655.5 €621.32 £535.27.
Dakar	3323PLN $753.19 €713.92 £615.04	TAP, LOT	2	Lisbon, Warsaw	13h15	-
Johannesburg	2317PLN $525.17 €497.79 £428.84	South African Airlines, LOT	1	Munich	17h15	-
Nairobi	3067PLN $695.17 €658.92 £567.66	Swiss, LOT	2	Zurich, Warsaw	15h50	-

Air connections to Gdańsk (Poland) from Asian cities
City	Airfare	Airlines	Number of stopovers	Stopover cities	Travel time	Additional remarks
Beijing	3038PLN $688.59 €652.69 £562.29	Lufthansa	1	Frankfurt	13h00	-
Hong Kong	2849PLN $645.75 €612.08 £527.31	SAS	2	Bangkok, Copenhagen	19h35	Note: It's only 13 hours and 1600PLN $362.66 €343.75 £296.14 on BA to London
New Dehli	2306PLN $522.68 €495.42 £426.81	Lufthansa	1	Munich	10h45	-
Riyadh	2713PLN $614.93 €582.86 £502.14	Swiss, LOT	2	Zurich, Warsaw	16h35	-
Seoul	2378PLN $539 €510.89 £440.13	Lufthansa	1	Munich	30h20	-
Tokyo	8797PLN $1993.93 €1889.96 £1628.2	Lufthansa	1	Frankfurt	14h55	-

Air connections to Gdańsk (Poland) from Australian cities
City	Airfare	Airlines	Number of stopovers	Stopover cities	Travel time	Additional remarks
Perth	6210PLN $1407.56 €1334.16 £1149.38	Thai, SAS	2	Bangkok, Copenhagen	23h35	Note: the cost is half this with other airlines
Sydney	4560PLN $1033.57 €979.68 £843.99	SAS	2	Bangkok, Copenhagen	31h30	Note: it is quicker and cheaper to go via London and/or Warsaw. Sydney to London in August takes 22h 40m and costs $1144 (zł2714) each way with BA

Air connections to Gdańsk (Poland) from North American cities
City	Airfare	Airlines	Number of stopovers	Stopover cities	Travel time	Additional remarks
Chicago	2212PLN $501.37 €475.23 £409.41	LOT	1	Warsaw	13h50	-
Dallas	2483PLN $562.8 €533.45 £459.57	LOT	2	Chicago, Warsaw	18h32	-
Los Angeles	6918PLN $1568.03 €1486.27 £1280.42	Lufthansa	1	Munich	19h25	-
Mexico City	4669PLN $1058.27 €1003.09 £864.17	Lufthansa, LOT	1	Frankfurt	13h35	-
Miami	5745PLN $1302.16 €1234.26 £1063.32	Lufthansa	1	Frankfurt	14h40	-
New York	2096PLN $475.08 €450.31 £387.94	LOT	1	Warsaw	13h25	-
Toronto	2295PLN $520.18 €493.06 £424.77	LOT	1	Warsaw	13h45	-
Vancouver	2870PLN $650.51 €616.59 £531.2	Air Canada, LOT	2	Toronto, Warsaw	20h15	-

Air connections to Gdańsk (Poland) from South American cities
City	Airfare	Airlines	Number of stopovers	Stopover cities	Travel time	Additional remarks
Bogota	7273PLN $1648.5 €1562.54 £1346.13	Avianca, Lufthansa	2	New York, Munich	38h50	-
Buenos Aires	4284PLN $971.01 €920.38 £792.91	TAM, Lufthansa	2	Sao Paulo, Munich	26h25	-
Rio de Janeiro	4315PLN $978.04 €927.04 £798.65	TAM, Lufthansa	2	Sao Paulo, Munich	23h05	-

By sea

Wikimedians from Sweden can also reach Tricity directly by ferries (in 10 hours at most, including commuting), either from Nynäshamn directly to Gdańsk or from Karlskrona to Gdynia and from there to Gdańsk using the above mentioned SKM.

This is not the cheapest way of reaching Gdańsk - 323PLN $73.21 €69.39 £59.78 for adults not entitled to discounts or 280PLN $63.46 €60.16 £51.82 for students.

The best way to reach the conference venue is by boat – the Gdańsk Marina [29] is located only a few hundred meters from the venue on the Ołowianka island (location: 54°21‘09“ N 18°39‘44“ E).

By land

Wikimedians from every country bordering Poland, as well as other Baltic states, the Netherlands, and Denmark may all very likely reach Gdańsk within a single day by car or coach. A journey from the south, from countries such as Hungary, through Slovakia offers a trip across astonishing landscapes of the Tatra Mountains.

It should be noted, though, that Poland's roads are of significantly lower quality than those of Western Europe. On the other hand, key roads are being upgraded and new motorways are being built in preparation for the UEFA Euro 2012 and Gdańsk, as one of the tournament's host cities, is one of the hubs of Poland's network of roads.

However, there is a convenient train connection from Warsaw to Gdańsk, in less than 5 hours.

The cheapest connection by rail between Gdańsk and Warsaw is the "Słoneczny" train operated once a day during the summer period by Koleje Mazowieckie, currently the normal fare for the Gdańsk-Warsaw route (354 km) is 31PLN $7.03 €6.66 £5.74^[16] euro.

Local team

Nick	Areas of responsibility	Skills	Languages	Experience
Wojciech Pędzich	General, language	Formerly a language instructor for adult Poles, a translator and interpreter. The "father" of the bid.	pl-N, en-4, de-2	A few years of translating practice.

Ahorcado	general	working with volunteers (several years)	pl-N	member of PFEE
Airwolf	General	University of Gdańsk postgraduate studies, Faculty of Languages, Institute of English, Department of Translation Studies and Intercultural Communication.	PL-N, EN-4, ES-1.75
Ala z	general		pl-N, en-2, ru-1
AndrzejzHelu	general	Inspector of WOPR Pomeranian Voivodeship and Chief of Water-Dog Rescue Group, graduate of Naval Academy in Gdynia	pl-N, ru-3, en-2, fr-1	Some experience with organizing summer camps for rescue teams and organisations, especially related to water rescue
Jedi Grzyb		Computer graphic artist and webdesigner, very close to graduating from Gdańsk University of Technology (Computer science and multimedia). Active member and vice-president of the Maybe Theatre Company Fluent in the English language (acting, directing, guiding foreigners).	pl-N, en-4, de-1, ja-1	In graphics: designing and printing posters, flyers, other prints for events.
Leinad	general	student of Poznań University of Economics (computer science and econometric)	pl-N, en-2, de-0.5, es-0.5	Member of organizing teams for sport events (mainly orienteering events like Junior World Championships in Gdańsk and a few national championships in Poland).
masti	general, sponsors, translations	manager at major international IT company	pl-N, en-4, de-3, ru-2	..teen years of experience in business
Merlin	photo	IT specialist in major international company	pl-N, en-2, de-1, ru-1, nl-1
MK wars (Mieciu K)	general, language, NGO	NGO coordinator, paralegal, translation	pl-N, en-3, de-1, csb-1	a few years of legal experience
Patrol110	general	student of Warsaw University (regional science)	pl-N, en-2, de-0.5	some experience with organizing Wikimedia conference 2009 in Poland (leadership)
Pimke	general, translations		pl-N, en-2, de-4, szl	Translating and interpreting between Polish and German
Polimerek	Contacts with Wikimedia Foundation and Wikimedia Polska, legal issues, accounting	Scientist at Polish Academy of Sciences (adiunkt) President of Wikimedia Polska.	pl-N, en-3, ru-1	Member of OC of several international scientific conferences, organisation of several Polish Wikimedia conferences and meetings (Wrocław 2006, Białowieża 2007, Rabka-Zdrój 2008)
Przykuta	NGOs, Volunteers	assistant professor (adiunkt) in Częstochowa University of Technology, member of science conferences committees	pl-N, en-2, ru-1	Some experience with organizing Wikimedia conferences in Poland (2006-2009), PR experience as regional agent in SWPL press room
Pundit	interpreting, legalese	assistant professor (adiunkt) currently under tenure review at Kozminski University, academic director of international programs at Kozminski University, the founder and owner of Druid Multimedia Ltd. (publisher of ling.pl, angielski.edu.pl, anglisci.pl et al), former head of Collegium Invisibile association	pl-N, en-4, de-1, ru-1	Some experience with organizing summer camps/schools (~15 meetings for 50+ people) and conferences (a couple of academic events, including one for 300+ people); many years of experience in IT project leading, and NGOs running
Saper		Project manager in IT and telecommunications. President of the Polish chapter of the Internet Society (since 2006). UNIX and networking experience since 1994. Carried out projects in Germany, Poland, Kazakhstan and the United States.	pl-N, en-3, de-3, ru-2	Member of the volunteer team of the WWW5 conference, 1996, Paris. Participant in many large Internet-related conferences (e.g. INET 2001 in Stockholm, ICANN Paris in 2008)
Steifer	general	graphic, design	pl-N, en-1, de-2, ru-1
stv	technical, general	network administration	pl-N, en-2	Co-organising student meetings with political figures. Participant in demoscene copy-parties.
The Boss	general	Organisational, budgeting, finances, tourism	pl-N, en-2, de-1	A veterinary, formerly a university lecturer. Currently a tour guide, including mountain tours, member of PTTK structures.
Wiher	Medical support	Technical skills: electronic engineer - graduate of Wroclaw Technical University Paramedic skills - student of Wroclaw Medical University (in 2010 graduate)	pl-N, en-2, de-1, ru-1	Member of OC of 1 conference ogranized by AIESEC LC WUT - conference for approx. 100 student from few countries. Certified first responder on w:Lednica 2000 - gathering of catholic youth - one day meeting of approx. 50k-100k people - six times in different services on that meeting

Team organization

Project management: Wojciech Pędzich • Airwolf • MK wars • Saper
Community management and volunteer programme: Ahorcado • Przykuta
Budget, legal and financials: The Boss • Saper • Polimerek

Sponsors: Sp5uhe • Ala z • Polimerek • Masti • Wiher • Saper
Communications, promotion, research, event planning: Airwolf • Patrol110 • Ala z • Jedi Grzyb • Pundit • Pimke • Merlin • Steifer
Technology (networking, hosting, MediaWiki, DNS): Saper • Leinad • Masti • stv
Security and emergencies: AndrzejzHelu • MK wars • Wiher

Wikimedia-related events in Poland

Since 2005 the Polish Wikimedians have shown their potential to organise events associated with the Wikimedia projects. The community and the local chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation (Wikimedia Polska) organise three events per year: an annual Wikimania Polska Conference, an informal meeting in December, GDJ - a technically-oriented meetup and, as well as a number of workshops.

Polish Wikimedia Meetings


Kraków 2005 Wikipedians Meeting	Wrocław 2006 Wikimedia Polska Conference	Białowieża 2007 Wikimedia Polska Conference	Rabka 2008 Wikimedia Polska Conference	Chorzów 2008 Wikimedia Polska Winter Meeting

Gdańska Organizacja Turystyczna (Gdańsk Tourism Board) is planning to introduce a "Student volunteer club" in 2009, which can provide a sensible number of staffers for the conference, including e.g. "emergency telephone assistance" teams.

Support

These Polish Wikipedia users have voiced their support for Wikimania 2010 in Gdańsk by transcluding the "Wikimania" template on their user pages.

The city's authorities have expressed lively interest in the idea of hosting Wikimania 2010 in Gdańsk. The city's mayor, Paweł Adamowicz, decided to take the conference under his patronage (see the talkpage of the file page for English translation). The Mayor's office also preliminarily reserved the venues at which the conference would be held - The Gdansk Baltic Philharmonic and The Central Maritime Museum.

We have also received support from:

Gdańsk Tourism Board
Scientific Club of Intellectual Property Rights University of Gdansk
The Foundation on Economic-unemployed - SŁAWPOL - Free Enterprise Gdańsk - Bydgoszcz
Wikimedia Polska
Stowarzyszenie Polskie Forum Edukacji Europejskiej - Polish Forum for European Education
BridgeCamp Poznań - open meetings of polish internet industry and non-governmental organizations (can help in promotion)
Polscy Łowcy Burz, member of Skywarn Europe - 24h info about weather (special info in a few minutes during WikiExpedition)
Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling, University of Warsaw an institutional partner of CC Poland [30]
Fundacja Nowoczesna Polska (Foundation "Modern Poland") - organizer of several OER projects: Free handbooks, Free school readings, and read by listening
Committee on Electronic Publishing of Polish Librarians Association
Creative Commons Poland

Personal support

Harrypotter London
User:Thogo
Damian Szczepaniak, Polish student
Radosław Zwiadowca Drożdżewski - polish journalist
Karol007, Polish student
McMonster - student of Wrocław University of Technology, complainer and pesimist on duty, alternatively some basic technical and linguistic support
Herr Kriss
Lukasz Lukomski Polish student
Frydman Polish student
Brydzo Polish student
Programer Polish secondary school student
Ish_warsaw Warsaw for Wikimania in Gdansk
Deepak Thukral M.S Student @ WUT, Warsaw
Szymek Drobniak Krakow - PhD Student, Jagiellonian University
Jan Zbucki - high school student, Warsaw
Dobromila - research assistant at Institute of Electron Technology in Warsaw
Dawid Mrożek - polish student
Paweł Gościniak - The Academy of Medical Sciences student, Wroclaw
RoodyAlien Polish student
Pleple2000
Wyksztalcioch
Aegis Maelstrom – pl.wiki sysop, Warsaw School of Economics PhD student, research in Wikipedia, Internet, FLOSS and Free Culture
KamStak23
MaLiK Polish labworker
Awersowy Polish student
Kangel – pl.wiki sysop, Polish student
Holek
Julo
Wulfstan 09:45, 28 March 2009 (UTC)
Masur 16:26, 28 March 2009 (UTC) pl.wiki sysop. PhD student at MPI-CBG.
KAma
Lajsikonik 20:23, 28 March 2009 (UTC) one of the drives behind the creation and sysop of szl.wikipedia.org
Powerek38, plWiki sysop, Ph.D. student at the University of Warsaw
Michał Garbowski - Polish student
Adamt - pl.wiki sysop from England, London
MonteChristof - pl.wiki sysop, Polish student at PWr, Wrocław
DingirXul
Mathel - pl.wiki sysop, Polish student
Paelius
Ludmiła Pilecka
Yarl
Ency pl.wiki contributor to
Rave - ru.wiki sysop
Ahonc — Commons sysop
joystick – pl.wikt sysop
Wiktoryn – Polish student, pl.wiki sysop
--Just 16:02, 29 March 2009 (UTC) — user from Russian Wikipedia, Moscow
Ptr ru 18:30, 29 March 2009 (UTC)
User:Denis Sacharnych — udm.wiki sysop
Maire
Dr Jorgen 19:29, 29 March 2009 (UTC)
VP 23:51, 29 March 2009 (UTC)
Croaker 02:45, 30 March 2009 (UTC)
Lvova - former sysop, press-team (ruwiki)
putnik - ru.wiki & commons sysop, Russia
Kaganer 15:15, 30 March 2009 (UTC) - ru.wiki & commons user, Russia
V. Volkov / В. Волков (kneiphof) 17:40, 30 March 2009 (UTC) ru. & nl;wiki user, Belgium. Gdansk is a beautifull city!
Ilya K 09:20, 31 March 2009 (UTC) uk.wiki sysop
Perohanych 20:40, 31 March 2009 (UTC) Ukrainian user
Rar 08:40, 2 April 2009 (UTC) Ukrainian user
Adi 19:29, 2 April 2009 (UTC)
Galileo01 21:36, 4 April 2009 (UTC) - Polish student at University of St. Thomas, Minnesota. If Gdańsk will be the one to host Wikimania, I will be more than happy to volunteer there.
Dami 19:36, 8 April 2009 (UTC) . Hungary
Alensha 19:42, 8 April 2009 (UTC) huwiki sysop of some Polish descent :)
Vuvar1 18:50, 22 April 2009 (UTC)
Żbiczek 12:35, 26 April 2009 (UTC)
Olos88 - AGH student, Cracow

Security

The Polish Police is trusted by Poles. In a survey made by Centre for Public Opinion Research in May 2008 73% of those asked responded with positive reviews of the Polish Police^[17]. Gdańsk police have also expressed their confidence that English-speaking officers will be on patrol during the conference, since the police forces are undergoing language trainings as part of Poland's preparation to co-host Euro 2012 football championship.

In Poland the phenomenon of public binge drinking among young people is virtually unknown. Due to the fact that the state has a "zero tolerance" policy towards public intoxication those found by the Police or the City Guards to be intoxicated to a level making them "unable to properly take care of themselves" can be fined and/or spend the night at a sobering-up station (at their own expense). Additionally, the regional "clubbing center" is located in the nearby town of Sopot, where the "trendiest" clubs are to be found, making Gdańsk a city friendly to the more mature travellers and night-time tourists. After nightfall the Gdańsk city centre is relatively safe, clean and quiet during the summer season.

To learn more about crime and staying safe in Poland, read an independent report by the United States Department of State.

Gdynia is home to National Centre for Tropical Medicine, which can potentially take care of even rare medical cases.

Wikimania Emergency Phone

A team of Wikimedians will be maintaining a 24 hours a day English language helpline that in case of an emergency will offer basic legal and medical guidance as well as Polish-English translating and interpreting. Depending on the number of volunteers available the helpline may be also available in other popular languages such as German, French, Spanish and Russian.

Wikimania Gdańsk in the media

After the meeting the representatives of the local team with the representatives of the Mayor's office and the Department of City's Promotion, the proposal has gained attention of Polish media. Gdańsk's offer was first mentioned in local news portal, MMTrojmiasto.pl. Five days later, the story was picked up by Trojmiasto.pl. The bid was also covered by national media - Gazeta Wyborcza also covered the story. The publication of an interview with the bid promoter in the Polish edition of Wikinews resulted in the appearance of a series of articles in Polish news portals, including TheNews.pl, run by Polskie Radio, the country's national radio broadcasting corporation, Dziennik Internautów, Dziennik.pl (one of the top Polish broadsheets), Wprost (a top-ranked Polish weekly), Wirtualna Polska (the oldest Polish Internet portal) and PAP (Polish Press Agency). Another of the bid's promoters was interviewed by TVP Gdańsk, a local division of Telewizja Polska, the country's national TV broadcasting corporation.

Additional events and activities

WikiExpedition

There are literally thousands of places worldwide where Wikimedians haven't been, which haven't been described yet. Kashubia might be just the region to break that trend and send about 40 volunteers who wish to explore the yet unexplored terrotory between Połduń and TriCity into action, photographing the little towns and villages with their accompanying nature in order to enrich the content of Wikimedia projects.

Details - what such a WikiExpedition hopes to achieve

Pictures:
- Panoramic pictures of hundreds of towns and villages;
- Photographs of churches (including the interiors) and other architectural attractions;
- Pictures of local fauna and flora, also taken in wildlife reserves;
- Pictures of museums and heritage parks;
- Pictures of geomorphologic elements.
Collecting sources for articles describing individual towns and villages, as well as Kashubian attractions:
- Contact with libraries with the support of Stowarzyszenie Bibliotekarzy Polskich (The Association of Librarians in Poland);
- Examining local archives.
translations of individual articles:
- The expedition team will be international, so entries can be prepared in many languages on the spot;
- Contact with local organisations supporting the development of the Kashubian language.

This year, the Polish chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation is planning a Wikiexpedition to the region of Polish Podlasie, which will be a testing ground for the idea and will last for about 10 days. The Kashubian WikiExpedition may be organised at a time immediately preceding or folllowing the conference.

Interwiki Night Live

Gdańsk Center for Translation Studies at the University of Gdańsk has recently translated a few Wikipedia articles for a project of theirs as part of the Translation of the Month initiative, which brings serious amounts of translated content from other Wikipedias to its Polish edition. They are planning to follow through by introducing a Wikipedia course on translating among language versions. The Center is willing to co-organise a translation workshop during the Wikimania, whereby participants are to generate translated content among the Polish, English, German, Finnish, Swedish, French and Russian language versions (these particular languages will be staffed by pertinent University of Gdańsk institutes). Other languages are also a possibility if feasible.

Environmental issues

Carbon neutrality

As far as carbon neutrality of the conference is concerned, the organising team would focus on two key aspects:

Limiting the CO² emission and waste: we are considering granting up to 10% refund to those who will choose to arrive at the venue using public transport (excluding planes). We are also planning to e.g. use local produce suppliers for catering and serve food using non-disposable utensils.
Neutralising the emission: we have struck cooperation with Aeris Futuro (which has e.g. covered the COP14 conference in Poznań las year), with their offset programme "TIME FOR FOREST" (Polish: "Czas na las"). We are hoping to neutralise the inevitable emission of carbon dioxide through that initiative. After assessing the amount of energy and resources consumed during the conference (transport to and from Gdańsk, local transport, accommodation-related emission, venue-related emission) and recalculating the result into gas emission, the planting of trees in a number allowing to consume the conference's emission will be funded, The conference will additionally receive a carbon neutrality certificate. Also, see below.

Wikimania 2010 forest

The Gdańsk Wikimania 2010 team together with the Aeris Futuro non-governmental organization plans to plant a number of tree saplings in a chosen region of Poland to neutralise the conference's impact on the environment, we could assign a place where each of the participants could come with their own sapling and plant it, together with their nickname on a plaque. That would be a Wikimania 2010 forest - a gift of the Wikimania 2010 conference attendees for our future generations.

Those attendees who would choose to arrive at the conference using public transport (by train, bus, ship; excluding planes), choosing a train over a car, as well as those who would decide to commute to the venue, taking additional passengers to their cars, could also have their own tree geocoded, making it possible to monitor that exact tree in the future.

A note of revolution

2010 will be the year of Frédéric Chopin - the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth. The venue for the conference holds Chopin's name. For these reasons we would like to begin Wikimania - organised for the avant-garde of free content movement (free culture and open source software) with a piano performance of Étude Op. 10, No. 12, called The Revolutionary, probably followed by a concert of Chopin's music. We are initiating talks with the management of the venue regarding the matter.

Étude No.12

(help | download | file info)

We would like to combine this event with a series of lectures and workshops devoted to free culture, amateur and professional artistic expression, and the distribution thereof. Because Wikimedia projects, similarly to other Internet-created content, attract more people knowledgeable in technology and nature sciences and fewer humanists, we would thus like to attract artists to the projects. We also would like to expand this endeavour to include issues of using the content of Wikimedia projects and the projects themselves in education.

Gadgets and stuff

Amateur radio

Temporary amateur radio stations are set up for special occasions - important anniversaries, historically-relevant events, meet-ups (such an example was the radio station with the callsign SP0WIKI, which worked during Polish Wikimedians' GDJ meetup) and others. Such a station works both to propagate the event in question among amateur radio enthusiasts and as an attraction for the participants of the event. Sq7obj suggests running such a radio station during Wikimania 2010. It might work directly from the conference venue or from immediate vicinity. After a quick training the equipment may be used by people without appropriate background. The idea of such stations is to initiate communication with as many amateur radiostation users as possible and after exchanging their callsigns record the contact in the logbooks. Optionally, the users might also exchange QSL cards.

Bus simulators

ZKM - the city's main bus line operator (and only tram line operator) - will rent us two buses with on-board computer driving simulators normally used for driver training. Participants will be able to sit behind the wheel and with monitors in front of their eyes, have fun "driving" a real-life bus.

Riverside Network Campus

The Central Maritime Museum in Gdansk will provide access to a pier, where a network campus with a view of the Old Town may be located.

Pros and cons

Strengths

Gdańsk is a city commonly associated with its traditions of freedom, independence and human rights parallel to the ideas of Wikimedia
The bid has full support of the city's authorities
The city is easily available by any means of transport
It is also a popular tourist destination, making the city "used to" and friendly to foreign visitors
Consequently, it will offer the participants numerous easily available attractions
Poland is a relatively cheap country, and its currency - the zloty (PLN) has kept a favourable exchange rate as compared to euro, dollar, or pound.
The venue, due to its everyday character, assures a perfect atmosphere.
Poland is currently preparing for hosting the EURO 2012, which means that it is rapidly developing in the fields which are of interest for foreign visitors.

Weaknesses

Poland is difficult to reach from the south of Europe by any means other than plane.
It is also not in the Eurozone, which makes it necessary for all participants from abroad to exchange their money.
Poland is currently preparing for hosting the EURO 2012, which means that the fields which are of interest for foreign visitors might be disorganized at the time of Wikimania 2010.

Gallery

Distance: All the photos in this gallery have information about the approximate distance from the conference venue. The distance is measured as the crow flies, which - as the conference venue will be held on the Ołowianka island - may substantially differ from the distance needed to be covered on foot or by the small ferry "MS Motława" before reaching the pictured area.

The Motława river (500 meters to where the photo was taken)
Main Town (600 meters)
The medieval "Crane" (built 1442-44) is one of the symbols of Gdańsk (200 meters)
Neptune Fountain (800 meters)
View of the long market from the tower of the old city hall (850 meters)
Long market (750 meters)
Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gdańsk, claims the title of the largest brick church in the world (600 meters)
The tower of the old city hall next to the long market. Until the end of WWII no building in Gdańsk could be higher than the the city hall (750 meters)
Long market in Gdańsk (1000 meters)
Green Gate (500 meters)
Artus Court (800 meters)
Small Mill (800 meters)
Monument of Fallen Shipyards Workers 1970 (1500 meters)
Entrance to the Port of Gdańsk. (4 km)
Ship-museum Sołdek (1949) (100 meters)
A large tourist ship "Onyx" operated by Zegluga Gdańska , one of 4 ships of this class (550 meters)
Beach in Brzeźno (8.5 km)

Notes

↑ The Polish Maritime Museum
↑ see the map of the city free wifi network
↑ No.1 being reserving the conference venue
No.2 being securing the budget
↑ The avarage age of a city bus is 6.7 years according to the ZKM website (in Polish)
↑ Please, do not query Google to find your route from any of these to the venue: the search results will be erroneous.
↑ Half-price tickets are available to foreign students with the EURO<26 or ISIC cards.
↑ [1]
↑ [2]
↑ [3]
↑ [4]
↑ [5]
↑ [6]
↑ [7]
↑ [8]
↑ Rarytas restaurant web page (in Polish)
↑ Fares of KM railways (in Polish)
↑ 73 procent Polaków dobrze ocenia pracę Policji (text in Polish)

[1] The Polish Maritime Museum

[2] see the map of the city free wifi network

[3] No.1 being reserving the conference venue
No.2 being securing the budget

[4] The avarage age of a city bus is 6.7 years according to the ZKM website (in Polish)

[5] Please, do not query Google to find your route from any of these to the venue: the search results will be erroneous.

[6] Half-price tickets are available to foreign students with the EURO<26 or ISIC cards.

[7] [1]

[8] [2]

[9] [3]

[10] [4]

[11] [5]

[12] [6]

[13] [7]

[14] [8]

[15] Rarytas restaurant web page (in Polish)

[16] Fares of KM railways (in Polish)

[17] 73 procent Polaków dobrze ocenia pracę Policji (text in Polish)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]