Piwna, Gdańsk

Piwna is a street whose history is tied to a remarkable local beer. Its earlier name, Jopengasse, referred to jopen, a dense Gdańsk brew that was famous beyond the city before 1945. It was taken in small measures, mixed with lighter beer, used as a remedy, and added to food; its price could reach five to six times that of ordinary beer.

As you walk along Piwna, the route leads towards the Great Armoury, now adapted for commerce. The street began as a curving lane descending to a ferry over the Motława in the fourteenth century. Brewing jopen demanded winter cold, shallow cooling vats, long fermentation, and about a year of cask ageing. Since 2008, cars have been excluded during the tourist season, giving this historic route the character of a pedestrian promenade.