There is only one such a city as Gdańsk. With unusual location and over thousand years of history, Gdańsk hides a lot of mysteries and has this "something" thanks to which you cannot mistake it for any other: courage, freshness and, in the first place, freedom.

This virtue, most praised for centuries by Gdańsk residents, formed its unique genius loci. You can feel it equally among the tenement houses and among the shipyard cranes, on beautiful sand beaches and in postindustrial areas, parks and tunnels. It inspires and transforms both space and people, making them what they are: brave, involved, passionate and creative.

Not long ago Gdańsk was the centre of events that changed the history of Europe. In August 1980, the strike in the Gdańsk Shipyard led by Lech Wałęsa and the creation of Solidarność, a great social movement, captured the imagination of millions. Precisely these events gave a great impulse to the freedom movements around the world and let people believe that impossible is after all possible.

Today's Gdańsk is a modern, European metropolis, economy based on knowledge, an actively developing centre of culture, science, entertainment and sport, an attractive tourist destination and the world capital of amber.

In this northern, maritime Poland winters are generally mild and wet, with considerable snowfall. Here, more often than anywhere else, snowploughs need to go on roads but temperatures more often circulate around zero.

An important crossing between Western Europe, Russia, the Balkans and the Baltic Sea, Poland recorded an unprecedented qualitative and quantitative 150 percent leap in its highways network (1,500 km) in the past five years, and another 1,800 km is expected by 2020. Simultaneously, road accidents decreased over this period by about 25% and fatalities fell by 37%.

Through the "Maintain the standard" scheme, the maintenance of these new roads is entrusted to private companies, in charge of permanently maintaining a specific level of service, including snow clearing, minor surface repairs, road signs, traffic barriers, etc. whereas the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) cares only for major repairs.

GDDKiA and the City of Gdańsk, one of the oldest Polish coastal city, will be proud to welcome, from 20 to 23 February 2018, all delegates, scholars, experts and exhibitors form all other the world to discuss the latest achievements in winter maintenance.