 Tczew is located on the west bank of river Vistula, approximately south of Gdańsk Bay at the Baltic Sea and south-east of Gdańsk.Tczew ("Trsow", "Dersowe", ‘weaver's town’) was first mentioned as "Trsow" in a document by Pomeranian Duke Grzymisław bestowing the land to the Knights Hospitaller in 1198.Around 1200 Sambor I, Duke of Pomerania, built a fortress here.