GDYNIA AND SOPOT – Nightsky's trip to Gdansk's neighbour cities

[Nightsky]

On my trip to Gdansk, I also visited the other cities in the Tricity area, Gdynia and Sopot, on a daytrip This is a thread about them, starting with Gdynia.


ABOUT Gdynia

Population: 248 000 (metro 1 081 000)
Country: Poland
Tallest building: Sea Towers (144m)
Region: Pomerania
Founded year (city rights): 1926
Area: 135 km²
Year visited: 2014

ABOUT GDYNIA
Gdynia is the second largest city in the tricity together which also includes Gdansk and Sopot. It is an important seaport city in the Gdansk Bay in the Baltic Sea with a big shipyard, Stocznia Gdynia. It is a very new city, it got the city rights in 1926 and therefore has no really old buildings. Gdynia grew from a village to a city when the seaport started consruction in 1921. The construction progress went very slowly because of financial issues. In 1925 the city started to be constructed. When the Germans occupied the city and the seaport in 1939, they called Gdynia Gotenhafen after the goths, an ancient German tribe who have lived in the area. The Gotenhafen concentration camp was also located there! When the city was captured by the Russians in 1945 it was renamed Gdynia. During the solidarity movement in 1970, strikes also took place at the shipyard of Gdynia. The fictious name of one of the workers who were shot to death, Janek Wisniewski, has named one of the major streets. 10 Lutego is the most important avenue of Gdynia. It is filled with grey modernist buildings and leads to the harbour with its pier and the Sea Towers, the new skyscrapers that have became the new symbol for modern Gdynia.

MY EXPERIENCE
We visited Gdyania for a few hours, as part of the daytrip to Sopot. It is a pretty grey and dull city, since most of the city was built up in the 1920s with much prewar funcionalist and post war socialist architecture, and there is no old town. On top of that the weather also turned grey when we arrived. The nicest area is the harbour, where you find Sea Towers, these skyscrapers are the only buildings that stand out. There are also some nice ships that you can visit, but during our visit they were just about to close. By some reason, as a contrast to the greyness, the city felt more friendly and genuine, and less touristy then the other cities.

We also visited Gdansk, the main destination on the trip, and the beautiful resort town Sopot, both also part of the Tricity metropolitan area.

Click on the link below to read more and watch the pictures:

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Gdynia.html

[Nightsky]

CITY CENTER (SRÓDMIESCIE)
10 Lutego, Janek Wisniewski, St Mary's Church, Swietojanska


Gdynia's city center is the oldest part of the city, but still not older then from the 1920s. Just like the rest of the city, the city center is filled with prewar modernist, funcionalist and monumentalist buildings, many of them grey and in dull style but it is interesting to see the architecture of the era. Few cities have so many buildings in funcionalist (funcis) style. Its main street, 10 Lutego, is an avenue that leads to the seaport, where it extends at Kosciuzko Square into the Southern Pier. Most important buildings are concentrated around this avenue. One of the few buildings in older style in Gdynia is the catholic church.
DLUGA:


Skyline of Gdynia seen from the train station with typical modernist residential highrises and a modern church, Wzgórze Św. Maksymiliana, ul. Ujejskiego.


Gdynia Main Station, Dworzec Podmiejski, is where we got off from the train from Sopot and Gdansk. The other tricities are all less then an hour away by regional trains.






10 Lutego, main road of Gdynia






Batory shopping center on 10 Utlego is one of the most recent building in central Gdynia.












6-storey building rebuilt in a more postmodern style.


http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Gdynia_City.html

[Nightsky]

Swietojanska street with St Mary's Church.


Gdynia built in LEGO inside a glass exhibition center


St Mary's Church (Kosciol pw Najswietszej Marii Oanny) at Plac Jana Pawla II on Swietojanska street. Built in 1924, this is one of the few buildings in downtown Gdynia built in an older architecture. At the church there is a bookstore dedicated to the former pope, John Paul II (Jan Pawel II), who was Polish.










Statue of John Paul II at Plac Jana Pawla II






Teatr Murzyczny, a modern theater








St Mary's Church (Kosciol pw Najswietszej Marii Oanny) at Plac Jana Pawla II on Swietojanska street.


3 Maja street. The cool grey building to the left is Church of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus , built between 1957 and 1966. The glass tower to the right is the MultiBank.


Swietojanska street, Northwards looking towards Plac Kaszubski. The brand new highrise to the right is one of few postmodern buildings in Gdynia.


10 Utlego, looking towards the high hills in the West.


Orbis Hotel, the tallest hotel in Gdynia


Sea Towers is a mixed-use skyscraper is the tallest building in Gdynia and the Tricity area and the second tallest residential building and 10th tallest skyscraper in Poland (2014). It has since its completion just next to the sea in 2009 became the foremost symbol of Gdynia. Sea Towers consist of two buildings connected with a 5-storey skybridge, the tallest one is 125.4m to the roof (143.6m to the antenna) and has 36 floors, the lower one has 28 floors. Even thought it looks much more modern then most other highrises of Gdynia, even this building is built in grey and white colours. More, lower highrises are built around it. The apartments have nice views over the Gdansk Bay.


http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Gdynia_City.html

[ColDayMan]

Fascinating. Thank you!

[SignalHillHiker]

It looks like what we could do with communist-era infrastructure to rehabilitate it and make it interesting and, in many cases, beautiful. Very nice city!

[thomas_zul]

Originally Posted by Nightsky

MY EXPERIENCE
We visited Gdyania for a few hours, as part of the daytrip to Sopot. It is a pretty grey and dull city, since most of the city was built up in the 1920s with much prewar funcionalist and post war socialist architecture, and there is no old town. On top of that the weather also turned grey when we arrived. The nicest area is the harbour, where you find Sea Towers, these skyscrapers are the only buildings that stand out. There are also some nice ships that you can visit, but during our visit they were just about to close. By some reason, as a contrast to the greyness, the city felt more friendly and genuine, and less touristy then the other cities.

First of all - thanks for these shots from my hometown!

Now, Gdynia is not only grey, but also white and there are more different, much more "alive" colors, but it's a modernist city once was called as "white city" because of tons of white facades So it's not bad, it's good. There was a consequence in modernism era of 30's.

And I don't know if anybody should call this city dull because modernism is an elegant style and it's not supposed to be like details covered in gold and silver or dozens of ornamentation on facades. Modernism is all about calm colors, shapes and they are shinin' best when it's sunny, so this weather that you've had wasn't the best to experience it.

Gdynia is a very different city when there is sun at the sky, believe me

I think lack of old town is good, because it's so typical that pretty much every city in Poland has an old town, so lack of it is kind of original and not that bad

I'm happy that you like Sea Towers. There are next buildings in construction there but sadly they won't be as high and great as STs.

In my biased opinion Gdynia is most friendly of all three cities and pretty much same heavy touristy is summer season as rest.

Did you visit Muzeum Emigracji area (Museum of Emigration) or Orlowo (beautiful pier, fishboats and cliff)?

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

It looks like what we could do with communist-era infrastructure to rehabilitate it and make it interesting and, in many cases, beautiful. Very nice city!

I don't uderstand. What do you mean by that?

[Nightsky]

@thomas_zul:

I got the feeling that more people are out on streets, and more is going on in Gdynia then Gdansk, that is more like a touristy historic city (still very interesting) but where streetlife and people are mostly in the outskirts. In Gdynia there seemed to be much more places for the residents in the city center. It was interesting to see the funcionalist architecture, and I liked some buildings. Personally I think there could be a bit more colour and variation to the architecture, but the buildings and steets looked very clean and it makes an interesting contrast to Gdanska and Sopot. I didn't visit Orlowo or the museum unfortuantely, since I was there only for a couple of hours in Gdynia (I spent totally two hole days and two half days in the Tricity area so not very much time).

Next will be the harbour area of Gdynia.

[Nightsky]

PORT OF GDYNIA:

Gdynia has a large seaport. The main avenue, 10 Lutego, leads from the city center to the seaport, where you find the new landmark of Gdynia, Sea Towers, that are also the tallest buildings in the Tricity area. You will also find an artifical peninsual, Southern Pier, that is an extension of 10 Lutego. At Kosciuzko Square, that was visited by the former pope in 1987, there are several fountains and monuments dedicated to seamen. The Polish Navy has their headquarters there. From the seaport there are regular car ferry services to Karlskrona, Sweden.


Sea Towers, tallest skyscraper in the Tricity area.






Gdynia Fountain in front of Sea Towers






Gdynia Fountain is an impressive modernist fountain at Kosciuszko Square on 10 Lutego avenue, situated where the port begins.


Promenade in the middle of 10 Lutego towards the seaport




Polish Sailors Monument at Kosciuszko Square in the middle of 10 Utlego where the avenue enters the seaport area. This square is the place where pope John Paul II met the citizens of Gdynia on 11th of June 1987.


9/11 memorial. Poland has a strong relationship with USA.

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Gdynia_Seaport.html

[Nightsky]

Blyskawica is an old torpedo warship that has been turned into a museum, sitauted in the dock along Southern Pier, an extension of 10 Lutego.




Dar Pomorza is a sailship that has been transformed into a museum. It was built in 1908. Unfortunately it had just closed at the time of our visit.




One of the two mock pirate ships, Dragon and Regina, that cruise the Gdansk Bay from Gdynia. They have a bar and a grill restaurant on-board. They sail in May-September and become floating restaurants other times of the year.







Monument to the sailors who died at the sea. This tall monument resembles the Three Crosses Monument in Gdansk.


Sea Towers and the pirate ship at the Southern Pier, that was built in 1930.




Gdynia Aquarium (Akwarium Gdynskie)








There are many beaches and green hills around Gdynia

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Gdynia_Seaport.html


Next is Sopot!

[Nightsky]

SOPOT

ABOUT Sopot

Population: 38 000 (metro 1 081 000)
Country: Poland
Tallest building: St George's Church
Region: Pomerania
Founded year (city rights): 1901
Area: 17.31 km²
Year visited: 2014

ABOUT Sopot

Sopot is a city that is situated between Gdansk and Gdynia with about 38 000 inhabitants. It is a nice resort town that is famous for its spa, casino and a long beach on the Southern coast of the Baltic sea. It also has Europe's longest and oldest wooden pier (that we visited by night), two large de luxe hotels, a famous strange crooked house, a firehouse that we visited to see the views and a nice, hilly pedestrian street called Montecassino. It is famous for its international song festival. It has been a popular holiday resort for Polish and German aristocrats since the beginning of the 20th century. In 1919 it became part of the free city of Danzig (that's what the Germans called Gdansk when they took control over the area). It has survived the two world wars and the decline during the communist regime well. Sopot (together with Warsaw) boasts the highest property prices in Poland.

MY EXPERIENCE

We went to Sopot as a daytrip from Gdansk, went to Gdynia for a couple of hours and then back to have diner in Sopot in the evening. Sopot is a very nice city to visit and a must if you are in Gdansk, it feels like the Polish riviera with its long beach, open-air restaurants, pedestrian streets and cosmopolitan atmosphere. The weather was ok for September, mixed sun and clouds.

Click on the link below to read more and watch the pictures:

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Sopot.html



VIEWS OF SOPOT:

Let's start with the skyline views to get an overview of the city. They were taken from this old lighthouse in the city center:




The lighthouse, Zabytkowa Latarnia Morska, was built in 1904. It is 30m tal and was built as a part of a grand casino complex in the 1920s.

[Nightsky]

Sheraton Sopot Hotel is a very prominent de luxe hotel casino at Kuracyjny Square and occupies several blocks in the city center.


Christ the Saviour Church, beach and Aleja Wojska Polskiego promenade


The spiral staircase to the top


The promenade next to the beach, Aleja Wojska Polskiego


Kuracyjny square -the heart of Sopot, Montecassino street, St George's Church and the surrounding green hills.


Kuracyjny square


East part of the beach and Sheraton hotel


St George's Church (St Jerzy)


The fountain at Kuracyjny Square


Green hills along the "Polish riviera"











http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Sopot_skylines.html

[Nightsky]

SOPOT - CITY CENTER:
Monte Cassino, Pier, Sheraton, Kurazyjny Square, Plac Konstytucji, Crooked House 3 Maja, Morkise Oko Park, Aleja Niepodlegosci, 3 Maja, St George's Church


The city center of Sopot is where you find Monte Cassino street with its casinos, restaurants and nightclubs, and the luxury hotels near the large and elegant Kuracyjny Square, and Place Konstytucji with St George's Church. It is a center of Northern Polish nighlife. As soon as you leave the tourist area, you can find a few buildings that are rundown but the atmosphere is very nice. There are many nice mansions, some in jugend style, and green streets.. Here you will also find the highest property prices in Poland!

KURACYJNY SQUARE:


Sheraton Sopot Hotel, Conference Center and Spa seen from Kuracyjny square with its impressive fountain that is that is changing colours and shape at night. The hotel has 189 rooms and a private beach.


Kuracyjny square, looking towards the beach and Sopot Pier


Sopot Pier (Mol) is Europe's oldest and longest pier. It goes from Kuracyjny square and reach 512m out in the Baltic Sea. At the pier you find restaurants and fancy boats.

Sheraton Hotel with its famous spa.








Panstwowa Galeria Sztuki is a modern art gallery situated at the beginning of Monte Cassino street, near Kuracyjny square. In the same complex is also a shopping center.


Restaurant Kuroki, nice building but not the best restaurant in Sopot


Traditional Polish food, Restaurant Kuraoki. Extremely overpriced and nothing special.


Bayjonn Hotel, a 3 star hotel in a postmodern building at Kuracyjny square



http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Sopot_City.html

[Nightsky]

BOHATERÓW MONTE CASSINO (Monte Cassino street):

Monte Cassino is the main street of Sopot, the center of Northern Poland's nightlife. Here you find restaurants, nighclubs, cafés, fancy stores, nice trees, market stands, street art and galleries. It is a pedestrian street and starts at the Kuracyny square, goes up in a hilll and ends at Plac Konstitucjy, where you find the landmark St George's Church. Along Monte Cassino you will also find Sopot's foremost symbol, the so called "Crooked House", a modern building with an odd shape.


Monte Cassino towards St George's Church.


The "Crooked House" and a H&M store at Monte Cassino.


"The Crooked Little House", officially Krzywy Domek, at Monte Cassino, is the most famous building in Sopot and has lately became a symbol of the city. This postmodern building, built in 2004, has become famous by its shape that makes it looks like the building is melting, or transforming shape. Inside it looks normal, it houses cafés, a small shopping galleria that is part of the Rezydent mall, and a nightclub on top.


Inside "The Crooked House"




At this point Bohaterow Monte Cassino starts to get hilly.
















"The Crooked House", officially Krzywy Domek, at Monte Cassino, The byuilding was designed by Szotyńscy & Zaleski who were inspired by the fairytale illustrations and drawings of Jan Marcin Szancer and Per Dahlberg.

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Sopot_City.html

[Nightsky]

PLAC KONSTYTUCJY 3 MAJA (Constitution Square of May 3rd):

This is the busy square at the higher end of Montecassino. Here you find St George's Church (sw. Jerzy), Hotel Rezydent and a few restaurants. It is also close to the main train station.


St George's Church (Kosciól p.w. Sw. Jerzego), a landmark brick church seen from Monte Cassino. In the 20th century Kaiser Wilhelm II funded this neo-gothic building and approved the design himself.






St George's Church (Kosciól p.w. Sw. Jerzego), here seen from Plac Konstytucjy 3 Maja, was completed in 1901.


St George's Church looks very modern and polished compared to the churches of nearby Gdansk.


Hotel Rezydent, a 4 star hotel at Plac Konstytucji 3 Maja.












Hotel Rezydent and a spruce, Plac Konstytucji 3 Maja


Plac Konstytucji 3 Maja, towards Monte Cassino and St George's Church

OTHER STREETS:







Sopot Central Station, regional train

ALEJA NIEPODLEGOSCI: :
The area around this main road is nice, but less glamorous then the immediate city center around Monte Cassino street. It is very trafficated and filled with hotels, stores and restaurants.


















St Michael the Archangel church (św. Michała Archanioła), 3 Maja street







http://www.worldtravelimages.net/Sopot_City.html