Description
Located just north of Gdansk, making it the perfect port of call for venturing into this historic Polish city, Gdynia is a major Polish seaport on the Baltic Sea known for its downtown district – which is a designated historic monument of Poland – and for being one of the best cities in Poland to live in the 21st century. With an interesting maritime history, and landmarks that date back to the 13th century, history buffs will find Gdynia rewarding – something that goes double for Gdansk, which has been an important shipbuilding port since the Middle Ages, an important port for Poland throughout the 15th and 17th centuries, and proved important throughout the Second World War and Cold War. Beyond this, though, you’ll find both Gdynia and Gdansk are wonderful places to explore, with charming coffee spots, plenty of places to indulge in some traditional Polish food, and shopping opportunities aplenty. You’ll also find some stunning beaches, though the weather might be a bit cold for sun lounging outside the Summer months.
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Things to do
The Navy Museum in Gdynia
Initially established in 1953, and now housed in the same building as the Gdynia City Museum, the Navy Museum in Gdynia is a must-visit destination for history fans and features some incredible exhibits and artefacts from the Second World War. Alongside the world’s only preserved German BT 1,000 rocket-powered bomb torpedo, you’ll also find ORP Blyskawica, one of two Grom-class Polish destroyers and the oldest preserved destroyer-class battleship in the world. Introduced in 1937, this ship was in active service until 1976.
St Catherine's Church
The oldest church in Gdansk, St. Catherine’s Church is a Brick Gothic-style structure that was built between 1227 and 1237, having since gone through several expansions and renovations over the centuries. It’s home to the world’s first pulsar clock, which is a clock that uses pulsar signals from outside our Solar System to keep time, and an impressive art gallery in its attic.
Dlugi Targ (Long Market Square)
Part of the Royal Route through Gdansk, this medieval market square in central Gdansk is home to numerous notable buildings, of which the 15th-century Town Hall is among the most famous, and Neptune’s Fountain, a fountain constructed in 1617; you’ll also find Green Gate here, a building built to serve as the formal residence of Polish monarchs in 1568.