Architecture

However, the majority of the city's historic buildings date back to the years 1920-1939 presenting two dominating conventions: the historic style popular in the 1920s and the Modernism with some edifices which make examples of outstanding architecture on the European scale.

City Centre

Gdynia's heart concentrates around 10-Lutego, Świętojańska streets and also Skwer Kościuszki running into the Jana Pawła II Promenade on the Southern Pier cutting 626,5 m into the sea, put up in 1935 to replace a wooden pier serving the spa guests. At the pitch of the pier there is a statue of the Polish author of marine fiction, Joseph Conrad by Zdzisław Koseda and also the Baltic Tourist Information Stand. Across the pier, opposite the ferries, there is the Aquarium and the Faculty of Navigation of the Marine Academy with a marina behind it, named after Gen. Mariusz Zaruski (an outstanding yachtsman, mountain climber, writer and soldier) whose statue is located next to the mooring yachts (also by Z. Koseda). There is yet another statue, one portraying Leonid Teliga (the first Pole ever to singly circle the globe on board „Opty" in 1967-1969).

Kamienna Góra Hill - rising 50 metres high over the seashore - a panorama spot to view the sea, the port and the city, and a posh city district at the same time in the centre of which stands the statue of Henryk Sienkiewicz, the Polish literature Nobel prize winner in XIX century. In July and August, every Sunday at 4 p.m. Chamber Music Concerts are held in the park.

December 1970 Victims Monuments - located on two city ends commemorate those "who gave their lives for us to be able to live in dignity". One, put up on 17th December 1980, on the 10th anniversary of the massacre of workers going to work, stands in Czechosłowacka street close to the shipyard. The construction of the other, next to the Municipality Office, was interrupted by Martial Law imposed on 13th December 1981. It was not until 13 years later that the 25 m tall and 23 tons heavy „winged cross" stood in the city centre.

Orłowo

Domek Żeromskiego - Żeromski's House. It is located in Orłowo next to the beach and the wooden pier. It was home to the writer Stefan Żeromski. Today it houses the Association of Orłowo Lovers where they arrange literature meetings and small exhibitions (the house itself is tiny). Nearby - a fishermen settlement offering fresh and smoked fish.

Manor-Park complex in Kolibki - it used to be knights' property, in XVII century in the hands of the Wejher family clan, then the Sobieskis - king Jan III, queen Marysieńka and later their sons Alexander and Jakub, who in turn sold it to an official Piotr Przebendowski. In July 1919 it was bought by Witold Kukowski from Walter von Schütze, which came first before the decision included in the Versaille Treaty to draw in that place the border line between Poland and the Free City of Gdańsk, thus making the newly restored Polish State territory bigger by the area of the huge land property. The former manor and the park with very old trees have survived. Nowadays, the ancient stables serve as premises for a riding school.

Willa Lubicz. Walking along the Orłowska street towards the pier and the Summer Stage of the Gombrowicz Theatre, we pass a charming boarding house - a villa dating back to the 1930s of the previous century - now very carefully restored with the interiors designed to bring back those times. Even the hotel staff are dressed in style of that epoch.

Redłowo

Cannons on the moraine hills. In the Kępa Redłowska reserve there are still present three huge 130 mm calibre cannons, part of permanent artillery battery from 1947. Each weighs over 10 tons. They were supposed to guard the entrance to Gdynia port. It was last in use in 1970 by military exercises.

Oksywie

St. Michael Archangel church in Oksywie is the oldest building in Gdynia. In XII century, it replaced a pagan temple. The church was reduced to a pile of rubble during the war with Sweden in XVII century. After its restoration it served the Catholics until the last days of World War II when the tower was hit by a Soviet cannon ball, fired for fun. Yet again did the Kashubians have to rebuild their temple. It towers the Kępa Oksywska up to over 40 m above the water table, surrounded by a cemetery, about which Bernard Chrzanowski wrote: „there is not another one, whose graves would dream in such peace and quiet so high up and so close to the see". Very many honourable people from Gdynia and Pomerania rest there; it also makes a Pantheon of the Navy: the walls of this historic church are lined with commemorating plates honouring the II World War Polish warships, graves of the outstanding navy commanders and the September 1939 defenders of the Polish Coast, holders of the Virtuti Militari crosses.

Chylonia

St. Nicolas church - 4 Św. Mikołaja street. The former wooden church has not survived, except the gothic presbytery dating back to mid. XIV century. It was enlarged at the end of XIX century. It houses a neo-gothic altar.

You can also use "500" bus to sightsee the city - the route leads via all the attractive sites in Gdynia (in summer). Start in front of the PKP Main Railway Station, every hour from 11.47 to 19.47

tel. +48 58 623 33 12, www.zkmgdynia.pl