::SIGHTS
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THE
WOODEN PIER
the longest (1677 ft long and 33 ft wide, extending 1476
ft into the sea) wooden construction in the Baltic Sea basin
and, together with the Grand Hotel, a symbol of Sopot and
a draw for tourists. In fact, it attracts from 1,5 to 2
million of them a year. Thr Pier consists of a square platform
joined with the Healing Square, a main body with several
side platforms, a head of trapezoidal shape and a side spur
making a yacht wharf. The first small pier (only 134 ft
long and 5.24 ft wide) was built by Dr J. Haffner. In 1842,
in the same place a larger (207 ft long and 8 ft wide) pier
was built and in 1882 another 308 ft of lenght and 12 ft
of width were added. Its current shape was reached in 1925,
on the occasion of the 25-year anniversary of the city.
BOHATERÓW
MONTE CASSINO STREET
Main and very popular street in Sopot. It is 2083 ft long,
closed for traffic and leads straight to the Pier. There
are a lot of shops, cafes, bars, restaurants, travel agencies,
cinemas and a theatre, all of them arelocated in charming,
eclectic and neo-gothic houses. In the square there is a
fountain with a statue of a fisherman, honouring a fishing
village which was at the place of todays bathing house.
The fountain was made in 1998 by a designer Brunon Wandtke
and a sculptor Stanisław Szwechowicz. The name of the street
goes for the soldiers of the second Polish corps commanded
by Wladyslaw Anders. During the second World War they took
part in a battle for an Italian hill and monastery.
THE
WRY HOUSE
The Wry House (Monte Cassino 53) refers to the drawings
of Jan Marcin Szancer and Per Dahlherg - a Danish draughtsman
who has been living in Sopot for years. The house was built
in 2003 by a building company "Allcon" according to a plan
of Mr. and Mrs. Szotyiiski. The building is a residence
of pubs, restaurants and shops. On the third floor there
is The Pomeranian Musem of Modern Marine Craft.
NATURE AND LANDSCAPE
More than half of Sopot's surface
area is covered by high forests with a great variety of
trees, and by parks, gardens, squares and greens. For every
inhabitant of Sopot there is more than 250 square metres
of green areas, which in comparison with the national average
for towns (15 square metres) must be some kind of record.
In the parks, woods, gardens and by the road-sides there
grow about 200 different kinds of trees and shrubs, with
a very high scientific and educational value, of both foreign
and domestic origin, and all protected by conservation orders.
The ages of some of the monumental trees of foreign origin
range from 90 to 140 years, while the oldest natural monument
among domestic trees - Stanisław Leszczyński's Oak on the
Sopot Escarpment - is over 300 years old. Among the natural
beauties of Sopot are the small sites referred to as fragments
of primordial nature. Among them are the wooded gorges of
the streams cutting through the Sopot Escarpment in the
northern part of the town, the areas of the source of the
Gdynia Potok in Stawowie and the forest nature reserve called
Starodrzew on Zajęcze Wzgórze. In Sopot you can also find
examples of so-called inanimate nature, including, among
others, the erratic boulders transported here from Scandinavia
by glaciers more or less twenty thousand years ago. These
can be found in various parts of the town.
NORTH
BATHS
This rectangular, narrow and long piece of land is situated
in the city center at the beach, next to the North Park
along the summer promenade. Originally, there were the North
Baths, built in 1903. They were made of wood and their gallery
was turned to the sea. Nowadays, there is an object of the
North Baths on the field which was projected by Janusz Kowalski
and built within 1967 and 1972.
NATIONAL
ART GALLERY
The National Gallery in Sopot is known for organising modern
art exhibitions, which represent different artistic phenomena.
The gallery, which points at revealing the most crutial
issues of Polish and foreign art and reaching as much public
as possible presents the works of not only experimental
character, but more or less traditional as well. An important
sphere of the Gallery existance are the topical reviews
concerning particular displays, concerts and other shows
such as festivals, reviews, film seminarries (ex. Art Film
Festival) and video projections.
LIGHTHOUSE
Sopot Lighthouse, which is also a viewpoint, was built within
1903 and 1904. It is open in high season and has an entrance
from the side of the wooden pier, which means that you have
to pay the pier entrance fee first and then pay again if
you want to visit the lighthouse. There is a sculpture over
the main portal which shows a mermaid and a triton and a
crest of Sopot. In the windows of some treatment rooms one
can see secessionist stained glass. There is a memorial
board devoted to Jerzy Haffner, who was the founder of the
baths.
GDAŃSK
he
thousand-year-old Gdańsk is considered as the most monument-abounding
city of the "Baltic Europe". You must know that
Gdańsk is a Hanseatic (a town belonging to the Hanseatic
League - a medieval league of towns of Northern Germany
and adjacent countries for the promotion and protection
of commerce).
Most of the monuments in Gdańsk are placed near the heart
of its Old Town District, around the Long Street (ul. Długa),
streets parallel to it, and the Long Quay (Długie Pobrzeże).
The best place to start your trip appears to the Upland
Gate (Brama Wyżynna) and the King's Road stretching beyond
it. Having crossed The Upland Gate, you'll find the Torture
Tower (Katownia), which is planned to house a museum of
amber soon.
Next
in line is the Golden Gate (Złota Brama) and, next to it,
Manor of the Society of St. George (Dwór Bractwa Świętego
Jerzego). When you pass the Golden Gate and turn Left you
will have possibilitty to visit Kabaretu EWAN - its best
to do it on evening. People says Paris has its Moulin Rouge,
Gdańsk has kabaret Ewan.
Long
Street is main track of the town, where you'll be enchanted
by the beautiful renovated XVI - XVII century houses, one
of them being the Uphagen's House (Dom Uphagena) - Museum
of History of Gdańsk. All those venerable buildings are
towered over by the beautiful and monumental Main Town Hall
(Ratusz Głównego Miasta). Walk inside, and you will not
regret it - the splendid interior was renovated not so long
ago. You can also view Flash animation with rebuilding Town
Hall history.
Nearby, on the Long Market (Długi Targ) you'll find the
symbol of Gdańsk - Neptune's fountain. Behind it is the
beautiful Artus' Court (Dwór Artusa) and the New House of
the Court with The Lady from the Window the amazing Golden
House (Złota Kamieniczka).
Tip: There is a place on the Long Market from which you
can see three Neptune's statues - try to find it! If you
would like to feel like you are here now - take a look for
Panoramic View of long Market.
At
the end of the Long Market, you'll find the Green Gate (Zielona
Brama), with the picturesque Long Quay (Długie Pobrzeże)
stretching beyond it and the Granary Island (Wyspa Spichrzów
- unfortunately still in ruins) opposite the Long Quay.
The Central Maritime Museum (Centralne Muzeum Morskie) is
located on the quay while Ołowianka island faces it (during
summertime the Baltic Philharmonic gives concerts there).
During
your walk on the Long Quay, you will pass Gdańsk Harbor
(Przystań). You can come back here in a while when you feel
like taking a boat trip to Sopot, Gdynia or Hel. But don't
look only at the ships on your right, or else you will miss
another great monument on your left - the Crane (Żuraw).
And of course - St. Mary's Gate (Brama Mariacka) which reveals
a street of the same name, considered to be one of the most
beautiful in Europe and leading to Poland's biggest church,
St. Mary's Church (Bazylika Mariacka). While you're around,
you mustn't miss the Archeological Museum (Muzeum Archeologiczne),
the most important archeological institution in northern
Poland, with its collection composed of 27 thousand archaeological,
ethnographical, numismatical and natural exhibits. The museum
also offers a quick, impressive tour of its tower, from
which you can see a fine panorama of Gdańsk. If you wish
to taste traditional Gdańsk food, please visit the "Pod
Łososiem" restaurant. If you feel like grabbing some
fish, try out Tawerna - Gdańsk finest fish restaurant. If
you don't have time or money for such fancies, please visit
La Pasta or Primavera pizzerias, or some inexpensive eatery
- we recommend Bar Turystyczny, "Tao-Tao" or "Smok"
(the Dragon).
That's
not the end of interesting places in Gdańsk. There are still
a few left, one of them being undoubtedly the Old Town Hall,
whose cellar conceals two cozy places: Jadłodajnia z Wyszynkiem
restaurant, and in the lower basement - the Irish Pub. If
you lost your orientation during your reading - take o look
for Interactive Map of Old Town.
Another
place worth seeing is the Three Crosses Monument - a homage
to dockyard workers, who died in December 1970 in Gdańsk.
If you are interested in finding out more
about Gdańsk monuments, please visit the National Museum,
and if you have time - check out Wisłoujscie Fortress and
Westerplatte. Take o look on the plan of Polish Point of
defence, when Second World War started
You
may have problems with reaching the Fortress and Westerplatte
on foot, so check the bus schedules (bus line 106).
Another
one of Gdańsk districts is also worth a visit - Oliwa. You
can admire The Oliwa Cathedral there, and enjoy the music
of its famous baroque organs. The cathedral hosts numerous
organ concerts in the summer. We recommend a walk through
the lovely Oliwa Park, with its Exotic Palm House (Palmiarnia).
While still in Oliwa, please stop by at the Abbot's Palace
and the Ethnographical Museum, or at the famous Oliwa ZOO,
which is the largest in Poland.
THE GDAŃSK ZOO
The
Gdansk Zoo, which has a surface of over 136ha, is the biggest
one in Poland. It is one of the most attractive places of
recreation and education at the coast and it is visited
annually by lots of people both from Gdańsk and from other
cities and countries.
The idea of creating a zoo park in the Tricity came out
in 1940-s and was widely supported by people from Gdańsk,
Sopot and Gdynia. Such big was the enthusiasm of the citizens,
that the city authorities agreed to commence building a
Zoo in Oliwa in 1953.
The first animals to live in the zoo were
these that were brought there by the citizens. They were
mainly rabbits, guinea-pigs, hamsters, foxes, roes and budgerigars.
The collection was getting bigger and bigger mainly because
of the sailors who provided the Zoo with some exotic species.
After a few years the first elephant and a lion arrived
and now there is over 180 species (about 1,000 animals)
in the Zoo.
GDYNIA
Gdynia
is a young, but quickly expanding harbor city situated just
at the seashore, offering many tourist attractions as well
as splendid shopping opportunities and a lot of entertainment.
The city was founded as a Polish harbor in 1926. Because
of its unusual location, you will easily catch great views
of the sea and beautiful scenery, and also find long stroll
sidewalks, beautiful waterfronts, marinas and yacht clubs.
Gdynia is the only city in Poland and one of the few in
Europe to pride on such a long and accessible seashore.
The
city has a good transportation system, so you won't have
any problems reaching Gdynia from either of the other cities.
You can get here by SKM trains, or by car. Kosciuszki square
(Skwer Kościuszki) is the sightseeing center of Gdynia.
The ships moored in dockyards , like the ORP Błyskawica
destroyer ("Lightning") or Dar Pomorza (the Pomeranian
Gift) for instance, are the biggest tourist attractions.
In summertime you can embark on a tourist ship "Viking
II", which offers sightseeing cruises around the Bay
of Gdańsk in the daytime, while at night it serves as a
boat-restaurant.
Scenes
that you could otherwise admire only in the depths of the
oceans offered by The Maritime Museum and Aquarium (Oceanarium)
will leave you speechless. Now we recommend taking a walk
along the Seaside Promenade (Bulwar Nadmorski), or visiting
the nearby Contrast Cafe for a beer. You can enjoy the beautiful
panorama of the harbor and of the city from the top of Kamienna
Góra (Stony Mount), easily recognizable by the large cross
on its top. On your way to the mountain, you will pass the
famous Musical Theatre (Teatr Muzyczny), which stages the
world's most-famed musicals (you may still be able to get
a ticket - check tonight's shows).
Another famous place is the Municipal Theatre
(Teatr Miejski), with its Summer Stage (Scena Letnia) on
the beach in Orłowo, where all shows are accompanied by
the gentle humming of the waves. Jazz artists from all over
the world often perform in Sax Club, placed in the main
building of the Theatre.
Gdynia is also a great city for shopping.
The most attractive places for spending your money are Starowiejska
and Świętojańska streets. There is a modern and exclusive
shopping center named "Batory", at the intersection
of 10 Lutego and Władysława IV streets, where luxurious
shops and state-of-the-art architecture intermingle.
You can also find other modern shopping malls (like Géant
or Hit, Klif) on the outskirts of Gdynia.
OCEANARIUM
There
is no such a museum in Poland where - in the aquaria, showcases
and dioramas - the fauna and flora of most all seas and
oceans in the world is shown. The plastic exhibition of
the Baltic Sea trough is also extremely interesting.
The
exhibitions include 36 reservoirs which have a capacity
of 270 up to 16,000 litres and over 1,500 animals can be
seen there. The Gdynia Aquarium exposes in it's museal part
a collection of appropriately concocted specimens of marine
fauna and flora. The lasting museal exhibitions are presented
in 3 main halls: Baltic Hall, Didactic Hall and Invertebrate
Hall.
There are some other interesting museal
objects apart from the Gdynia Aquarium:
"Dar
Pomorza" sailing ship - It was built in 1909
in Hamburg and it used to be a training ship for the students
of the german merchant marine. In 1930 it was bought using
the funds collected from Polish people and was on service
of "Szkoła Morska". It took 105 voyages, harboured
383 ports and became a school of life for over 14.000 young
officers of polish merchant marine. In 1972 it reaped laurels
in in all possible categories during the Cutty Sark Tall
Ship Races. It is accessible as a museal object from 1982.
One can see ie. cabins, mess, pantry. What also draws the
attention is a collection of little models of ships which
were put inside bottles.
Warship
ORP "The Lightning" - It was built in
England in 1936. It arrived at Gdynia in 1937 and it was
the newest polish destroyer. During the II World War together
with it's twin ship "The Thunder" it fought on
the waters of the North Sea, the Mediterranean, The English
Channel and the Bay of Biscay. It was awarded a Virtutti
Militari order. From 1976 it is a museal object.
The Museum of the Naval Forces
shows the exposition of the historical military hardware.
There has been ie. Marine military hardware and weaponny
from XVI century gathered here. One can see old and modern
militaria, assault fighters, helicopters, torpedoes etc.here.
One can currently see the construction of the new building
- this is the only polish museum built from the beginning
within the last few dozen years.
After visiting a few museums in Gdynia
it is worth going sight seeing to some interesting places:
The
South Pier - this is the most popular place for
the citizens of Gdynia and tourists to go for a walk. You
can always see something interesting here, for example ships
and yachts arriving at the port. Numerous benches induce
people to sit on them and little bars and restaurants offer
a selection of fish dishes.
There are also lots of places where you can buy yourself
a souvenire.
Cruises - in summer you
can sail to Gdańsk, Sopot or even Jastarnia or Hel from
the haven situated near the South Pier.
Boathouse and a sailing basin
- it is a charming place where you can feel the atmosphere
of adventure. It is a place from which the well-known Polish
sailors, such as Leonid Teliga (the first Pole who circumnavigated
the world alone), Krzysztof Baranowski, Henryk Jaskóła and
Zbigniew Puchalski, set out their voyages.
In summer the port fills with wonderful see yahts and boats
from all over the world, which raise the tourists' interest.
The Seaside Boulevard
- it is a wonderful place to take a long walk. You can se
a beautiful panorama of the Gdansk Bay from it. It is 1522m
long and there are many caffes, pubs and beer gardens where
you can rest after a walk and listen to the chant music.
The
Stone Hill - it is a very attractive city park
with numerous paths and a wonderful observation deck from
which you can see a beautiful view on the city, sea, port
and the wooded surface of the Gdansk Upland. There is a
20m high steel cross and a monument of Henryk Sienkiewicz
on the peak of the Stone Hill.
The tourists who do not like overworking
can spend a wonderful time at the town beach, in the cinema
complex "Silver Screen" and in the evening go
to the Music Theater situated at the foot of the Stone Hill.
These are some of the biggest passenger
ships that visited Gdynia:
MALBORK CASTLE
Malbork
Castle is the biggest and most impressing gothic Teutonic
castle in Europe which has miraculously survived up to date
and can be admired with a local guide or from outside, to
realize the immensity and magnificence of the fortress,
the then capital of the Order. It dates back to 1275, the
beginning of its construction. In 1300 the third wind of
the castle was finished; in 1309 it became the Teutonic
Order's capital. In 1997 The entire fortress complex was
enlisted into the UNESCO list.
On
14 September 1309 the Grand Master Siegfried von Feuchtwangen
moved the Teutonic Order's headquarters to Malbork. Thus,
the castle rose in rank to become capital of one of the
most powerful states on the southern Baltic coast. From
that time, Malbork Castle was frequently re-built and modificated.
What also changed was it's function. It used to be a monastery,
a fortress, a representative residence of the rulers, a
military garrison and, in the end, a museum. The castle
survived wars, it was besieged and it repulsed the enemy
attacks but it was conquered and bought as well. The owners
were changing and so was the appearance of the buildings
but the fame of the most powerful fortress of the Europe
remained.
The
museum is open between 1 January and 30 April from 9 to
16, between 1 May and 31 September from 9 to 19.30 and between
1 October and 31 December from 9 to 16. It is closed on
Mondays.
In the summer season the castle is the host to the famous
night performances called "Light and Sound". Every
year, in the second half of July, you can witness the spectacular
inscenization of the historical Malbork siege performed
by all the knight confraternities from all over Poland.
The museum has also the biggest collection of amber in Poland.
KASHUBIAN LAKELAND
The
Kashubian Lakeland is a fertile region on the northern edge
of Poland that spreads over the south and west from the
shores of the Baltic Sea and the main seaport of Gdansk.
It is a province abounding in hills and shores that have
provided farming and fishing for centuries and has its own
native language of Kashubi - one of the greatest curiosities
of monolingual Poland which is still spoken but it is rapidly
disappearing.
Alongside the unpolluted, picturesque lakes
and rivers, the region offers its own original attractions.
One part of it has been named the Kashubian Switzerland
because of its unusual geological features. The undulating
hills, delightful gorges, and valleys form an almost highland
setting. In summer you can swim in the lakes or sail through
one of the numerous river routes, convenient also for kayaking,
and admire the great flocks of cranes, and in winter you
can ski here.
The
Kashubian region is famous for its folk art, especially
for handicrafts. The Kashubian folk culture can be best
admired in the open-air ethnographic park at Wdzydze Kiszewskie.
The region offers a great number of folklore events including
fairs and folk art shows. Interesting ceramic ware and other
folk art products can be seen and purchased at Chmielno.
STUTTHOF CONTETRATION CAMP
The
thought of establishing a camp for "undesirable Polish
elements" was born among the Nazi authorities of the
Free Town of Gdańsk a few years before the war broke out.
Alt least since 1936 officials of the Gdańsk police watched
and invigilated Polish circles, compiled materials which
in 1939 served abases to prepare lists of Poles to be arrested
first. The moment the Nazis invaded Poland, massive arrests
of Poles in the Free Town Gdańsk started. Only in the first
day of the war 1500 person were arrested and the next day
a group of 150 persons was chosen and transported to Stutthof.
Since 1942 transports of Poles arrived and they were directed
not only by police units from Gdańsk-West Prussia, but also
from other regions of the occupied country. At this time
Stutthof became an international camp, because more and
more groups of foreigners were sent there, too. In June
1994 it became part of the project of the "the ultimate
soultion of the Jewish problem". In this way it became
a camp of massive extermination.Within 5 years of the functioning
of the camp, Stutthof grew from a small camp comprising
12 ha in area intended for 3500 prisoners at a time (in
1940) to 120 ha and 57000 prisoners (in 1944). In all it
comprised 39 sub camps. Stutthof was the place were 110
000 people were kept: men, women, and children. During the
imprisonment the were exposed to a number of exterminating
factors such as slave - like work malnutrition, terrible
sanitation, illnesses, mental and physical tortures. 65000
persons died as result of exterminating living conditions
as well as executions by shooting, hanging, murdering in
gas chambers, beating and torturing, and during evacuation
by land and by sea.
You can also visit the museum, projection rooms, see the
archives or constant exhibitions.
How to get to the museum:
From Gdańsk: through Sobieszewo, then in Świbno through
the Vistula by a ferry, then Mikoszewo and Stegna. The route
is about 40km long and it is current in the
Period when the ferry plies.
Route E-77 through Kiezmark, Nowy Dwór Gdański and Stegna
- the route is about 65km long.
Route as shown below, to Kiezmark and then after driving
off the bridge on the Vistula, in the direction of Drewnica,
Mikoszewo dna Stegna - the route is about 55km long.
