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104 SOPOT SIGHTESEEING
Cemeteries
Jewish Cemetery L-3, ul. Malczewskiego. Boasting
neither the grandiose monuments of the big Polish
Jewish cemeteries that survived the war nor the
poignant neglect as can be witnessed in the Tri-city’s
other significantly surviving Jewish cemetery in Chełm,
Sopot’s Jewish Cemetery is a strange site indeed, still
retaining its original walls and entrance gate but having
lost most of the monuments inside. Opened in 1913 in
a peaceful 0.5 hectare site amidst linden and birch trees
that survive to this day, the moss-covered cemetery was
the final resting place of many illustrious local Jewish
families. The surviving graves with inscriptions in Polish,
German, Russian and Hebrew are dated between 1922
and 1936, the year the last person was buried here, and
include a rare monument to Jewish soldiers. The sign
over the entrance gate reads This is the Gate to God.
Partially renovated by the Polish Nissenbaum Foundation,
the cemetery is listed as a registered monument and is
closed for burial. The cemetery hit the international news
recently when some of the stones were vandalised by
a Gdansk protest group claiming to be anti-facist and
against Israeli policy in Palestine. A hastily prepared
banner was placed by Sopot residents apologising for
the attack. Find it on the left going up the hill, immediate
after the large Catholic Cemetery.
Churches
Garrison Church of St Jerzy (Kościół Garnizonowy
p.w. Św. Jerzego) L-4, Pl. Konstytucji 3
Maja, tel. (+48) 58 551 05 48, www.jerzy.sopot.
pl. Designed by Louis von Tiedemann of Potsdam between
1899 and 1901 under the patronage of Empress
Augusta Victoria (who chipped in 1,000 marks of her
own money towards its construction), the Neo-Gothic
Garrison Church of St Jerzy stands on the site of
Sopot’s former market square. Originally Evangelist,
the church has been Roman Catholic since Sopot’s
reincorporation into Poland in 1945. The minimalist
whitewashed interior comprises three unremarkable
stone and brick naves, some charming modern stained
glass and a wooden relief of the Virgin Mary by Zofia
Kamilska-Trzcińska, which used to be on board the
SS Batory as a token of luck during the war. A Neo-
Gothic chapel complete with ceramic roof stands in the
square outside. Once a well, the chapel now shelters
a rather forlorn-looking statue of St. Adalbert. QOpen
06:30 - 19:00, Sun 06:30 - 20:00. No visiting during
mass please.
St. Andrew Bobola Church L-4, ul. Powstańców
Warszawy 15. Dating from 1870, this rather plain
and austere-looking brick building is a bit of a mystery
to say the least, and can usually be found under lock
and key if no service is taking place. Sopot’s oldest
church is notable for its neo-Gothic Ascension of
Our Lady chapel, which itself is the oldest chapel
in the town.
Tour guide
Agnieszka Syroka, tel. (+48) 502 55 45 84, www.
tourguidegdansk.com. Tailored tours offered in English
by a local, fully-qualified guide. QOpen 09:00 - 22:00.
Prices are negotiable.
Monuments
Haffner Monument (Pomnik Haffnera) M-4, ul.
Powstańców Warszawy. A monument to the French doctor
(1777 - 1830) who came to Sopot while serving in Napoleon’s
army. Once the fighting was over, Haffner returned and
built a bathing complex, sanitorium and spa as well as the
beginnings of Sopot’s signature pier. He is widely regarded
as the founder of modern Sopot and he died here in 1830.
Museums
Dworek Sierakowskich M-4, ul. Czyżewskiego 12,
tel. (+48) 58 551 07 56, www.tps-dworek.pl. A beautifully
restored 200-year-old dworek (Polish Manor House)
which served as a summer residence for Polish aristocracy
in the 18th century. Now serving as a versatile gallery and
cultural centre exhibitions change on a regular basis and
can cover anything from paintings, sculpture, photography
and ceramics as well as playing host to workshops and
festivals. The Polish composer Chopin once played here and
musical events are held every Thursday evening. Also home
to the Młody Byron cafe (see cafes). QOpen 12:00 - 19:00.
Admission free.
Sopot Museum (Muzeum Sopotu) M-5, ul.
Poniatowskiego 8, tel. (+48) 58 551 22 66, www.
muzeumsopotu.pl. Occupying a building dating from 1903
this grand seaside villa once belonged to the influential
Claaszen family. Now operating as the museum of Sopot
this rambling mansion traces both the history of Sopot, and
that of the Claaszen family, through a series of photographs,
postcards and prints. Many rooms have been left as they
were at the start of the century, filled with grandfather clocks,
letters and glass cabinets hiding bone china sets and other
family possessions. Unfortunately with much of the exhibition
in Polish you will leave having gained little if any knowledge.
The second floor houses changing art exhibits. Typical of
Polish museums, if you arrive in wet weather expect to be
given plastic bags to tie around your feet, and do expect to
be trailed by over-eager curators. QOpen 10:00 - 16:00,
Thu 11:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon.
Admission 5/3zł. Thu free. Y
Sopot In Your Pocket sopot.inyourpocket.com
Places of interest
Crooked House (Krzywy Domek) M-4, ul. Haffnera
6. Opened in 2004, the award winning, exceedingly higgledypiggledy
building by Polish architects Szotyńscy Zaleski was
inspired by the fairytale illustrations of Jan Marcin Szancer
and the drawings of the Swedish artist and Sopot resident Per
Dahlberg. Arguably the most photographed object in Sopot,
Centrum Rezydent’s 4,000m2 of luscious curves are topped
with a roof of blue-green enamelled shingles designed to give
the impression of a dragon. Filled with shops, bars and cafes, the
building promises more from the outside than it actually delivers
once you’ve entered. Do as the tourists do and take a souvenir
picture before moving onto one of the other choices on the strip.
Esplanade. Stretching from the northern side of Sopot
to the Gdańsk district of Brzeźno, this combined walking
and cycle path runs for 10km alongside sandy beaches and
a maze of trees and trails that form a nature reserve. The
beach walk is a breath of fresh air after the city’s fumes and
makes for an enjoyable day.
Old Lighthouse (Stara Latarnia Morska) M-4,
Pl. Zdrojowy. Built as part of a grand spa complex at the
beginning of the 20th century, Sopot’s (M-4) lighthouse
was completed in 1904 and is located right next to the
pier entrance. A stone spiral staircase takes you to the
25m viewing platform, with a welcoming sofa thoughtfully
provided half way up. Of little interest in itself, the lighthouse
does at least provide breathtaking views of the coast and
the spires of Sopot. The crest over the doorway comprises
a mermaid, triton, and the official crest of the city. Q Open
10:00 - 18:00. From June open 09:00 - 21:00. Admission
5/3zł, groups over 20 people 2zł.
Parasolnik L-4, ul. Bohaterow Monte Cassino 31. Officially
unveiled in 2000, local artist Tadeusz Fołtyn’s quirky
bronze statue commemorates one of Sopot’s more colourful
and controversial former inhabitants. Czesław Bulczyński
was a circus clown before having a stab at conformity and
opening an umbrella shop in Sopot (parasolnik means
umbrella-maker in Polish), and was often seen about town
‘wearing strange outfits’ and ‘doing extravagant things’
before passing away on November 9, 1992.
Pier M-4, www.molo.sopot.pl. Sopot’s pier provides stunning
views of the sea by day and night. The pier was built in
1827 by a doctor in Napoleon’s army and has been renovated
several times. At 511m, it’s the longest in the Baltic region
and the longest wooden pier in Europe (Southend-on-Sea is
the longest overall in case you were wondering). A spa garden
with rounded pergolas and a fountain marks the entrance to
the pier, from which a sandy beach stretches to either side.
The pier was re-opened to its full length in July 2011 with the
completion of a brand new marina at its tip as well as the
construction of a restaurant and a raised viewing platform.
Q Admission 7/3.50zł. Y
Tourist information
Tourist Information PTTK Sopot L-4, Al.
Niepodległości 771, tel. (+48) 58 551 06 18, www.
sopot.pl/pttk. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun.
Tourist Information Sopot M-4, Pl. Zdrojowy 2,
tel. (+48) 58 550 37 83, www.sts.sopot.pl. Brand
new info point inside the revamped ‘Health House’.
QOpen 10:00 - 18:00.
sopot.inyourpocket.com
SOPOT SIGHTSEEING
Eter is a boutique that finds the perfect balance between
the classic and the avant-garde, while at the same time is a
place that will not scare you away with high prices dictated
by the world-renowned designers. This little shop hidden
from casual passersby in the far end of "Crooked House"
surprises with quality that cannot be found anywhere else in
Sopot and has quickly become a place where elegant local
women get dressed.
ul. Jana Jerzego Haffnera 6, 81-717 Sopot
tel. +48 502 692 996
info@butiketer.pl, www. butiketer.pl
Sopot Fort
Sopot Fort (Skansen
Archeologiczny
Grodzisko) M-3, ul.
Haffnera 63, tel. (+48)
502 75 70 14, www.
archeologia.pl. Traces
of human settlement
in the Sopot area date
back to the Stone Age,
and ancient graves,
spearheads and ceramics
have all be uncovered
in recent years. The most
important archeological
find however was the
unearthing of the remains
of a fort, believed
to have been used between the 8th and 14th century.
Reconstructed in 2000 the current ‘castle’ is thought
to be an exact replica of the one that once stood here.
A new museum and didactic pavilion opened in December
and offer visitors two exhibitions: “Treasures
of medieval Wielkopolska” and “Funeral culture of
modern Gdańsk in light of archaelogical excavations.”
Future plans for the new museum include audiovisual
descriptions of the ancient history of the Baltic Sea
area, workshops for kids (think medieval crafts) and
permanent exhibits about Sopot’s archaelogical monuments.
Q Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Admission
8/6zł. Fri free. Y
May - July 2012
105