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108 GDYNIA
Gdynia history
1253 Gdynia is first mentioned under the name Gdina as
a fishing village. The bishop‘s document which mentions
it says that it belonged to Oksywie, the oldest settlement
in the area dating from the first half of the 8th century.
Today Oksywie is a part of Gdynia.
1362 Gdynia is shown as belonging to the Cistercian
Order.
1382 The owner of Gdynia, at this point a man from
Rusocin, gives the village to the Carthusian Monks from
Kartuzy in Kashubia. The order would retain ownership
of the village until the First Partition of Poland in 1772.
1734 The Russian siege sees the village burned to the
ground and by the time it is rebuilt towards the end of
the 18th century the records show 20 families here.
1904 The village develops as a seaside resort centred
around what is today ul. Świętojańska, Pl. Kaszubski, ul
Portowa and ul. Starowiejska
1920 The re-emergence of the Polish state on the world
map following the Treaty of Versailles changes Gdynia
forever. Poland are awarded access to the sea via a
narrow strip of land which is to become known as the
Polish corridor. Gdynia sits at the top of this corridor and
Gdynia is slated for major development.
1922 September 23rd. The Polish Parliament passes
a bill about the building of a major port facility at Gdynia.
The village expands rapidly as workers from all over
Poland are brought in to help with the construction.
1923 April 29th. The first part of the port is opened
by the Polish president Stanisław Wojciechowski. August
13th of that year sees the first ship, the French ship
Kentucky, enter the port.
1926 February 10th. Gdynia is granted city rights. At
this point the city has 12,000 residents.
1930 The first Polish training ship ‘Dar Pormorza‘ enters
the port as the training collage is relocated from Tczew.
1939 By the outbreak of war the city has rapidly grown to
the 6th largest in Poland with the 12th largest population
of over 120,000 people. September 1st - 19th sees
a heroic defence of the city. Nazi Germany incorporates
Gdynia to the Riech, expels the local population and
renames the city Gotenhafen.
1945 March 28th. Gdynia is liberated by the Poles
fighting alongside the Red Army.
1953 Gdynia is connected to Gdańsk via the SKM light
railway system.
1970 December 17th. Following protests against falling
living standards, the army opens fire on protesting
shipyard workers in order to suppress strikes. There are
18 fatalities. Events on this day will have profound effects
on workers for many years to come.
1980 December 17th. A memorial to the Fallen Shipyard
workers is unveiled following concessions gained
at the neighbouring Gdańsk shipyards in August. The
decision to avoid confrontation with the security services
by locking themselves into the yards were directly
influenced by events in Gdynia in 1970.
1981 Dar Pormorza returns to port for the final time. It is
now a museum ship on the waterfront (see what to see)
Today Gdynia has grown to a population of over
248,000, the 12th biggest in Poland, with reputedly one
of the highest incomes per head in the country.
In the early 1900s,
the residents of
Gdynia had no idea
that their peaceful
little fishing village
was about to
become a great
industrial port.
After the Treaty of
Versailles established
the Free City
of Gdańsk, incorporating
Sopot and Gdańsk, Gdynia found itself on the
other side of the border in the newly reformed Polish
state. Now sitting at the top of the Polish corridor, the
stretch of land awarded to Poland to allow it access
to the sea, Gdynia was soon slated for major port
status. Construction of modern port facilities began on
May 21, 1921, and the city hasn’t looked back since.
After German occupation in WWII, when it was known
as Gotenhafen, Gdynia was reunited with Sopot and
Gdańsk. Today it is a thriving port city with the highest
reputed per capita income in Poland. Ignored by most
travellers, as it lacks the historical buildings of its
neighbours, Gdynia can boast the best restaurants in
the Tri-city, an exciting nightlife, a thriving and bustling
city centre some beautiful beaches and walks and a
small but decent selection of hotels.
Getting to Gdynia
Gdynia is the most northern of the 3 cities and lies 24km
north of Gdańsk and 10km north of Sopot. To get here
from Gdańsk you should take the local commuter train
SKM from Gdańsk Główny (platforms 1-5) and get off at
the 15th stop Gdynia Główna. From Sopot you can either
take the local commuter train from Sopot (platform 2) or
take a trolley bus numbers 31 to Orłowo or 21 to Gdynia
Główna from the stop at the junction of ul. Bohaterów
Monte Cassino and Al. Niepodległości. Alternatively you
can travel by taxi which will cost you appoximately 100zł
from Gdańsk or 30zł from Sopot.
Hotels
The choice of hotels is limited but growing. Fortunately the
smattering of hotels that Gdynia can boast cover a wide
cross-section: from decadent to derelict. All will list their
prices in US$, złoty or Euros. Your bill will be calculated
using the exchange rate of the day.
Upmarket
Blick N-1, ul. Jana z Kolna 6, tel. (+48) 58 783 03
00, www.hotelblick.pl. Like something out of the ‘Spy
who Shagged Me’ Hotel Blick comes with a mock 70s style,
groovy orange duvets and the kind of plastic seats you’d
have found Austin Powers smooching his Pussy Galore.
Featuring flatscreen TVs, effective blackout curtains and
apple smelling shampoo this is a smart and modern hotel,
and your stay is nicely topped off by a team of patient girls
happy to help whatever the hour. Q47 rooms (8 singles, 35
doubles, 4 apartments). PTHARUFGK hhh
Follow POLANDIYP on
Gdynia In Your Pocket
gdynia.inyourpocket.com
Gdynia O-1, ul. Armii Krajowej 22, tel. (+48)
58 666 30 40, www.accorhotels.com. An enormous
hotel seemingly towering over the nearby
Baltic Sea. Although some might say the rooms
need extra life, all are clean, comfortable and
functional. Ideal for business travellers living out
of a suitcase. As befits their business hotel image,
the hotel boasts top-mark conference facilities as
well as, rather surprisingly, the best swimming pool
in town. Ask for a room with a view. Q294 rooms
(64 singles, 223 doubles, 5 suites, 2 apartments).
THA6ULGKDCW hhh
Hotel SPA Faltom ul. Grunwaldzka 7, Rumia, tel.
(+48) 58 78 58 100, www.hotelfaltom.pl. A sparkling
hotel with impressive glass towers attached to the main
building, a marble lobby and rooms with peach colours
and armchairs. The adjacent recreation centre offers
a bowling alley, sauna and water slides in the swimming
pool. Q113 rooms (110 singles, 110 doubles, 3
apartments). PTHAR6UFGKDCwW
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Hotton ul. Św. Piotra 8 (Śródmieście), tel. (+48) 58
760 58 00, www.hotton.pl. Located in and amongst
industrial plants and warehouses Hotton has a modern
look with stark bedrooms decorated with minimal fuss.
Beds feature big, downy duvets, while the soundproofed
rooms look onto the ocean outside. An attractive hotel
with on-site bowling, two restaurants and bar just five
minutes walk from the pier. Q62 rooms (4 singles, 52
doubles, 3 suites, 3 apartments). THARUG
KDW hhh
gdynia.inyourpocket.com
GDYNIA HOTELS
Kuracyjny O-6, Al. Zwycięstwa 255, tel. (+48) 58 667
78 23, www.hotelkuracyjny.pl. A hyper-modern, upmarket
venue with a clean and classic aesthetic. Rooms come
furnished in rich chocolate and cream colour schemes, and
feature the extras one expects from a hotel of this standard.
The hotel can also boast a state-of-the-art spa and wellness
beauty parlour. Q27 rooms (6 singles, 20 doubles, 1 apartment).
THAR6UGKDXwW hhh
Nadmorski O-3, ul. Ejsmonda 2, tel. (+48) 58 667 77
77, www.nadmorski.pl. Perched between the sea and the
forest the hillside Nadmorski has a curious alumni: Fatboy
Slim, Lauryn Hill and Snoop Dogg have all lodged here, as
have a catalogue of other stars performing at the annual
Heineken Festival. Other times of the year content yourself
to spotting the difference between the corporate crowd and
the fitness fanatics. Nadmorski caters for both with equal
elan - the conference facilities have a capacity of 350, while
on the health side the hotel has a reputation for its spa
treatments. Onto the rooms, and you’ll find large, bright and
modern accommodation that should tick all the right boxes.
Q90 rooms (82 singles, 82 doubles, 4 triples, 4 apartments).
PTHAR6UFLGKDwW hhhh
Willa Lubicz O-6, ul. Orłowska 43, tel. (+48) 58 668 47
40, www.willalubicz.pl. Built in 1936, Willa Lubicz encapsulates
the style and the splendour of Poland’s golden age, and you
can almost picture the jetsetters of yesteryear arriving to party
away their fortunes. Situated within range of the pier, the hotel
combines the clean-lined ‘30s style with modern conveniences:
all the spacious rooms come with satellite TV, dataports and
minibar. Q16 rooms (13 singles, 12 doubles, 2 suites, 1 apartment).
PTYHARUGKDW hhh
May - July 2012
109