In advance of the trip, having researched ‘things to do in Gdansk’ I discovered the nearby coastal towns of Gdynia and Sopot to be popular little side excursions for tourists visiting Gdansk.
As my flight from the UK into Gdansk international airport arrived on time at 10.30 am I decided to slot these in before I arrived in Gdansk city to check into my hotel later that afternoon.
I enquired with the tourist information stand at the airport and found there is a regular direct train from the airport terminal to Gdynia which was my first destination. The modern, clean and punctual train was the equivalent of under £2 and you can buy a ticket from a machine on the platform. I couldn’t see a machine to validate the ticket which you usually need to do in Poland, so I’m not sure if this was necessary or not.
Gdynia
I arrived at Gdynia Glowna (the central station) and made my way walking for 20 minutes or so towards the beach. Located on the Baltic coast, beaches are a popular attraction of Gdynia.
There was a large expanse of white sand and a few people were enjoying a cold but sunny day either on the beach, walking along it or seated in one of several beach bars.
As a port city, similar to Gdansk there is a lot of maritime history and a naval museum can be found next to the beach. Outside the entrance there are two huge propellers which were produced in 1936 by Manganese Bronze & Brass Co Ltd from St David’s Wharf in Millwall in London.
I didn’t visit however you can see a huge submarine also in front of the museum. The museum was established in 1953 and while some exhibits are outside, the main building contains exhibits from Polish Navy traditions. The Headquarters of the Polish Navy is located here in Gdynia.
Adjacent to the museum, a long promenade lines the coast at Gdynia and I walked a little way along it. The pretty ‘Seaside Boulevard’ has the beach and then the sea on one side and many trees which looked picturesque with all shades of pink and white blossom on the other. As well as providing a pleasant leisurely walkway the promenade also has a practical purpose protecting the seashore.
As I walked along the promenade I checked Google Maps and found I could get a train to Sopot from a different station without having to backtrack to the main central station. I cut away from the promenade and had a lovely shady walk through a tidy and well kept park until I arrived at Gdynia Hill of St Maximilian train station.
Sopot
I found the SKM line had trains to Sopot literally every 10 minutes. I brought a ticket for the equivalent of £1.30 and I was soon on my way to Sopot about 5 or 6 miles along the coast.
Sopot had a bigger train station than the main station at Gdynia and I immediately noticed a more ‘touristy’ feel. As I walked into the centre of town, heading in the direction of the pier, the first tourist attraction I came to was Krzywy Domek, the ‘crooked house’. Half of which was Costa Coffee!
Bohaterow Monte Cassino is the main pedestrian street which runs through the middle of the town between the station and the pier. Lined with lively restaurants and bars it has a great atmosphere.
A Spa House has been in this location for over 100 years. This current building was opened in 2009 and contains restaurants, cafes and a tourist information place.
Built in 1928, one of the main attractions of Sopot is its pier which is the longest wooden pier in Europe.
To enter, you need to buy a ticket from an office next to the pier. You can pay for this by card and its 10 PNL which is £2.
Stretching out into the Bay of Gdansk, I walked to the end of this 511.5 m pier (pier is called ‘molo’ in Polish) which is lined with flags from the EU.
The yacht marina at the end of Sopot Pier was opened in 2011.
The pier offers lovely views of the Baltic coast.
From the pier I next visited Sopot Lighthouse which was granted full status as a lighthouse in 1977 although this is no longer the case. Again, for another 10 PNL you can climb the 136 steps to the top of the 30m tower and see wonderful views of the town.
A great view of Skwer Kuracyjny, the picturesque square, can be seen from the top of the lighthouse.
Another view from the top of the lighthouse, looking back towards the town.
It was by now around 2:30 pm and as I hadn’t had anything to eat since arriving in Poland a snack was in order! Opposite the lighthouse I came across Cafe Mamma Mia which is on the third floor and accessible via a glass lift.
A friendly member of the Cafe Mamma Mia staff seated me in one of their colourful pastel shaded seats and from a selection of scrumptious looking ice creams and cakes I had one the most delicious slices of warm apple and cinnamon pie I had ever tasted. The views were great from this third floor establishment too.
Summary
Following the coffee and apple pie I decided to make my way to Gdansk, again on the same SKM train line for the same cost of 6.50 PNL (£1.30).
Maybe I didn’t do quite enough research on Gdynia as I think I missed a key area around the marina where you can visit the ORP Blyskawica which is a destroyer ship turned into a museum. It takes about an hour to tour around the ship and this would have been an interesting thing to do!
So, in hindsight, upon arrival in Gdynia I would have put ORP Blyskawica in Google Maps and walked straight there from Gdynia central station. This would have added an hour to my day and I would have arrived in Gdansk an hour later but it would have made my visit to Gdynia more worthwhile.
Travelling independently is certainly much more budget friendly than booking a tour but you really do need to invest time in researching places in order to get the most out of your visit. When you book a tour, its easy as the tour company do all of the work, take you to the best locations and give you information and history about the place. However the cost of a tour would most likely be in excess of £100. I was able to visit Gdynia and Sopot for under £5 with timings to suit myself.
Overall, I’m delighted to have taken the time to visit Gdynia and Sopot 🙂
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