Gdynia is a port city on the Baltic Sea, and together with Gdańsk and Sopot, the city under the name Trójmiasto forms one of Poland’s largest urban areas. It has not always been this way, because Gdynia is a relatively new metropolis, although it is known to have been mentioned as a fishing town as early as the middle of the 13th century. Gdynia changed hands several times but remained a village. There were thus only 21 houses in the town in 1789.

Around the year 1900, Gdynia’s development started. It happened with the growth of tourism, where the area around Gdynia became a popular excursion destination with its location along the Baltic Sea beaches. At this time the town was German with the name Gdingen, and in 1910 about 900 people lived here. Gdynia became Polish after World War I, and in the following years one of Europe’s largest ports was built and the city grew rapidly.

Gdynia’s urban plan was conceived in 1925, and the following year the city obtained city rights and was thus officially a city. In the following years, Gdynia was built big and fast, and today you can see many buildings typical of the period. Squares were also built, such as Plac Kaszubski and the very large Skwer Kościuszki, which lies down to Gdynia’s harbor piers.

The harbor remains a major asset and there are several attractions here. You can e.g. visit the museum ship Błyskawica, which is a destroyer that sailed during the Second World War. The sailing ship Dar Pomorza from 1909 is also located here, and the town has both an aquarium, a maritime museum and lovely beaches. You can also see some older buildings here; eg Saint Michael’s Church, whose history goes back to the 13th century.