In the past Gdynia was a fishing village but in the early 1920s Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski, Industry and Trade Minister, decided to build a port in Gdynia. The decision was taken when Gdansk became a free city and the possibility of using the Gdansk port decreased. Furthermore, the demand from abroad for Polish coal was growing.

The port in Gdynia was designed by Tadeusz Wenda. Gdynia grew fast as a port and in 1926 it was granted city rights. During the Second World War Gdynia was incorporated into the Third Reich and its citizens were exterminated. In 1945 Gdynia was destroyed by German forces, but later was rebuilt very quickly.

Now Gdynia is growing fast, it has over 250 thousand citizens (in 1921 it had 1300 citizens). There are not many monuments in Gdynia because it is a very young city. But it has its own style of architecture. Moreover, the location of the city makes it very special; everywhere you can find beautiful sights. When the weather is fine, you can see the Hel Peninsula and also Gdansk and the sea-lanes in Gdansk Bay. Gdynia is a modern centre of marine trade, international trade, science, culture and tourist attractions.

The city's greatest attraction is Kosciuszko Square - a place for walking not only for tourists but also for its citizens. This is also where many concerts and celebrations are held. You mustn't miss the wonderful tall-ships and historic warships while walking along Kosciuszko Square. The ships you can often see here are "ORP Blyskawica" and the "Dar Pomorza." To finish this interesting sightseeing walk the best thing is to step into the Oceanographic Museum.

If you are keen on long walks, we recommend the seaside boulevard and coastal cliffs near the centre of Gdynia, which in places reach heights of 50 metres.

If you like shopping you have to go along Swietojanska Street. This is the perfect place for shopping. Here you can find not only a lot of shops, but also cafes and restaurants where you can rest and have some food and drink.