The busiest season has taken us in the most wonderful and famous cities in the world, during a glamorous tour of design and luxury city guides. Searching for the best spot or the most exclusive entertainment. Today, instead, we want to talk about a smaller city – less known than the other European capitals – but capable of offering a lot of amenities, without forgetting the design and architectural vibes that Gdynia (or Gdansk), in Poland, displays to its visitors.

Born as a small fishing village, the city of Gdynia became a major port in the 20^th century and, in the years, a Polish getaway to the Baltic Sea. Well-known for its production of amber, the Baltic gold, the city offers various entertainment tours: let yourself enjoy the Gdynia modernist route, that highlights the Modernist approach that inspired architect in building the city center – an aspiring “window on the world” – and some of the key industrial buildings. For a more picturesque and colorful view, head toward Main Town, specifically along Long Market, where shops and restaurants render this street one of the most known touristic attraction of the city. Do you want to know more about Gdynia? Keep reading our Gdynia Design Guide!

GDYNIA DESIGN GUIDE

WHERE TO STAY

THE QUADRILLE

A breathtakingly luxury hotel, The Quadrille, is a magnificent experience you can’t certainly miss in Gdynia. Restored from an old 18th-century building, it presents two detached parts linked through a tunnel that, in addition to the name, refers to the literary theme.

From Lewis Carroll to Emily Bronte and F. Scott Fitzgerald, each of the 11 suites displays a theme with specific decorations: Alice in Wonderland is a particular strong motif that can be found in simple decorations, but also in the “quadrille” concept, a dance of the book, the polish restaurant “Bialy Królik – the White Rabbit” and the 10/6 Pub from the Mad Hatter’s day. From the black-and-white floor to the unusual art depicting the owners, this hotel will be a fairytale-like experience.

WHERE TO EAT

PIWNA 47

Refined food, sensibly chosen by chef Marcin Faliszek, is what you can find at Piwna 47. With a carefully designed location to create a cozy setting, you will be mesmerized by the international cuisine that the chefs are capable of recreating from scratch.

SZTUCZKA

An excellent restaurant, the award-winning Sztuczka, has been recognized for its signature proposals, such as fresh cod and soup, prepared by chef Kamil Kołodziejski.

WHAT TO DO

MURALS GDANSK ZASPA

The Zaspa district is better known for hosting a Monumental Art Collection. Since 1997 various murals had started appearing along the walls of the buildings, stripping them of the post-communist atmosphere, thanks to the huge monumental paintings.

60 murals in total – some of them created during the numerous editions of the Monumental Art Festival – make Zaspa and the city one of the biggest monumental art gallery in the world. Take a stroll around the district and discover the colorful view of the murals!

SZTUKA WYBORU – THE ART OF CHOICE

If you can’t choose between some good shopping and sipping a good-brewed coffee, head to Sztuka Wyboru, a multidimensional concept store, presenting itself as a design store and art gallery and, at the same time, coffee house and bookshop. Located in a historical building – former set of Prussian barracks – it displays beautifully-design items from local Polish designers and international ones, while the art gallery “The art of choice” hosts each month interesting installations and post-competition exhibitions of contemporary art, from paintings and graphics to photography and sculpture.

MUSEUM OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Acclaimed by the international community for its symbolic architecture, the museum building rises on a lot at Władysław Bartoszewski Square, near the city center. The plan was chosen by competition and described as “a new icon” and a “sculptural design“.

Kwadrat studio was behind the realization and the idea of uniting different elements, recreating a symbolic synergy between the traditional urban spaces and the specific activities of Gdynia, thus creating an incredibly unique building. With 23,000 square meters of floor area and around 5,000 square meters of permanent exhibition space, the museum aims to present the WWII not only as a big political event but also from the ordinary people’s perspective.