Explora Journeys in Gdynia (Gdańsk)

Gdynia is a planned 20th-century port city, built almost from scratch in the 1920s, with a clean modernist waterfront and a naval harbor. For most cruise visitors it is the gateway to Gdansk, the great Hanseatic merchant city about 25 km south, with its rebuilt Royal Way and brick churches. The pier itself is a working industrial quay, so the day is really a choice between Gdynia's own waterfront and a transfer to Gdansk.

What to do on a day in Gdynia (Gdańsk)

• Gdansk Old Town, reached by train or shuttle, with the Royal Way, the Neptune Fountain, and merchant houses along Dlugi Targ
• St Mary's Basilica in Gdansk, one of the largest brick churches in the world, with a tower climb of roughly 400 steps for the panorama
• Gdynia's Kosciuszko Square and the Southern Pier, the city's promenade out over the bay
• The tall ship Dar Pomorza and the destroyer ORP Blyskawica, both moored as museum ships at the Gdynia waterfront
• The Emigration Museum, set in Gdynia's former Maritime Station where Poles once departed for new lives abroad
• Sopot, the spa resort between the two cities, with the longest wooden pier in Europe, reachable by the same SKM train

Getting ashore

Cruise ships dock at an industrial quay, the Francuskie or Pomorskie pier, about 2 to 3 km from central Gdynia, with limited amenities at the berth and a cruise shuttle to Kosciuszko Square. For Gdansk, the SKM commuter train runs frequently and takes about 40 minutes; one day comfortably covers either Gdansk's Old Town or Gdynia's waterfront plus Sopot, but not both cities in depth.

When to book the ship's excursion vs your own →

Weather and when to visit

• June. Mild and long-lit, with highs around 20 degrees C and cooler evenings on the coast. Showers are possible, with a fresh Baltic breeze along the piers.
• July to August. The warmest months, with highs around 22 to 23 degrees C and lows in the mid teens. Generally pleasant for walking, though July is the wettest summer month at around 90 mm.
• September. Cooler and quieter, with highs in the upper teens and less rain than midsummer. Comfortable for both the Gdansk lanes and the Gdynia promenade with a light layer.