Gdynia (Gdansk)

Gdynia was built in 1926 as Poland's first deep-water port, and the functionalist architecture from that era still lines the waterfront. The city feels younger and more modern than its neighbour Gdańsk, which is 45 minutes away by train with a fully restored medieval Old Town. Ships dock at Francuskie Pier or the more central Pomorskie Pier. Kościuszko Square opens onto wide promenades along the Baltic. The ORP Błyskawica, a WWII destroyer, and the Dar Pomorza, a sailing training ship, are both open as museum ships. The Emigration Museum, in a 1930s terminal building, tells the story of Poles who left through this port. The funicular up to Kamienna Góra Park has good views over the bay. Baltic herring and pierogi are the local foods. Trains to Gdańsk and the seaside resort of Sopot run frequently. Taxis are plentiful and cheap by Western European standards.