Gdynia - Main Railway Station

So I finally made to Gdynia :) As I said before. Winter inspired me. A bit unusual for fist post of a city (fist post of the city should be of the "most famous for places", but not this time:) I visited Railway Station. I've heard that it was renovated, plus I read somewhere that is one of the most beautiful Railway Stations in Poland (along with Gdansk Main Train Station) so I had to see if that was true.

Gdynia Main Train Station - front

And I will say it is true, I personally really liked it. My mum on the other hand (who came with for company, and I think it was first and last time she did :( ) felt a bit disappointed. I don't know what she expected, Michelangelo's painting on the walls? But she was the one that seen the train station before renovation, I was seeing it for the first time ( at least first time consciousnessly).

Inside: Gdynia Main Train Station

Fist of I must say that Gdynia Train Station in much bigger than the one in Gdansk. But it is also built in totally different style. I don't know much about architectural styles, and certainly cannot name them, but I did look it up :) (it's modern architecture with Socialist realism twist:)

Mosaic inside Gdynia train station

Gdynia actually had 3 different railway stations, with present one being the third. I am not talking about "thing burnt down and was rebuilt", or "extension was made: train station 2". Each train station was so different from the one before, which I find fascinating.

Mosaic in Gdynia Main Train Station

In 1879 first train stop was open in Gdynia, it was called "Gdingen" which is Gdynia, of course:) The train station was created as means of transportation to (and this is what I found on website) boorish - fishing village and seaside resort of third category. As always opening of train station contributed to development of the area (not only immediate area around railway station, but also seaside resort, which at that time was considered to be quite and close to nature).

Passage to main train station, Gdynia

In 1923 construction of new railway station begun. As I understand new train station was built across train tracks, and in front of the first railway station that was still being used. I find it funny and practical at same time. Why wouldn't they just extended train station that was already in place?

Inside of Gdynia Main Train Station with sunlight

The railway station no. 2 looks like a church in my opinion. I must admit I am glad that it was destroyed during WWII and rebuild. Otherwise I would have to live with no. 2 :)

Train station no. 1 - Gdynia, around 1900

Railway station no. 3 was built in 1955. It was designed to be the most luxurious and high-tech (after the one in Capital) in Poland, with marble interior, air-con and mosaic pictures on the walls and ceiling of the dining room.

Railway station no. 2 - aka. church :) Gdynia

Unfortunately my mom remembered about the ceiling mosaic when we were on our way back and didn't get to see it, so I decided I don't look it up and post picture found online. If you find yourself at Gdynia Railway Station please do not forget to go to McDonald's (that is were the ceiling mosaic is:)

Main Hall - Gdynia Main Railway Station

So they are two more mosaic to see, that I didn't post pictures of, and maybe possibly a fountain, but I am not sure about that one :)

Gdynia Glowna - Train Station

The Crooked House

The Crooked House, Sopot

Unlike animals and all wildlife I feel awaken by winter. Finally after autumn-ish christmas, and snowless New Year's, temperature dropped closer to zero than ever before (this winter :) The snow didn't melt for a week now, and I feel inspired :) (just hoping quietly that for couple more of weeks of winter, it would be truly great:).

Panorama of inside of the Crooked House

So my inspiration took me to Sopot, to admire one of the most popular buildings of modern architecture. This piece of architecture is called "Krzywy Domek", which translate to "The Crooked House". I think that this building is one of the most recognizable landmark of Sopot (right after the Pier). Mostly because, you just can't pass by this building without noticing it.

The Crooked House at Night

So to give you the background of its origins: the project was inspired by children book illustrations (no surprise there :) of Jan Marcin Szancer, and Per Dahlberg - swedish artist, who lived in Sopot, among other cities. The project was created in 2001 by local architects - Szotyńscy.
The building was completed in 2004.

The Wall of Fame

If you look closely at the front of the building you might notice little stones attached to wall. If you know your stars, you might notice that they form constellations (I am not constellation expert, but I found  Great Bear on the left side of the entry).

The Crooked House inside

I know that the building is called "The Crooked House", but if it was up to me I would call it smiling house, or cheerful house. When I look at this building I feel that it is genuinely happy.

Even the gate is smiling :)

The building itself is quite long. I even feel like it wasn't that long when they first made it. Inside you will find coffee shops, restaurants and - at higher levels - clubs. But further down the building you can find a little shopping centre.

The "other" entrance to The Crooked House

In 2008 "Village of Joy" announced our beloved Crooked House to be no. 1 of Strange Buildings of the World list. However same year the list was reviewed, and shortlisted. The Crooked House was placed at no. 4 of Top 10 Strangest Buildings in the World. Tough luck. Despite all that we love you Crooked House and are happy you enrich Sopot streets.

The Winter has arrived :)

Winter scenery out of my window

As I looked outside of my window this morning I became overjoyed. It's all because a winter scenery has welcomed me. As I watched the falling snow reinforcing the layer on the ground. I realized that the previous lack of it caused my loss of inspiration and energy.

Garden dressed by snow

I guess I am one of few that gets happy when sees snow and minus temperatures. In that way I am a traditionalist, because I want to have winter when it is winter time. I thought that the chance of winter was gone and I was to look forward to spring now. I don't know if I should get so ecstatic yet, as the snow can melt overnight, but I surely hope it won't :)

Everything looks better in white

The way I look at it is that in spring and summer, and also autumn there are leaves that dress the trees. Grass dresses the ground. In winter is snow that does the job. In my opinion everything looks better when covered in snow :)

Winter garden

There is also another important purpose that snow serves. In winter the nights are long and days short. Fallen snow reflects the light and makes everything brighter. And when there is a full moon it's almost as bright as in daytime.

Close to dusk

What I like is when dusk is coming and the light shifts. It is not dark yet, then the snow gets exposed in a way that is very much appealing to me. I tried to photograph it but I am sure that it doesn't capture the beauty of it.

Winter branches

Gdańsk Główny - Railway Station

View of Gdansk Glowny

As weird as this might sound I will say it :I like railway stations. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that as a child I rarely travelled by train despite living by a train station. Well, it is hard to explain why I like train stations, I am not a train fan after all. I think it has to do with ambience of each train station. Luckily for me TriCity has one of the prettier railway stations in Poland :)

Front of the main station in Gdansk

Lets start our railway station journey with Gdansk Glowny railway station. I always knew that the building is old and quite well known. But I was surprised at some things I read about the history of not only the building, but main train station of Gdansk.

Front of the Train Station

As I read the first train station of Gdansk was maybe not in totally different place, but in a bit of a distance from present station. To give you some kind of idea of the distance: it takes around 10 minutes drive from existing station to the first ever train station, that doesn't exist anymore. The fist railway station was build in Gdansk in 1852 and it was called "Dworzec Brama Nizinna" or "Leegetor Bahnhof", which could be translated to "Lower Gate Train Station".

Dworzec Glowny Gdansk :)

In 1967 on the ground of todays main station, a small station called Highland Gate Station was open (apparently the station was accessible from one side only, as there was still moat that was a part of early modern period fortification of Gdansk). However in 1894 it was decided to expand the railway station, therefore the works have begun by buring the moat and demolishing of western bastions. The style of the building is apparently Gdansk renaissance. I didn't know that Gdansk had its own architectural style, but it is fine with me :)

Main window of main railway  station

The central building was to be called "Empfangsgebaude" which means reception building. Grand opening was scheduled on 30th of October 1900. When I think about the design of the building station and amenities planned, all of it seems to me so proper and even exotic.  Maybe it is just caused by my imagination, because when I read that reception hall with ticket office along with luggage storage, phone booths, police station, telegraph office and waiting rooms (separate for first and second class, and third and forth class) I imagine women walking in big dresses and carrying umbrellas with them, policeman bowing at the sight of women. And most importantly waiting rooms looking like luxury lounges rather than room filled with dirty benches with graffitti on them.

The tower of Railway station

I think that most impressive feature of the whole building (that of course I found out about now) is that the clock tower served as a water tower and clock tower, with electrically powered clock at the same time. Naturally nowadays the tower has sole purpose of being clock tower since all trains run on electricity.

Gdansk railway station, early 1900. source: http://gdansk.fotopolska.eu

Train station, early 1900, source: http://gdansk.fotopolska.eu

Shortly after the building work was completed, the whole area was transformed, hotels were being built practically overnight. The area became one of the most desired areas in whole of Gdansk. As I wanted to write that the train station was burned down after II WW and the original design will remain unknown, I managed to find few pictures of the building from early 1900. Therefore we know that replica of the building is very close to first one.

Train station from the back

Unfortunately close proximity of Hail Mountain prevented expansion of the railway station. I am not so much saddened by it, though :)

Tracks of railway station

Beach on the Western Hills

Entrance to the Beach

After a long break I decided it is time to get a grip and do something productive. So despite harsh weather I set of the visit another beach. Not only this beach is one of the further once from city centre, it is also one that is very secluded.

Walk to the beach through forest

The beach is located in area that is called Górki Zachodnie, which translated to Western Hills, however I didn't notice any significant hills around. There is only one road that leads to that place. However if you can get there by water tram if you like. I've only been here couple of time, therefore I know only one entrance to the beach, and it is entrance number 21 :) .

Path leading to the beach

  Let me start by saying that Western Hills started as a fishermans village, there was also another settlement at the island called Neufährer Sandkathen. However since 1914 this area was included in city limits. As in many TriCity beaches there is forrest on the edge. But this forrest is much bigger than the other ones. Here it takes around 10 minutes drive from residential area, and by residential area I mean handful of houses, not more, to makeshift parking area. 

Walk to the beach

I guess that is the reason why this beach is one of the cleanest I have ever come across at Gdansk Bay. Small grained sand of beautiful sandie color and not that many people. Although when I visited this beach in the summer I had an impression that everybody knows everybody. But maybe that is just me :)

And finally the beach :)

One of the reasons why I decided to head out to beach today was this strong wind that we have been having for past few days. I was hoping for a proper sea storm. I saw storm once and it was breathtaking so I very much wanted to experience it again. Unfortunately I was very much disappointed, because the wind did close to nothing :(

Waves on Western Hills beach

Only when I arrived I realized that Western Hill beach is sheltered from one side by port...

The Port

... and breakwater from the other side.

The windbreaker

In my opinion this is perfect beach for people who prefer peace, quiet and nature.

Entrance to the Western Hills beach

The waves :)

I hope to return to Western Hills beach when weather improves. This time I was almost running back to car in rain and with numb fingers.