Tricity in Poland: What it is. Why you should visit it
What’s better than 1 city to visit? 3 cities! Cities that are so close to each other that you barely realise you just changed it. 3 cities that are different from each other but all are great and interesting. 3 cities that lie at the seaside.
This is the description of Tricity in Poland.
I moved to Gdynia, one of the 3 cities of the Polish Tricity, 15 years ago because of work. Regardless of the initial plan of moving again after some time, I stayed here until now. The reason is simple: it’s just a great place to live. And the best place to visit.
This is the first post on my travel blog about Poland, and I knew it had to be about Tricity. I will tell you a little bit more exactly what it is and why it should be on your travel bucket list.
In the next blog posts, I will describe all places, attractions, cafes, and so on more exactly.
You can be sure that as a Tricity local who loves travelling and visiting, I’ve managed to get to know the cities and region very well. My mission is to present it to foreign tourists, like you. So that they will decide to visit it, and while they are here, they will enjoy every moment of their trip.
What is Polish Tricity
Tricity (sometimes written as Tri-city, and in Polish it’s called ‘Trójmiasto’) is not really an official name; it’s rather a common name used widely in spoken language. It consists of 3 cities which lie next to each other.
The biggest city and the centre of the whole region is Gdańsk. It’s where an airport is.
The next cities are Sopot and Gdynia. Cities border each other; one finishes and the second starts right away. Obviously, cities cooperate with each other very closely in different subjects. These are, though, totally separated cities. They have their own structures, governments and mayors and or public transport.
However, they are all connected by the quick Tricity train (which is more like a tram than a long-distance train). So it’s very common that people live in one of the cities, but work or study in the second one. Or just take the train and go to the other one for a walk or restaurant.
Where is Tricity in Poland
Tricity is in the north of Poland. All 3 cities are located on the coast of the Baltic Sea.
When you look at the map, you will see this is a bay (Gdanska Bay). But it’s still sea, even if not ‘fully open’ sea. Every city has beautiful sandy beaches and a seaside vibe. They are all very touristy and visited by both Polish and foreign visitors.
The sea has also had a huge influence on the history and development of all of Tricity. There are harbours and shipyards in both Gdańsk and Gdynia.
We will look at this information, especially from a touristic point of view, in the next blog posts.
Reasons to visit Tricity
I actually touched on some reasons to visit Tricity already in the previous parts of the post. But let’s expand on more reasons. Why do I claim Tricity in Poland is the best place to visit?
1) 3 in 1, but different
Most tourists focus on visiting Gdańsk, and it’s fully understandable, especially if it’s a city-break type of trip. But very easily you can also visit the other 2 cities or even other places in the region.
What can you expect from cities forming Tricity?:
Gdańsk
The biggest city and the centre of the region, with airport, universities, museums, etc. It is a city that has an interesting history and is an important point in European history too.
Sopot
Sopot is the smallest among all 3 cities. It has the style and vibe of an elegant resort, with a beautiful pier and beaches.
Gdynia
Gdynia is a young city with modernist architecture. During 100 years it developed into a modern and energetic city with a beach and harbour in the centre. Less elegant than two others. Gdynia is also heaven for gluten, good bread, and pastry lovers.
2) All-year-round destination
Well, during late spring and summer you can ‘use’ Tricity the most, but it’s really an all-year-round destination. Especially Gdańsk, as it has a lot to offer also when the weather is not that great. It also has a great Christmas market (which last year won the title of the best in Europe).
3) Events
There are really many events like conferences, sports events, festivals, and fairs organised in Tricity cities all year. And in summer, even more.
One of the best known is the Gdynia Opener Music Festival.
4) Seaside and beach
In the morning you can visit museums or monuments; in the afternoon you lie on the beach. Especially Sopot has this summer and holidays vibe. If you are not into city visiting, you can use it and just rest at the beach.
5) Nature
Tricity is all about the sea but also about big forests. From my home I have 20 minutes by foot to the beach and 10 minutes to get to the beautiful forest (Tricity Landscape Park). You can also walk in the forest or ride a bike and have a sea view at the same time.
6) Food
Typical Polish food, but also more regional food, is really worth trying. Starting from the most known pierogi (dumplings) and finishing on amazing seasonal pastries like jagodzianka (blueberry bun). You will find a lot of good restaurants, cafes, and small craft bakeries in Tricity to enjoy.
7) Prices
Gdańsk and Tricity are not anymore cheap, as they were considered in the past. It’s also one of the most expensive places in Poland, especially during the summer season. However, compared to some other European cities, it still can be quite good price-wise. Especially when it comes to accommodation and prices of food and drinks versus quantity and quality.
There are also many flights with budget airlines to Gdańsk airport.
There are many more reasons, which I will describe in the next posts on this blog. See you in Tricity!
