Kamienna Góra is the smallest district of Gdynia, situated on a moraine hill, whose peak is 52 m above sea level
In the fourteenth century, the area belonged to the Carthusian monastery, and after its liquidation in the second half of the

18th century, it was leased to German settlers and named Steinberg. In 1920, at the initiative of a Warsaw banker, the entire area was purchased and designated for the construction of a seaside resort. The investment was entrusted to the company of the First Polish Sea Baths Society, and the hill was named Kamieniec Pomorski. This term was supposed to be associated with Polishness and with Kamieniec Podolski from Sienkiewicz.

Inspired by the idea of “cities of gardens”, urban planners Tadeusz Zieliński and Tadeusz Tołwiński designed buildings in the form of villa complexes with gardens inscribed in the landscape and streets ending with stairs attached to the steep slopes of the hill.

Radial routes converged on a circular square in the axis of Adama Mickiewicza street, Elegant villas and guesthouses were built successively, often in the form of a manor house, expressing a longing for the romantic national style.

The change took place at the turn of the 1920s and 1930s, when aesthetic tastes were reoriented and modernism appeared on Kamienna Góra. Then the hill was renamed Kamienna Góra. However, care was still taken to ensure that the development did not change its scale, so that in 1985 the entire urban complex could be entered into the register of monuments. The only “crime” that affected the building structure of Kamienna Góra was related to the social center of the resort, i.e. the “Cassubia” hotel established in 1922, later renamed the Kaszubski Hotel, in front of which a square with a bandshell was built. The building, demolished after the war and then rebuilt, in 1968 was separated from the beach by a huge block of the Sailor’s House, i.e. a dormitory for students of today’s Maritime University.

Before World War II, the summer character of Kamienna Góra gave way to an exclusive villa space and so far little has changed.

Kamienna Góra is lying de facto in the center of Gdynia, but apart from the Feliks Nowowiejski Seaside Boulevard separating it from the Gulf of Gdańsk, it is an oasis of peace, where the pulse of the city beats much calmer. The inhabitants of the district lead a leisurely life, and when they crave the bustle of a big city, they can walk to the funicular in a few minutes, which will take them free of charge to Gdynia Śródmieście.

 

Kamienna Góra is one of the most exclusive places in Poland, so it is difficult to expect large-format shopping centers here. You live and relax here, not trade. This does not mean, however, that residents are deprived of the opportunity to do everyday shopping. There are several small grocery stores at their disposal, there are places where you can buy alcohol, herbs and toys for children. For more shopping, you have to go to the neighboring district, which is around the corner. The atmosphere of the place, instead of shops, is kept by the Kamienna Góra Library.

 

Kamienna Góra borders from the north and west with Gdynia Śródmieście, from the south with Wzgórze św. Maksymiliana , and its eastern border is the coast.

Leisure

Kamienna Góra offers recreational areas that suit the diverse tastes of its inhabitants. Lovers of leisurely walks and people with young children are eager to enjoy the charms of the revitalized Lech and Maria Kaczyński Park , where there is no holiday noise from the Kościuszko Square or the Seaside Boulevard. A roofed summer stage has been created here, it enables the organization of open-air concerts, and modern benches are prepared for the audience. There are plans to set up a water playground and a sensory garden. The park is connected with the viewpoint over Gdynia and the Bay of Gdańsk with the marina. Tourists, encouraged by the opportunity to see the panorama without any special effort, willingly use the funicular, but to the joy of the permanent residents, they rarely go into quiet streets and they do not disturb their peace.

It is completely different at the foot of Kamienna Góra. Here, in summer, crowds of tourists stroll along the Seaside Boulevard. It is noisy and crowded. However, after the season it is a walking paradise for the inhabitants of Kamienna Góra.

Active residents have at their disposal mainly … stairs. Running several times to the top of the hill allows you to burn a large dose of calories. There is also 1.5 km of the Seaside Boulevard waiting for them, being a great place for cycling and jogging.

Communication

In Kamienna Góra, the best type of communication are…your own feet. The area of the entire district is 0.65 ha, so you can get to Gdynia Śródmieście or Wzgórza św.

Maksymiliana , where the network of bus and trolleybus communication is very developed. There are four on-demand bus stops in the district – at Necel, Mickiewicza, Korzeniowskiego and Fredry streets, from which you can get to other districts.

At the same time, the distance from the viewpoint at the funicular railway to the Gdynia Główna railway station is 1.3 km.

Education

Kamienna Góra is an excellent place to live for families with preschool and school children. In a small area of the district, there are two commune kindergartens and two non-public – proprietary private kindergarten with a creative profile and a non-public kindergarten with the function of a nursery.

Older children have a choice of two public primary schools, and the renowned and bilingual Secondary School No. 3, which is at the forefront of national rankings, is 800 meters from the center of the district.

At Marszałka Piłsudskiego street there is the Faculty of Oceanography and Geography of the University of Gdańsk, and the Faculty of Navigation of the Maritime University is within sight from the vantage point on Kamienna Góra.

Culture

The cultural life of the district focuses mainly around the Seaside Boulevard, where a three-day Seaside Literary Open-Air takes place every summer in Gdynia, during which meetings with authors are held, publishers present their novelties, and readers feel fulfilled.

The Promenade Music Concerts organized by the City of Gdynia and the August Weekends on Kamienna Góra with various activities for children, adolescents and adults are very popular.

Due to the immediate vicinity of Gdynia Śródmieście, all events taking place there are very easily accessible, so: Festival of Polish Feature Films, Ladies’ Jazz Festival, “Cudawianki” and all events of the Musical Theater and the Witold Gombrowicz City Theater.

Two very important cultural institutions are located at the foot of the hill: The Museum of the City of Gdynia and the Naval Museum with an open-air exhibition, especially favored by children.

Catering

Gastronomy in Kamienna Góra consists mainly of places at its feet, with the exception of the premises at the viewpoint. Its reliable advantage is the magical panorama of the city and the sea.

If in the mood to eat fish one should try: Barracuda Restaurant, Browar Port Gdynia with excellent fish soup and Muszla Gdynia Restaurant.

For lovers of good cuisine combined with a great view, the “Vinegre di Rucola Restaurant” awaits on the third floor of the Naval Museum.

At Piłsudskiego street, on the border with Wzgórza św.Maksymiliana , the inhabitants of Kamienna Góra love to eat at the “Zielony Rower” and “Aleja40” restaurants