Wrzeszcz Górny, today one of the central districts of Gdańsk, is a richly wooded former suburb where the summer mansions of rich patricians were built. After the suburb was incorporated into the city, the typically residential district, submerged among the hills, gradually began to develop spatially and gained new functions – a line of tenement houses was built, services developed, the northern part turned into barracks for Prussian hussar units, and the development of public transport brought about further growth over time.

At the end of the 19th century, the Wrzeszcz Beautification Society was founded, whose ‘heirs’ are still one of the strongest local communities in the city.

After the war, the commercial heart of the city was created around the main artery running through the district, linking the centre of Gdańsk with Gdynia, and over time it was also transformed into a business centre.

The architecture and character of the district have changed over the centuries, but three watercourses (now partly in canals) – the Strzyża Stream, the Jaskowy Stream and the Królewski Stream – still flow through it, and the trees on the hills surrounding the district hum. Upper Wrzeszcz is one of the most heavily wooded (around 40%) districts in Gdańsk, boasting a wealth of recreational facilities and an excellent range of shopping, cultural, educational and gastronomic opportunities (particularly in the Garrison on the site of the former barracks). Residents of the district describe it as ‘close to everywhere’.

The district combines sentimental and modern elements. High-rise buildings dating from the 19th century have sprung up in the neighbourhood, allowing everyone to find their own vibe – young people and seniors alike, who inhabit the district in roughly equal shares, with the older ones slightly outnumbering the older ones.

Garrison has a special place on the map of the Upper Wrzeszcz district. On the site of today’s prestigious housing estate, Prussian barracks were built at the end of the 19th century. Built with great care, the military city (with an area of 25 hectares) provided the formations operating here with every comfort. More than a century later, the realities of life are completely different, but it is still an area where everything is accessible within walking distance. The modern residential buildings harmonise fantastically with the historic buildings, which have been revitalised with great care. Offices, services, catering and culture now find their place within the walls, which housed Prussian hussars more than a century ago and soldiers of the so-called Blue Berets during the People’s Republic of Poland.

The estate is not only friendly to its residents. The lack of fences and barriers, so characteristic of many development estates, is an invitation to all residents of the metropolis and tourists. In the barracks building, the club café Sztuka Wyboru, combined with an exhibition function open to Polish designers, awaits visitors. The former military clinic invites you to dance lessons, and the historic riding school is today the star-studded music club Stary Maneż and the excellent Vrest Brewery.

For the convenience of the residents, everything needed for daily life for families with children, singles and business people has been created within the estate boundaries. Local food shops are available to locals, there is also a Żabka and a Biedronka. It’s easy to buy good wine and French baked goods, but the greatest joy for the tenants of the elegant flat blocks is the Gdansk Nature Bazaar, which offers organic products.

You don’t have to go too far away from where you live to consult a doctor; buy flowers, glasses, medicines or clothes; you can get a suit tailored; get advice from a lawyer, interior designer or insure your car. On the estate you can go to the dentist with your child, get a haircut or use the services of a beautician and manicurist. For children and adults, there are tailoring workshops, a badminton room, a climbing wall and a fitness area.

The attention is drawn to the modernly designed outdoor space, dedicated primarily to pedestrians. Comfortable paths planted with greenery and the absence of any through road give a great sense of security to children and adults, and the stream of the Strzyża stream flowing over the surface adds to the unusual charm.

There is a private kindergarten in the centre of Garnizon, from where you can get to a primary school and a large shopping centre Galeria Bałtycka within a 10-minute walk, and two good general secondary schools within a dozen minutes.

And when time runs out to prepare dinner, a powerhouse of restaurants with a variety of profiles – from oriental to vegan to gluten-free cuisine – await the hungry.

When the residents finally want to take a holiday, they can reach the train station on foot in a quarter of an hour or by car in the same time.

railway station in a quarter of an hour on foot or to the airport in the same amount of time by car (if there is no traffic jam).

Upperrzeszcz is surrounded by eight districts:

• Wrzeszcz Dolny with preserved large fragments of interwar multi-family quarter buildings;
• Zaspa-Młyniec with most flats built in the 1970s;
• Strzyża with direct access to the Tri-City Landscape Park;
• VII Dwór with the Jamaluddin Al-Afgani mosque;
• Brętowo with two stops of the Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway;
• Piecki-Migowo with dominant residential and service functions;
• Suchanino with very varied terrain;
• Aniołki with the Medical University of Gdansk and the Baltic Opera.

Recreation:

• Podleśna Polana (Forest Glade) – a great place for sledging in winter, and for barbecues in summer
• Jaskowa Dolina Park – a huge park with a richly landscaped area
• De Gaulle Park,
• Uphagen Park,
• Academic Park – located on the city’s main thoroughfare
• Nostalgic Park – linked to the Gdańsk Waterworks Route
• Królewska Dolina Park – historical park
• Srebrniki Reservoir – located at the western border of the district
• Jaskowa Dolina Reservoir – under construction, completion date November 2021.

Communication:

• Excellent transport links to other parts of the city. Extensive network of tram and bus lines.
• Long-distance railway station and bus terminal, stop of the Fast Urban Railway and the Pomeranian Metropolitan
• Railway leading to the airport.
• Extensive network of bicycle paths.

Education:

• Numerous primary schools, kindergartens and crèches – private and public Two general secondary schools (including bilingual departments) Music School of the 1st and 2nd degree
• Special Schools Complex Pomeranian Crafts Schools Gdansk University of Technology Campus

Culture:

• Forest Theatre in Jaskowa Dolina – open in the summer, stage and auditorium are surrounded by a forest wall
  Manhattan Library
• Miniatura Municipal Theatre – offering performances mainly for children Klub Żak – with a cinema, café, theatre and concert stage
• The Old Manege – a fashionable concert hall
• Neighbourhood Houses – with a variety of free activities for residents

Catering (as at 30 December 2020):

• The gastronomic offer in Upper Wrzeszcz is very wide, especially in the Garrison area.
• Akademicki Bar Mleczny – Polish cuisine
• AïOLI inspired by Gdańsk – cuisine from all parts of the world Wokbar – Asian Street Food – oriental cuisine
• Villa Eva – Central European cuisine
• Umam Hemara – café with artistic cakes Mami Sushi
• U Królika – gluten-free dishes Columbus Coffee – café
• Pobite Gary – modern European cuisine Ping Pong – Asian cuisine
• Vrest Brewery
• Kirkor Restaurant – Polish cuisine Oliwa do ognia – pizzeria
• Vegan Port – vegan and vegetarian cuisine Zakwasownia – vegan and organic cuisine Włoszczyzna – pizza and appetisers
• Oranżeria – cuisine from different parts of the world Składak – café
• Sztuka Wyboru – café
• Progres Event & Conference – European cuisine based on seasonal products Pychotka bar – home-made dinners
• Jaffa Eat & Drink – Israeli cuisine
• Tako – Mexican cuisine with a European twist
• Bistro Słowacki – traditional cuisine in a modern setting La Bagatela – French breakfasts and lunches
• Bufet Studencki – cuisine not only for students 3 Smaki – home dinners
• Radiostacja – burgers and pizza, live music
• Ristorante Numero1 – pizzeria Pierogi Lwowskie
• Gyozilla – Japanese street food bar Rosmarino – pizzeria
• Syrena milk bar
• Maverick Gdańsk – beer, lunch, music Krowarzywa – vegan and vegetarian cuisine Składak – café
• Franco hot dogs
• Kucharia – bistro, Polish cuisine
• Moje miejsce – cuisine from different parts of the world, live music Sphinx in Galeria Bałtycka
• Chang Thai Street Food
• Gdańsk Nature Bazaar at Garnizon – a market with organic and regional food