Kościuszko Square (Skwer Kościuszki)

Kościuszko Square (Skwer Kościuszki, roughly "kosh-CHOOSH-ko") is Gdynia's grand promenade, running from the main shopping street, Świętojańska, straight to the sea and the South Pier. This is where the city celebrates, strolls and takes photos in front of the tall ship Dar Pomorza and the WWII destroyer ORP Błyskawica. Lined with interwar modernist buildings, it lies within Gdynia's Modernist City Centre, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2026 – and sooner or later every walk in Gdynia ends up here.

History

The square is the city's central axis; its junction with Świętojańska and 10 Lutego streets is considered the very center of Gdynia. Officially it is only about 270 m long, but locals use the name for the whole walk to the tip of the South Pier, which adds another 626 m.

Before the port city existed, a seaside bathhouse with a pier (1904) stood here; it was demolished in 1934 as Gdynia grew. During the German occupation the square was renamed after Hitler. A Soviet-era obelisk was removed in 1990, and the Gemini/Waterfront entertainment complex that stood beside the square from 2000 was demolished in 2018 to make way for new buildings.

What to see

• Modernist apartment houses from 1928–1938, plus the Polish Navy Command building on Waszyngtona Street.
• The Monument to Maritime Poland, unveiled on June 24, 2018, for the centenary of the Polish Navy, honoring Poland's ties to the sea and the sailors and fishermen lost at sea.
• The "Polish Sailor 1939–1945" memorial stone from 1991, where wreaths are laid on naval holidays.
• A large fountain by the crossing of Jana Pawła II Avenue.
• Along the pier: Dar Pomorza, ORP Błyskawica (closed until March 31, 2027), a stone monument to the writer Joseph Conrad, born Józef Korzeniowski in partitioned Poland, and the Gdynia Aquarium.

Visiting tips

The walk from Świętojańska to the end of the pier takes 30–40 minutes, but with the ship museum and aquarium you can easily spend half a day. The promenade is flat and wide – easy with strollers and wheelchairs, and dogs are fine. Sunset and evening are the most atmospheric times. For photos, stand where 10 Lutego Street meets the square to frame the whole axis with the ship masts, or walk to the end of the pier for a skyline view with Kamienna Góra hill and the Sea Towers. On summer weekends and during the Sea Days festival in June it gets very busy; come early.

Is it worth visiting? It is free, central and the best introduction to Gdynia – yes.

Practical information (as of October 2026)

The square is public space, open 24/7 and free. Only the attractions on the pier charge admission, in Polish złoty (PLN).

How to get there

From Gdynia Główna station it is a 15–20-minute walk down 10 Lutego Street. The Skwer Kościuszki – InfoBox stop is served year-round by city bus and trolleybus lines (including 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 32, 33 and 710). Gdańsk is about 30 minutes away by SKM train; Gdańsk airport (around 23 km) has PKM trains to Gdynia Główna. Paid parking is available along Jana Pawła II Avenue and under Grunwaldzki Square.