Tricity Landscape Park

Tricity Landscape Park (Trójmiejski Park Krajobrazowy, roughly "troy-MYAY-skee PAHRK krah-yo-brah-ZOH-vee") is a green belt of forests above Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia on Poland's Baltic coast, where ravines, beech woods and pine forest lie minutes from the city centers. It covers the Oliwa Forests, nature reserves, an ancient oak and the Wejherowo Calvary. If you are looking for things to do in Gdańsk beyond the Old Town and the beach, this is the easiest forest day trip in the region, because you can reach the trails by city transport and be back for dinner.

Where it is and how to get there

The park lies on the northeastern edge of the Kashubian Lake District upland. Fly to Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport, and travel through the city to the Oliwa district; the park is reachable by city transport from Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia, but check current timetables. Parking is available at the main entrances and fills up early on sunny weekends. You do not need a car for this one.

What makes it special

The park was established on May 3, 1979, and covers 19,930 hectares (about 77 square miles), with a 16,542 ha buffer zone. It includes parts of Gdańsk, Gdynia, Sopot, Rumia, Reda and Wejherowo. Glaciers shaped the land some 13,000 to 15,000 years ago, leaving deep steep-sided valleys with height differences of up to 80 m, plus boulders, lakes and peatlands. About 90 percent of the park is forest, mostly Scots pine.

What to see and do

• Samborowo Valley and the Gruby Dąb (Thick Oak) – a pedunculate oak over 350 years old and more than 25 m tall, protected as a natural monument, next to a nature trail.
• Oliwa Valleys and Pachołek Hill – ravines and hills above the Oliwa district, popular for walks.
• Nature reserves – ten reserves, including Dolina Strzyży, Cisowa and Pełcznica, with more proposed.
• Wejherowo Calvary (Kalwaria Wejherowska) – a historic Passion sanctuary, one of the oldest in Poland.
• Marszewo nature trail – the park's second educational trail.
• Gdańsk Zoo in Oliwa – inside the park boundary, but a separate attraction.

Nature

About 850 vascular plant species have been recorded, and more than 60 are protected by law. Wild boar, roe deer, red deer, moose, foxes, badgers and several bat species live here, along with birds of prey, owls and woodpeckers. The park also has 8 amphibian and 5 reptile species. Together, the park and buffer zone contain about 170 natural monuments and 3 Natura 2000 areas.

How to explore

The park has seven hiking trails and eight cycling routes; the longest, at 43 km, links Wejherowo with Gdynia Główna station. Two hours is enough for a short valley walk, and half a day for a full loop. Is it worth visiting? Yes, especially in autumn, when the beech forests turn gold, though paths can be slippery after rain. Park educators run programs at sites such as Zajęcza Dolina, Samborowo Valley and the Oliwa Valleys. A landscape walk through the Oliwa Valleys is planned for October 17, 2026. Signs are in Polish, and English is limited.

Practical information (as of October 2026)

The park is open year-round, with no gates and no entry fee. The administration is at Trójmiejski Park Krajobrazowy, ul. Polanki 51, 80-308 Gdańsk, tel. +48 58 552 34 68, tpk@pomorskieparki.pl, within the Pomeranian Landscape Parks Complex. The website also offers water safety advice, including the Ratunek app, a high-contrast version and an easy-to-read guide. Prices in Polish zloty (PLN) and hours for the zoo and the Calvary are set by their operators.

Nearby

Nearby are the Crane (Żuraw) in Gdańsk, the Coastal Landscape Park and Gdańsk Zoo.