‘Gdynia in UNESCO’ Weekend
25.08.2026
An illustration featuring modernist buildings promoting the ‘Gdynia in UNESCO’ weekend (press material)
Would you like to explore Gdynia’s modernist city centre and, at the same time, learn more about the city’s history and architecture? Join the ‘Gdynia in UNESCO’ weekend and take a walk along a special tourist trail. Guided tours with local guides, workshops, meetings, and exhibitions are scheduled from September 4 to 6. All of this is designed to introduce residents and visitors to our city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The first weekend of September will be dedicated to modernism and our city's heritage, which has gained worldwide recognition. Since the UNESCO inscription, hotel bookings have already increased by 83% compared to last year. These are primarily autumn city break visits. That’s why it’s worth exploring Gdynia’s modernist city centre.
The ‘Gdynia in UNESCO’ weekend will take place from 4 to 6 September. The event will feature, amongst other things, themed walks, including the launch of the UNESCO trail. Oktawia Gorzeńska, Deputy Mayor of Gdynia, spoke at a press conference about the attractions organised for residents and tourists.
'During the weekend, we’d like to invite you to join us for walks, open meetings with residents and enthusiasts of Gdynia’s modernism, as well as workshops. Most importantly, we’d like to announce the launch of our ‘Gdynia in UNESCO’ trail, a UNESCO route through Gdynia’s modernist city centre. The novelty here is, primarily, that we’re extending our programme to include, among others, young people, children and families. The UNESCO trail is a route that takes up to two hours, leading through the most important sites. The route for families with children can be completed in an hour. We’ll be walking around the city with the characters from a book we’ll be publishing very soon - it’s ready to go to print. Frania the seagull and Antoni the cat will be the stars of this family tour. Let me remind you that we’re talking about two main routes: 10 Lutego Street on one side, and Świętojańska Street on the other. I would also like to personally invite you to a meeting at Gdynia City Hall, followed by a guided tour. Over the course of this weekend, I’ll also be sharing some behind-the-scenes insights into the inscription – things we don’t usually talk about so openly on a day-to-day basis – so I warmly invite you to join us’, says the Deputy Mayor.
Participants on walks through Gdynia’s modernist city centre will learn about the city’s history and explore its architecture. The list covers approximately 88 hectares of the historic city centre. The exceptional value of this site lies primarily in its coherent urban layout, which embodies the ideals of a modern city. During the walk, you will be able to see how the streets, buildings and public spaces form a harmonious whole, and how closely the city is linked to the sea and the port. Participants will also be able to collect commemorative stamps at the sites they visit on special cards.
The UNESCO trail walks will be held on 5 and 6 September at 11.00 am, 12.00 pm, 1.00 pm, 3.00 pm and 4.00 pm. They will be led by local tour guides. The starting point is Konstytucji Square, in front of Gdynia Główna railway station. The route will include meetings with local residents who are also enthusiasts of our city. Arkadiusz Brzęczek and Cypis Ożóg Orzegowski will be waiting at the City Market Halls, Maria Piradoff-Link and Jacek Ochociński will welcome visitors at Bankowiec and Mirosław Studniak will be at Dom Burmistrza (the Mayor’s House).
Registration for the walks is required - it is already open. Simply fill in the registration form on the Evenea website and sign up for the chosen time slot on 5 September or 6 September.
A route has also been prepared for families and young residents of Gdynia. This will be a walk accompanied by Frania the seagull and Antoni the cat. Participants will explore the city’s hidden corners, look out for unusual buildings and solve architectural puzzles. A special publication will help them with this task.
The first family walk is scheduled for 4 September at 5.30 pm. Subsequent walks will take place on 5 September at 9.30 am, 10.30 am and 5.30 pm, and on 6 September at 10.30 am, 12.30 pm and 5.30 pm. Registration is required via the Evenea website.
This is the first event of its kind, but Gdynia’s authorities want it to be organised on a regular basis.
Workshops and meetings
The weekend’s programme will also feature a range of workshops and talks inspired by modernism.
As part of collaboration with the Gdynia Maritime University, on Friday, 4 September at 9.00 am and at 1:30 pm in the Faculty of Navigation building (No. 2-3 Jana Pawła II Ave.) Bartosz Chyś – headteacher of Primary School No. 39 – will hold a workshop for teachers entitled ‘Modernist inspirations – a workshop on creating urban games’ (please register with the organiser).
At 12.00 at the Tourist Information Centre / Centre of Modernism (No. 24 10 Lutego Street), photographer Elwira Kruszelnicka will lead a photography workshop on Gdynia’s modernism. This workshop is addressed to young people aged 14–18 (registration via the network of student councils). The workshop will begin with a short presentation on Gdynia Modernist City Centre, given by Luiza Skrzypkowska and Maria Hotel from the Office of the Municipal Conservator of Monuments.
As part of the ‘Gdynia in UNESCO’ weekend, a meeting for the tourism sector entitled ‘Gdynia inspires with modernism’ will take place on Thursday 3 September at 11:00 am in Room 105 of Gdynia City Hall at No. 52/54 Marszałka Piłsudskiego Ave. The event will be led by Joanna Leman, coordinator for cooperation with UNESCO, Celina Łozowska, head of the Office of the Municipal Conservator of Monuments and Estera Grubert from the City Promotion Department. To register, please email: international@gdynia.pl.
Arkadiusz Brzęczek and Cypis Ożóg Orzegowski will be waiting at the City Market Halls, Iwona Gunia will talk about the apartment house at No. 22–24 3 Maja Street, Maria Piradoff-Link will welcome visitors at Bankowiec, and Mirosław Studniak will do the same at Dom Burmistrza (the Mayor’s House).
On Saturday, 5 September at 9.30 am at the Gdynia Centre of Modernism in the InfoBox, Olga Obst from Pracownia DOM (DOM Studio) will lead ‘Archi-dreams: workshops for young modernists’, addressed to young people aged 12–16. And at 12.00 pm, at the same venue, graphic artist Jan Rutka will talk about how modernism can be a source of inspiration.
At 2.00 pm, in the Gdynia City Council chamber at Gdynia City Hall, No. 52/54 Marszałka Piłsudskiego Ave., Celina Łozowska, head of the Office of the Municipal Conservator of Monuments, will speak about the nomination dossier for the Gdynia Modernist City Centre submitted to UNESCO, and at 3.00 pm, there will be a meeting with Deputy Mayor Oktawia Gorzeńska entitled ‘Gdynia’s Modernism on the world stage – behind the scenes of the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee’. This will be combined with a tour of some of Gdynia City Hall's lesser-known spaces. And at 4.00 pm at the Gdynia Modernism Centre in the InfoBox, museum curator Marcin Szerle will talk about the multifaceted city of Gdynia.
Oktawia Gorzeńska, Deputy Mayor of Gdynia, during a press conference announcing the ‘Gdynia in UNESCO’ weekend (photo: Magdalena Czernek)
On Sunday, 6 September at 9.30 am, at the Gdynia Centre of Modernism in InfoBox, you will once again have the chance to meet Olga Obst from Pracownia DOM during ‘Archi-dreams: workshops for young modernists’. And at 3.00 pm, Marcin Szerle from the Gdynia City Museum will once more present the multifaceted city of Gdynia.
During the ‘Gdynia in UNESCO’ weekend, visitors to Kościuszko Square will also be able to see the exhibition ‘Gdynia Inspires with Modernism’. It is dedicated to the city’s unique modernist heritage. The exhibition will showcase Gdynia’s modernist city centre, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 27 July, as well as the most significant examples of Gdynia’s modernist architecture. The exhibition will offer a glimpse not only at the distinctive details and interiors of the buildings, but also at the city’s unique relationship with the sea. It tells the story of Gdynia as a city where modernism has become an important part of its identity and continues to inspire.
The programme of events also includes the launch of a book by Grzegorz Kasdepke, set in Gdynia.