The Oliwa Park
The beginnings of establishing a great park in Oliwa, should be connected with Cistercians, who, in a direct neighbourhood ofmonastery, established vegetable and herbal garden. A big bloom of the park occurred thanks to Jacek Rybinski – the last abbot of Oliwa congregation. He brought to Oliwa a prominent master of garden art – Kazimierz Debinski. The gardener perfectly met the requirements and it reflects in today’s walk along beautiful lanes of French part of garden.
Oliwa Park charms with its beautiful, with less or more regular shapes, nature. A rich plant cover attracts also by big flock of wild ducks, swans and ubiquitous squirrels. Except from a great nature, Oliwa garden also offers to its tourists other attractions. It is worth to mention the Abbot Palace, being a precious monument of architecture of 18th century. The building was erected in 18th century on the initiative of the abbot Jacek Rybinski. An interesting residence survived with a difficulty 19th century, to be burnt at the end of World War II. Reconstructed at the beginning of 1960s, the palace is currently the seat of Modern Art Department of National Museum in Gdansk. Walking along charming park’s lanes, the attention should be paid to numerous sculptures. In 1955, on 100 anniversary, the bust of Adam Mickiewicz was placed. The whole park establishment took its name from the name of poet. The attention should also be paid to the so called whisper cave (in other words “Dionisos ears”), which as a remainder of a baroque garden equipment from 18th century, surprise with a great acoustics, thanks to which the persons being in two opposite caves can whisper to each other.
Tricity Landscape Park
Tricity Landscape Park (TPK) was created in 1979 on the area of around 20 thousands ha. The last change of the act concerning establishing TPK, including the correction of its borders, was made in 1998. According to the act on nature protection, landscape park is a protected area with regard to its natural, historical and cultural values, and the goal of its creation is preservation and popularization of these values in the conditions of balanced development.
TPK covers the forest areas with forest agricultural enclaves of Gniewowo, Zbychowo, Nowy Dwor Wejherowski, Reszki and Bieszkowice villages on the area of south-eastern part of moraine upland of Kashubian Lakeland and it edge zone. The whole park consists of two extensive forest complexes. There are 34 nature monuments in the park buffer zone: 32 trees and complexes of trees and 2 stones. Few nature monuments in TPK were formed to protect rare types of mushrooms and lichens. It is planned to create over 25 ecological lands, 2 documental stands of lifeless nature. A closer knowledge of the whole TPK nature richness should allow to create in the future ecologically coherent system of reservations and other protected objects, optimal from the point of view in the range of natural values of the park.
Kuzniczki Park
Kuzniczki Park (in the past Kleinhammer) a small park situated in Wrzeszcz district, on Kuzniczki estate at Strzyza stream, in the point of connecting Wajdeloty and Kilinskiego streets, behind Railway Station in Wrzeszcz. Nearby in the zoo deers and fallow deers were raised. Kuzniczki property has been on the history cards since 1551, it played the role of an industrial settlement with forge, sawmill and tavern, belonging to Cistercians.
In 1763-1802 the estate was owned by a Gdansk councillor Michael Gottfired Schmid, who built a rococo Kuzniczki manor house, at Wajdeloty Street under 13 number, preserved until today. In Napoleon times the property declined. For the years the park’s territory was changing, the brewery was enlarged, the part of estate, flower garden was sold for the construction of Gdansk-Koszalin railway line. In 1871, the construction of a modern, big brewery was started, that was liquidated in 2001. In 19th century a restaurant pavilion nearby a manor house was opened. Gdansk residents came here to dance, concerts and theatre performances in green environment. Until the present times the arbour and entrance gate has been kept, on which a German lettering has existed recently. The park waited till better times and thanks to people’s good will it has been revitalized. Walking alleys, green surrounding, the view to the Old Brewery and collegiate church, romantic illumination enable to relax in the heart of Wrzeszcz.
Orunia Park
In 17th century Orunia settlement with its great values, attracted the attention of a rich Gdansk middle class. The neighbourhood was gradually decorated with summer residences, palaces, gardens and parks. The garden of Andrzej Schopenhauer deserved a special attention, located nearby today’s City Cultural Centre, which in 1777 attracted a famous traveler and scientist Johann Bernoulli.
Today, it is hard to imagine charming, currently presented in a completely different way, surroundings. The wars resulted in enormous devastations: Gdansk siege by Russian army from 1734 and two Napoleon campaigns – 1807 and 1813. The act of destruction was completed by sudden urbanization, which in the second half of 19th century totally and ruthlessly transformed the look of a significant part of Orunia. Currently, the only one trace of splendour of a described district is Orunia Park, which tradition dates back to the end of 16th century. The garden has reached a rare beauty and flowering thanks to long lasting endeavours of the richest Gdansk families. At the end of 18th century, the park was a great collection of rare plants. The fame of this botanic garden went far beyond the city borders, and even of the country. In 1918, a daughter of Hoene – Emilia, donated the park to the city, which perfectly used this precious purchase, by arranging a popular place of entertainment and recreation for pre-war Gdansk inhabitants. Currently, Orunia Park attracts with its picturesque alley of forty lime trees, ponds located on different levels, waterfall and palace. The garden is good for beneficial, healthy walking.