Many residents of Gdańsk might wonder – why visit Brzeźnieński Park when the hugely illustrious President Ronald Reagan Park is just a kilometre or so away?
Well, I invariably favour the underdog – and I wasn’t disappointed with Brzeźnieński Park.
Location
Brzeźnieński Park is located in the seaside district of Brzeźno in the immediate vicinity of Brzeźno beach.
Brźezieński park over the years
- The seaside forest originally served as a protection of the road connecting the Russian military warehouses in Brzeźno, and the quarantine station with Nowy Port. The abundance of trees in the area were originally planted to protect the road used by Russian troops against drifting beach sand and other sea-based impact
- The beginning of the park’s history dates back to 1840-1842, when the seaside forest was transformed into a park. It was a place of rest for customers of the nearby bathing resort and spa
- The seaside park is named after the doctor of Napoleon’s army, Jean Georg Haffner. Haffner came to the Free City of Danzig in 1808 as a major of Napoleon’s Grande Armée. The French Governor of Danzig, General Jean Rapp, persuaded Haffner to build the first bathing-spa resort in Gdańsk-Brzezno. Haffner also founded the first spa in Sopot
- Remains of ancient Prussian fortifications can be found in the park
- The park’s infrastructure was in tatters throughout the 20th century. Tourists were mostly deterred by the park’s appearance. In 2001, the park’s revitalisation began, ending in July 2010
- The number of trees in the park exceeds 4,860. They include grey and black alder, ash, white willow, pine, maple, sycamore, silver birch and elm
Remarks
Brzeźnieński Park is a lovely park with narrow alleyways, many of which offer dreamy views of the Baltic Sea. The park’s covered with tall trees, providing a great deal of precious shade on warm summer days. There’s an adventure playground for kids.
Getting there
Tram 3 from Dworzec Główny (Gdańsk Central Train Station) takes you up to the stop Brzeźno Dom Zdrojowy just below the lower west side of Brzeźnieński Park.
If you fancy a walk, tram 10 takes you from Gdańsk Central Train Station to the stop Marynarki Polskiej 01 in Nowy Port. Head westbound along Wyzwolenia Street, veering left at the end onto a main road – Ignacego Krasickiego. From there, it’s a short walk to the south-east corner of Brzeźnieński Park.
