Hostel Review: My Glorious Return to Gdynia and My Charming Stay in the Green House Hostel

When I first backpacked to the port city of Gdynia in July 2016, I had no idea that exactly a year later, I would still be living in Poland, back in Gdynia and ready for more fun on Poland’s gorgeous Baltic Coast. On that trip, I was working with Eat Polska on a smashing food tour while based in nearby Gdansk at the Hostel Cycle On.

This time, I was going to explore Gdynia properly, as part of my reader tour and vote for June 2017, which also sent me to the iconic seaside resort of Międzyzdroje for my naked beach experience. On route, I stopped of in gorgeous Gdynia, fell in love again with this city and will be doing a full review of the sights and bars too, and the Cat Cafe Gdynia which I totally loved. It all depends when I get back online with my laptop as I have had issues. Beach time…

“They can smile for free” – Ben Paulley.

“Smile” said a Gdynian boat as I aimlessly backpacked the seaside resort’s pier at night, bereft of any dreams, out of love, without fashion sense, piwo in hand (oczywiscie), lacking only wanderlust.

I had arrived back in a city that could, and maybe should have been my home in 2016. Whether or not I was ruined by lying “friends” or not, I knew that I had tried to beat my depression and that I returned here with purpose, with zest, with more vitality than Paul Gascoigne on speed.

But this time, I had to be the real Jonny Blair. That Northern Irish buck eejit backpacker that toured towns you never heard of, spoke the truth, wrote about them for nobody to ever read and surely was just doing it to try and keep that one thing that makes us stay alive – the smile.

“Smile like you mean it” – The Killers.

I am still very spontaneous I must add. I don’t have time or effort to plan for the future. Tomorrow never happened, remember. We are not promised next minute, next hour, next day. We can die in the blink of a pretty girl’s eye. If Bruce Springsteen knows it, so can you.

So when I realised I was returning to Gdynia, I sought out the one thing that I had neglected back in July 2016 on my first visit – a pure fire homely backpacker’s hostel. One which would have been fit for a review on the Titanically ill-fated “Don’t Stop Living” in hours of yore. Google Gdynia Green was the ticket. “G”s and “H”s on the brain, it was to be the Gdynia Green House Hostel for my randomic return.

I loved my time here in the Green House Hostel – the best and only place to stay in Gdynia for me!! Here are some reasons why I loved it!

1.Friendly Weclome
On arrival, after a climb up the hill via Gdynia’s iconic Kamienna Gora (one of the must sees in the city), I found a true home here at Green House Hostel. I was welcomed with a brace of smiles. Local lady and biology student Ada welcomed me to the compound and I then met Natalja, owner and organiser of a hostel that was right up my street.

2.Green/Zielona
Why backpack the world and lose your roots? I love green, I am a zielona (Polish for green, clearly) type of guy. In days gone by, I visited Zielona Street in Kokoszkowy, I dressed in green for St. Patrick’s Day and I became infatuated with the colour green. Being from Northern Ireland accelerated this love of course.

When a hostel is green and white and holds a name of that, imagine a flirtatious Ulster teenager chatting up a girl on the bus for the first time. I was once that Ulster teenager. I was forever that Ulster adult. The place is green. It was cosy and exactly what I needed.

3.WiFi in my Room
I Facebooked a photo from my bed, as you do. I Instagrammed my night out in Gdynia live at breakfast, WiFi works here, and good. You have to love Poland for its quirky, clean hostels with fast WiFi.

4.Kamienna Gora is 1 minute Walk!
What is Kamienna Gora? This is Gdynia’s iconic tourist sight. A pretty garden area with a huge cross, overlooking the city. Here at Green House Hostel, it was one minute walk!! It is beautiful for sunset, has a huge cross and a kind of cable car/train taking you up and down to the city – I walked it though.

As an added bonus, the beach and the pier are a mere 8 minute walk, as are most of Gdynia’s museums. Location is perfect!

5.Breakfast and in-room Tea/Coffee
Bonuses are hostels with breakfast included and tea and coffee in the room. You will be glad to hear that the Green House Hostel has both and the quality is clean and pristine. Kettle in my dorm room, full healthy breakfast the next morning! Breakfast also included some tasty Polish pierogi and fresh watermelon (arbuz).

As you can tell, I loved my stay here, a special thanks to Natalia and Ada for organising it, I had so much fun and I hope to go back to Gdynia again soon. The city itself is home to Arka Gdynia, in this season’s Europa League and double winners in 2017 (Polish Cup and Polish Super Cup). The hostel is also located on a quiet residential street and has a delightful garden!

Here are the details for booking a stay at Green House Hostel in Gdynia:

Location of the Green House Hostel, Gdynia:
Gdynia, Kamienna Gora (Stone Mountain) – located close to the sea, the city’s green oasis. Green House Hostel is located in the summer holiday spot of Gdynia: the Stone Mountain district, at Henryk Siemiradzki Street. This is an excellent vantage point on the Gulf of Gdansk, the yacht harbor, the shipyard and the city center. The hostel’s surounding is a green oasis in the heart of a dynamic and modern Gdynia.

Lech and Maria Kaczynski’s park, located in the direct neighbourhood of our hostel, is a charming and peaceful place created for walks. Old trees shield from the wind and blend beautifully with many squares and flower beds. There is also a lot of lawns and paths, alleys, benches and a playground for children. Every year, in July and August, the park held a summer concerts of promenade music.

Parkways lead to the platform, the observation deck, at the top Stone Mountain. Beautiful view of the marina, waterfront  with moored ship Dar Pomorza and ORP Błyskawica, attracts not only tourists but also locals. There is a 25 meter high metal cross made by Gdynia Repair Shipyard-Nauta.Illuminated at night, when the weather is favorable, it is visible from Gdańsk and the Hel Peninsula. It is also a landmark for sailors returning from the sea.

There is an electric train which can take tourists directly from the top of the hill to the Musical Theatre, Film Centre and Naval Museum. Stone Mountain is also few steps to the Marina Gdynia and Gdynia Aquarium. At the foot of the hill runs Seaside Boulevard – the most popular walking path in Gdynia-the hallmark of our city.

Green House Hostel
+48 534 875 564 (recepcja)
ul. Siemiradzkiego 5
Gdynia
[email protected]

Green House Hostel Website
Green House Hostel Facebook

Here are some videos of my time at the Green House Hostel in Gdynia: