Probably more than one employee has wondered what it would be like to work from some faraway place in the world where the climate, culture and people are very much to their liking. Dreams not infrequently lead to locations such as Bali, Spain, Italy or the Canary Islands, but they come with a host of complications that ultimately result in few of these dreams coming to fruition. Perhaps the magnitude of the challenge is at the root of the failure, and the prospect of working from a place that offers numerous recreational opportunities, living near the beach and the sea, among people filled with good energy, may direct thoughts to the Tri-City and then much will prove possible?
More and more people are finding this out, who, after a brief reconnaissance, have decided to change their place to live, or at least to choose the capital of Pomerania as their second home and the place for realizing workation - a trend that allows you to combine a new place to live with work and the realization of passions. Tri-City has a lot to offer, and in this field its attractiveness does not cause difficulties related to differences in time zones, taxation, broadband Internet access, commuting or limitations caused by the inability to attend meetings that require personal presence.
Tri-City's unquestionable trump card and perhaps its biggest magnet is its dozen kilometers of beaches, the character of which changes from Stogi and Sobieszewo to the north of Gdynia. Virtually everything a beach can offer is available here. From the obvious sailing schools, sup rentals, to sailing, windsurfing and catamaran centers, to yacht marinas and large sailing ships. There are museums, such as the Westerplatte Museum, the Naval Museum, the Emigration Museum and the Dar Młodzieży and the Blyskawica, three piers (in Brzeźno, Sopot and Orłowo), and the only beach in Poland located in the strict city center - in Gdynia.
There are seaside boulevards, restaurants, bars and cafes, hotels, seaside tennis courts and many other attractions that make Tricity offer much more than other Polish cities. There are many more such unique attractions. The proximity of Kashubia and its Kashubian Switzerland, with its dozens of lakes, and the Tri-City Landscape Park are dream destinations for lovers of beautiful landscapes, cross-country, trekking or mountain biking. The height of the hills allows even in Sopot to organize the Polish Mountain Car Championships, rallies, for many years attracting thousands of enthusiasts from all over Poland and beyond.
Workation, however, is not only about recreation and entertainment, but also about the business potential of a location. In the past year, the Tri-City has surpassed one million square meters of office space, allowing it to enter the business premier league. Poland's largest business center is right in Gdansk - Olivia Centre already offers nearly 200,000 square meters of space. Also, the largest coworking space in Poland is located right in Olivia, which is important for freelancers or employees who, while using workation mode, want to simultaneously enjoy comfortable office work facilities.
Workation only for freelancers? Pre-pandemic habits make us think that such opportunities are only for freelancers. And the current reality proves that they are not the only ones. A good example is Anna Krześniak, compliance officer at Nordea, who made the decision to move to the Tri-City in 2023, and as she points out, it was the best decision of her life. “A lot has happened during this year, more than in the last few years,” she says. - Anna Krześniak emphasizes. “I've met a lot of great people, I'm realizing my dreams. An extra bonus is the opportunity to work in such an extraordinary place as Olivia Centre. I love Olivia. When the worse moments get to me (and not only then, of course), I come to Olivia for work. Standing on the 18th floor, looking out over the city and the sea, I feel such a surge of energy that when I return to my desk, the thought “I can do anything” is not uncommon. I love the sea and sailing. I thought that spending the day at sea would be the best way to celebrate my anniversary. On top of that, I could do it as part of a sailing trip with Olivia. My love of the sea and sailing is blind, so much so that aside from the overwhelming awe I always feel when standing by the shore, I can't afford any other reflections. I stare at the thin line at which the sky meets the water, allowing my mind to wander and dream.”
Jakub Sielewiesiuk, CEO, partner, patent attorney, and partner at patent law firm AOMB sp. z o.o., who combines his work in Warsaw with the possibility of working remotely just from the Tri-City, makes a very similar statement: “I was basically driven by the typical expectations associated with a change of environment: the feeling of freedom, getting to know new places and people, the mobilization and satisfaction that comes from change. This translates, of course, into enjoyment of personal life, but also into increased efficiency of action and enthusiasm for work. On the other hand, we did not expect (we decided on this change as a family) the scale, intensity of these phenomena - resulting from the choice of the Tri-City (and in our case - specifically Gdansk). Each trip to Gdansk was preceded by joyful anticipation, each stay was combined with new discoveries, and by the time we returned to Warsaw we were already making plans “what we would do next time.” And so far nothing has changed in this regard.”
For residents of the capital considering working in the Tri-City, one barrier is fear of the business opportunities that are obviously associated with Warsaw. However, reality positively surprises and proves that many of the options, amenities and business activities are the same as in Warsaw. Especially since, unlike the idea of working from distant places, the Tri-City is only 2.5 h away from Warsaw, Lodz or Poznan by comfortable train or car. Not negligible are also the plane connections that connect Gdansk with the capital, as well as Krakow, Wroclaw, Lublin, Poznan, Rzeszow and Zielona Gora.
“Having been systematically in the Tri-City, it is impossible not to notice the business activity here and the professional potential it brings,” says Jakub Sielewiesiuk. So it was only a matter of time needed for the natural process of “evolution”, which led to the fact that the law firm of patent attorneys AOMB, where I work - hired a capable colleague - an attorney from the Tri-City. Soon we will open our small office in Olivia Centre, which we intend to develop! Here, many opportunities are exactly the same as in Warsaw only that they are more easily accessible - because, for example, they are a few minutes' walk from home,” concludes Jakub Sielewiesiuk. Some matters are easier to arrange in Gdansk than in Warsaw - because everything is closer here. In my opinion, a feature that strongly distinguishes the Tri-City from Warsaw - and for me a very important one - is the connection of the urban fabric with water, whether it be the seashore, the harbor, the pier, or the waterfront of a river or one of the numerous canals. Granted, Warsaw has the Vistula. The Vistula is wide and a piece of its shoreline can be walked along. Meanwhile, the Motlawa and numerous other natural and artificial watercourses in the center of Gdansk are overgrown with the city - streets, walking paths, footbridges, restaurant gardens. The sea and parks along the beach are not even mentioned. I like to run longer distances (up to 10km), I do it systematically, where I am. I have favorite routes where I frequent. In Gdansk it's a completely different experience than in Warsaw.
What's more, Tri-City is appreciated not only by residents of the capital and Poland's largest cities, but also by foreigners who have deliberately chosen Tri-City as one of their places for workation. One of them is a Briton, Thomas Morgans, who divides his time between the English province, the French Alps and precisely Tricity, which he has come to love for its business opportunities and for providing the perfect balance between work and leisure: The Tricity offers everything one needs for a happy life: an endless array of outdoor opportunities that accompany mainly the beach, but also the rest of the three cities. The vibrant cities are both exciting and inspiring. The tri-cities at the same time offer versatile business facilities. If, like me, you are a person looking for an excellent work environment, then O4 coworking through a challenging environment will definitely promote motivation and productivity, while providing an environment of people with a like-minded business attitude that stimulates and encourages. It's not only a place to work, but also a community of great people with whom you can quickly form friendships.
