About the building
The Crooked House is a retail, service and restaurant building at ul. Bohaterów Monte Cassino 53, in the very heart of Sopot's promenade. It covers about 4,000 m² on three floors, with more than 50 units (shops, restaurants, cafés and a music club). The original design was by Szotyńscy i Zaleski, an architectural practice from the Tricity. It was built in 2003–2004.
The undulating façade was inspired by the illustrations of Jan Marcin Szancer (the Polish illustrator of children's books, including Pinocchio) and Per Dahlberg (the Swedish illustrator). The designers wanted to create a building that looks as if it were drawn by hand, as though it were "buckling" in the sun. The effect is so strong that the first reaction is to wonder whether the structure is stable — it is, of course.
What is inside
The Crooked House is above all an architectural attraction from the outside, but it is worth going in as well:
- Shops — clothing (mostly mid-range Polish brands), souvenirs, jewellery and an amber shop
- Restaurants — a pizzeria, sushi, regional cooking and cafés
- A music club — in the basement, open into the small hours
- A record shop — popular with music lovers
The best photographs
- From opposite — from the pavement on the other side of the Monciak, early in the morning when the sun lights the façade
- After rain — reflections in the wet paving of the Monciak
- In the evening — the lighting and the neon of the restaurants inside give a "Times Square in miniature" effect
- Looking up from below (fisheye) — a popular Instagram shot
Worth knowing
Entry to the Crooked House is free — it is a retail space, open for most of the day (usually 9:00–22:00, restaurants longer). In summer there are often street performances, open-air concerts and fairs on the Monciak in front of it. It is the ideal place for the obligatory Sopot photograph — and then a beer at the bar next door.
How to get there and practical info
- Address
- ul. Bohaterów Monte Cassino 53, Sopot (the Monciak)
- Admission
- Free
- Opening hours
- Shops 10:00–21:00, food and drink longer
- From the station
- About 5 min on foot along the Monciak
- Parking
- Charged in the town zone (about 6 zł an hour, hard to find in season)
- Toilets
- In the shopping centre, free for customers
When to go
Few visitors and all the shops open. Excellent for quiet photographs.
Crowds without a break. The best shots are at 6–7 in the morning or after 22:00.
Atmospheric, with warm lights inside and leaves on the Monciak.
Christmas lights on the Monciak and a snow-covered façade — very picturesque.
Other sights in Sopot
Straight-line distances from „The Crooked House" — calculated from real coordinates. By road it is often further.
Where to stay nearby
Places from our list that have The Crooked House within walking distance or a short drive.
