Bydgoszcz – the city upon Brda

Once, there were two brothers wandering from the south towards the sea – Byd and Gost, who wanted to find a perfect place to build a settlement. Byd was searching for thick forests, to gain materials needed for construction. Meanwhile, Gost wanted to find a river, that would be full of good food and also protect the settlement from the attack of the enemies. The two brothers walked a long way, until they found a river called Brda. The place they found seemed perfect, because it had rich forests and countless lakes. So, they decided to establish a settlement, which they named Bydgost – from the combination of their names.

Thanks to its location, Bydgoszcz achieved huge economic successes. Water trade caused the city to get rich and go through intensive development.
This was also the place, where in 1594, a mint was opened, which was changed into a royal mint in the early 17th century. Unfortunately, during the so-called „Swedish Deluge”, Bydgoszcz suffered heavy losses. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the city began to rebuild once again, and Brda returned to playing a crucial role in the history of Bydogszcz. The time of barges came along, for which the river harbor of Bydgoszcz was one of the most important bays in the Bydgoszcz Channel. The city was located at the international water route from Berlin to Gdańsk. In this city, a unique culture of water people called Szyprowie developed, who along of the Szyper families led their lives on barges. These large boats were their lifetime homes, where they were born, had fun and died.