The area of today's Sopot contains the site of a 7th-century Slavonic
(Pomeranian) stronghold. Initially it was a commercial trade outpost for commerce
extending both up the Vistula river and to cities north across the Baltic Sea.
With time the significance of the stronghold diminished and by the 10th century
it was reduced to a fishing village, eventually abandoned. However, a century
later the area was settled again and two villages were founded within the
borders of today's' city: Stawowie and Gręzowo. They were first mentioned in
1186 as being granted to the Cistercian abbey in Oliwa. Another of the villages
that
