Beach towns and Baltic seaside resorts in Poland

Krynica Morska and the Vistula Spit – relatively quick access, beautiful beaches, and forests

The Vistula Spit (Mierzeja Wiślana) is a narrow strip of land separating the Bay of Gdańsk (Zatoka Gdańska) from the Vistula Lagoon (Zalew Wiślany), known for its hotels, bicycle routes, and the history of World War II.

The most popular resort is a small town – Krynica Morska.

In Krynica Morska you will find beaches several dozen meters wide with fine sand, on the beaches you can find characteristic sea stones. Whoever has swum in the Baltic Sea must remember that the water is quite cold;) Here the water is a little warmer – the slower water exchange in the vicinity of Krynica Morska causes the water temperature to be much higher. And the gently sloping seabed creates good conditions for bathing.

On the side of the Vistula Lagoon, there is a pier, fishing, yacht, and passenger marina. Passenger ships offer trips to Frombork, Elbląg, and cruises on the Vistula Lagoon.

There are beautiful forests in the vicinity of Krynica Morska, mainly pine forests. These forests are home to wild boars, roe deer, and deer.

It is also a good place for those who like active recreation on bikes – you will find bicycle routes here, including a seaside promenade.

The advantage of Krynica Morska is that we will get here faster than, for example, to the western coast of the Baltic Sea. Driving time by car from Warsaw – 4 hours, Łódź – 4, Poznań – 4.40, Wrocław – 5.50, Kraków – 7, Katowice – 5.50. You can also get there by train to the city of Gdańsk or Gdynia or by plane (Gdansk Airport), from the city of Gdańsk to Krynica Morska it’s a one-hour drive.

Jastrzębia Góra – a small resort with the highest cliff on the coast of the Baltic Sea in Poland

Jastrzębia Góra is a small, relatively quiet resort famous for its long beach, sheltered by cliffs. It is a seaside village situated on a steep (32.8 m above sea level), cliff shore of the Baltic Sea. Jastrzębia Góra owes its name to the hill (over 67 m above sea level) where hawks settled (Góra in Polish means a mountain, and Jastrzębia – hawk).

The cliff in Jastrzębia Góra is the highest seaside cliff on the coast of the Baltic Sea in Poland. There is a walking trail along the cliff, and in the evening the sunset looks picturesque from the cliff.

The bathing part of the beach is sandy, cleared of stones that have been used up to fortify the steep coast.

Hel Peninsula / Półwysep Helski – for those looking for wide sandy beaches or those who want to learn windsurfing

Hel Peninsula is one of the most picturesque destinations in Poland. Just beautiful. It’s 34 km long, narrow (100 m at the entry to the Peninsula in Władysławowo, 3 km at the end in Hel city) sandy land with pine forests and dunes.

Along the Peninsula there is a road, bike path, and rail track – so you can get there even by train – no need to suffer in holiday traffic!

From the north, there are wide sandy beaches of the Baltic Sea, and from the other side, there is the Bay of Puck (Zatoka Pucka) which offers good conditions for windsurfing and kitesurfing. The Peninsula is so narrow that it is easy to walk from one shore to another. The perfect destination for families with smaller children, as well as with older kids who want to learn windsurfing.

If you would like to learn or practice windsurfing and kitesurfing go to Chałupy (the number one destination in Poland for surfers). You can go windsurfing in Jastarnia and Jurata too.

Go to Jurata if you are looking for beaches that are not very crowded even during the high season. It’s a perfect destination for family holidays. The only disadvantage… in most of the restaurants in Jurata, prices are higher than in Warsaw;)

Jastarnia offers more restaurants, stores, and hotels than Jurata and it’s cheaper. However, more crowded.

Władysławowo is one of the most popular summer destinations in Poland, meaning – extremely packed during holidays.

Hel – a city at the end of the Peninsula. Staying at the Hel Peninsula you can go there for a half-day trip on rainy days (to visit the port, lantern, seal center).

The western part of the Polish Baltic coast: the towns of Świnoujście & Międzyzdroje and the Wolin National Park

Świnoujście is located on the northwestern edge of Poland, right on the border with Germany. The town comprises 44 islands, three of which are inhabited.

The beach in Świnoujście is 10 kilometers long (4 km on Uznam island and 6 km on Wolin island). In summer, the waters of the Baltic Sea near Świnoujście are the warmest on the Polish coast. 

Międzyzdroje is one of the most popular seaside resorts on the Polish coast. In summer, bustling with life around the clock – here you will find plenty of cafes, restaurants, and entertainment venues. The town is visited by several hundred thousand tourists each year.

Międzyzdroje, unlike many other Polish seaside resorts, is also open to tourists outside the summer season. Many restaurants, cafes, and attractions of Międzyzdroje are also open in the fall and winter.

One of the attractions of the Polish west coast of the Baltic Sea is the Wolin National Park (Woliński Park Narodowy). It is one of the two (next to Słowiński National Park) national parks in Poland located by the sea. The park is located on the largest Polish island – Wolin. 

The Park’s attractions include steep cliffs, beautiful forests, glacial hills, and lakes.

The city of Sopot – the resort on the Polish Baltic Sea, where it is easiest to get to (by plane, train, car) 

If you do not live near the Polish coast, and you want to go to the Baltic beach – choose the city of Sopot. The city is well connected – you can get there by train (to Sopot, Gdańsk or Gdynia), by plane (Gdansk Airport) or by car – via the highway.

The city is big and you will find many apartments for rent and hotels, including hotels on the beach.

Sopot is a popular destination for a romantic getaway, meeting friends (there are a lot of restaurants, pubs, discos) but also for a family trip – there are playgrounds on the beach, many restaurants have playgrounds, and hotels offer various attractions for children.

It is worth visiting Sopot out of the high season (July, August), also in winter. Tourist infrastructure works here all year round.

The city of Gdańsk – relaxing on the beach and exploring one of the oldest and most interesting cities in Poland

The city of Gdańsk – located on the Baltic Sea – is one of the oldest cities in Poland but also the most beautiful and interesting – numerous monuments, museums, rich history, and Baltic beaches.

Finding accommodation in Gdańsk is easy. There are many hotels in different price ranges located close to the main tourist attractions as well as a wide selection of apartments for short rent if you prefer that option. 

There are plenty of restaurants in Gdańsk serving traditional Polish dishes, but also restaurants with international cuisine. As in other large cities in Poland, it is not difficult to find a child-friendly restaurant – with a special kids menu, a play area, and changing facilities. 

When you get to know the rich history of Gdańsk – it’s time to relax on one of Gdańsk’s beaches! The guarded beaches in Gdańsk are easily accessible by public transport: Jelitkowo (location on Google map, more in Polish), Brzeźno (location on Google map, more in Polish), Stogi (location on Google map, more in Polish), Sobieszewo (location on Google map, more in Polish), Orle (location on Google map, more in Polish), Świbno (location on Google map, more in Polish).

Photo source: Visit Gdańsk, Gdańska Organizacja Turystyczna 

The Słowiński National Park – mobile sand dunes, lakes, wetlands, and forests by the sea

Słowiński National Park (Słowiński Park Narodowy) is located in the Pomeranian Province, in the central part of the Polish sea coast, 100 km from the city of Gdańsk. The most popular tourist destinations within the Park include Rowy, Łeba, Smołdzino. 

The name of the Park comes from the group of the Kashubian tribe (Słowińcy), a small ethnic group that once lived in this area. Their history as well as the history of the region can be found in the open-air museum located in the village of Kluki (the museum’s website in English).

The biggest attraction of the Park, unique in Europe, is the desert dune landscape. The mobile dunes are huge – they can reach a height of over 30 meters. The dunes, constantly moving, change the landscape, covering trees and paths with sand.

The lakes of the Park are also unique – they are mixed with fresh and salty seawater.

Part of the European cycling route “EuroVelo 10” is located in the Słowiński National Park (the bike trail that circles the Baltic Sea). Here you can see the Polish part of this cycling route on the map. Hiking trails in the Park are made available for cycling. In many places within the Park, there are bike rentals.

The Słowiński National Park is one of 11 UNESCO biosphere reserves in Poland.

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