Poland in August: tips for making the most of your summer in Poland

Discover Poland: The Baltic Coast – Hel Peninsula

Hel Peninsula (Półwysep Helski) 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 town) 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 walking from one shore to another is easy. It’s the perfect destination for families with smaller children and older kids who want to learn windsurfing (surf schools offer classes in the shallow waters of the Bay of Puck).

More in our post: The Baltic Coast – Hel Peninsula and wide sandy beaches.

Weather in Poland in August

The average monthly temperature in August – the last summer month in Poland – is 18,5°C / 65°F, and the average monthly rainfall level is 66 mm.

In Poland, the name of the month (sierpień) comes from the sickle (sierp) used during the harvest, which falls in Poland in August.

Read more about the weather in Poland in summer and the colorful changes in nature you can’t miss.

Things you can’t miss in Poland in August

Bilberry yeast bun – jagodzianka – the best summer treat

Another summer treat: bilberry yeast bun – jagodzianka – beautifully risen yeast dough filled with wild blueberries and on top with a delicious crumble. You will buy it in July and August in every Polish bakery and cake shop. Traditional Polish way to have a jagodzianka – with a kefir drink!

Golden cereal fields

When you travel in Poland outside the cities in August, you will notice golden cereal fields (mostly rye, wheat, oats) accompanied by red poppies and blue cornflowers. August is the harvest season in Poland. When the crops are already harvested, it’s time to celebrate. The harvest in Poland ends with the festival called in Polish dożynki.

Fresh sunflower seeds – perfect healthy snack 

Don’t miss the season for fresh sunflower seeds in Poland (it lasts until the end of September). You will find plenty of them in local Polish markets.
How do I pick a good sunflower? Anyone who has bought fresh sunflower seeds knows that it is easy to buy one full of empty seeds. It is worth choosing a convex sunflower. The full seeds make the center of the flower stick upwards. Pay attention to the underside of the sunflower. If it is yellow, it is a sign that it has ripened in the sun. The third desirable quality that proves the ripeness of the sunflower is its rigidity. If the sunflower does not bend easily by hand, it means that the sunflower has whole grains in it. Smacznego!:)

The Perseid meteor shower – nights of shooting stars in Poland

The Perseid meteor shower is active from the second half of July until August 24, with a peak on August 12-14. How to observe meteors? Astronomical equipment is not required. It is best to find a place in the area that is least lit so that the lamps do not shine in the eyes. The darker, the better because more meteors can be seen. To fully enjoy this spectacular phenomenon, it is worth going outside the city – where we can see the clear, starry sky. 

The below photos were taken in Poland, in the Silesia region.

High season for juicy colorful fruits

August is the season for juicy fruits in Poland! Sour cherries, sweet cherries, bilberries, gooseberries, raspberries, currants, brambles. Find out more in our delicious photo guide to the best Polish fruits to eat during summer.

…and healthy local seasonal vegetables

Enjoy in August the seasonal Polish summer foods, including broad bean (bób) – an iconic vegetable in Poland and chanterelle mushroom (kurki) – the golden queen of summer forest mushrooms in Poland. Find out more in our post: Summertime vegetables you must try while they are in season in Poland.

Amusement and theme parks in Poland to visit in August

Our post Amusement and theme parks in Poland presents 15 parks in different parts of Poland – a good idea for an action-packed family day out and fun attractions for all ages. August it’s a nice time to plan your visit to one of these parks as many of them offer water attractions.

“JuraPark Krasiejów” – a dinosaur theme park between the cities of Wrocław and Kraków

Photo source: JuraPark Krasiejów

“Zoo Borysew” – a zoo in central Poland famous for white tigers and lions

Photo source: Zoo Borysew

Read about other amusement parks and theme parks in Poland in our post: Amusement and theme parks in Poland: action-packed family day out.

The biggest and most interesting ropes courses in Poland

Poland is home to a number of high ropes courses that are suitable for families, each offering its own unique challenges and experiences.

High ropes centers are not only for seasoned thrill-seekers or those looking to conquer a fear of heights. They are fun and a great shared adventure for a family or friends’ day out.

High ropes courses are a series of challenging obstacles situated in trees that you cross one by one – you move across obstacles, platforms, and bridges constructed in trees. You are attached to a rope and you use a belay to keep you safe.

To learn more about rope parks in Poland, please read our post that covers:

• The biggest rope park in Poland
• Rope park with the most courses in Poland
• 3 rope parks in the town of Zakopane – the heart of the Polish Tatra Mountains
• Rope park in the city of Kraków
• Ropes park in the city of Gdańsk
• 2 rope parks in the town of Malbork – famous for one of the biggest castles in the world
• Rope park in the city of Poznań
• Rope parks in the city of Warsaw

For more information (locations, contact info), please read our post: The biggest and most interesting ropes courses in Poland.

Water parks in Poland

August is the last summer month in Poland. It’s time to enjoy outdoor swimming pools!

Our post Water parks in Poland: indoor and outdoor aquaparks in Poland features 17 aquaparks – most of them offer outdoor pools as well, which is worth taking advantage of it now – the best weather for outdoor swimming in Poland is usually only in July and August.

“Park of Poland – Suntago” – indoor & outdoor water park in central Poland, 60 km from Warsaw

Photo source: Park of Poland

Aquapark in the town of Zakopane – the heart of the Polish Tatra Mountains (southern Poland)

Photo source: Aquapark Zakopane

Read about other water parks in Poland in our post: Indoor and outdoor aquaparks in Poland.

Beach towns and Baltic seaside resorts in Poland

Polish Baltic coast & seaside resorts in Poland are the perfect destinations for those looking for wide sandy beaches. Our post Beach towns and Baltic seaside resorts in Poland covers selected 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 near Krynica Morska causes the water temperature to be much higher. And the gently sloping seabed creates good conditions for bathing.

On the Vistula Lagoon’s side 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 near 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.

Read about other seaside resorts in Poland in our post: Beach towns and Baltic seaside resorts in Poland.

Beautiful lakes in Poland

Poland is rich in lakes, most of which are located in the northern part of the country. The lakes are a beautiful part of the Polish landscape – picturesque postcards of the Polish countryside with a lake in the background. There is plenty to choose from – for a weekend getaway or a longer stay. Our post Beautiful lakes in Poland to admire, swim, sail, camp, kayak, bike along covers selected lakes in Poland, from the Mazury region to the Tatras mountains in southern Poland.

Śniardwy Lake (Jezioro Śniardwy) – Poland’s largest lake

Śniardwy Lake (the largest lake in Poland, called the Masurian Sea, with an area of over 100 km²) – is located in Mazury (in the Land of the Great Masurian Lakes – Poland’s largest cluster of lakes connected by canals, our post about places to visit in Mazury), in the Masurian Landscape Park, near Mikołajki (the summer capital of Masuria). The lake has 8 islands and numerous bays, some of which are like separate lakes.
Śniardwy Lake connects with many surrounding lakes, through which it connects with Lake Mamry (the second largest lake in Poland), creating together the Great Masurian Lakes (Wielkie Jeziora Mazurskie).
Like all Masuria, the surroundings of the Śniardwy Lake offer many tourist attractions and accommodation options.

Morskie Oko (Eye of the Sea in English) – the largest mountain lake in Poland

Morskie Oko is the largest lake in the Tatra Mountains, located at an altitude of 1,395 m above sea level. You can reach Morskie Oko Lake on foot. The trail is about 8 km long (hiking time is 2 hours 25 minutes). Morskie Oko itself makes a very big impression, also on children – it’s a truly stunning lake. The route to Morskie Oko runs along an asphalt road which is usually walked by hundreds – if not thousands – of tourists (in July and August, Morskie Oko is visited by about half a million tourists). There is only one way to avoid the crowds and enjoy the exceptional nature of the Morskie Oko Lake – set out on the trail when the rest of the tourists are still at their hotels (enter the trail at about 7-8 am).

Click here to read our post about beautiful lakes in Poland and their locations (lots of amazing photos!).

Fruits and vegetables picking in Poland

You will find some options for fruit and vegetable picking in Poland on this website (myzbieramy.pl), you can search by region. Please note that you need to contact a selected orchard/garden/farm to book a slot in most cases.

The most popular fruits include honeyberries, sweet cherries, sour cherries, raspberries, and finally, apples. Some farms offer vegetable picking, too.

Most options usually appear in the second half of June (high season for strawberries) and July through August, with apple-picking season in September.

Ideas for outdoor activities and things to do outside in Poland

August is the last summer month in Poland; it’s time to enjoy the outdoors! Meet your friends outside, take your workout outside, explore the best photo spots, hike, ride a bike, or just walk.

Below, you will find our posts recommending outdoor destinations in Poland where you can get your fill of fresh air:

Public holiday and celebrations in Poland in August 2024

Warsaw Uprising Remembrance Day (Dzień Pamięci Powstania Warszawskiego)
The anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 against the Nazis. At precisely 5 pm, all the Warsaw city sirens sound, and lots of cars and pedestrians stop to commemorate and contemplate people who died in 1944.

Polish Army Day 
Bank/public holiday in Poland. Polish Army Day marks the 1920 breakthrough battle called Cud nad Wisłą (the Miracle on the Vistula River) between the Poles under Marshal Piłsudski and the Bolsheviks. The main celebrations, including parades and the president’s speech, are usually held in Warsaw, at Pilsudski Square (Plac Piłsudskiego). August 15 also marks the Assumption of Mary celebrations in Poland, which focus on The Sanctuary of Jasna Góra in Częstochowa – on August 15, a pilgrimage (pielgrzymka) destination for many people who walk hundreds of kilometers for days from all over Poland. Stores, malls, shopping centers, and public institutions are closed, and only smaller local convenience stores can open (eg. Żabka). You can do basic shopping at gas stations (24h).

Shopping Sunday in Poland in August 2024

In August 2024, there is one shopping Sunday in Poland: August 25. The next shopping Sunday will be on December 15, 2024. Click here to read our post about shopping Sundays in Poland. Read our post with the list of online stores in Poland delivering groceries to your home.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletters in English to explore Poland and learn about it! Once a month, you will receive a Newsletter: ‘Explore Poland with Kids‘. You will find there family-friendly destinations in Poland – beautiful places in Poland worth visiting with children – from city break destinations to hiking in the mountains (lots of practical tips!); things you can’t miss in Poland in a given month; dates to remember, holidays, observances in Poland in a given month so you can mark your calendars accordingly.

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