The Baltic Coast of Pomerania
For the Poles, this is summer holiday territory – from the sandy beaches that dot the Baltic shores to the lake-studded lowlands of the south, and the easy border crossings into Germany. Pomerania has switched hands between the two nations many times – if you go straight from one to the other it’s a case of “spot the difference”.
Head east and the region morphs into Poland, tinged with influences form Swedes, Danes and other past invaders. It all culminates in the amazing historic city of Gdansk. History is the main draw in central Pomerania too. – here a legacy of medieval conquerors is ever present in the well-worn towns and cities.
Sopot has been one of Poland’s most fashionable seaside resorts for almost two centuries. A fishing village has existed here since the 13th century yet it wasn’t really discovered as a sea bathing centre until 1823.
After WWI it quickly boomed, becoming a place where the rich and beautiful flocked in their droves. It recovered quickly during postwar period, and received a generous injection of new architecture which blends harmoniously with its older persona. Today it’s almost entirely focused on tourism, attracting huge numbers of visits to its long, sandy beach and buzzing nightlife.
Another great attraction is the Slowinski National Park stretching along the Baltic Sea coast (between Rowy and Łeba) and its shifting sand dunes, which, as they move, uncover dead tree stumps – the fossilized remains of forests once growing here. The biggest dune rises to 42 meters above sea level.
The lakes of Łebsko and Gardno are an important refuge for aquatic birds. Various plant colonies in the Słowiński National Park are of special interest. They range from the dune and pioneer plant species on the sandy beaches to the typical coastal pinewood and marsh plants in the numerous peat bogs and on the lakeshores. The park is inhabited by a number of rare bird species including the white tailed eagle, the eagle owl, cormorant, the black stork, and many species of aquatic birds.
The park has been recorded on the UNESCO list of World Biosphere Reserves.
Destination: Poland
