Łeba and Słowiński National Park

The Pomeranian Voivodeship (Pomorskie) stretches from Gdańsk Bay to the shifting dunes of Łeba and from the Vistula Delta to the forests of Kashubia. Spanning 18,324 square kilometers, it is home to approximately 2.36 million people, its capital and largest city being Danzig (Gdańsk). The current voivodeship was established with the administrative reform in 1999. Along the coast are the Tri-City of Danzig, Sopot, and Gdingen (Gdynia), the narrow Hel Peninsula, and the seaside resort of Łeba. In the hinterland lie the Kashubian Lakes, where Kashubian is an official language in four municipalities, and in the south, Malbork Castle on the Nogat river.

Sopot is located between Danzig (Gdańsk) and Gdingen (Gdynia) on the Bay of Gdańsk, has around 32,000 inhabitants, and together with its two neighboring cities forms the Tricity. From a fishing village, it transformed into a seaside resort in the 19th century: in 1823, doctor Johann Georg Haffner opened the first bathing establishment with a spa facility. Between the World Wars, the casino and the Wagner festivals at the Forest Opera made the then Zoppot a sophisticated meeting point. Life revolves around the pedestrian-only Monte Cassino Street, which everyone simply calls Monciak, and the pier, considered Europe's longest wooden pier. Around the square by the Molo stand the Kurhaus (spa house), the lighthouse, and the Grand Hotel from the 1920s. A little inland, nestled in the forest, is the Forest Opera. In summer, the beach and Monciak fill up, and in the evenings, Sopot becomes the entertainment district of the Tricity. Outside of peak season, it's significantly quieter, and the pier is particularly worthwhile then, especially in clear weather.

The Hel Peninsula (Mierzeja Helska) extends 34 kilometers into the Baltic Sea, partially separating the Bay of Gdansk from the open sea. It is only 200 meters to three kilometers wide, narrowest at Władysławowo and Kuźnica. Dune chains up to 25 meters high protect the spit from the surf; on one side lies a beach on the Baltic Sea, on the other the calmer waters of the bay. Small towns line the road and railway: Chałupy and Kuźnica near the mainland, then Jastarnia and the seaside resort of Jurata, where the Polish president has his summer residence, and finally the port town of Hel at the tip. A cycle path runs the entire length of the peninsula. In summer, Hel is a popular destination for beach holidays and kitesurfing; outside the season, the spit becomes very quiet.

Danzig (Gdańsk) is located on Gdańsk Bay, where the Motława River flows into the Baltic Sea, west of the Vistula estuary. With nearly 490,000 inhabitants, the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship is Poland's sixth-largest city and forms the Tri-City (Trójmiasto) with Sopot and Gdingen (Gdynia). For centuries, Danzig was a Hanseatic city, prospering through grain trade and amber. In 1945, its center lay almost entirely in ruins, but it was rebuilt under Polish leadership. The heart is the Main Town (Główne Miasto) with Long Lane, Long Market, and Mariacka Street. To the north lies the Old Town, and east of the Motława are Granary Island and Langgarten. Further north, the shipyards dominate the landscape, where Solidarność originated in 1980. Outside the center are Langfuhr (Wrzeszcz) and Oliva (Oliwa). In Oliwa, you'll find the monastery founded around 1185 and the cathedral. A weekend is sufficient for the Old Town and the main museums. With two or three more days, you can visit Westerplatte and take the S-Bahn to Sopot or continue to the Hel Peninsula.

Marienburg (Malbork), located on the Nogat, a distributary of the Vistula, is considered Europe's largest brick building: over 30 million bricks were used across approximately 21 hectares. The Teutonic Order constructed the complex between about 1270 and 1300; from 1309, it was the Grand Master's seat. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997, it attracts around 500,000 visitors each year. The castle has three sections: the Upper Castle (with St. Mary's Church), the Middle Castle (Grand Master's Palace, Great Refectory), and the Outer Bailey (housing service buildings). Plan half a day for the interiors; an excursion from Danzig is easily manageable by train or car.