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Gdansk Day Trips
Poland City Guides: Around Gdansk
Trips From Gdansk
If you feel like getting away from Gdansk for a few hours or a whole day there are a number of places to escape to. As you are already near the coast there are many seaside resorts with sandy beaches only a short bus or train ride away.
One of them is Sopot which was once popular with the rich and famous who came from all over the world to sample its casinos and high life in the 1920s and 30s, and still today it attracts many Poles and other westerners for its famous night life. Most activities revolve around ulica Bohaterow Monte Cassino (Heroes of Monte Cassino Street), the pedestrianized road which slopes down towards the sea and the famous wooden pier - the longest in Europe. You can drink the salty water that is pumped 800m up from the covered St Wojchiech spa fountain or go up in the lighthouse for 3zl between 10am-10pm to get a good view of the town.
The beaches are sandy and on the northern side of the pier you will find rows of bathing huts, some with lovely wicker beach chairs for rent.
You should also check out the 'crooked house' which is again located on the Bohaterow Monte Cassino. Designed by Szotynscy Zaleski, it's a fairy-like modern building that looks like it is melting. Built in 2004 it now houses pubs, restaurants and several shops. At night most of the bars and cafes are in this area and the best nightclubs are found in the nearby park.
The simplest way to get to Sopot from Gdansk is by SKM train with the journey taking around 20 minutes, though you can also get a ferry. Bear in mind though that many of the boats end up fully-booked and that you can't buy your ticket at the ferry itself you need to get one from the office directly across from the terminal before you start to queue.
Slowinski National Park is one of the country's most memorable natural attractions. It has the biggest sand dunes in Europe, more than six hundred scenic lakes for fishing and canoeing, and Slowinski National Park is a bird watchers paradise with more than 250 species either permanently living in the park or migrating there.
The eastern entrance to the park is at Rabka, a small cluster of houses and snack bars on the shores of Lake Lebsko (1.5km from the sea resort of Leba). A kiosk sells tickets to the park for 4zl from 8am-dusk and a multitude of forms of transport is on offer at the park entrance if you don't fancy walking through: horses and carts, tourist trains, chauffeured golf carts and a boat. Three kilometres west of Rabka is a small clearing known as Wyrzutnia and its here that passengers on boats and the train have to get off and proceed to the dunes on foot for the last 2km.
The easiest way to get to Leba is by car or bus from Gdansk. A bus will take about 2½ hours and cost around 22zl. If you want to get the train you will have to change at Lebark and then get a bus to Leba with the whole journey taking around 3 hours.
The medieval town of Elblag is still being re-built after the old town in particular was badly damaged at the end of World War II. St Nicholas Cathedral, a massive brick Gothic structure, is considered the focal point of the old town and its huge tower is one of the biggest in the region. Not far away is St Mary's Church which houses a small modern art gallery open to the public all week between 10am-4pm for 4zl.
Trams run to Bazantarnia forest where you can walk along the river or through beautiful old trees with hills and ravines. If you want to do this you need tram no 2 to Marymoncka wsiad. Tickets are available from kiosks outside the train station.
If you fancy something a bit more relaxing you can take a trip on the Elblag-Ostroda Canal. The terminal is in the old town and the boats rise on rails. It takes about ten hours end to end but you can get off at 2.30pm at Maldyty where trains back to Elblag depart at 3pm. You will need to book tickets for the canal trip a week in advance by calling Zegluga Ostrodzko-Elblagska on 055/232 4307.
Trains and buses run to Elblag from Gdansk, The bus will cost around 12zl and take 2 and a half hours. The train is around 1 and a half hours. However, if you want to drive it will take you about an hour.
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