What to see in Gdańsk, plus a trip to Sopot and the Hel Peninsula

After two visits, Gdańsk has become one of my favourite cities in Europe. For a long weekend, I’d give it two or three days. The brick houses, canals and harbour reminded me of Stockholm, only at Polish prices. My tip is to combine the Old Town with a trip to Sopot.

Quick factsby Milan Bez Mapy

How many days

Two days for the city and a third for a trip to Sopot or the Hel Peninsula

How I flew in

From Košice with LOT via Warsaw; the change took just 50 minutes and was stress-free

When to go

June to August, but even then expect wind and cool evenings; I always had a hoodie in my backpack

Getting around

Tickets in the Jakdojade app; 24-hour or 72-hour tickets were the best value for me, but since August 2025 the 24-hour city ticket is sold only in the FALA app or from ticket machines

Hel Peninsula

Several hours by boat from Gdańsk; one day is enough, and the white sand beaches surprised me most

What I’d change

Next time I’ll stay in Sopot itself, about 20 minutes from Gdańsk by train

What is there to see in Gdańsk? For years everyone kept telling me how beautiful Gdańsk was, and I didn’t believe them until I saw it for myself.

Tip from Milan If you’re still planning your trip, it’s worth looking at flights to Gdańsk before you settle on dates. You’ll find the link in the tip box just below.

I’ve been to Gdańsk twice: first in the summer of 2020, and the second time as part of the ‘Z Košíc do sveta’ (From Košice to the World) campaign with Košice Airport. I’d give the city two days and add a third for a trip to Sopot or the Hel Peninsula. And one honest word up front: the Baltic is not the Adriatic. You can only really swim in summer, and even then the water is properly bracing.

Gdańsk weather and the best time to visit

The weather is what people search for most about Gdańsk, and I’m not surprised. The city sits on the Baltic coast in northern Poland, and the weather changes faster than it does back home in Slovakia. Even in summer, expect wind and cool evenings, which is why I always had a hoodie in my backpack.

• June to August is the best time to visit. Daytime temperatures are usually around 20 to 23°C, the beaches are lively and the boats to Hel are running.
• May and September are ideal if you want the city without the crowds. It’s cooler, but pleasant for walks and day trips.
• October to March is damp and windy, and it gets dark early. The city still has atmosphere then, for example during the Christmas market, but you can forget the beaches.

In summer the Baltic warms up to about 17 to 20°C. I was in Gdańsk at the start of summer and it wasn’t swimming weather, and the sea had an algae problem on top of that. Still, you can enjoy the hot sand and sunshine without a swim.

How to get to Gdańsk

When you plan, decide first whether you mainly want to see the city or also want time for the beaches and a trip to Hel. Baltic weather is changeable, so don’t count on being able to swim. In my experience the boat to Hel runs in season. Check the current dates and timetable before you go.

I flew to Gdańsk from Košice with the Polish airline LOT, changing planes in Warsaw. The connection was just 50 minutes, and the flights were timed so well that it was completely stress-free. From Slovakia you can also get to Gdańsk by train via Warsaw, or by car, but from Bratislava it’s a very long way.

• Tip from Milan In Gdańsk I didn’t buy public transport tickets from machines; I used the Jakdojade app instead. It plans your route, shows the fare and makes buying tickets much easier. The 24-hour and 72-hour tickets were the best value for me. Since August 2025, though, you can’t buy the ZTM Gdańsk 24-hour city ticket in Jakdojade or any other commercial app: it’s sold in the official FALA app and from ticket machines. Metropolitan 24-hour and 72-hour tickets are still on sale in the commercial apps.

Things to do in Gdańsk: Milan Bez Mapy’s picks

Gdańsk has more than a thousand years of history. It was first mentioned in writing in 997, and in the 16th century it was one of the richest cities of the Polish-Lithuanian state, partly thanks to the amber trade. In the Second World War it was almost razed to the ground, so much of today’s Old Town is a reconstruction based on old plans and photographs. Once you know that, you look at every street differently.

Długi Targ and Neptune’s Fountain in Gdańsk

Długi Targ (the Long Market) is the main street and the heart of the Old Town. The most important markets were once held here; today it’s full of restaurants, cafés and amber shops. In the middle stands the 17th-century Neptune’s Fountain, one of the symbols of Gdańsk.

You’ll find guided tours of Gdańsk and day trips from the city here:

The carillon in the tall town hall tower even has Schiller’s Ode to Joy in its repertoire. On one of the houses in the square hangs the ‘devil’s tooth’. Legend has it that touching it brings you luck for a whole year.

St Mary’s Church and the view over Gdańsk

St Mary’s Basilica is one of the largest brick churches in the world, and its tower has one of the best views of the city. It’s hundreds of steps to the top, but my reward was a panorama of the whole Old Town, with its red roofs and the harbour.

Mariacka Street in Gdańsk

Mariacka Street (ulica Mariacka) leads to St Mary’s Church, and for me it’s the most beautiful street in the city. Bombs destroyed its houses during the war, and what you see today was rebuilt from old records. It’s lined with little front steps, stone gargoyles and small amber shops. Gdańsk, after all, once lay on the Amber Road.

Westerplatte, where the Second World War began

The Second World War began on the Westerplatte peninsula on 1 September 1939. Today there’s a large monument to its defenders and the ruins of buildings destroyed by German bombs. It’s a quiet, powerful place. If the subject interests you, there’s also a large Museum of the Second World War in central Gdańsk.

Stocznia Gdańska, a shipyard full of art

One of the most interesting places I popped into was Stocznia Gdańska, the former Gdańsk Shipyard in the port, where the Solidarity movement was born in 1980. Today its old halls host parties, galleries and events. I liked the way they turned old machine parts into art. It felt like being somewhere in Scandinavia.

After a walk through the Old Town you can also head for the AmberSky Ferris wheel by the harbour. We didn’t make it, so I’m saving it for my third visit.

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A day trip from Gdańsk to the Hel Peninsula

In season a boat sails from Gdańsk to the Hel Peninsula, and the trip takes several hours. I love boats, so there was no way I was missing this. If I had to describe the Baltic in three words, they would be fish, kvass and dill. On the way the boat also stops in Sopot, where a lot of people get off. I carried on and didn’t regret it.

Despite the name, the Hel Peninsula is anything but hell. It’s a great place if you like to keep active, with cycling and water sports. And the white sand beaches, reached by wooden boardwalks, surprised me more than anything else on the trip. One day on Hel is plenty, so I set off in the morning and came back in the evening.

The boat is an experience in itself, but if you want to see more of the peninsula, such as Władysławowo, Jastarnia and Hel itself, a car is more convenient. It’s over 100 km from Gdańsk to the tip of the peninsula. In summer, though, expect traffic jams: only one road leads onto the peninsula. I compare car hire prices on Discover Cars, where I can see several rental companies at once. If you don’t have a credit card, have a look at my guide on how to hire a car without a credit card or deposit.

• Tip from Milan I ate at Tawerna Bałtycka. If you haven’t had fish yet, this is the place to put that right. And in Poland I always paid by card in złoty, not in euros. I explain why that’s the better deal in my article on paying by card in the local currency.

A trip from Gdańsk to Sopot: the pier and the beaches

Sopot is about 20 minutes from Gdańsk by train, and trains run very often. It’s a resort where Poles come for their holidays, for parties and for weekends by the sea. I felt as if I were somewhere on the Adriatic, yet I was at the opposite end of Europe, on what’s known as the Polish Riviera.

I left Sopot with a pang of regret, and I still don’t know why I didn’t stay here. Gdańsk felt more serious to me; Sopot is all about summer, the beach and the atmosphere. If I go back, I’m booking a place right in the centre of Sopot.

Sopot pier

The best-known sight is the wooden pier, one of the longest wooden piers in Europe. Excursion boats moor alongside it, among them a large pirate ship that takes tourists around the Gulf of Gdańsk. If you’re travelling with children, this tip is for you. The promenade has plenty of cafés, where I had a coffee literally a stone’s throw from the sea.

Sopot’s beaches and a restaurant tip: Piaskownica

The beaches in Sopot are wide and sandy, but I preferred the ones on Hel: white sand, cleaner water and fewer people. So my best memory of Sopot is the food. Piaskownica, a local family restaurant, is tucked away in the woods by the beach, full of greenery and flowers. If I had my own restaurant, it would look exactly like this.

Sopot has everything you need for a weekend, from clubs and saunas to restaurants and the beach. Take a walk out onto the pier, or just wander around the centre and its endless beaches.

The best beaches in and around Gdańsk for a swim

Don’t expect Italy or Greece from the beaches in Gdańsk: this is the Baltic. The upside is that the tram takes you from the centre to the beach in about 20 minutes, and the stop is just a short walk from the sand.

• Plaża Stogi is a city beach with snack bars, toilets and plenty of space. There’s also a nudist section nearby.
• Jelitkowo is a beach in the north of Gdańsk, towards Sopot. A Polish friend I bumped into in the city recommended it. I haven’t been there myself, but I trust the locals.
• Sopot and the Hel Peninsula, which I cover above, are the best choice for a beach day in my view.

What else to see in Poland besides Gdańsk

Gdańsk surprised me more than I expected. It’s a pleasant, affordable city with a long history that quite literally rose from the ruins after the war. If you’re planning another trip around Poland, read my tips on what to see in Warsaw and what to see in Kraków.

You might also like my article A trip to the Guido mine and the Queen Louise Adit in Poland.

Happy travels!