Side Trips

Sopot

Don't pass up the chance to see Sopot, Gdansk's answer to the Hamptons and Atlantic City all rolled up into one. Before World War II, Sopot was the haunt of the moneyed classes -- a place where in order to properly summer you had to be somebody. After the war, during the Communist period, the resort lost some of its sheen. It was still regarded as exclusive, but the idea of a decadent seaside resort didn't fit well with the reigning ideological aesthetic. Since 1989, Sopot has mounted something of a comeback, cashing in on both its former allure and affirming its identity as Poland's top summertime party town.

Sopot's an easy 25-minute train ride from Gdansk's main station. From the station, head down the steps to ul. Kosciuszki, which leads you to town's main drag, ul. Bohaterów Monte Cassino, a long, sloping pedestrianized walk that takes you all the way to the pier.

From here there are several things to do. You can stroll the pier, the longest along the Baltic coast. It's possible to catch the ferry here to the Hel Peninsula or over to Gdansk as alternative way to get back. Sopot's beaches, some of the nicest and most accessible in the Gdansk area, fan off on both sides of the pier. To the right, a long, tree-lined walk, with a very nice bike path, skirts the beach and will take you all the back to the suburbs of Gdansk. Should you feel the urge to cycle, Rowerownia in Gdansk, Fieldorfa 11/3 (tel. 058/320-61-69), rents by the hour or the day.

Bohaterów Monte Cassino is lined on both sides with restaurants and cafes; sometime around midevening -- 10pm or so -- the mood shifts into party drive, and these very same places transform themselves into some of the Tri-Cities' most happening clubs.

Slowinski National Park

There's a remarkable landscape of wetlands and giant sand dunes, butted up against the Baltic Sea, about a 2 hours' ride or drive northwest of the Tri-Cities. The Slowinski National Park (daily 8am to dark) is unique enough to be included on the UNESCO's list of protected biospheres, and makes for a nice day out away from the bustle of Gdansk and the Tri-Cities' crowded beaches.

The park begins about 2km (1 1/4 miles) west of the seaside resort of Leba. Leba itself is not much, but keep pressing on to see the park's two lakes and the enormous, shifting sand dunes that rise to a height of some 40m (131 ft.).

The park has something for everyone. The protected wetlands make it a great spot for birders, and in and among the more common species, you'll find rarer sorts like cranes and black storks. World War II history buffs will be interested in hearing how the Nazis used the unique sandy landscape as a training ground for Rommel's Afrika Korps. The Germans also conducted early experiments in rocketry here, and just west of the hamlet of Rabka, you'll find an early and eerie-looking launchpad and a small museum. And of course there are the amazing giant dunes themselves, stretching for a length of about 5km (3 miles). The dunes migrate up to 10m (33 ft.) every year. After you've hiked awhile into the center of the dunes, you'll swear you're in the Sahara. Poland feels far, far away.

Cars are restricted from entering the park area. In nice weather, walking is a pleasant option. But you can also rent bikes by the hour, or hitch a ride on a horse-drawn cart, electric trolley, or even a golf cart. To get here from the Tri-Cities, make your way north to Gdynia and take the bus for Leba. If you're driving, follow the E28 highway in the direction of Slupsk, bearing right at Lebork. Allow at least 2 hours by bus or car along often-difficult roads.