Things To Do in Hel Peninsula

Since it's easy to get to, most visitors eventually end up at the Fokarium (Morska 2; tel. 58/675-08-36; www.fokarium.com), a sanctuary for Baltic grey seals. The visitors' section is small, and you'll be done in about 10 minutes. Outside the village, the Museum of Coastal Defence (Muzeum Obrony Wybrzeza) (Helska 16; tel. 58/675-74-88; www.helmuzeum.pl) is surprisingly entertaining and well worth catching a taxi to get to. The museum is located in the German-built Schleswig-Holstein artillery gun emplacement. Aside from the displays of weapons, medical equipment, and German mess kits, it also documents the Polish Navy's courageous effort in defending the peninsula for 32 days before falling into enemy hands at the beginning of World War II. The museum is open daily July through August 9am to 7pm, and admission is 6 z; off-season hours are available on the website.

Follow the surfers, and you'll find them at the watersports-cum-camping sites that transform into tropical-style beach bars and dance floors after sunset. Aside from the Surf Tawerna, you can get up-close to the hyperactive mobs at Solar (Chaupy 4; tel. 58/674-20-91; www.solar-windsurfing.pl).