Dwelling in the wild - across Poland to the Baltic Sea

I have been toying with the idea of ​​heading north to the Baltic Sea for several years, and that is what happened that year. We have visited Poland in the past and we have always had a pleasant time. The temperatures at the Baltic Sea are very pleasant for us. During the day 25 degrees and at night about 17 degrees. Tourists except domestic, almost none, prices lower than in Slovakia and services better than in Slovakia. But let's be fine ..

We set off on Friday after work and the goal was to move as far as possible towards Gdańsk. Highways in Poland are still being built and columns are the national sport of Poles. The advantage of motorways under construction is that if the motorway is being repaired or not completed, you do not have to pay for it. In Slovakia, according to this key, we would not have to pay for any trip . We arrived in the city of Łódž at night along a troubled road in columns in front of Łódží, as there is a narrowing into one lane. We slept near the zoo.

No one was here at night, and many cars began to converge in the morning. We had no idea what was going on. In my opinion, half of the city goes for a run in a nearby park in the morning. People get together here, talk and run old, young, parents with prams and children in an organized way. Great view to see so many sports people together. After breakfast we went to the Manufaktura shopping center in the old town. We wanted to visit the Experimentarium here. It is a science center for children where they can try physics in practice. On the way to Slovenia we visited two such centers and so we were looking forward to being surprised by Poland. We were surprised by the design of the shopping center in the first place. The whole is built of bricks and in the middle of the resort there is a beach volleyball court and a number of fountains. I don't know if I've seen a tasteful shopping mall. The experimentarium could not be compared to the Vida Center or Techmania, but it was quite interesting. Attractions in Poland do not ruin you, so I definitely recommend visiting if you have curious children. If it is rather playful, then next to it there are a lot of climbing frames or climbing walls. Not far from the center is a very nice palace of Karol Poznanski, where the Academy of Music is now located. After exploring the city, we set off in the direction of the sea. In front of the town of Torun, we got to other crazy columns and it didn't help much when I tried to get around them on side roads. We arrived at the beach in Gdańsk in the evening and because the parking lot in Poland is usually paid from 9:00 to 18:00, we parked in the parking lot under the trees, where there were a lot of locals. . I asked one native if I could stand here, even though the brand was very confusing. He said of course I could . We went for a walk on the beach and we were surprised by the number of people everywhere and the sea, which was not at all as cold as we expected. For normal money, the children went crazy in an amusement park.

In the morning, the city police stopped by our car and warned us that we must not stand here and that the fine is 500 zlotys. I said I didn't know I wasn't allowed to stand here and we were moving right away. He smiled, OK, so move on and leave. It rained all night and even in the morning, so we decided to go to the center of Gdansk. The sand will be wet on the beach anyway. We parked again in the shopping center near the city center. A small river crosses the shopping center and the whole thing was very stylish again. The historical center of Gdańsk is very nice and something reminded me of Prague and something of Venice. Old and Modena architecture are connected here, but they do not interfere with each other at all. They complement each other tastefully. In the restaurant we had a very tasty lunch for 25 € for everyone and because it was getting late in the meantime, we went to the beach farther from the city. I found a very nice place in a pine forest by the sand path about 100 meters from the sea. I paid more attention to parking now. In Poland, it is not so important where you stand as rather than how you stand. It is drawn on the blackboards as you stand. Oblique or perpendicular to the road but longitudinally on the road is a trouble behind which you will find a boot. And believe me, you will find because the city police are still spinning here . At first glance, nonsense starts to make sense when you start to perceive the number of cars that are here. The road must not be narrowed by parking along the car to be able to walk and it makes sense. The beach we found was beautiful, the trees are pine or birch. The whole thing is unusual, but very nice. One huge advantage is that you look at the sea to the north and thus the trees from the south give you a nice shade. Basically, you don't need it very much here, because the problem with the Baltic is not the sun but the wind. The natives do not bring parasols to the beach, but wind screens that they build in Učka so that they do not blow on them. Just a different morality. We played volleyball on the beach, everyone plays here. We were also approached by the Ukrainians, who were here, or we will not play with them. Drunk as a Russian, but funny ...  We slept in the woods.

We spend the morning on the beach and then we headed towards the Tricity of Gdans-Sopot-Gdina. We were still walking in the forest and glanced at the remains of defensive bunkers, which you will find everywhere on the coast. The city of Sopot is basically Baltic Makarska. There are a lot of people and the longest wooden pier. A speed boat also starts from the pier, which will take you just like a roller coaster. Leonard and I had a great time for 15 € together. The girls stayed ashore. The city of Gdina gives me a very chaotic impression. Modern skyscrapers with socialist blocks of flats are mixed here, a newer warship stands next to an older sailing ship, and the port has a strong industrial effect. Well, in this city, the children had the best fun doing stupid things in front of an amusement park with carousels. We needed to get out of here and find a place to sleep. I chose the town of Rewa. On the map was the tip of the beach that ran into the sea. The place is nice, there are just people here, so we turned it into the town of Mechelinka . We found a parking lot where four Campervans were standing next to the beach. In Poland, there is a toilet in almost every parking lot and you only pay during the day. The children played in the children's park in the evening, and Leonard met a boy from the next apartment.

After a short bath, we set off for the sand dunes near the town of Leba. The journey is lifeless and about 1,5 hours long, which we ended in a completely untraditional way with columns in front of the parking lot, which led to the dunes. I must admit that even such an onslaught of cars as here, the Poles can handle and the organization of the parking lot is managed. Anyway, you need to get used to the columns. You will pay a few crowns to enter the national park, but if you do not want to walk three kilometers with Elizabeth on your shoulders, you will pay extra for the electric bus. An unpleasant surprise was when the bus unloaded us and another two kilometers in front of us. The walk is pleasant, but I would definitely prefer to go by bike. The electric scooter we had in the car is not allowed here. This attraction is one of the most massive, but it is worth it anyway. I recommend coming to the fable later in the afternoon, there are fewer people . The dune is huge and extends to the sea. The children have crawled on this large sandpit. After the rampage, we move to the town of Leba and find a parking lot with a toilet, where you could park 24 hours for 35 zlotys. . In the evening we had a fantastic gofri on the white sandy beach and briefly walked through a town full of people, because we were driven away by the rain, which lasted all night.

In the morning the rain did not let us go to the beach, I left the ticket for the parking fee paid until 18.00 pm on the evening to the host, so we set off towards the Hel peninsula. On the way here I noticed a farm so we stopped at it. We spent a very pleasant three hours here. All entertainment for children very stylishly built in a farm style. If you are here, I definitely recommend it for families with children. Getting lost in a corn maze or playing mini golf with soccer balls is just fun . In front of the Hel peninsula is a roundabout, where you need to arm yourself with patience. There is only one path, a rail and a cycle path, through the whole peninsula. I definitely recommend anything but a car trip. At the end we arrived in the town of Hel, which did not inspire us. We spent some time on a deserted beach without wind, on the opposite side of the peninsula, on the contrary, it blows brutally and it is a paradise for kiters and surfers. The way back is hell as the name of the peninsula suggests. We walked 12 km for three hours. UUUUF . At night we finally arrive at our famous place in the woods.

Half day at the beach and moving to the campsite 69 Orlinek. We spent two nights here and I can only recommend the camp. Clean, lots of shade under the trees and lots of activities for children. The evening calm came at 22:00 like a wave of a twig, which I have never experienced before. Mostly it's still some shouting in the morning. All for 17 € for all per night. The beach is five minutes and along the road again excellent waffles and ice cream for a few euros. On the beach, we met Tomáš and his son through volleyball. They were in the same camp and in the evening they came to our car for a few glasses of ours and their brandy. This match ended in a draw.

After two nights we headed home. We had two more stops planned. The first were navigation canals and a unique system for overcoming height differences using trains on which ships can run. Technically perfect solution. A few years ago we were sailing on the Baťa canal and I know how lock chambers work, but this system is even more sophisticated. The next stop was the largest brick castle in Malbork. We only looked at it from above because we were pressed by time. I had to calculate with the columns. The 750 km journey to Slovakia took 11 hours, even though I bypassed some of the columns by side roads. We slept in Námestovo because I was tired. In addition, I promised Leonard a visit to Kinderland. It is a fantastic children's paradise with everything you can imagine from trampolines, climbing walls, climbing frames, a 5D cinema and bowling to great food. Of course, we spent three hours here at Czech-Slovak prices ...

In our opinion, the trip was shorter, but relatively nutritious. Poland did not disappoint us and I can definitely only recommend it, even with regard to our previous experiences, which we have already survived here in the past.

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