Poland - Gdansk & Sopot

 Baltics & Scandinavia 2026 - Poland (Gdansk/Sopot)

We enjoyed a lovely train ride north from Warsaw toward the Baltic coast. The journey was smooth and relaxing, except for one memorable moment when the train took a curve a little more enthusiastically than expected and my drink launched itself directly onto me.  Apparently I will have to do my laundry yet another time.

We actually continued through Gdańsk and disembarked in the neighbouring seaside resort town of Sopot, part of the Tricity region that includes Gdańsk, Sopot, and Gdynia.

Our hotel was located just steps from the beach, which sounded perfect. Upon checking in, however, we noticed a rather unusual buttery smell in our room. Hoping it was isolated, we inspected nine other rooms. Unfortunately, the aroma appeared to be a cleaning product feature rather than a room-specific problem. After conducting what felt like a hotel version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, we selected the best of the worst and settled in.

After a long travel day, we headed down to the hot tubs and relaxed before turning in for the night.

The next morning, we took a taxi into Gdańsk for a cycling tour of the city.

Wanting coffee and breakfast before the tour, we arrived early and began looking for a café. What we hadn't realized was that it was Corpus Christi, one of Poland's major religious holidays. As a result, many businesses were either closed or not opening until later in the morning.

After wandering around increasingly hungry, we finally found a small café where we quickly devoured a croissant and hot drink before racing to meet our guide.

The cycling tour took us through the heart of Gdańsk, along its canals, and into the historic shipyard district.  The city was absolutely captivating.

Unlike Warsaw, which had to be largely rebuilt after World War II, Gdańsk still retains much of its historic character. Its colourful facades, cobbled streets, and ornate merchant houses create the feeling of stepping back several centuries. Around every corner there seemed to be another beautiful building, historic square, or impressive church tower.

We cycled along the waterfront and learned about Gdańsk's important role as a trading city and major Baltic port. We also passed through the famous shipyards where the Solidarity movement, led by Lech Wałęsa, helped spark the end of communist rule in Poland during the 1980s.

After the tour, we found a restaurant overlooking one of the main squares and enjoyed lunch while people-watching. The holiday crowds and the tourist attending the heavy metal concert in town made for excellent entertainment.

One site we specifically wanted to visit was St. Bridget's Church. Inside is an extraordinary amber altar, believed to be one of the largest amber religious artworks in the world. It was absolutely incredible.

Afterward, we returned to the canals and spent some time watching the steady flow of boats passing through the city. Among the usual vessels were some delightfully quirky tourist boats shaped like cars and taxis, which looked as though they had accidentally driven into the water and decided to stay there.

Later in the afternoon, we returned to Sopot and rented scooters to explore the waterfront.

We headed down to the famous promenade and visited the whimsical Krzywy Domek, or "Crooked House." Designed to resemble something from a fairy tale, the warped and curved building looked like it was one of Gaudi’s houses.

Nearby we also stopped to see the statue of Wojtek, the famous bear adopted by Polish soldiers during World War II. Wojtek became such an important member of his military unit that he was officially enlisted and reportedly helped move ammunition during the Italian Campaign.  Only in military history could a bear earn a service record.

For supper, we settled into a Mexican restaurant overlooking the crowds flocking to the beach for the long weekend. Watching the endless stream of people parade past was better than the meal itself.

Afterward, we picked up pastries for breakfast the next morning before heading to Sopot's famous wooden pier.

The Sopot Pier is the longest wooden pier in Europe, stretching more than 500 metres into the Baltic Sea. We wandered to the end, took plenty of photos, and enjoyed the evening views before scootering back to the hotel.  The night ended, appropriately, in the hot tubs.

The next morning arrived with rain.  Rather than fight it, I embraced the opportunity to tackle another load of laundry. Armed with a bag of clothes, I hopped on a scooter and headed to a nearby laundromat.

Once everything was washed and dried, I returned to the hotel, feeling strangely accomplished.

The weather remained stubbornly wet throughout the afternoon, so we spent the day relaxing. When it cleared briefly, we scattered some ashes into the Gulf of Gdansk.  We enjoyed several visits to the hot tubs and even attempted the rooftop pool despite the rain.  The experiment was short-lived.

It turns out that swimming outdoors in cool Baltic rain sounds significantly more appealing in theory than in practice.

Later, we settled into the hotel bar, enjoyed our welcome drinks, and played cards while waiting for the weather to improve.

When dinner time arrived and the rain was still falling, we gave up on our original plans and ordered burgers from the bar menu instead. Sometimes the best travel meals are the unplanned ones.

Eventually the rain eased, allowing us to take a final stroll along the opposite end of the boardwalk before returning to the hotel.

It was a relaxing and enjoyable stop on Poland's Baltic coast — a nice balance of sightseeing, history, beach life, and recovery time after weeks of cycling.

Tomorrow, a new adventure begins as we fly to Copenhagen to start our next tour through Scandinavia.