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The North Coast of Poland

During my time here, I have been fortunate to travel and visit many places throughout Poland with family and friends. Each has its experiences, stories, and memories. One of my favorite places lies close to “home” on the North Coast of Poland.

Mielno

I have a lot more experience when it comes to the North Coast due to the fact that Koszalin, my host city, is located near the Baltic Sea. The closest beach to Koszalin is Mielno and it’s located about 20 minutes from the city. The village of Mielno, which is populated with about 2,000 residents, is situated between Jamno Lake and the Baltic Sea.

Mielno is an area that’s mainly quiet all year around except for the summer months. People travel to the North Coast from all over Poland. They soak in the sun and the warm sandy beaches, they enjoy the fresh fish at local restaurants, and adults go to pubs and clubs.

During winter, Mielno is completely different. This year the shore was about 2 feet higher because of all the ice and snow. The sky was painted with many pinks and blues through out the evening. Mielno also serves as a health resort all year round because it is teeming with clean air that’s flooded with mineral elements.

Kołobrzeg

Kołobrzeg Beach is located about 40 minutes west of my town. In my opinion it is more of a touristy town/beach compared to Mielno. People from both Poland and Germany spend a lot of time in Kołobrzeg during every vacation season. During the summer many art fairs, folk festivals, and concerts are held there for people to enjoy as they relax by the seashore.

One the beach there is a dock that stretches out towards the ocean and it’s a beautiful place to watch the sunset. During the day, from the dock, you can throw bread to the Swans that accompany the local seagulls. Yes, I said swans. It was a very interesting sight, seeing a swan on the beach. I had only noticed them in lakes before I came to Poland.

The lighthouse is somewhat of a main attraction when it comes to the seashore tourism in Kołobrzeg. It’s a beautiful lighthouse with an even more spectacular view of the beach from the top.

Kołobrzeg is a seaside and health resort but also has many significant historical monuments and museums. Most are located in Kołobrzeg’s Old Town. I had the chance to visit a Polish military museum in Kołobrzeg during one of my visits. The museum was filled with weapons, armor, uniforms, and vehicles from today’s Polish military all the way back to the Middle Ages.

Łeba

My host family and I recently visited the sand dunes in Łeba, Poland. I never would have guessed that Poland has a desert, but it does. I learned that where the sand dunes are located, there used to be a town now known as Old Łeba. The dunes are between Łebsko Lake, Łeba River and the Baltic Sea. Floods from both the lake and the river threatened the township, so in 1558 the town was relocated to a less dangerous location.

Today, the Słowiński National Park has been established where the sand dunes are located. The forest that my family and I passed through on the way to the sand dunes was very swamp like. It was very interesting seeing this “damp” forest right before we reached the dry desert like sand dunes. Each year the sand dunes threaten to swallow up the forest with the help of the wind and waves from the sea.

I’ve only seen these places during the fall, winter and spring seasons and I can’t wait to experience my summer vacation and last few days on the North Coast of Poland before I return to the U.S.

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