The Hel Peninsula is the colloquial name of the Hel Spit, it is one of the most interesting places on the Polish coast. Crowded by vacationers during the holiday season, it also offers a lot of year-round attractions. The land is entirely covered by the Seaside Landscape Park with the Helskie Wydmy nature reserve. The whole length of the spit is a railway line and a road with a bicycle path. This communication diversity allows for easy movement and visiting the monuments and attractions of the peninsula. Hel is surrounded by beautiful, uncrowded beaches from the open sea and the Bay of Puck. It is a place full of amazing landscapes with high and steep cliffs, military fortifications associated with World War II and located on the line of dunes and forests and charming resorts.
Hel Peninsula – ports
Sea cruises from the ports of Władysławowa, Jastarnia and Hel are one of the main tourist attractions. For those seeking more thrills, fishing cruises and cod fishing trips are also available. From the peninsula you can also take a cruise ship or a water tram to the Tri-City.
In the town of Hel there is a Navy Port with shelters and ammunition warehouses from the beginning of the 20th century. Near the port there is the Fisheries Museum, where you can learn about the history of the Baltic Sea and the Hel Peninsula. The museum is located in the building of the former Gothic church of St. Piotr and Paweł, which is the oldest monument in the Hel Spit. In Jastarnia, it’s worth visiting the Fisherman’s Cottage with collections of fishing exhibits, the private Pod Strzechą Museum and the historic fishing village complex, which consists of fishermen’s houses from the end of the 19th century. Chałupy is flourishing during the holiday season. The marina with wooden piers is a popular place with numerous water sports equipment rentals. The Fisherman’s House in Władysławowo, in a beautiful observation tower, houses the Butterfly Museum presenting hundreds of the most beautiful and interesting butterflies and insects from around the world. From the observation deck of the Fisherman’s House you can admire the magnificent panorama of the Hel Peninsula. Next to the building there is the Funfair – Sowiński Lunapark with one of the highest roller coasters in our country.
Fauna in the seas and oceans
A special attraction is the Sealarium located in the town of Hel and belonging to the Institute of Oceanography of the University of Gdańsk, in which a project is being carried out to restore and protect gray seal colonies living in the southern Baltic region. Guests can visit the facility all year round and have the opportunity to admire these cute animals also during feeding several times a day. A museum with the exhibition “Mammals of our sea” operates at Fokarium, with an extensive collection of information on the lives of its characters.
Unusual entertainment for families with children is located in Ocean Park in Władysławowo. Paths along the mapped ocean floor have been marked out in the park, with life-size models of animals living in the waters of the seas and oceans, e.g. giant turtles, sharks, dolphins and whales. A walk along the bottom of the ocean allows you to learn the most important features of the fish and mammals presented and learn basic information about their habits.
