Hel — 35 km of sand between the Baltic and the Bay of Puck.

The Hel Peninsula is a geographical curiosity — a narrow sand spit separating the Bay of Puck from the Gulf of Gdańsk (the open Baltic). It runs from Władysławowo in the west to the town of Hel in the east, some 35 km in all. Its width changes dramatically — from a narrowest 200 metres (between Chałupy and Kuźnica) to a widest of about 3 km around Hel. The whole peninsula is one gigantic dune, stabilised by the coastal pine woods planted since the 19th century.

The region has four main towns: Władysławowo (at the root of the peninsula, a fishing port), Jastarnia (in the middle, a resort with sandy beaches and the Atlantic Park), Jurata (the most exclusive, with interwar villas and sanatoria) and Hel (at the far end, a fishing town with the seal centre, the lighthouse and museums). Plus smaller settlements: Chałupy, Kuźnica and Kuźnica Helska — with traditional buildings and a fishing atmosphere. In season every village is full; out of season much of it closes.

The beaches on the two sides of the peninsula have quite different characters. The Baltic side (the open sea) — wide sandy beaches, stronger waves, popular with wind sports and classic sunbathers. The bay side — calmer, warmer water (the bay heats up) and shallower — ideal for families with children. It is a rare arrangement in Europe, letting you pick the kind of beach to suit the weather and your mood — in a single weekend.

The peninsula has a dramatic wartime history. The Heliodor Laskowski Battery (1933–1939), a coastal battery of 152 mm guns, was one of the strongest Polish fortifications on the sea. The fighting for Hel in September 1939 lasted 32 days — from 1 September to 2 October 1939, when the garrison of Hel (the last organised force of the Second Polish Republic) capitulated. Bunkers, shelters and gun casings from that period survive at many points along the peninsula — at Hel as the Museum of Coastal Defence, at Jastarnia as individual structures. The military cemetery at Hel remembers those who defended the peninsula.

Getting there: from the Tricity by catamaran with Żegluga Gdańska (about 1 hour from Gdynia) or by car through Władysławowo (about 1.5 hours from Gdynia, longer in season). By train Gdynia → Hel via Władysławowo and every village on the peninsula (about 2 hours, regular services). In July and August the queues at the exit from the A1/S6 and leaving the peninsula are dreadful — a 4–6 hour wait is possible. The train or the catamaran are better.