Hel Peninsula in Poland: Travel Guide

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Beaches on the Hel Peninsula in Poland regularly appear in the ‘Best Beaches in Europe’ rankings. It’s not surprising, and it’s not an accident. 35 km of golden sandy beaches have to be noticed.

But Hel is not only about the beach. Hel has an interesting history and culture and a very special vibe. Don’t be discouraged by its name; it’s rather the opposite.

Hel Peninsula is my ‘happy place’ and I’m lucky to live close enough to visit it even for one day. Let me tell you more about the peninsula.

How to get to Hel? Where to stay in Hel? What to see and do on the Hel Peninsula? All this you will find in this article.

Quick Links to Organise Your Trip to Hel Peninsula:

Book your accommodations here.

On Hel, look especially at these places:

Hotel Meridian in Chałupy / Hotel Dom Zdrojowy in Jastarnia / Best Western Hotel Jurata in Jurata

On this website, you can review and book your flights.

Here, you can compare prices and rent a car.

Hel: What about the name?

First of all, a small explanation. I know it can be a bit misleading. Hel is the name of two places:

Hel Peninsula, which is 35-kilometre-long peninsula with a few towns. Also, Hel is the name of one town on the peninsula, the one ‘at the end’. So you should differentiate if you actually want to go to any of the towns on the peninsula or to the town Hel itself.

Town Hel has a lot to offer for tourists; it’s probably also the most known. However, I want to show you all the towns along the peninsula, as all of them are worth a visit.

Where does the name Hel come from? In old Polish, it meant ‘headland’. Probably, according to researchers, the word has roots in German languages.

Hel Peninsula in Poland: Where is it? A bit of geography

Hel Peninsula lies in the northern part of Poland, at the Baltic Sea. It’s in the Pomerania region; it’s close to Gdańsk (and Gdynia and Sopot cities). So if you are visiting Gdańsk or the whole Tricity, it’s very easy to go to the peninsula.

If you look at the map, Hel has an interesting shape (like a scythe). At the end of it, on the beach, there is the point called the ‘beginning of Poland’.

Hel is surrounded by the waters of the Baltic Sea. From the north side, it’s ‘open sea’; from the south, it’s the water of Bucka Bay (Zatoka Pucka).

What’s so special about Hel is its width. It’s from 3 km in town Hel to 300m at the narrowest points around Chałupy and Kuźnica. Few sources even talk about the 150 m width at the narrowest point. So yes, there are places where, in less than 5 minutes, you can walk from one coast to another. From the beach on the open sea to the beach on the bay. And during this short walk, you walk through the forest. This is especially visible in towns like Chałupy or Kuźnica: there is a beach, a piece of forest, a railway track, a road with houses, another beach, and that’s basically it. The further you go, the land is wider, up to 3 km.

Hel Peninsula in Poland: A bit of History and Culture

Hel town was first mentioned in the 12th century, in Danish documents. The town comes from Old Hel, which was destroyed by fire and flooded by the bay’s waters. Hel got city rights in the 13th century, and in the 16th Polish king gave it to Gdańsk. Since the end of the 18th century Hel was incorporated into Prussia. It was given back to reborn Poland in 1918. This is when railways were built; in 1922, the first passenger train went.

Because of its strategic location, it became an important part of the country. In 1931, a war port was built in Hel (while a fishing port was built at the end of the 19th century) and the whole region became a fortified area. Parts were military areas until recent years. The area is now fully open for visitors, and many of these old military places become tourist attractions.

Other towns on the peninsula were first mentioned around the 16th and 17th centuries, mostly as fishing villages.

Many inhabitants of the peninsula are Kashubians, who take care of their traditions. All this makes Hel even more interesting. In addition to amazing views and modern touristic infrastructure, you can find here military monuments, a fisherman village atmosphere, and museums.

Hel Peninsula in Poland: When to visit?

Hel Peninsula is worth visiting any time of the year. Obviously, during the summer, you can use it the most; it’s also the most lively. Peninsula is a very popular holiday destination among Polish (and not only) tourists, so in the summer it’s just very busy. For me- too busy, and I honestly avoid visiting Hel in July and August.

I like it the most in May, the first half of June and September. These are also months I would recommend.

It’s also a great place in the autumn and winter, especially if you like calm places with a lot of space and nature. It looks nice with snow as well. Just be ready for possible bigger winds.

Because of geography and weather (winds), Hel is a quite famous spot for windsurfing and kitesurfing. You can see people doing it all year around, but obviously the main season lasts from May to September.

How to get to Hel Peninsula?

There are a few options to get to the peninsula. Especially in the high season, there are many connections, especially from Gdynia city. The closest airport to Hel is Gdańsk Airport, and here you can read how to get to Gdynia centre from the airport.

Car

You can rent a car here and get to all towns on the peninsula by car. It’s just one road; no other alternatives. That’s why it can be busy.

Note that during the high season and especially on summer weekends, there can be big traffic and jams. So if you go by car, try to do it during the week (the same about coming back).

If you prefer to use public transport, I recommend taking a train or ferry. I don’t the recommend bus, as first of all, you will be again dependent on the traffic, and secondly, it’s less straight- forward than the train.

Train

There are regional direct trains that start from Gdynia (if you are staying in Gdańsk or Sopot, you can easily come to Gdynia with SKM, ‘city train’). They stop in every town on the peninsula, and the train route after Władysławowo is really nice and scenic. In the high season, there are around 10 trains per day; in the high season there are even around 20.

It takes around 55 minutes-1 hour to get to Kuźnica and Chałupy, 1 hour and 20 minutes to get to Jastarnia, and 1 hour 30-40 minutes to arrive to Hel.

You can check the schedule and buy tickets on the Polregio website.

Again, remember about crowds. Even if there are quite a few trains in the season, they are busy. Especially at the weekend, so try to go during the week.

Ferry

There is one more option to get to Hel during the season. You can take a ferry from Gdynia or Gdańsk. It’s a nice, comfortable, and more leisurely option. However, the ferry goes only to Hel town.

Ferries usually start in May and last until September; there are one or two ferries per day. Schedule changes, but most probably details will be available on this website.

Bike

There is a really nice bike path through the whole peninsula, and you can actually even get from Gdynia by bike. Many people take bikes with them to the train, leave in the first towns, and cycle to Hel.

If you do it, see if for your train there is an option to buy a ‘bike ticket’, as places for bikes in trains are limited.

Hel Peninsula in Poland: Day Trips

Obviously, it’s really nice to stay longer on the peninsula and just rest, but it’s also a great destination for a day trip, especially if you stay in Gdynia, but also all of Tricity. I live in Gdynia, so for me it’s really easy, and I go to Chałupy or Kuźnica just for a few hours. It’s enough to spend some time at the beach, walk, eat, or drink coffee.

You can do it alone (and hopefully the tips in this article can help you) or use an organised day trip. They start from Gdańsk or Gdynia; there is an option for pickup. The trip goes to Hel town, and you are able to visit attractions there.

Check out and book Hel Peninsula Day Trips here.

Hel Peninsula in Poland: Towns along the Hel Peninsula

Władysławowo

Władysławowo is the town just before the start; it’s not really on the peninsula itself. However, it’s already surrounded by open sea and bay waters. I’ve added it here, as if you go to Hel, you will for sure hear about it and pass it by. It’s where the roundabout with traffic jams in season is and where many people leave the train. You can also find here many accommodations, especially ‘rooms to rent’.

Frankly speaking, I’m not really a fan of this town; it’s just too touristic and ‘plastic’. Although in past years, it has changed a bit, and there are nice places to see, for example, Sports Stars Avenue.

There is also an Olympic preparation centre for Polish sportsmen.

If you looking for a recommended hotel and restaurant in Władysławowo, check out the Gwiazda Morza Hotel.

Now let’s look at all the towns along the Hel peninsula, starting from the one that is closest to the ‘mainland’ and its first stop of the train.

Chałupy

The first train stop is Chałupy village. It has around 400 inhabitants. In the past, it was known in Poland mainly because of the nudist beach, and this beach still exists.

At the moment, Chałupy is a popular kitesurfing spot, and you can feel there this type of atmosphere, especially during the season. There are schools and campings with vibe. They are really popular, so if that’s your vibe and place to stay, remember to book it in advance.

You can also just go to see how the camping looks and eat there. For example, in Chałupy 6 Camping there is a restaurant called Karma, where you can eat a nice breakfast.

If you are more into hotels, check out Hotel Meridian. It’s a small 4-stars hotel with a swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi, and good breakfast. In summer, you can eat breakfast outside with a view for the bay, as the hotel is on the bay side.

Beaches on the open sea side in Chałupy are absolutely beautiful, and you can reach them within a short walk from the bay side. Chałupy village is one of my two favourite places on the Hel peninsula. What I do sometimes is walk from Chałupy to the next village, Kuźnica. It’s around a 5-kilometre walk, and you can walk on the beach, on the bay side, and through the forest. Later, you can walk back or take the train.

Kuźnica

The next stop is Kuźnica, my absolutely favourite spot on the peninsula. It also has this kitesurfing vibe and places, but also a calm fisherman village atmosphere with a small, colourful boats, and a small pier. Around Kuźnica, it’s the narrowest spot on the peninsula.

If you are visiting Kuźnica, go to the restaurant called Morski Zając. It’s very close to the train station (just cross the street). It has an amazing terrace with a view of the bay, and really good food, especially sea food.

Kuźnica is small and calm; there is no bigger hotel, only apartments. For example, Fulinowo or Wiktoria Apartments.

There is one new spot in the village, which I have to mention as a sports lover. It’s a football pitch, a basketball pitch, and a playground for children; they are very close to the beach. It looks really good, so pass by during the walk, even if you will not use it.

Both Chałupy and Kuźnica are around 1 hour train ride from Gdynia. So they are a great destination if you are planning a day trip.

Hel Peninsula in Poland: Jastarnia

The next town is Jastarnia; it’s a bit further, around 8 km from Kuźnica, so you can say it’s somewhere in the middle of the peninsula. It’s also bigger, with around 3,000 inhabitants. Here, the atmosphere is very ‘touristic’, especially in the peak season. Stands with ‘everything and nothing’, ice cream, waffles places, not always very nice looking. It’s also rather busy, and you can find here a lot of private apartments and rooms to rent. It’s still a nice town with places to walk and views; you can also find nicer cafes and accommodations, but I would advise you to rather avoid it during July and August.

And stay here outside the season. Especially in Hotel Dom Zdrojowy Resort&Spa, which is placed almost at the beach on the open sea. The location of the hotel is amazing, and the hotel itself is really nice. It has typical hotel rooms but also studios and flats with interesting décor. It has nice spa treatments, and a spa zone, and very good food.

Jurata

From Jastarnia, you can easily walk to the next village, Jurata; it’s only around 3 km.

Jurata is considered a calmer and more elegant place. First of all, because of Hotel Bryza Resort&Spa, which for years was this ‘high’ level hotel. I haven’t visited it, but I can say for sure that it has a great location. Another hotel with a great location (in the beautiful forest) is Best Western Hotel Jurata.

Jurata has interesting flora, and because of this, a quite special microclimate.

From interesting facts: in Jurata town, there is even the summer residence of the Polish president.

Hel Peninsula in Poland: Hel Town

And we are arriving at the end of peninsula. From Gdynia, it takes around 1 hour and 40 minutes. And we are in Hel town.

Similarly to Jastarnia, it can give quite a touristic feeling, at moments too much ‘plastic’ and too busy (again, try it outside the peak season). However, there are really many interesting things to do that are worth visiting.

First of all, Seal Sanctuary (in Polish: Fokarium). It’s a touristic attraction, but its main purpose is to protect seals and promote knowledge, and it belongs to the University of Gdańsk (Oceanography Institute). You can visit the sanctuary alone; you can also participate in the ‘shows’ with seals feeding and with a short lecture; it’s available daily, twice per day.

In Hel, you should also walk in the port and on the main street, where you can see houses from the 19th century. And go up the lighthouse to see a great view (opened May-September).

As said above, because Hel town was a military area in the past, you can see many post-military attractions, for example, bunkers. In a few of them there are exhibitions, like in this one.

There are also a few museums: the Museum of Coastal Defence or the Hel Railways Museum. Museums open at the end of April; here you can check the details of the opening times of all parts of the Hel Museums Complex.

When it comes to accommodation, look at Hotel Hel, Hel Apart if you like loft style, or Hel Leśna, if you prefer apartments to rent.

Hel Peninsula in Poland: Accommodation

I’ve already talked about a few accommodations that I can suggest. Generally speaking, in Hel, you can find many different options for accommodation.

First of all, private rooms and apartments:

Apartments Wiktoria in Kuźnica
Hel Leśna
Holiday home Fiszeria (for a bigger group)
Private apartments in Hotel Zdrojowy in Jastarnia, for example this one

Secondly, campings, which are kind of symbol of the Hel Peninsula:

There are also smaller and bigger hotels, although not so many of those bigger ones:

Travel to Hel Tips: Summary

Let me summarise some tips regarding your trip to the Hel Peninsula:

If you prefer calmer holidays, try to avoid July and August (unless you like more ‘summer hasle’, touristic atmosphere, and when a lot is happening)
May, June, and September are perfect for a visit (full season starts usually in the last week of June)
In the high season, try to transfer to the peninsula during the weekdays
October and winter are not bad times either
It’s a perfect place for you if you like nature, walks, or cycling
It’s the best destination if you do or want to try wind and kitesurfing
Pick up the accommodation according to your preferences for accommodation type and town
Jastarnia and Hel are the most touristic (and also the biggest)
The weather at the Polish seaside is always surprise. It can be really warm or hot and sunny. But sometimes summer is not that great, and it can be rainy or colder.

For sure, take with you something warmer (jumper, light jacket) and be ready for bigger winds.

Hopefully this article has helped to organise your trip to the Hel Peninsula or convinced you to plan it if you were not sure? If you love the seaside, it’s a place to be. Especially that Hel is really exceptional. I admit, I’m not very objective here, but I hear this from many foreign guests that are visiting Hel.

Are you travelling firstly to Warsaw? No problem, you can get from Warsaw to Gdańsk and Gdynia in 3 hours, check out the details here.

Click here to read more articles in the Polish section of the blog.