The Pomeranian Voivodeship is characterised by the remarkable tourist values. It is cosidered as one of the four most attractive tourist regions in Poland. Also the variety of landscapes, rich nature and cultural and historic heritage characterises it.

 

After Cracow, Gdansk is the most often visited place in the summer, especially by the young people. Gdynia had recently became the centre of the international sea tourism. Maritime resorts situated among forests offer not only recreation, but also the possibility of curing services, guaranteeing the strenght and health regeneration. Various musical festiwals and other cultural events are also very often organized.

 

The climate varies. By the sea, in Kashubian and Koszalin Land, the insolation is about 50 hours longer than in Pojezierze Pomorskie. In the narrow area of the Gdansk Bay, and near Ustka and Leba, insolation is especially explicit. On this account those regions possess predispositions to the heliotherapy and associated recreation forms development. The most general climatic division of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, embraces two zones - the narrow shore area - with the explicit influence of the Baltic Sea, and the area of Pojezierze Pomorskie, together with moraine hills.

 

Rich sources of surface and underground waters occur in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is also characterised by the access to the sea water, dense forests, infinitesimal soil surface degradation and wealth and variety of natural and landscape values.

 

The natural values flow from the considerable differentation of the enviroment and natural landscape, as well as the preservation of the natural character of some ecosystems. Two National Parks are localized in the Pomeranian Voivodship area - Slowinski National Park, created in 1967 and the Bory Tucholskie National Park, created 29 years later.

 

Pomeranian landscapes are characterised by kilometres of beaches, sandy dunes, spits, cliffs, views of calm or choppy sea, beautiful Kashubian lakes, forests full of berries and mushrooms, rivers - paradise for anglers. Everyone will find here something for himself.
Leba is one of the best-known cities on the Polish shore. One cannot be bored here. In the summer there are attractions like sea trips by the cutter, sea-fishing, Lebsko lake cruises, and beautiful moving dunes in Kluki and Slowinski National Park. Also the Fairy Tale Train, by which one may see the whole city, rides here. Various sport events, fairs and concerts are being organized. In 1998 Leba has also changed its political system, being officialy declared a duchy. The duchy of Leba produces its own coin, post stamps and beer pints. Marvellous knights' and ladies' parades, ended with a ball also do take place.

 

Debki is a little village, located near the mouth of the Piasnica river. It is a special place with a special character. In the forest by sea rows of parcels, some of which with interesting buildings, are situated. Among those are houses build according to the bolt construction and couple of shacks moved straight from the country. In the summer many Warsaw inhabitants move here. Under the influence of tourists one of the streets, which concentrates the evening social life, was called the Marszalkowska street. The sandy beach remains the biggest attraction of the small Debki. Beside sunbathing tourists one may still see there couple of small fishermans' boats.

 

Hel - the most maritime city of Poland - located at the tip of the Hel Peninsula, surrounded by the Baltic Sea's waters - every year attracts thousands of tourists with its recreational values. Hel, the oldest city in the Puck administrative district, has become a popular resort. Unique climatic, natural and landscape values have been attracting people searching for rest and recreation from the whole Poland.

 

Things worth seeing: The Fishery Museum (located in the former St. Peter and Paul Church, from the XVth century), in which one may admire old boats, fishery equipment, maritime paintings, models of sea birds and mammals. On the roof stands a wooden tower, providing the beautiful view of the city, beach and sea; the 'Fokarium' with a couple of grey seals and the lighthouse, Navy Harbour and the Museum of Sea Weapon.

 

Jastarnia is located in the central part of the Hel Peninsula. Above all it is a well-developed tourist city. Decent infrastructure, composed of private quarters of various standards, hotels and guesthouses, together with the rich variety of bars and restaurants, will satisfy, every, even the most demanding tourist. There are two museums in Jastarnia. First of them is the Fishery Museum of Juliusz Struck, placed at the Mickiewicz's street. One may find there the exhibition of domestic appliances, tools used by fishermen, and reconstructed fisherman's house, from the beginning of the XXth century. The second one is the 'Chata Rybacka' ('Fisherman's Shack'), located in the city centre, at the Rynkowa 10 street. Worth noticing is the construction of the shack, which was made from the wreckages' wood. This museum enjoys a special patronage of the Kashubian-Pomeranian Association. Jastarnia possesses a small, 13 metres high lighthouse, situated on the concrete pedestal. It is automatically controlled and not open for the public. It has the form of a steel cylinder, painted in white and red stripes.

 

Westerplatte - The Section of the Historic Museum - a place, where the Second World war had begun, a cementary of Polish soldiers, killed in 1939 may be found there, as well as the guardroom no.1, guardroom no.3 and barracks' ruins, a tank and the Monument of Defenders, located on mound, created after the war.

 

Gdansk is the sea-capital of Poland. Big economic, scientific, cultural and tourist centre. Situated at the Gdansk Bay, on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea. On may find in Gdansk numerous interesting historic monuments, many magical places, carrying the memory of past history, full of incredible internationality and multiculturality.

 

One have to see here the Dlugie Pobrzeze - a pedestrianized zone by the river Motlawa, along which the row of gothic water-gates is situated - Krowia from the XIVth century, Chlebnicka and Mariacka, from the XVth century, the Holy Spirit Gate, re-build in 1990's and the famous Crane. The main street of the city - Dluga Street (the Long Street) is slightly bended, showing the perspective of the most important buildings - the City Hall - residence of officials - the Post Office, with renovated interior, reneissance House of Ferbers' from 1560, reneissance Lion Castle from 1569 and the House of Schumans' with the Zeus' figure at the top (presently the residence of IT). The wider part of Dluga Street is called the Dlugi Targ (The Long Market), which, closed by the Green Gate, ends the Royal Road. Many cafes, pubs and restaurants are situated there. It is the favourite meeting place not only of tourist but also indigenuous inhabitants of Gdansk. That is why it serves as role of an old market square.

 

The lighthouse, located in the Nowy Port district, is one of the most beautiful lighthouses of northern Europe. 27 metres high, in 2004 it was opened to public, as an architectural, technical and historic monument, and the place of the World's Lighthouses Exhibition. It encourages its guests to admiring not only the beautiful historic Gdansk's architecture and an incredible view of Westerplatte, Gdansk Harbour, Tricity, and the whole Gdansk Bay together with Hel Peninsula, but also the exhibition of Historic Gdansk's Lighthouses, organized in its interior. In the April of 2005, the Gdansk Tourist Fair has given the lighthouse a first prize, for the best tourist investition of a year.

 

St. Mary's church is the biggest gothic temple made of brick in Poland and Europe. Its transept is 105 metres long. The roof is covered with over eight thousand square metres of the red ceramic tile. The vault, almost 39 metres above the floor, is supported by 27 pillars. The church may accomodate over 25 thousands of people. In interior one may admire the late-gothic main altar, made of oak. Figures of Christ, St. Mary and St. John (each 4 metres high), together with the 10 metres high cross, were created in 1517. By the vestry a reconstruction of a famous astronomical clock from the XVth century is located, the work of H. Duringer from Torun. The clock shows hours, moon phases and zodiac signs. To the left of the main entrance, there are the stairs, that lead to the top of 78 metres high tower, where one can see the panorama of the city.

 
Katownia (Torture Chamber) - a Section of the Historic Museum, former residence of executioners, having the form of a renaissance palace with decorated roof and tower. Above the building's entrance hangs an interesting old Gdansk's coat of arms, showing two crosses, yet without the golden Royal Crown (it was created during the time where Teutonic knights held the power in the city). The Prison Tower and Katownia collect exhibits associated with history of the building, its various functions and history of Gdansk's law and administration.

 

The Neptune Fountain - designed by Abraham van den Blocke. The bar with golden Gdansk's coats of arms and Polish eagles, derives from 1634. The basis and the basin of the fountain was re-build in the XVIIIth century by J.K. Stendet. The basic source of water streams is the trident, held by the ruler of seas and oceans in his right hand, sea horses, lying by his feet and the edge of the plinth. Water falls onto the bowl of the fountain, from which it is split by the stone faces into the lower bowl.

 

The Crane - the oldest, preserved harbour hoist in Europe. It had been built in 1442-1444 in the form of two towers, made of bricks, between which wooden lifting mechanism was installed. It served a triple function: a hoist, a defense fortification and the city gate.

 

The Oliwa Cathedral is a 107 metres long basilica made of bricks. Pillars of the transept's cross, sharp-arched arcades with columns of trapezoidical capitals are visible signs of a typical romanesque-gothic basilica. The beautiful, late-gothic vaulted ceiling of the main transept have appeared much later. In the cathedral's interior 23 altars of a large artistic value are located. They represent three different architectonical styles - reneissance, baroque (most of them) and rococo. The cathedral is famous mostly for its astonishing pipe organs, on which in the summer concerts are played. They were build in 1763-88. By the cathedral the St. Cross Chapel is located, known also as the Abbot's Chapel. It is the oldest chapel in the cathedral. Below, the episcopal crytp is situated, where Gdansk's bishops are buried. There is also the tomb of Pomeranian princes in the cathedral. Approximately 65 members of this family had been buried near the nortern wall of the presbytery.

 

The Oliwa Zoo spreads on the area of approximately 120 ha. One may see here many spieces of animals from all over the world, including those, which no longer can be met at large.

 

Sopot is the small Polish city, located by the Baltic Sea, between Gdansk and Gdynia, representing the natural centre of Tricity and the Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is called a 'city of artists' due to the large number of representatives of various art fields, who successively create in Sopot. On the other hand many cultural events are being organized here. From festivals, through concerts and theatrical performances to the 'Street of Art', an action within which the works of famous and prominent are presented together with works of disabled artists. The main attractions of this picturesque town are the Monte Cassino Heroes' Street - 635 metres long, representing the main pedestrianized zone of the resort. At that street extraordinary impression is made by the Curved House (Pol. 'Krzywy Dom'). With its character it reminds of the fairy pictures by Jan Marcin Szancer and Per Dahlberg, as well as Gaudi's designs. The external elevation of the object is in accordance with the stylistics of the whole popular 'Monciak'. Levels of the 'Curved House' are similar to the cornices and levels of adjacent tenements. The Pier is one of the most popular recreational objects in Poland, a showcase of the resort. The Forest Opera in Sopot is considered by the specialists as one of the most beautiful and accoustically perfect objects in Europe.

 

Gdynia is a modern, rapidly developing city. It has over 250 thousands of inhabitants, and is the centre of sea economy, international trade, education, culture and tourism. The harbour and the Kosciuszko Square, around which the biggest city's attractions concentrate, play the main role here. The Kosciuszko Square is the favourite place of walkers, with many events and concerts being held there. The historic ships, moored by the shore - ORP 'Blyskawica' ('Lightning'), and 'Dar Pomorza' ('The Gift of the Sea') - are the biggest attraction. Also the fountain with multiple goblets and beautiful night artificial lighting, is situated here. Near the square one can find the funfair and the cinema complex. The Sea Boulevard, which history reaches 1920s', is currently approximatelly 1500 metres long and leads walkers from the city beach to the district of Polanka Redlowska. Kamienna Gora ('A Stone Hill' - 52,4 metres above the sea level) - a viewpoint, from where one may adore beautiful panorama of the Gdansk Harbour, Kosciuszko Square with 'Dar Pomorza' and 'Blyskawica', the shipyard, Gdansk Bay, and Hel Peninsula. The Navy Museum - near the city beach. One may find there exhibitions of modern and historic ship cannons, airplanes, helicopters. The Gdynia Aquarium possesses the biggest in Poland collection of sea-animals (over 1500 animals of approximately 180 species from all over the world). Although Gdynia is not a very old city, one may find here very old historic monuments, e.g. the Archangel Michael's Church, from the XIIIth century, in the district of Oksywie, one of the oldest in the region, the Kolibki Palace complex, dating back to the times of the king John III Sobieski and his wife - Marysienka, or the neo-gothic court, from the turn of XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries in Orlowo.

 

The Vistula Split is a narrow, forested and sandy piece of land, separating two large bodies of water - Gdansk Bay and Vistulan Bay. The small city of Krynica Morska is the most famous resort in the region. It is characterised by an old architecture from the beginning of the XXth century, represented by historic villas and guest houses, together with a lighthouse, one of few in Pomerania that is open to the public.

 

The medieval Teutonic Knights' Castle in Malbork is undoubtely the city's biggest attraction. It is not only the biggest gothic stronghold in Europe, but also one of the most beautiful. It consists of three main parts, and is one of the biggest preserved gothic architecture complexes in the world. The castle, as the Teutonic Order residence, served housing, representative, religious, and military purposes.