Łebsko Lake

Why visit?

Łebsko is the third largest lake in Poland and the country's largest coastal lake — 71.4 km² of water stretching 16.4 km along the coast, just behind the spit of land that separates it from the Baltic. Its average depth is a mere 1.6 m, and as the river Łeba flows through it, the water reaches a salinity of 3‰, making the lake brackish — an extraordinary rarity in Poland. Łebsko covers about 22% of Słowiński National Park, which since 1977 has been a UNESCO biosphere reserve and a Ramsar site. The lake has an interesting biography: it was born when the rising sea level flooded former meadows — contrary to appearances, it was never a sea bay. Its northern shore wanders with the moving dunes of the Łebska Spit, which shift a few metres a year and steadily bury the water; since 1941 the lake has lost about 382 hectares. Reed belts more than 100 metres wide make Łebsko one of the most important ornithological waters of the Polish coast, and the neighbouring peat bogs are a breeding ground of the corncrake. The best ways to get to know the lake are a cruise from the Rąbka landing stage — to the Rocket Launcher Museum or the open-air museum in Kluki — or a cycling loop around the water. Walking onto the moving dunes, which offer the finest view of the lake, requires an entrance ticket to Słowiński National Park. Kayakers should watch out for sudden winds — on the vast, shallow expanse waves build up in no time; in spring and autumn the reedbeds teem with birds, in summer the shores invite quiet contemplation.

What you’ll see

• Największe jezioro przybrzeżne Polski (71,4 km²)
• Woda półsłona — zasolenie do 3‰
• Ruchome wydmy Mierzei Łebskiej zasypujące jezioro
• Rejsy z Rąbki do Wyrzutni Rakiet i skansenu w Klukach
• Rezerwat biosfery UNESCO i obszar Ramsar

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