Słowiński National Park

Why visit?

Słowiński National Park is the only place in Poland where a desert landscape meets the Baltic: shifting dunes, nicknamed the Polish Sahara, reach 30 metres in height and creep 3–10 metres every year, burying the pine forests behind them. The park was established in 1967 on the Słowińskie Coast, taking its name from the Słowińcy, an ethnic Kashubian group who once lived here. Since 1977 the area has held UNESCO biosphere reserve status, and water — including a stretch of the Baltic — covers more than half of its surface. The landscape is shaped by two shallow coastal lakes, Łebsko (71 km²) and Gardno (25 km²), former sea bays cut off from the Baltic by sandy spits. In spring 2016 the dunes uncovered a primeval forest buried thousands of years ago — one of the few such events in Europe. Beyond the dunes, aim for the Czołpino lighthouse, the viewpoint on Rowokół (115 m above sea level) and the bird sanctuaries by the lakes, where rare birds of prey nest. The most popular route sets out from Łeba through the hamlet of Rąbka towards the Łącka Dune — roughly four hours of walking round trip, in summer shortened by a melex electric ride. Remember that the dune ridge offers no shade or water: in a heatwave the sand burns your feet, while the wind can feel chilly even in July. The best months are May–June and September, when crowds thin out and the sands contrast beautifully with the green of the forest and the blue of the lake.

What you’ll see

• Ruchome wydmy przesuwające się o 3-10 metrów rocznie
• Panorama z grzbietu wydmy na Łebsko i Bałtyk
• Jeziora Łebsko i Gardno — dawne zatoki odcięte mierzeją
• Latarnia morska Czołpino i punkt widokowy Rowokol
• Rezerwat biosfery UNESCO od 1977 roku

Map