Slowinski National Park

Sand dunes at the National Park

Słowiński National Park (pronounced 'swo-vinski'; in Polish: Słowiński Park Narodowy) is a national park in Poland in Pomorskie next to the Baltic Sea. The park features unique shifting sand dunes, woods, lakes and a long coastline with a beach, and is designated in the UNESCO list of World Biosphere Reserves.

Understand

Landscape

Along the coast there is a wide beach changing into sand and grassy dunes of considerable height up to 30 metres above sea level often though not always with pine forest on top of it. Various submerged or buried segments of forest can also be found. South of the dune coast there are large lakes Łebsko and Gardno which are wildlife refuge with close to none water traffic. South and between lakes terrain is marshy and swampy with more deciduous forests.

Climate

Climate in park is oceanic thanks to location close to the sea and two large lakes, with mild weather year long (cool in winter above 0 Celsius, warm in summer below 25 Celsius), frequent rain and very rare snow.

Get in

There is an entrance to the national park around 3 km west of Łeba. There are bicycle rental shops in Łeba (around 20 zł to rent one bike for a day).

To get to Łeba, you can take the minibus from Lębork railway station. The Lębork-Łeba route is served by frequent minibuses operated by Boguś Bus and the journey is around 45 minutes. PKP Intercity and SKM trains from Gdańsk and Słupsk stop at Lębork.

After getting off the minibus at the railway station in Łeba, continue walking straight ahead to the roundabout at the end of the road. Turning left at the roundabout takes you down a road which leads you to the entrance of the National Park after around 3 km. Turning right at the roundabout will take you into the town centre of Łeba where you can hire cycles and find places to eat and stay. The tourist information centre in Łeba is on the right hand side of the road next to the library after turning right at the roundabout.

Fees and permits

Between 1 May and 30 September, there is an entrance fee of 9 zł per person (adults) and 4.50 zł per person (school pupils, students, pensioners, disabled people and active duty soldiers) to enter the national park. Children below 7 are free. Link here. (Aug 2024)

Get around

By foot

There are many well marked, good quality paths in the park. Dunes and many other tourist attractions can be reached only by foot.

By bike

One of the best ways to explore the park is by bicycle - see the Get in section above about renting cycles.

See

When entering the national park from Łeba, as you go down the cycling and footpath, the Łebsko Lake is on your left while the Baltic Sea and coastline are on your right beyond the woods. The big sand dunes are located at the end of the cycling and footpath, around 10 km west of Łeba.

In the summer peak season, there are cruise boats on the Łebsko Lake.

• 1 Wydma Łącka. Largest dune you can access in the park. Great observation point located 30 metres above the sea, which is quite close. (updated Sep 2024)
• 2 Słowiński National Park Museum (Muzeum Słowińskiego Parku Narodowego), Czołpino 34, ☏ +48 585 008 507. Museum of National Park with expositions on flora, fauna, navigation and radionavigation. 16 zł, (12 zł reduced). (updated Sep 2024)
• 3 Submerged Forest (Zatopiony las), Czołpino (beach east of Rowy, west of Czołpino). Forest submerged in Baltic Sea about 3000 years ago that emerged recently from receding beach. It is temporary sight and may be submerged in water and sand again in near future. (updated Sep 2024)
• 4 Czołpino Lighthouse (Latarnia Morska Czołpino), Czołpino (on way from national park museum to the beach). Lighthouse in the national park, observation point to the sea and both park lakes. 8 zł (4 zł reduced). (updated Sep 2024)
• 5 Slovincian Countryside Museum (Muzeum Wsi Słowińskiej), Kluki 27, ☏ +48 59 846 30 20, muzeum@muzeumkluki.pl. refer to https://muzeumkluki.pl/zwiedzanie/godziny-otwarcia/ for opening hours. Museum of traditional life, architecture and agriculture in local countryside. 21 zł, (15 zł reduced). (updated Sep 2024)
• 6 Great Swamp (Wielkie Bagno), Żarnowska (south of Eurovelo R10, south of Żarnowska, east of Gać). Swamp created due to exploitation of peat. Great birdspotting area with many migratory birds coming to the area. (updated Sep 2024)

Do

There are around 170 km of walking trails in the national park.

Sleep

Backcountry

There are no places for backcountry sleeping in the park. Sleeping outside designated spaces is illegal in national parks in Poland.

Stay safe

Remember to take insect repellent as there are many mosquitoes. Stay on paths. It is illegal to walk on dune and forest on your own.

Go next

• Łeba - a seaside resort on the Baltic coast
• Słupsk
• Rowy -a small town with beaches on the Baltic coastline