• Get in
• Get around
• See
• Do
• Buy
• Eat
• Drink
• Sleep
• Get out

Hel [1] is city on the end of Hel peninsula in Poland. It is surrounded by the sea from all sides beside the peninsula and therefore a perfect water sport center. The settlement was first mentioned in the early Middle Ages and its inhabitants lived on piracy. In 1266 Hel received its town charter which was affirmend in 1378. From 1454 until the Second Polish Partition in 1793 Hel was a private property of the city of Gdansk. After World War One Hel was the biggest Polish fishing harbour and defended itself for other one month against the German invaders in the beginning of World War Two.

[edit] Get in

• By plane - the international Lech Walesa airport at Gdansk or the international Szczecin-Goleniow airport
• From Gdańsk by bus, train or ferry. There is an international airport and harbour in Gdansk.

[edit] Get around

The only way on land you can take is along the peninsula. The city is pretty small so you can get on foot everywhere. The main road is the Ulica Wiejska with a lot of cafes, bars and souvenir shops. Its fine buildings are from the 19th and early 20th century. The south boulevard leads from the old military harbour to the new harbour, where tourist ships leave for a trip on the sea.

[edit] See

• There is an interesting fishing museum in the 15th century gothic St. Peter and Paul Church. From the top of the church´s tower you have a wounderful view other the city, the beaches and the sea. The museum is open 10AM-6PM.
• At the south boulevard there is a seals´ basin of the Gdansk University. There are performances for tourists but the goal of the basin is to grow the seals and to set them free. The seals are fed from 9AM-3PM.
• Museum of Coastal Defence with very interesting Blockhauses and exibits. [2]
• An open-air-museum of the Polish Navy can also be visited from 9AM-4PM. You are allowed to enter the exhibits.
• In the pine forest north-west of the city there are old WWII trenches and bunkers. You can climb right into the bunkers, but look out for the barbed wire strung along the ground in some places.

[edit] Do

• The white sandy Big Beach is situated in the north of the city near the pine forest. A big lighthouse of brick stone can be climbed. It was a place of severe fighting between the German invaders and the defender of Hel in September 1939. There is a beautiful view from the top.
• Bike hiring (ulica Kaszubska 6 and ulica Lesna 10c).
• Hel Summer Festival (July to Summer).

[edit] Buy

Souvernir shops are along the Ulica Wiejska. Amber is a typical souvenir from hel.

[edit] Eat

• Kasyno Garnizonowe is a fine inexpensive restaurant. Dancing on Saturdays. 7AM-10PM.
• Fish restaurants and pubs along the Ulica Wiejska (all with fried fish and beer):
  • Captain Morgan
  • Armada [3]
  • Gwiazda Morza
  • Fiszeria
  • Maszoperia

[edit] Drink

[edit] Sleep

• VHM with nice rooms
• Horyzont, you can take your pets with you

[edit] Get out

There are a lot of other sea resorts along the Hel 34 km long and 300 to 3000 m broad peninsula, from east to west Jurata, Jastarnia, Kuznica, Chalupy, Wladyslawowo, Chlapowo, Rozewie and Jastrzebia Gora. You can get to Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia by ferry.

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