Sopot Beaches In Poland

Sopot is a seaside spa in Poland. Sopot, together with nearby Gdańsk and Gdynia are often referred as Triple-city in Polish that's Trójmiasto.

And Prepare yourself for a shock if arriving in Sopot after a tour of the Pomerania’s rural parts - this is 21st-century Poland, writ large. As the favoured playground of citizens of neighbouring Gdynia and Gdańsk, along with plentiful international visitors, Sopot is sophisticated and cosmopolitan, and isn’t afraid to show it. Unlike its rival seaside towns to the west, Sopot offers both beachfront attractions and cutting-edge urban style, being well populated with stylish bars, clubs and restaurants.

Sopot’s incarnation as a fashionable resort arose in 1823 when Jean Georges Haffner, a former doctor in Napoleon’s army, popularised sea bathing here. The settlement, originally established in the 13th century as a fishing village, rapidly became the beach destination of the rich and famous, particularly after WWI when it was included in the territory of the Free City of Danzig.

The resort life continues today, with Sopot attracting large numbers of visitors to its long, sandy beach and varied nightlife. Despite being at the centre of the Tri-City, Sopot has managed to maintain an identity separate from its two bigger neighbours. Though pricey in places, it’s a fantastic place for some R&R and a splurge or two.

Some of Sopot Beach - Beaches in Poland

The town has a reputation for it's Bohemian atmosphere, attractingundefined many painters, poets, musicians and actors. It is also a popular holiday destination for many Poles and is known as the party capital of Poland !

Sopot's arty social scene dates back to before the War when the town was a playground for Prussian nobility and aristocrats. It quickly became known as a spa resort. Since that time the casino, racing track and countless bars and discos continue to draw visitors from all age groups.

Monte Cassino Street provides the best selection of bars and cafes in the town with the "Pinochio" restaurant's little courtyard particularly pleasant for a spot of lunch or even a few drinks. "Bar Kinski" (address: ul. Tadeusza Kos´ciuszki 10) is only a short stroll away and certainly worth a visit . You should not be put off by the unimpressive entrance up a pitch-black flight of stairs to the first-floor.

Housed in the building where explosive actor Klaus Kinski was born, it is dark and atmospheric with all sorts of little cubby-holes to enjoy a drink in with friends. There are also various souvenirs and photos from Kinski's impressive acting career. The bar also has a selection of small sun terraces which allow you to sit outside and watch the action on the street below.

Beach party at the Sopot Festival

Sopot Festival

Sopot offers a rich calendar of artistic and cultural events, which contribute to the specific nature of the town. Undoubtedly, since 1961, the song festival constitutes the biggest the attraction of the town. At the end of August, the whole town is focused on the event. This very popular music festival takes place in the Forest Opera. It is a beautiful amphitheatre with a capacity of 4,500 people, and its location, among forested hills, creates great acoustics. Each year, hundreds of people come to the town to listen to the stars performing on a natural stage in Sopot. During the festival, different types and styles of music are presented. Enthusiasts of theatre and painting may attend events on the Chamber stage of the Wybrzeze Theatre, located in a house near the beach.

Also, the beach alternative theatres present their art. Numerous exhibitions are organized by galleries. People can admire paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photography and many other artistic works. Since 1996, Sopot has been trying to bring back the tradition of jazz festivals from the 1950s, when the town was the cradle of Polish jazz. The festival is one of the oldest song events in Europe. In the unique scenery of the Forest Opera, representatives of various styles and genres of song and pop music come together. Over these thirty-seven years the name of the festival, its formula, and its organizers have changed a number of times.

In the 1960s, and at the beginning of the 70s, the festival was a typical song contest organised by the Ministry of Culture and Art and the Polish Artistic Agency "Pagart". Among its participants were well-known and popular performers like Karel Gott (former Czechoslovakia), Frida Boccara (Monaco), Henri Dés (Switzerland), Isabelle Aubret (France), Salomé (Spain) and many others. In the middle of the 70s, these same organizers, together with the Committee For Radio and Television, organised the Intervision Festival in Sopot, regarded as the most prestigious song and musical event in Eastern Europe. It was there that the stars of the Eastern Block had their success - Helena Vondrackova, Jiži Korn, Frank Schäbel, Alla Pugaczowa, and Maryla Rodowicz. Since 1994, Telewizja Polska S. A has been the sole organiser of the festival. Thanks to the live broadcasts by Channel One of Telewizja Polska S.A. the festival concerts can be watched live by an audience of millions.


In the past few years the following stars performed in Sopot:

o 1964 Nadia Constantinoupoulou, Karel Gott
o 1966 Angela Zilia
o 1969 Karel Gott, Muslim Magomayev
o 1973 Transsylvania Phoenix, Lokomotiv GT, Sofia Rotaru
o 1977 Helena Vondrackova
o 1978 Drupi
o 1979 Demis Roussos, Boney M
o 1984 Charles Aznavour
o 1985 Shirley Bassey
o 1986 Bonnie Tyler
o 1988 Kim Wilde, Sabrina
o 1989 Savage, Blue System, C.C.Catch
o 1990 Ronnie Hawkins, Duo Datz, Erasure, Victor Lazlo, Curiosity Killed The Cat
o 1991 Dannii Minogue, Johnny Hates Jazz, Technotronic, Deacon Blue, Alison Moyet, Aztec Camera, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Bros, Jimmy Somerville
o 1992 Kim Wilde, Bobby Kimball, Sonia, Marillion, Simone Angel
o 1993 Boney M, La Toya Jackson, Marc Almond, Helena Vondrackova, Jiri Korn
o 1995 Chuck Berry, Vanessa Mae, Annie Lennox
o 1996 The Kelly Family, Vaya Con Dios, Deep Forest, La Bouche
o 1997 Khadja Nin, Alexia, Secret Garden, Boyz II Men
o 1998 The Corrs, Chris Rea, Tanita Tikaram, Ace of Base, Era
o 1999 Lionel Richie, Whitney Houston
o 2000 Bryan Adams, Helena Vondrackova
o 2001 Goran Bregovic, Lou Bega, UB40
o 2002 Zucchero, Garou
o 2003 Ricky Martin
o 2004 In-Grid, Kate Ryan, Patricia Kaas
o 2005 Patrizio Buanne, Lemar, Gordon Haskell, Scorpions, Simply Red
o 2006 Brainstorm, Andreas Johnson, Katie Melua, Elton John, Vanilla Ninja, Karel Gott, Helena Vondrackova, Demis Roussos, Drupi
o 2007 Norah Jones, Gloria Gaynor, The Village People, Hot Chocolate, Kool & The Gang, Sister Sledge, Sophie Ellis-Bextor
o 2008 Samantha Fox, Sandra, Sabrina Salerno, Thomas Anders of Modern Talking, Kim Wilde, Limahl with Kajagoogoo and Shakin' Stevens,.

Earlier, in the 70s and 80s, the participants and stars performing in the festival included: Charles Aznavour, Shirley Bassey, Boby Solo, The Temptations, Boney M, Johnny Cash, Jose Feliciano, Alison Moyet, Marillion, and Paul Young. Thanks to the International Song Festival, each year the Forest Opera is a major attraction of Sopot in the summer and thanks to the live broadcast, for a few days each year it is the centre of attention throughout Poland. "Sopot Festival" - one of the oldest song contests in Europe, celebrated its 35th jubilee in 1998. For many years now, the unique scenery of the Forest Opera in Sopot has been a background for performances by representatives of various styles and genres of pop music.

The first Sopot festival was initiated and organised in 1961 by Wladyslaw Szpilman from Polish Radio with the help of Szymon Zakrzewski of Polish Artists Management (PAGART). Between 1977 and 1980, it was replaced by the Intervision Song Contest, which was still held in Sopot. Unlike the Eurovision Song Contest, the Sopot International Music Festival often changed its formulas to pick a winner and offered many different contests for its participants. The festival has always been open to non-European acts, and countries like Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mongolia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Peru, South Africa and many others have been represented in this event. The contest lost some of its popularity in Poland and abroad in the 1980s, declining further during the 1990s, and the rather unconvincing organization of TVP made the authorities of Sopot give the organizational responsibilities of the 2005 Sopot International Song Festival to a private TV channel, TVN. From 1999, there was no Grand Prix contest within the festival. TVP chose to invite well-known artists instead, including Whitney Houston and The Corrs. In 2005, TVN was expected to bring the contest back, and in 2006 they invited Elton John. The Sopot International Song Festival is usually considered bigger than the Benidorm International Song Festival or the Karlshamn Baltic Song Festival because of its ability to attract star performers.

Polish Beaches on the Baltic Sea

Polish Coast is about 700km. It starts in Swinoujscie (West) and ends in Krynica Morska (East). There are many places to be visited in a summer time. There wild beaches and crowded beaches where disco music is played all night long. Everyone can find something interesting. In a winter time it is better to visit big cities as Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot or Kolobrzeg, Szczecin.

These places I mentioned are crowded all year long. Gdansk and Sopot are the best in the East Coast if you want to have fun, Sopot is even better. Kolobrzeg (West Coast) is also great. At a German border there 2 towns that are great as well, i.e. Swinoujscie and Miedzyzdroje.

Polish Beaches Picture Slide Show with some great Polish Music to get you in the mood to come visit Poland.

Both are on the islands, i.e. Uznam and Wolin. Wolin is known from old Viking times, on this island there was Viking's port called Jomsborg. Of course you willnot see any Vikings anymore, but you can have fun seeing some rebuilt viking drakkars, some modern Vikings, etc. Middle East Coast. There is a nice town Leba where you can see the biggest dunes in Europe. Pharaoh movie was shot there, so dunes are all right.

So there are plenty of space for tourists. Poland has beautiful beaches with very fine, soft sand. Besides we have ambers. Where else can you find ambers on the beach? Ancient Romans travelled to Poland just to purchase ambers.

Pubs, taverns, discos are across the whole Polish Coast. There are beaches with plenty of tourists and there are almost wild ones. You can eat really fresh fish there. Restaurants purchase them directly from fishermen. You will not regret your holidays on the Polish Coast even if the water is on the cold site there are more than enough attractions to warm you up.

U2 Concert In Poland.

U2 bring their 360° tour, with innovative new stage design affording the audience unobstructed views from every angle, to the Stadion Slaski in Chorzow. The show features material from the band's latest album, No Line On the Horizon.

The band's biggest reinvention coincided with what is arguably one of their best albums, 1991's Achtung Baby. Influenced by electonic dance music, the album took U2's sound to places it had never been before, both sonically and emotionally. The accompanying tour was even more of a departure: Zoo TV featured walls of video screens flashing ironic slogans and pop-culture images, while Bono adopted new personas and played around with the band's established public image.


6 Aug 2009
Stadion Slaski
ul. Katowicka 10
41-500 Chorzów
Cost: Zl140-Zl825
Opening Hours: 5pm

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The subsequent albums, Zooropa and Pop, continued to take U2's music in new directions with techno influences, rhythm sequencing and funky beats. While this may have been artistically rewarding, it didn't cut the mustard with many fans.

All That You Can't Leave Behind released in 2000 and How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, from four years later saw a return to the band's straight-ahead, rock roots and were hailed as a return to form, with accompanying multi-platinum sales. The group's latest release finds them tweaking their successful sonic blueprint with the help of co-producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno.

Bird Watching Tips for your Holiday in Poland

Read most guides on bird watching and you will be inundated with information on binoculars and photographing. With birding, sketching is a better way to go.

As you immerse yourself in bird watching in Poland, you will slowly but surely improve your observational skills. Different species will start to stand out as you get the hang of viewing bodies, bills, tails and other distinguishing characteristics. Simply viewing them or photographing them, however, only takes you so far. To become a master, you should start sketching your sightings.

Sketching is really one of the pillars of birding. That being said, it has fallen to the side a bit given modern technology and all it offers. Why take the time to sketch when you can use amazingly sophisticated cameras to capture the moment? Many have no answer, and go with cameras. There is nothing wrong with such an approach, but sketching is simply better. You may consider such a statement as a matter of opinion, but it is not.

The act of photographing something is ultimately a point and click situation. I do photographers a disservice with that statement because there is much more to it. It is an art and undeniably so. The art, however, has much more to do with lighting and proper framing than it does the subject itself. Sketching is just the opposite.

Sketching a bird is the single best way to improve your birding skills. Why? Well, think the process through. How do you go about sketching? There are many ways, but all involve one key element - details. To sketch, you must take in the details of your sighting. Lighting and such really does not come into play. Instead, bill curvature, body type, wing shape, feather patters, tail displays and so on are all aspects you must focus on to complete your sketching. Inevitably, this forces you to focus on the finer point of the bird. The more you do this, the better you become at observing and recognizing. It is a simple fact.

So, what if you have never sketched before? As with most birding skills, it does not matter. I am not talking about the quality of your sketches. It is not the final product that matters. Instead, it is the act of focusing on the unique characteristics of your sighting and recognizing them as such. After a surprisingly short while, your sketching will lead you to start distinguishing species with accuracy as well a giving you the ability to note variations.

Sketching may sound like a daunting task at first, but give it a try. You will be surprised at how quickly you pick it up and how fast your observational skills improve.

Bird Watching on the Biebrza Marshes Poland
Białowieża Forest Polish National Parks
Polish Birds In Summer. Be kind to birds on your Poland holiday
Polish Birds in spring - Spring migrations