Sopot

Sopot is a small but popular beach resort near Gdansk. Its wide, beautiful sandy beach is in fact the most popular one of the Polish Riviera. Along with the beach, the active nightlife of Sopot attracts plenty of visitors from the neighboring towns Gdansk and Gdynia on the summer weekends.

The heart of the town is the pedestrian street Bohaterów Monte Cassino, and especially the square, Plac Przyjaciól Sopotu, at the beginning of the street. Sopot has the longest wooden pier in Europe, which is a great place for spending time.

Sopot Poland — The main square and the main street Monte Cassino behind it.

Things to do in Sopot

Sopot Pier

The 511-meter long pier is the longest in Europe and an excellent place to spend time on a hot day. It was opened already in 1827. The pier is situated in the center of Sopot, right at the other end of the main street Monte Cassino. In the summer, you need to pay a small admission fee to enter. There’s a restaurant at the end of the pier.

Lighthouse

Sopot beach — There's a great visibility from the lighthouse also to the beach.

There's an old lighthouse situated by the Sopot pier. For a small fee, it is possible to climb up the stairs to the top and get a 360° panorama view over the town and the beach.

Crooked House

The futuristic dream-like building called Crooked House is located on the main street Monte Cassino. It was built in 2004 as a part of Rezydent shopping center. You can stop by for a cup of coffee in the building. Don't worry, the tables aren't wonky!
Address: Bohaterów Monte Cassino 53

Aquapark Sopot

The water park in Sopot contains basic features such as a few water slides and jacuzzis. It's a good choice, if the weather isn't great and you're looking for an alternative place to swim.
Website: aquaparksopot.pl

Pirate ship cruise

A pirate ship replica takes tourists to Gdansk Bay for a 40-minute cruise in the summertime. The cruise season starts in April. The Pirate ship cruise is targeted mainly at children. There is also a restaurant on board.
Website: statekpirat.pl

Shopping

In Sopot, the areas for shopping are concentrated mostly on the main street Monte Cassino, although the selection is not very wide. However, there are two large shopping centers by the railroad, close to Sopot.

Galeria Bałtycka is the largest shopping center in Gdansk. It’s located by the train station Gdansk-Wrzeszcz, 8 kilometers south of Sopot. Website: galeriabaltycka.pl.
Riviera in Gdynia is slightly bigger. It’s located by the train station Gdynia Wzgórze Św.Maksymiliana, 8 kilometers north of Sopot. Website: centrumriviera.pl.

Monte Cassino Sopot — The main street Monte Cassino in the early spring.

Price level

Below, there are some examples of restaurant and hotel prices in Sopot. The costs of hotel rooms are median prices at Booking.com.

How to get to Sopot

From Gdansk airport by bus: ztm.gda.pl (the airport station is called Port Lotnizy)
Bus number 122 drives from the airport through Sopot town to Kamienny Potok train station in about 50 minutes. It’s better to check the right bus stop along the way in advance, instead of going all the way to the Kamienny Potok station. The Chopina and Grand Hotel bus stops are nicely situated at the city center and therefore good choices.
From Gdansk airport by train: skm.pkp.pl
There are three train stations in Sopot, and the main station is located by the city center.
To see the timetable, click the link above and choose “from”: Gdansk Port Lotniczy (airport station) and “to”: SOPOT (main station) or one of the other two Sopot stations.
It takes about 34-57 minutes depending on the route and changes. The most likely station to change trains is GDAŃSK WRZESZCZ. There are very few direct train connections to Sopot from the airport.
From Gdansk by train: Open the previous link and choose the departure station that suits your plans most conveniently. The main station is called GDAŃSK GŁÓWNY, and it’s the closest station to the old town.
The journey takes about 20 minutes by a commuter train (SKM), and it is a direct connection. Trains run frequently during the daytime.
Route planner is a good tool for looking at the options. It can be found here. Choose Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport as a starting point and click the map or type an address for the destination.

Weather

Winter: The winter in Sopot is very cold. The cold breeze from the sea just chills you to the bone. Temperatures in December vary on both sides of 0°C. January and February are colder, and it can drop to -10°C and below during the coldest days. You’ll need proper winter clothing, such as a hat, winter shoes, gloves and a scarf.

Spring: March is still a cold month with temperatures regularly below 0°C in the nighttime, and possibly during the daytime as well. In April, it is still unpredictable, but the May weather should already be pretty warm with temperatures frequently over 20°C. Evenings aren’t that warm, however, so it’s still good to have a coat with you.

Summer: June, July and August are the warmest months of the year with temperatures climbing to 30°C during the hottest days. On average, the daily high is over 20°C.

Autumn: Temperatures drop to 8°C - 15 °C in the Autumn. In November, temperatures can drop to 0°C. Just like in the spring, it’s good to have a coat with you.