Discover Hel: Seals, Fishing and Coastal History
Accommodation in Hel
In Hel, marine mammals, fishing and coastal history come together. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus on a designated bathing area, maritime culture or nature. Kąpielisko nr 2 – “Na Cyplu” is located in Hel on the Bay of Gdańsk and has a 100-metre shoreline. The 2026 bathing season there ran from 1 July to 31 August. If you are interested in the bathing area, this gives you a specific location and season for this year.
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Photo: Jakub Hałun via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Seals and porpoises
At the Fokarium, daily seal feedings accompanied by educational talks are part of the programme. The facility is part of the Stacja Morska im. Profesora Krzysztofa Skóry, which belongs to the University of Gdańsk’s Institute of Oceanography. The Fokarium also supports the reintroduction and protection of grey seals in the southern Baltic region. Those interested in marine mammals can complement this focus with a visit to Dom Morświna, where static and multimedia exhibitions cover the biology, history, current threats and protection of porpoises. Dom Morświna is open to visitors year-round, Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 16:00. The two facilities focus on different marine mammals and combine nature-related themes with information about protection and threats.
Fishing and maritime history
Muzeum Rybołówstwa is located in the centre of Hel and is a branch of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk. Harbour models, miniatures of historic ships, archival photographs and models of modern fishing boats illustrate changes in Baltic fishing. Visitors can also learn about the history of Hel and its traditional fishing at the museum. Those more interested in the military history of the coast can find themed exhibitions at the Museum of Coastal Defence about the defence of Hel in 1939 and the historical development of the Polish Navy. The museum is housed in buildings previously used by the German “Schleswig-Holstein” battery, which had 406 mm guns. In Hel, the history of fishing and different aspects of defence history stand side by side as distinct topics.
Lighthouse, railway and fortifications
Helska Latarnia Morska stands out for its octagonal shape and reddish-brown facing brick. Its viewing platform is 39 metres high. Muzeum Kolei Helskich focuses on Hel’s narrow-gauge and standard-gauge railways and collects artefacts from both. The exhibits include railway tools, track components, signalling equipment, uniforms, ticket office fittings and standard-gauge rolling stock. This offers different objects and areas of equipment through which to explore the subject of railways. Fortifications are also part of the local landscape: they are located in the forests and dunes of Hel and are open to visitors.
If you would like to visit other town pages to help plan your trip, you can also find SĹ‚awutowo, Wierzchucino, Rekowo GĂłrne, Lysniewo, Bialogora, SĹ‚uchowo, Jastarnia and Jurata here.
For the broader travel overview: Puck.
