Ustka tops annual ranking of Poland's best beaches

The Baltic resort of Ustka has overtaken Świnoujście as Poland's best beach in the latest annual ranking compiled by travel publication Magazyn Travelist in partnership with the Polish Tourism Organisation (POT).

The Polish seaside resort of Ustka is known for its picturesque sandy beaches.

Photo: Wladyslaw Golinski, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Poland's 775-kilometre Baltic coastline is known for its wide sandy beaches, dunes and popular seaside resorts, attracting visitors for swimming, water sports and nature tourism.

Świnoujście, Poland's westernmost seaside resort, had previously topped the list. This year, however, organisers changed the voting rules, allowing participants to nominate any beach instead of choosing from a pre-selected shortlist.

Ustka, on Poland's central Baltic coast, emerged as the overall winner.

Its eastern beach, adjacent to the town centre and seaside promenade, is known for its lively atmosphere, while the western beach offers a quieter setting among dunes and pine forests. The two are linked by a pedestrian drawbridge spanning the Słupia River.

The ranking also recognised beaches in several special categories.

The Hel Peninsula, a 35-kilometre sand spit separating the Bay of Puck from the Baltic Sea, was honoured for its scenic coastline and sandy beaches.

The title of Most Atmospheric Beach went to Mikoszewo, near the mouth of the Vistula River, where visitors can observe birds and seals in the nearby Mewia Łacha nature reserve.

Kołobrzeg won the Teeming with Life category for its bustling seaside beaches. Świnoujście finished second in that category and also placed second overall in the national ranking.

Świnoujście remains one of Poland's best-known beach destinations. Its beach, which reaches nearly 200 metres in width in places, is among the widest in the country and has received the international Blue Flag eco-label every year since 2006 for meeting standards of water quality, safety and environmental management.

Among Poland's other leading seaside destinations is Sopot, home to Europe's longest wooden pier, stretching 650 metres into the Baltic Sea.

(ab/gs)

Click on the audio player above for a report by Agnieszka Bielawska.