Dwa. Yes, as you might have guessed it is the Polish word for two and while there are many exciting things to do here in Poland this being the second chapter I thought I would keep it to two things. So let’s go have some fun Polish style!

The least likely place you would expect to find a beach is Poland.  But believe it or not, there are beaches here. Actually very pretty beaches with sand and everything. And you can find amber at the beach as well. Mostly just little pieces but still a cool find. Amber is the hardened sap of pine trees. There are pine trees very near the beach as well.

The first beach is the tourist spot call Miedzyzdroje. I won’t even attempt to explain how to say it. There is the usual build up of shops around the area like any tourist spot. It is a way out of Szczecin though. So after a short train or car ride getting to the beach is not hard. A 5-minute walk from the train station or less if you have a car or happen to live in the little town. The beach! Nice deep sand and the Baltic Sea make for a wonderful combination. It is almost always windy there so I would recommend investing in a wind break. A windbreak here is material mounted between several very long stakes. Hammer the stakes into the sand to create a small enclosure. Spread out your towel on the sand and start enjoying the sun. When you get too hot or are roasted on both sides you can go to the water to cool off. The water temperature is a cool 60 degrees or 15 in Celsius in summer of course. The shelf from the beach goes out about 200 feet and is only 2 or 3 feet deep this whole way. But then it drops off and so does the water temperature. I would stay up on the shelf. Plenty of room to play there. Cool water and warm sand. No shortage of ways to have fun. Just let go of the cares of the day and be a kid for awhile no matter your age.

If you prefer to stay in town there is even a beach there. Glebokie is a smaller lake, well smaller than the sea, in town. For a short train ride, you can be there within minutes. The only issue here is everyone in town will be out as well. So the beach and surrounding park area will get fairly crowded on those very nice, warm days. But if you can fight the crowd and stake out a little property for yourself, then put down the towel and enjoy! You may have to dodge and weave your way to the water but it is still cool.  So while not the breathtaking scenery of the sea or the long beach for everyone to spread out it is a cheaper alternative and almost as refreshing.

The other trick to being a beachgoer in Poland is to find the right day. Seventy-five is usually a warm day. So while you are deciding if it is warm enough the rest of Poland is heading for a beach. Don’t mind the wind or even a little rain, just go. One side note on the weather. Everyone here in Szczecin wears a jacket or takes one with them almost everywhere they go. The weather really is that fickle. A cool morning could lead to rain at noon and then a warm afternoon or any combination like that. Just be prepared.

Time to go through my checklist. Beach umbrella, check. Windbreak, check.  Food and drink, check. You can buy food and such there, just cheaper to bring your own. Swimsuit, check. Sunscreen, check.  Towels, check. Cram it all into a backpack. Ready to go! Hope to see you there!