TRAVEL. ROAD TRIP. EASTERN EUROPE.

Road Tripping Along the Polish Baltic Coast

Between pine tree labyrinths and the waves of the rough ocean

The day started out rainy and ended with a rain shower. But that didn’t stop us from exploring and having fun road-tripping along the Polish Baltic coastline. I enjoyed the ocean even while wearing a warm coat.

We woke up at the tiny campsite we had arrived late last night and were so happy about the safe place. It was incredibly cheap but even offered a toilet and hot shower (yes, I call those things additional luxuries, not necessary but welcoming extras).

It was raining in the morning and those rainy moments make us just want to curl up in bed a little longer. As little comfort as our car does offer us, it does supply us with a comfy mattress and a warm blanket. And that is all we need.

Below you can see the tiny alley we turned into where we got scared when the other car followed us all the way down the road. The neighborhood looks surely more inviting in daytime than it did in the dark.

As it stopped raining we quickly did our walk to the bathroom and got dressed just before the next rain cloud moved in. Looking to the horizon, the sky surely looked daunting and everything else but inviting.

But we were on holiday and we were going to enjoy every minute of it.

David, my husband, read something about a nearby labyrinth. He asked me if I wanted to check it out and I thought it would be a great activity for a rainy morning.

We first just saw the nursery but after walking in between all the tiny plants I did take up the courage to try talking to the lady working there. With a mixture of German and English, she understood what we wanted and showed us the way.

The labyrinth was rather huge and just in the back of the nursery.

We were given a map that had missing pieces and were supposed to find 5 signs with animals before finding the exit. To get the price in the end we had to take selfies with every sign found.

In the beginning, we just ignored the map and walked around until we were hopelessly lost. Eventually, I asked David for the map who was convinced it was just a random picture. I tried to make up where we were in an effort of leading us to the signs.

The first signs we found were just for entertainment. We almost wanted to give up when we found the first animal.

“Beware of the chickens,” it said.

It was all we needed. We both were too ambitious to give up now. We walked that labyrinth up and down about 10 times. Until we found the very last sign.

We were possibly in there for an hour I’d say. Surely a fun activity even for adults. And they did a great job growing this labyrinth. Well worth the small entrance fee.

As the sky was clearing we now got closer to the coastline of the Baltic Sea. I was still behind the steering wheel and David directed me to some coastal town where we parked right next to the beach.

It was a bit windy and the temperatures didn’t allow us to take off the jackets but we still took off our shoes to walk barefoot in the sand.

What is a visit to the beach if you’re not feeling the sand between your toes and touching the cold ocean water?

Everyone was occupied in their own thoughts, we walked along this endless stretch of coastline. Few locals and tourists were out and about also going for walks in the sand.

Seagulls and a few other birds were flying above our heads and walking in the sand looking for crabs and other delicacies.

After a while, we decided it was time to turn around and so we headed into town. Rewal was the name of this village on the coast.

Some old and historical buildings were lining the walkways.

And then we reached the touristic center. I did know about the Baltic Sea in Poland being a popular summer destination for locals and German tourists alike. But I didn’t know how touristy it was.

Most of the shops, food stalls, and restaurants were closed but just by the number of storefronts I could imagine how busy it must be here in high season.

The main street was leading back to the ocean where countless seagulls were circling above our heads. Catching updrafts in the air, they were playing with the wind.

We truly enjoyed walking through this coastal town watching the few tourists and locals that were out and about and embracing the bit of sunshine we got for the day.

We really wanted to eat something traditional Polish for lunch and settled eventually on the restaurant called “Robinson Crusoe”.

The inside of the place was what intrigued me the most. I love wooden furniture and have a weak spot for rustic but beautiful decorations.

What we eventually picked from the menu was a plate of some sort of dumplings. Polish dumplings. Also known under the name “pierogi”. David took the ones with meat inside and I chose the ones filled with cheese, of course.

They were so yummy.

Then we got back into the car and headed further East along the coast passing countless wind turbines.

The roads in the Polish countryside are all lined with trees. Most of them are very old trees which tells you they’ve been here for generations already.

Kolberg was our next stop and when we looked for the old town we arrived at what appeared to be a fair. The ferris wheel had mostly empty cabins but the streets were filled with people.

Military ships were arriving in the harbor and tourist boats decorated in the most creative ways were trying to attract visitors for a boat ride in the harbor.

An old lighthouse stood right at the point of the town.

We walked along the promenade and decided to sit down for a while. People-watching is something we like doing when visiting foreign cities.

I might have overdone it a bit with the amount of cream but the hot chocolate and the cheesecake were both delicious.

I just felt like I gained 5 kilos. Instantly.

So we headed further walking through a lovely park stretched along the coastline inside the city of Kolberg.

I found some interesting locations and campsites located between a lagoon and the ocean on the other side which is where we drove. Mielno was the coastal town I had selected.

Despite arriving past 5 pm, we were still allowed entrance and parked our car at the waterfront between two other German campers.

Due to the location of this place, we decided it was worth it to start up the drone before heading out for dinner.

The view was stunning from up there. Rain clouds were approaching from the West but David kept on filming around us.

The clouds in the East were already starting to get painted in a mixture of colors.

We then just got a warning from the remote about high winds and felt already the first raindrops. David was just trying to land the drone which didn’t react at first. But he still managed to get the flying camera down safely and we headed across the tongue of land towards the ocean for a restaurant.

We did get another spectacular view of the clouds and sunset light but unfortunately, all restaurants were closed already. Yes, we were clearly traveling in the low season.

We headed back towards the main street where we finally found a restaurant that was open and still willing to serve us food. They didn’t speak English or German and so I just looked at their menu and ordered two dishes I somehow understood.

The one word I could identify was gyros and the other one is “Dorsch” which translates to codfish. I ordered both with potatoes but they only had one portion left.

It wasn’t the kind of traditional food we were looking for but it was a good meal nevertheless.

There was one other couple sitting at a table and as they heard me trying to speak in German they talked to us immediately complaining about the town, this place, and the service.

They asked if we also just arrived and I agreed. But we’d only stay for a night and I expected a lot of places to be closed since it was low season. They also complained about the menu this restaurant offered and I told them they could also order a “Wiener Schnitzel” (knowing German tourists abroad, they most want to eat their comfort food, German dishes) or a pasta Bolognese.

But these two were just the worst kind of tourists you can meet. They didn’t want any of it, drank only beer without eating, and kept on complaining. Then they wanted to pay in euros and got even more upset when the waiter said they only accept Polish Zloty. I mean they are in a foreign country and get upset they cannot pay with their own currency?

They could have paid with a credit card. Which they, apparently, didn’t have.

Once again, I felt embarrassed for being German and for these tourists representing my home country. I exchanged some euros with them so they could pay for the beers and then we ate in peace.

Another day coming to an end in the neighboring country of Poland.

More about our road trip to Poland:

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