Or how we made it to the end of Poland and didn’t get lost in the cornfield. If you’re heading to the Hel Peninsula, you need to know: you’re going to the End of Poland. Not figuratively. Literally. It’s that thin strip of land stretching into the Baltic like a tongue (or a sickle), with train tracks, fishing huts, and one sea split into two completely different personalities—just 100 meters apart.
And since we were already this far, we added one more detour to the plan: Poland’s Sahara — the sand dunes near Łeba. They say you can do it all by train. But we drove. So we could stop if we ran into… aliens. And yes, that happened.
Chalupy: Sea everywhere
The Hel Peninsula doesn’t start in Hel. It starts in Chalupy – a village with the soul of a camper, the attitude of a surfer, and the body of a socialist-era holiday catalog model.
“That’s strange. Calm on the right, wind on the left,” Johny noted.
And he was right. On one side, the open Baltic — wild, salty, full of waves and surfers. On the other, the same sea, but in the form of a calm bay — shallow warm water, windless, quiet. Separating them is a pine forest, soft dunes (which make for a perfect windbreak), a great cycling route, and a train line, where trains pass by regularly — heading, of course, straight to the edge of the earth.
The End of Poland
The town of Hel is a world of its own. At the end of the tracks, the end of the country, and yet overflowing with fish bars and lighthouse-shaped souvenirs. Like any stereotypical tourists, we wanted to drive as close to the tip as possible. We loved the beach beyond the town, where the sea swallowed part of the forest and created a space that feels like post-storm chaos even when the sun is shining.
Then came the parking drama: we were intercepted by a cheerful man waving us into a paid parking zone (read: fenced patch of dirt), who charged a full-day rate the size of a mortgage deposit for his new rental apartment. As seasoned cheapskates, we turned around and parked 300 meters away — for free. In peak season, though? Good luck.
“It’s like a mini Yucatán. Only the fish should already be grilling,” Johny complained as we passed the third seafood restaurant in a row—none of them open, only souvenir shops, magnets, kebabs, and hot dogs. Ah yes… off-season life.
We walked the entire tip — beaches, bunkers, old military paths — and this place undeniably has its own unique, slightly haunted charm. But we both agreed: Chalupy felt better. Calmer.
The Hel Train
Yes, the railway goes all the way to the very tip of the peninsula — standard gauge and remnants of a narrow-gauge military line. Those abandoned military paths are a hidden treasure for MTB fans who hate hills. Ferries from Gdańsk also run seasonally. If you’re into sea breezes and port views, that’s another route worth trying.
Łeba: Poland’s Sahara
Where Did All the People Go? If the Hel Peninsula is the sea’s end of the world, Łeba is its sandy alter ego. A small resort town with fishing roots and an immense moving desert. Literally. The shifting dunes of Słowiński National Park aren’t just a marketing gimmick. This sea of sand actually moves every year, swallowing whatever gets in its path. Think Sahara, but with blue-white waves in the background and pine trees at your back.
Open Baltic
The endless beaches of the northern Baltic
Aliens in the Cornfield
On the way back from Hel, we chose to cut through the countryside. Classic scene: field, tractor, cow, cornfield… and then: “Stop. That’s not a normal field.”
We stumbled into what was supposed to be a corn maze. But instead of maize, we found a flying saucer and two farmers with antennas mounted on their tractors.
Apparently, we’d entered an alien-themed amusement park.
“We’re not from Mars—we just plant corn,” they laughed when Johny asked if they had signal: “No coverage in the middle of the field, but there’s definitely Wi-Fi at the ticket booth.”
Hel Peninsula practical tips
- The train to Hel runs with space for bikes. Seasonal ferries from Gdańsk also operate.
- Chalupy is perfect for those who want to alternate between peaceful sea and wild sea.
- Łeba and Słowiński Park: great for a one-day trip — you can hike or take the electric shuttle to the dunes.
- Cornfield labyrinths: fun in season, especially with kids — or when you want to lose your sense of direction voluntarily.
- Best time to go? Spring or fall – fewer tourists, more soul.
