A Baltic Sea resort town on Poland's Vistula Spit with a 13th-century lighthouse and long sandy beaches. Popular summer getaway with sailing spots and pine forests.
In Krynica Morska, you might find yourself sharing the beach with wild boars that wander freely along the Baltic shore. This small town on the Vistula Spit lets you climb a 1951 lighthouse for views across two bodies of water, walk up a 48.5-meter dune, or swim from wide, white sand beaches. Summer brings beach bars and water sports to the shoreline, while spring and autumn give you a chance to explore the town at a slower pace.
Meeting the Wild Boars of Krynica Morska
Wild boars regularly walk along the beach and through the town streets of Krynica Morska. While these animals generally ignore humans, you should follow local guidelines: stay at least 20 meters away, never feed them, and watch carefully for mothers with piglets. Keep your dogs on a leash - boars can react aggressively to pets. Plan to stay for a week if you want to spot these beach-going boars, as day visitors often miss them.
Getting to Krynica Morska
You can reach the town in one hour by car from Gdansk, making it convenient if you're flying into Gdansk Airport. From Warsaw, expect a 4-hour drive. While trains don't serve the town directly, you can take regular buses - check schedules on e-podroznik. A car gives you the most flexibility, especially for exploring the Vistula Spit area.
Beach and Summer Activities
The Baltic beach stretches along the coast with white sand and clear water. In summer, you'll find beach bars selling drinks and snacks, places to rent kayaks and paddleboards, and several waterslides. For quieter beach time, walk to the neighboring villages of Piaski and Przebrno, where fewer people gather even during peak season.
Natural Landmarks
Walk up Wielbladzi Garb (Camel's Hump), a 48.5-meter dune with views across both the Baltic Sea and the Vistula Lagoon. In the Beech Reserve, you can spot fallow deer, foxes, raccoon dogs, and many bird species among century-old beech trees. The sea air contains high levels of iodine, which draws visitors seeking respiratory health benefits.
The Lighthouse and Port
You can climb the 27-meter lighthouse, built in 1951, for views over the entire Vistula Spit. The lighthouse replaced an 1895 structure destroyed in World War II. Near its base, a small cemetery honors Soviet soldiers who died when the original lighthouse was mined. The town's port includes a pier extending into the Vistula Lagoon - a good spot for evening walks.
Historical Development
Steamboat services started transforming this fishing village in 1840, when merchants from Elbląg launched two vessels: "Sokół" and "Jaskółka". The first vacation home, built to resemble a Greek temple, appeared soon after. Known as Kahlberg until World War II, the settlement continued as a fishing village after the war. It received its current name in 1958 and became an official town in 1991.
