Poles love Łeba (pronounced Weba), and no wonder. There are long white sandy beaches, lots of restaurants serving fresh fish and a national park right next door. We stayed two nights and had a really nice day on the beach. We also had time to try Polish fast food and to check out how the Poles "build themselves behind fences" on the beaches.
Table of contents
Łeba - a cosy holiday town
Łeba is a really cosy holiday town. You can tell that most of the town's history is based on fishing. The fishing boats are moored in the harbour and everywhere around you can buy fresh and smoked fish, or pop into one of the many fish restaurants.
Today, it's also a holiday resort on a grand scale. There's everything a family on holiday could wish for: funfairs, boat trips, ice cream parlours, trinket shops and lots of different bikes and other wheeled vehicles for hire. And yes, the Słowiński National Park is right next door.
Łeba is located on the Polish coast, northwest of the more famous coastal cities of Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot.
Polish beach life
We had a really nice day at the beach. It was warm in the sun and quite an ok water temperature, although it was perhaps a bit cool. There was a lot to look at too! Poles don't want to be bored on the beach, so it's full of bars, restaurants, playgrounds, tug-of-war, beach volleyball tournaments and costumed characters ...
What's most interesting is how everyone builds their family inside colourful little beach fences. Don't miss checking out Peter's film from the beach!
Polish fast food - zapiekanka
There are many different types of fast food available on the beach, and two favourites among Poles seem to be 'zapiekanka' and fried potato dumplings on skewers. We tried the zapiekanka, which is half a baguette grilled in the oven.
According to Caroline and the blog The second journey the 'original' zapiekan is served with mushrooms, cheese and ketchup. Today, there are all kinds of variations and ours had mushrooms, ham, cheese, ketchup and mayonnaise.
Campsites in Łeba
There are a whole bunch of campsites in Łeba and we stayed well at the Camping Rafael. Here were, among other things, two things that are actually a bit unusual on Polish campsites: 1) precisely marked places with numbers and 2) grey water drainage. The visit to Łeba was a really wonderful end to our tour of the Czech Republic and Poland!
Video from Łeba
If you want to see more of the Polish holiday resort of Łeba, check out our film, edited by Peter.
More to see and do in the neighbourhood
In the vicinity of Łeba you will find, among other things The entire peninsula, which offers plenty of campsites and almost exotic sandy beaches. It is also not far from the cosy Rewa or popular Sopot. Of course, you can also visit the major cities. Gdynia and Gdansk. If you click on the image below, you will find all our reports on Poland.
The whole peninsula in Poland - Long white paradise beaches
The Hel Peninsula in Poland offers amazing views. This peninsula is a 35-kilometre-long spit of land that...
Wroclaw in Poland - 14 tips for things to see and do
Wroclaw in Poland is a city full of beautiful and colourful houses. Here you can stroll...
With Unity Line from Poland to Ystad - and a visit to Szczecin!
After a nice visit to Poland, in Gdansk and Szczecin, we travelled back with Unity ...
Camping Metropolis in Sopot, Poland
We are at Camping Metropolis in Sopot and have now been joined by Peter's brother ...
Facts about Poland - 30 things you (might) not know
Writing facts about Poland is really fun. We have travelled a lot in Poland and discovered...
Holidays in Zakopane - on the Tatra Mountains in Poland
Holidays in Zakopane! We have travelled to Zakopane, located in the Tatra Mountains in Poland, south...
Travelling from Sweden to Poland in times of coronavirus
What is it like travelling from Sweden to Poland in times of coronavirus? We have finally travelled...
Things to do in Krakow - 12 tips for Poland's historic centre
There is a lot to see and do in Krakow, and here are our personal tips. Krakow,...
Łódź in Poland - 15 things to see and do
Łódź in Poland, is it a city you ever thought of visiting? If not, then...
Polish food - specialities of Polish cuisine
Polish food, what is it? Polish cuisine is not often talked about ......
Camping Stogi in Gdansk - on the Polish coastline
Now we have made it to the Stogi campsite in Gdansk. We have been here before, but...
Gdansk in Poland - 25 tips for things to do
Gdansk in Poland is, in our opinion, one of the country's finest cities. The Hanseatic city of Gdansk is located on the...
Mierzecin - castles in Poland with magical scenery
Mierzecin - castle in Poland with magical nature in Dobiegniew in the countryside of western Poland. The castle...
Rewa in Poland - a swimming and surfing paradise
Rewa is located on the Polish coast, not far from the larger city of Gdynia. This is a...
Malbork Castle in Poland - a medieval knight's castle
Malbork Castle in Poland is located in the Polish town of the same name. The castle was built by German...
Masurian Lakes in Poland - A canal boat trip from Mikolajki
The Masurian Lakes in Poland offer a magical holiday paradise in the eastern part of the country,...
Mechelinki - The charming little fishing village in Poland
Mechelinki used to be a small sleepy fishing village on the Polish Baltic Sea coast. Not far from here are holiday resorts...
Krakow in Poland - tips and guidance in Swedish
Have you visited Krakow in Poland yet? Whether you're a newcomer to the city or a...
Market in Gdansk dating back to the 13th century
Every year a huge market is organised in Gdansk for everyone in Poland, running up and down the street....
What to do in Warsaw - our top 13 tips
What to see and do in Warsaw? Poland's capital is perhaps one of Europe's cheapest...
Wieliczka salt mine, near Krakow, Poland
Today we went to the salt mine in Wieliczka in Poland. We were not the only ones,...
10 beautiful places in Poland you don't want to miss
There are plenty of stunningly beautiful places in Poland, and here we highlight some of the...
Things to do in Swinoujscie, Poland - 7 tips
What to see and do in Swinoujscie, Poland? This time we came here with...
Baranow Sandomierski - castle in eastern Poland
We have now started the exciting journey eastwards in Poland! From having recently been in...
Polish roads and camping in the mountains
Now we've travelled from Swinoujscie in northern Poland all the way down to the mountains of...
Camping in Poland - how does it work?
We received some questions from a reader about camping in Poland, and were inspired to write...
Baking St Martin croissants at a museum in Poznan
We got to try baking St Martin croissants at a museum in Poznan. So, what is...
Christmas market in Warsaw with fabulous decoration
Yesterday we went to the Christmas market in Warsaw. We were not lucky with the weather so to speak....
Lovely holiday in Swinoujscie, Poland
Time for a holiday in Swinoujscie, Poland! Swinoujscie is located on the Baltic Sea coast, near the border...
Travelling on the Poland ferry - Polferries Gdansk - Nynäshamn
Now we are home after a fantastic week in Poland. We travelled home with the Poland ferry...
Margaret says:
Thank you for letting us follow you on this trip, every day we enjoy reading your new places and adventure tips and beautiful pictures.Now we are steering the car to eastern Germany and on to the Polish coast.Then we will meet a happy group of motorhome owners with you as a tour guide.See you in Wismar, thank you for this trip.
14 July 2017 - 7:31
Helena says:
What fun that you have "followed" on our trip Margaret! 🙂 Hope you get really nice on the Polish coast now and that the weather gets a little more stable now! Looking forward to seeing you! 🙂
14 July 2017 - 8:11
Lena - good for the soul says:
All those fabric fences...!?!?!?!
But you shouldn't dream of California when you are in such a lovely place, Peter 😉 😉 😉 Nice song and nice sound track it is in any case:-).
Hug Lena
14 July 2017 - 7:53
Helena says:
Cloth fences seem to be important to have on the beach ... 😉 (Although we did just fine without them ...) And haha, at least I didn't dream of California!
14 July 2017 - 8:12
Mr Frank Olsen says:
It looked really cosy there, great beach and lots to do. But it looked a bit cold in the water?
Thank you very much for a pleasant tour of the Czech Republic and Poland!
14 July 2017 - 8:24
Helena says:
It was a bit cool in the water, but many people were swimming (including Peter). It was nice on the beach in af! 🙂 Funny that you joined the trip! We have some left to write about even when we get home!
14 July 2017 - 8:38
Bengt-Göran says:
Hi! You always stay at a campsite, right?
Can't you fricamp? Or the car park to stand on? /
Asks Bengt-Göran
14 July 2017 - 8:32
Helena says:
On this trip, we stayed at a campsite for all but three nights (a car park outside a castle, the driveway outside friends' houses and the car park at the ferry terminal in Swinoujscie). On a previous trip we have free-camped at a beach for a few days. In Poland, I don't think free camping is really allowed without the landowner's permission, so I think you have to free camp with caution. Pitches are not as common here as in some other countries, but there are some listed in e.g. Bordatlas. But often it is still about some kind of simple camping... The thing is that there are LOTS of campsites and they are cheap (about 140 -250 SEK per night including electricity and WiFi,) so we often think that we might as well go camping. If you do not want electricity, it becomes even cheaper.
14 July 2017 - 8:46
anna says:
hello! how wonderful that you had visited "my first home country" and it is even more fun that you liked it very much. some tips on camping sites. there are 2 different kinds of camping : private and public.
Private sites are usually more expensive than public ones. A great campsite that we can recommend is located opposite Willa Sobolski in Leba. Unfortunately I don't remember the name of the street. We try to be in Leba every year during the summer holidays and every time we discover something new that makes us return again and again and again. It's just a bit sad when everyone on the beach is bunching up and demarcating their territory. Greetings.
13 January 2018 - 13:39
Camilla says:
What a great time you seem to be having, and I am totally impressed by your reports! So detailed, inspiring and factual!
14 July 2017 - 8:55
Helena says:
Poland is beautiful! And how nice to hear that you like our reports Camilla! 🙂
14 July 2017 - 9:50
Kenneth Risberg says:
Haha you guys are funny...great film you made and a nice ending to your trip.
It has been a great pleasure to follow you.
Feels like it could be a Polish holiday next summer.
14 July 2017 - 8:56
Helena says:
Great if we can inspire a Polish holiday 🙂 We are on our way back to Sweden now, but we will write a bit more about the Czech Republic and Poland. We still have a report from the Czech Republic that we didn't get to and we thought we would summarise a bit about travelling with a motorhome in these countries.
14 July 2017 - 9:51
Mr Steve says:
Poland continues to positively surprise me. Great films you make.
14 July 2017 - 9:17
Helena says:
Glad you like our (Peter's!) films Steve! 🙂
14 July 2017 - 9:52
Denandraresan.com says:
Funny that you tried zapiekanka. 🙂 every time we go to Poland it is the first thing I or my sister do - go to the kiosk and buy a zapiekanka 🙂 My children are the same. We were also in Łeba last year, I have been there many times as a child. Before there was nothing there except the dunes and a small sleepy fishing village so it has changed very much. But it's still one of the coolest places you can go near Sweden... I think.
14 July 2017 - 9:18
Helena says:
Testing food while travelling is fun! 🙂 Have seen zapienkanka a little here and there, and I also read about them on your blog! And agree that this is a super nice place! Can understand that it has changed a lot ...
14 July 2017 - 9:53
Anette Åhnbrink says:
Wonderful trip you made! Nice pictures, good films and exciting destinations, I could probably imagine travelling in your footsteps!
14 July 2017 - 9:29
Helena says:
Glad you like our reports! Both Poland and the Czech Republic are great countries to travel with a motorhome through, so it's great if we can inspire you!
14 July 2017 - 9:55
Henny says:
Your best film so far Peter. Practice makes perfect. ?
Surely an older lady can give another compliment. You are beautiful Helena and what a nice dress you had on in this post. ??
Thank you for allowing us to travel with you and experience new places. Have a great summer.
14 July 2017 - 9:47
Helena says:
Wow, thanks for all the nice compliments...!!!! 🙂 And fun that you wanted to travel with us! Right now we are heading home, but we have a little to tell about both the Czech Republic and Poland, and then we have other trips going on!
14 July 2017 - 9:57
Marina says:
The picture with all the "fences" is absolutely wonderful! It feels a bit like that part of the beach is a "lunar digger" but without a kitchen and toilet 😉.
14 July 2017 - 10:07
Helena says:
Haha, yes, right? It really feels like the beach is decorated with rooms 🙂 .
14 July 2017 - 11:33
Snows says:
Such windbreaks were common in Sweden in the past and some chose to build themselves in as well. But nowadays you hardly ever see them.
Enjoy your journey!
14 July 2017 - 10:42
Helena says:
Really, was it more common in the past? I haven't thought about that ... You do see them in Sweden sometimes, but not in the same way as in Poland ... 😉 😉
14 July 2017 - 11:35
Goatfish says:
I have basically followed you, even if I haven't commented. You are on more social media 😀.
Poland is for me completely unexplored. Let's see if I ever get there, there are so many destinations, but this seems good!
Sunny summer frame ?
14 July 2017 - 11:32
Helena says:
How nice that you joined us! And yes, we are on FB and Insta too. By the way, wondering if my latest comments with you have arrived? Have commented on several of the posts about Wales (most recently about the mine, I think), but do not always see if my comments appear?
14 July 2017 - 11:38
Goatfish says:
Gomorron, Helena!
Saw your comment on me for yesterday's post. Nope, no hidden comments, by the way. Strange, that. Checked the spam.
I know someone said that comments from a mobile phone can disappear into thin air, better from a computer.
So sad. ;
Take care, hugs ? Gerd
15 July 2017 - 8:30
Helena says:
Ok, how strange! Then I know I have to try again. Or maybe comment from the computer (I used my mobile phone).
15 July 2017 - 12:37
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
What a wonderful trip and suddenly we have a plan B if they predict "thunder and drift ice" in northern Sweden when my holiday starts in three weeks. Poland and not least the Czech Republic have surprised very positively!
14 July 2017 - 18:16
Helena says:
Poland and the Czech Republic are definitely worth considering as holiday destinations! 🙂
14 July 2017 - 22:35
Husis blog says:
Nice trip and lots of good tips for any future trip. Like your films but think how different it feels with film from above and pictures from the ground, but still in the same place and the same time.
14 July 2017 - 18:35
Helena says:
I agree that it can look very different from the air and from the ground. Sometimes I am surprised by the drone images myself! 🙂
14 July 2017 - 22:36
BP says:
What a great film from Łeba. That city looks like a mix between Sopot and Gdansk. Oh what lovely sandy beaches! But the water was obviously not exactly 24 degrees warm;-)
14 July 2017 - 19:51
Helena says:
No, the water was not 24 degrees. It was swimmable, but no more 😉.
14 July 2017 - 22:37
Mr Nils-Åke Hansson says:
So close to Sweden but still different. Nice sandy beaches!
14 July 2017 - 20:54
Helena says:
Right? It is only a ferry crossing to Poland and yet you immediately feel that you are abroad 🙂 .
14 July 2017 - 22:46
Lennart says:
Poland is getting higher and higher on the list!
14 July 2017 - 20:58
Travelsis says:
We holidayed in Poland a few summers ago. Nice beaches, more to offer as a country than many probably think. However, looked a little funny with the protections, first thought it was against the wind.....
Thank you for this trip?
14 July 2017 - 21:12
Helena says:
Maybe the fences can protect a little against wind? But mostly it feels like you want to call in "your area" 😉 Absolutely agree that Poland has more to offer than many people think!
14 July 2017 - 22:47
Matts Torebring says:
Wow, what fun bees must have! But I don't buy the densely populated beach. There were sparser areas! Have a good time!
14 July 2017 - 21:18
Helena says:
Well, as almost always, there are denser and sparser areas on a long sandy beach ...
14 July 2017 - 22:48
Hasse says:
That beach looks like Mellbystran or Tylösand in the 60s/70s when everyone more or less had fabric windbreaks. Cheeky flashback.
15 July 2017 - 0:08
Diana's dreams says:
Lovely and Peter he fits in well there 🙂 hugs!
15 July 2017 - 9:26
Åsa says:
I think it is probably more important to have a roof than walls when you are on the beach, at least in this heat. People here sometimes have "walls" as wind protection but it is not so common.
15 July 2017 - 19:37
Daniela / Discovering The Planet says:
But oh how fun to build your own little enclosure. Not seen before. And that zapiekankan looks super good, says the foodie here 🙂.
19 July 2017 - 15:51