//
Place in Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland
Photo: —DerHexer (Talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Hel is a town at the end of Hel peninsula in Poland. It is surrounded by the sea and is a water sport centre. The settlement was first mentioned in the early Middle Ages and its inhabitants lived on piracy. In 1266 Hel received its town charter which was affirmed in 1378. From 1454 until the Second Polish Partition in 1793, Hel was a private property of the city of Gdansk. After World War I, Hel was the biggest Polish fishing harbour. It defended itself for one month against the German invaders at the beginning of World War II.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Muzeum Rybołówstwa
In a 15th century Gothic St. Peter and Paul Church. From the top of the church tower you have a wonderful view other the city, the beaches and the sea.
Muzeum Obrony Wybrzeża
Very interesting blockhouses, exhibits and a narrow gauge railway.
Fokarium
Part of the Gdańsk University. There are performances for tourists but the goal of the sanctuary is to grow the seals and to set them free. The seals are fed at 11:00 and 14:00. During the summer at 16:30 too. There is also a museum part in a small building on the side of the pond which is often overlooked. Go inside and maybe you will be able to see seals from the bottom.
Latarnia Morska
41,5m tall lighthouse open for visitors from May till September
Wrak ORP Wicher II
Although not much remains of her today, the remaining structure of this wreck from 1958 is in very shallow waters where you can easily walk or swim over.
The "Porpoise House" serves as a micro-museum dedicated to a species that is dying out in the Baltic Sea and shows how difficult it is to survive. Right next to it is free exhibition of a fin whale skeleton inside a glass building.
You can take your pets with you.
By bus
Until 2023 you could go to Hel using line 666 (literally).
By train
There is a train station in Hel with line going straight from Gdynia served by Polregio. In season you can also arrive from many further directions by PKP Intercity.
By ferry
You can also swim to Hel with a ferry.
By car
You can drive to Hel by road . Remember that this is a single and quite dangerous road with no shoulder on its entire length except for the few towns on peninsula.
The only way to get there on land is along the peninsula. The town is pretty small so you can get on foot everywhere. The main road is the Ulica Wiejska with a lot of cafes, bars and souvenir shops.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Gdańsk · International · GDN
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Hel and Poland.
Travel tipsDiscover the cheapest countries to visit in Europe in 2026. Compare daily budgets for Albania, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Portugal with real costs.
8 min read
ItinerariesEuroVelo 10 (Baltic Sea Cycle Route) is an international long-distance cycle route in the EuroVelo network. It forms a circuit around the Baltic Sea.
Wikivoyage
Travel tipsThis topic is about international cruise ships visiting the Baltic Sea. See Baltic Sea ferries for local cruiseferries on the Baltic Sea.
Wikivoyage
Travel tipsWikivoyage has articles for several dozen of the world's largest and most-complicated international airports. They are designed to help you navigate safely and comfortably around them, and provide essential knowledge…
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.