Poland insider tip: 7 good reasons for a holiday in Kashubia

Not far from the Polish Baltic Sea coast hides a natural paradise crisscrossed by forests and lakes; Kashubia. Agricultural villages, some of which are only crossed by paths, deep blue lakes with undeveloped shores and a tranquillity that is far too rare to find these days. Right in the heart of this region – in the so-called Kashubian Switzerland – I spent a few wonderfully relaxing summer days in July.

I confess, I didn’t have any expectations of our summer holiday destination before. Sometimes it’s because Kashubia turned out to be one of the most surprising travel discoveries of recent years for me. And that’s exactly why I’ve brought seven really good reasons for a detour to northern Poland in this article for all those for whom Kashubia has not yet appeared on the travel radar either. Who knows, maybe next summer you’ll be drawn to the opposite direction.

Holidays in Kashubia – our trip at a glance

But before that, I would like to give you a brief overview of our itinerary through northern Poland. We traveled from Switzerland by train via Berlin to Gdansk. Gdansk served as the starting and ending point of our ten-day trip through the Pomeranian Voivodeship, which also includes Kashubia. We divided our itinerary as follows:

2 nights in Gdansk 3 nights in the village of Pierszczewko in the middle of Kashubian Switzerland

3 nights in the seaside resort of Łeba on the Baltic Sea coast
1 night in Gdansk

In order to be as flexible as possible on the road, we rented a car on site. In principle, however, both Pierszczewko (or Krzeszna, which is a 30-minute walk away) and Łeba can be reached by train from Gdansk.

While Kashubian Switzerland is very tranquil even in the high season (July/August), there is much more going on in the larger seaside resorts on the coast. If you prefer it quieter on the coast, you should look for accommodation in and around Smołdzino as early as possible. For us, however, the mix of peace and tranquility in Pierszczewko and the classic seaside resort feeling in Łeba was ultimately quite harmonious.

1. Because you can relax at Stare Gospodarstwo

But what exactly is decisive for the fact that this year’s summer holiday destination really makes me go into raptures? One of my highlights is the three-day stay at the guesthouse “Stare Gospodarstwo” in Pierszczewko.

The hosts Kasia and Michael have created a remarkable oasis of peace on the grounds of a former farm. For this purpose, the 18th century barn was converted into a guest house with four cosy rooms and a common room. The barn is nestled in a spacious garden, where a hammock, Hollywood swing and a kind of conservatory provide the perfect setting for chill days. In addition to the nightly bath in the hotpot, discovering all the freshly prepared breakfast dishes is the highlight of the day. Most of the products served come from the hotel’s own garden.

We’ve already seen a lot in terms of breakfast – but at “Stare Gospodarstwo” the attention to detail and daily changing combinations of regional specialties really knocked my socks off. “Next level”, as they say in modern German.

2. Because Kashubian Switzerland is a paradise for nature lovers

But we didn’t just have a hearty breakfast at the “Stare Gospodarstwo” and then let the sun shine on our faces while dangling in the hammock. No, no! Kasia and Michael also offer their guests the perfect setting for active days in Kashubia. From the guesthouse you can walk in a few minutes to the shores of the two nearby lakes Jezioro Patulskie and Jezioro Ostrzyckie. The best way to explore them is with one of the two canoes that Kasia and Michael store for their guests on the shores of Lake Patulskie. Since the two lakes are connected by a small canal, you can do shorter or longer canoe rounds as you wish.

For example, we went on a half-day trip to Ostrzyce and stopped for lunch at the garden restaurant “Smażalnia Ryb u Edzia“. Again, a tip from the host couple. In any case, the restaurant tips that Kasia and Michael have prepared for their guests are top class – but more on that later!

Kashubia is not only a paradise for water sports enthusiasts, but also scores with various cycling routes. From the “Stare Gospodarstwo” the short tour to the 329 m high Wieżyca – the highest mountain in northern Poland – is worthwhile. On top of that, you can climb 35 metres in altitude to the viewing platform of the observation tower there.

The observation tower is open during the summer months from about 09:00 in the morning until nightfall (it closed at 20:00 during our visit). The entrance fee is PLN 10 (as of 2022).

3. Because there are several hundred lakes waiting to be discovered

The landscape of Kashubia with its rolling hills and elongated, branching lakes was formed at the end of the last ice age and forms one of a total of four Polish lake districts. Many of the lakes are connected to each other by smaller rivers. This makes it possible, for example, to go on canoe tours lasting several days.

In addition to exploring the lakes right on the doorstep of our guesthouse, we also have a detour to the largest lake in the region, the Jez. Wdzydze (Wide Lake). This is often referred to as the “Kashubian Sea” by the locals and can be seen from the lookout tower in the village of Wdzydze Kiszewskie.

4. Due to the exciting linguistic and cultural independence

Kashubia is not only a geographical region, but also the homeland of the Kashubians. The Kashubians are descendants of West Slavic Pomeranian tribes who settled in the area between the Oder and the Vistula from the Middle Ages. In Kashubia, this culture and language have survived to this day. This analysis by the Federal Agency for Civic Education offers a very exciting insight into the history of the Kashubians. In 2005, Kashubian was formally recognized as a language, which made it possible, among other things, to erect bilingual place signs.

The open-air museum “Kashubian Ethnographic Park” in Wdzydze offers a broad insight into the rural life of the Kashubians. It was founded over a hundred years ago as the first open-air museum in Poland. The grounds are spacious and if you want to see all the houses and information in detail, you should plan at least half a day for the visit. We strolled around the grounds for about 1.5 hours, which is enough for a rough first overview.

The museum is open all year round (from 09:00 to 16:00 in the summer months and from 10:00 to 15:00 in the winter months). Normal admission for adults costs PLN 17 per person.

Another museum dedicated to the cultural heritage of Kashubians is the Muzeum Kaszubskie in Kartuzy. Kartuzy is also considered the capital of Kashubia and is its cultural center.

In addition to the exciting history of the Kashubians, there are other legendary places to discover in the deep, sweetly resin-scented pine forests of Kashubia. These include the stone circles of Węsiory, which are associated with a Gothic tribe. The stone circles can be reached with a short 15-minute walk and are a worthwhile stopover on the way from Kashubia to the Słowiński National Park on the Baltic coast.

5. Because foodies will definitely get their money’s worth here too

I have already raved about the good local cuisine in connection with breakfast at “Stare Gospodarstwo”. Both in Kashubia and on the Baltic Sea coast we ate consistently fine. If you spend your holidays at Stare Gospodarstwo, you should definitely stop by the Gościniec Malinówka restaurant and try the homemade dumplings (pierogi) or fish. We also had a great meal during the detour to the Weitsee – in the bar “Drewutnia” (also a tip from Kasia and Michael).

On a day trip to the “Wydma Czołpińska” in the Słowiński National Park, we stopped at a rather inconspicuous restaurant called “Bistro przed Wydmą“, located directly on the road. And there was also excellent food there.

Contrary to the prejudice of the “meat-heavy” cuisine, it can be summed up for Kashubia and the Baltic Sea coast that – at least in the summer months – there are a lot of vegetable dishes and regional fish on the menus.

6. Because the Baltic Sea coast with the Słowiński National Park is only a stone’s throw away

The Kashubian Landscape Park with its hills, forests and lakes is located about 70 kilometres from the Baltic coast. From the «Stare Gospodarstwo» you can reach the extensive sandy beaches by car in just under 1.5 hours. Thus, both a day at the beach and exploring the so-called “Polish Sahara” can also be carried out as a day trip.

Alternatively – and this would be my tip: Add a few coastal days to the relaxed days in the Kashubian hinterland. We moved our base from Pierszczewko to Łeba and checked into the only hotel located directly on the sandy beach. This castle-style hotel was opened in 1907. And even if some things seem a bit out of date today (especially for a hotel that is classified as a 4-star hotel), I would check in here again at any time directly with a view of the sun rising behind the Baltic Sea.

Łeba is also a great base for exploring the extensive sandy beaches and impressive shifting dunes in the Słowiński National Park, which borders directly on the village. You should not miss the following sights:

• Cycle from Łeba to Wydma Łącka (the largest shifting dune on the Pomeranian Baltic coast). There are various bike rental companies in Łeba and the bikes can be easily rented for half a day or by the day. It is worth taking the excursion early in the morning to avoid the waiting times at the entrance to the national park.
• Take a detour to the Czołpino Lighthouse and the Wydma Czołpińska in the west of the National Park. This part of the National Park is much less crowded than the route from Łeba to Wydma Łącka.
• Very beautiful sandy beaches can be found east of Łeba at the height of the Stilo lighthouse. From the lighthouse there is also an impressive view over the coastal strip. If your stomach is rumbling after the climb to the observation deck, then it is worth stopping at the Ewa Zaprasza restaurant in the nearby village of Sasino.

7. Because this can be perfectly combined with a visit to the multifaceted Tricity

As written in the introduction, Kashubia is a region of the Pomeranian Voivodeship located southwest of the cities of Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot. So it makes sense to combine the trip to Kashubia with a stopover in the so-called “Tricity”. You can find my tips in this blog post: Gdansk: my top tips for a city trip to the “Tricity”

Practical tips for your trip to Kashubia

• If you travel by train from Switzerland to northern Poland like we did, you should plan around 1.5 days for the journey. There is a daily direct connection from Berlin to Gdansk.
• There are not many classic sights in Kashubia. Instead of sightseeing stress, you can expect a lot of nature and sleepy villages “off the beaten path”.
• I recommend planning at least a week for the combination of Kashubia and the Baltic Sea coast. If you also want to see the Tricity, you should ideally bring more than a week (we were on the road for a total of 10 days).
• Kasia and Michael at “Stare Gospodarstwo” understand English. The more rural the area or the smaller the village, the more difficult it is to communicate. But we got by relatively well with English.
• Depending on the room, the double rooms at the “Stare Gospodarstwo” cost the equivalent of around 60 to 70 CHF per day, including a phenomenal breakfast and the use of canoes, bicycles, etc.
• Nowhere in Kashubia did we pay more than the equivalent of 10 to 15 CHF per person for a restaurant meal. The region is therefore also a reasonably priced destination.
• You can find even more impressions and tips about the guesthouse «Stare Gospodarstwo» on the website of Poland Soul Travel.

Note: this trip was supported by Poland Soul Travel. All impressions and opinions are ours.