Beautiful, wide beaches are an unquestionable asset of Sobieszewo Island. They are up to 70 m wide, and walking on their shore, you will cover 11 km! Anyone ready to walk along the sea will find a secluded spot for themselves.
The guarded bathing sites on Sobieszewo Island are located at the ends of Falowa (beach entrance no. 16), Lazurowa (beach entrance no. 11) and Trałowa streets (beach entrance no. 7). The safety of beachgoers is supervised by lifeguards along 100 m of shoreline.
Food outlets are a few hundred metres from the beach entrance. The bathing site facilities include toilets, freshwater showers, beach equipment hire and a small playground. New changing rooms and bike racks have also been set up.
For those who love sand workouts, there are pitches where you can play beach volleyball and football. A visit to the beach is a good idea to spend your free time, not only in sunny weather. When going to the seaside just after a storm or stronger winds, the amber crumbs lying by the shore will reward you for less favourable weather conditions.
Six Nordic Walking trails with a total length of approximately 33.5 km have been laid out in the forests, and the Wincenty Pol cycle trail around the island is approximately 28 kilometres long. Beautiful views of the Vistula Estuary are waiting for us on the route from Przegalina to Świbno, which runs along the dike.
Nordic walking routes have been divided into two areas: the eastern one (in Sobieszewo) and the western one (in Świbno), with three trails designated in each area: yellow, green and red, of varying lengths and degrees of difficulty. The routes are very well marked and lead through the Las Mierzei forest and along the wide beach. Along the way, you can make use of covered resting places and learn about the history and nature of Sobieszewo Island thanks to special boards. In addition, the Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society (PTTK) green hiking trail runs through the entire district.
Sobieszewo Island is an increasingly friendly place for water sports enthusiasts. Here, you can rent kayaks and set off on the Martwa Wisła towards Błotnik and the sluice in Przegalina. Along the way is the Młynówka kayak marina: a new recreation and leisure destination on Sobieszewo Island. Yachting enthusiasts can use the 72-unit marina opened on Nadwiślańska Street.
The Młynówka kayak marina and the Nadwiślańska yacht marina are managed by the Gdańsk Sports Centre. Read more: https://sportgdansk.pl/obiekty/przystan-nadwislanska/
The nature of Sobieszewo Island is truly unique. Embraced by the Vistula and the waters of the Gdańsk Gulf, it has wild beaches, coastal lakes with reed beds, numerous willow and alder thickets and marshes. Coastal woodland and mixed forest are also here, as are Żulawy meadows and arable fields.
The Island’s location and specific hydrological conditions favour biodiversity, especially the richness of bird species, which use these excellent conditions for nesting and moulting and profit from the resting and feeding grounds during migration and wintering.
To preserve these valuable natural sites, the Island is under various forms of legal protection. Two nature reserves have the status of the Vistula River Mouth Natura 2000 protected area: the Ptasi Raj (Bird Paradise) located in Górki Wschodnie and the Mewia Łacha (Gull Sandbank) stretching between Świbno and Mikoszewo, together with the surrounding waters. In addition, both estuaries with sandbanks are listed under the name of the Vistula River Mouth in the Ramsar Convention as one of the most valuable wetland sites in the world. The entire island enjoys the status of Sobieszewo Island Protected Landscape Area, and active protection measures are being implemented here, including protection of the nests of the ringed plover, now rare on the coast.
Nature trails and observation towers in both reserves provide excellent conditions for bird watching, and in the Mewia Łacha reserve, also spotting grey seals resting on the nearby sandbank at the mouth of the Vistula crossing.
There is one place on Sobieszewo Island from which you can see the mouth of the Wisła Śmiała between Górki Wschodnie and Zachodnie, wide beaches, the coastal forest, green and yellow fields, the Martwa Wisła and the mouth of the Vistula into the Gdańsk Gulf. This is the Kazimierz Water Reservoir, a water tower that serves the residents of Sobieszewo Island, an educational facility and a viewing tower, part of the Gdańsk Water Supply Trail.
From the terrace located 10 m above the crowns of the tallest trees, i.e. 45 m above sea level, there stretches a view of Sobieszewo Island, Żuławy Gdańskie and the Gdańsk Gulf. Inside, visitors can discover a multimedia exhibition on the island’s natural features. The Kazimierz Water Reservoir is an active reservoir with a primarily technical function. It was opened in 2015.
From June to September, you can sign up to climb the tower and visit the Kazimierz Water Reservoir. Register at www.szlak.gda.pl.
