Museum of Coastal Defence in Hel

The Museum of Coastal Defence in Hel occupies the concrete bunkers of a former German coastal battery, "Schleswig-Holstein," hidden in the pine forest at the entrance to Hel, the town at the tip of Poland's Hel Peninsula, north of Gdańsk. More than 15 exhibitions tell the story of Hel's 32-day defense in September 1939 and of the battery itself, while an outdoor park of guns and a narrow-gauge railway surround the site. It is one of the most rewarding military museums on the Polish Baltic coast.

History: from a 406 mm battery to a volunteer museum

During World War II the occupiers built a battery for guns of 406 mm (16-inch) caliber here. Six huge structures survived: two ammunition magazines, three gun positions named "Anton," "Bruno" and "Cezar," and a fire-control tower. After the war the military used them for storage and target practice, then abandoned them to scrap thieves. Local enthusiasts from the "Friends of Hel" association saved them, and the museum opened in position "Bruno" on 1 May 2006. It is named after Commander Zbigniew Przybyszewski, who led the Polish gun battery on the headland in 1939 and was executed in 1952 after a Stalinist show trial, later rehabilitated.

What to see

• Position B-2 "Bruno": the vast gun pit, crew quarters, shell magazines and handling equipment.
• Exhibitions on the 1939 defense of Hel, Commander Przybyszewski, Polish naval aviation in Puck, the Baltic tragedies of 1945 including the "Wilhelm Gustloff," and how this battery and its sister batteries were built.
• Outdoor weapons park with guns and naval mines.
• Fire-control tower, nine stories with a viewing platform over the headland (separate ticket).
• Narrow-gauge railway to the Hel Railway Museum (separate fare).

Visiting tips

The museum complex has five sites spread over up to 4 km; allow 1.5–2 hours for "Bruno" and the tower. There are no staff guides, but displays are labeled and a smartphone audio guide in English (also German, Polish and Czech) costs 10 PLN. Dogs are welcome, and no advance booking is needed.

Opening hours and tickets (as of October 2026)

• 1–25 October 2026: daily 10:00–16:00. The tower and the Hel Museum closed for the season on 4 October; the railway museum is closed.
• 26 October to the end of March: closed to individual visitors. Groups of more than 20 can arrange a visit by phone only (+48 697 888 583). The 2026 season began on 28 March; the 2027 opening date is not yet published.
• Summer: July–August 10:00–19:00. Last entry 30 minutes before closing.
• Tickets 2026: outdoor park 7 PLN; park plus main bunker 25 PLN (reduced 20); tower 15 PLN; pass for all sites 55 PLN. Under-4s free.

How to get there

The museum is at ul. Helska 16, about 2 km before Hel town center on the busy road onto the peninsula, with parking next to it. Trains from Gdynia reach Hel in about 2 hours; from the station it is roughly a 25-minute walk, or rent a bike and use the path along the peninsula.

Is it worth visiting?

If you have any interest in World War II, yes: the scale of the gun pit alone is striking. Come before late October, as winter visits are possible only for organized groups.