Śródmieście Beach in Gdynia

Few Polish cities have a beach just minutes from their main street. In Gdynia you simply walk down from Kościuszko Square and you are on the sand, looking at the port, the South Pier and the Sea Towers skyscrapers. Śródmieście (City Centre) Beach lies at the foot of Kamienna Góra hill, where the Seaside Boulevard begins, in the heart of the modernist centre that was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2026.

History: a beach rebuilt from the seabed

Today's wide beach is largely man-made. For decades the Seaside Boulevard – opened in its present form in 1969 – ran right along the water, protected only by boulders. It was not until the early 21st century that the central beach was replenished: sand pumped from the bay enlarged it eastwards and southwards, shielding the promenade. Steps were added at the same time, leading from the boulevard straight onto the sand.

Gdynia's centre itself was built in the 1920s and 1930s, when a fishing village became a port city within little more than a decade. On 26 July 2026 the UNESCO World Heritage Committee inscribed the Modernist Centre of Gdynia as Poland's 18th World Heritage site – and the beach lies within that area, between the city centre and Kamienna Góra.

The bathing area in summer

In summer a lifeguarded bathing area, Gdynia Śródmieście, covers about 200 m of shoreline. According to the city's guide, the bathing areas are open daily from 9:30 to 17:30. A white flag means swimming is allowed, a red flag means no entering the water. Red buoys mark the zone for non-swimmers (depth up to 1.2 m), yellow buoys the limits of the bathing area, where the water is up to 4 m deep. Children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult.

A barrier-free beach

Śródmieście is one of Gdynia's beaches adapted for people with disabilities. Wooden walkways make it easier to cross the sand, and in season a beach wheelchair lets users go right into the water – you request it from the senior lifeguard. Dogs are allowed on Gdynia's beaches from 1 May to 30 September only in designated, signposted zones.

What to look out for

• Gdyńskie Rybki – Adam Smolana's metal sculpture of three fish at the entrance to the central beach.
• Views of the port and the South Pier – from the sand you can see the yacht marina and the port quays.
• The Seaside Boulevard – more than 1.5 km of promenade heading south to the beach in Redłowo.

Tripto tip

Access to the beach is free. Out of season the bathing area is closed, but the beach makes an excellent starting point for a walk: first along the Seaside Boulevard below Kamienna Góra, then back via Kościuszko Square past the Dar Pomorza tall ship and the destroyer ORP Błyskawica. From Gdynia Główna station you can walk here through the centre. Parking in Śródmieście is paid and spaces fill up quickly on summer weekends – coming by train is easier.