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Sopot enjoys a fantastic
location sandwiched between the TriCity Landscape
Park and the Bay of Gdansk.The town has a reputation
for it's Bohemian atmosphere, attracting many
painters, poets, musicians and actors. It is also a
popular holiday destination for many Poles and is
known as the party capital of Poland !
Sopot's arty social scene dates back to before the
War when the town was a playground for Prussian
nobility and aristocrats. It quickly became known as
a spa resort. Since that time the casino, racing
track and countless bars and discos continue to draw
visitors from all age groups.
The main thoroughfare is
Monte Cassino Street. This pedestrianised street is
filled with restaurants, shops, trendy bars and
discos and leads right down to the sea front. One of
the main attractions here is the
Krzywy Dom or
Crooked House. Looking like one of Dali's dripping
clocks this building looks like it's melting in the
midday sun. Inside you may be surprised to find
there are many elegant but affordable shops,
restaurants and bars.
Monte Cassino Street leads right onto Sopot's most famous sight-it's
wooden pier or
molo. Said to be the longest wooden pier
in Europe it seems to be just as popular today as it
was 50 years ago. Compared to piers at English
seaside resorts the Sopot Molo is virtually
commercial free making it extremely popular for
people who love to take part in the Continental
social phenomenon known as the Promenade.
In most parks and
pedestrianised boulevards you will see hundreds of
Poles simply strolling along enjoying the view and
stopping every so often to chat to people they may
know. It seems to be an ageless tradition as old
couples, smooching teenagers and families all take
part.
The Sopot Molo is ideal
for the Promenade and offers stunning views of the
Sopot coastline. The beach fronted Grand Hotel
can
clearly be seen from the pier as well as the cliff
at Orlowo.
The hotel, which was
built in the 1920's, has now been refurbished
and it's original art nouveau style has attracted
such illustrious guests as Charles De Gaulle,
Giscard D'Estaing, Fidel Castro, the Shah of Iran
and one unwelcome guest........Adolf Hitler.
The Old Lighthouse on
Pl. Zdrojowy offers some of the best views in the
area. Access is from near the pier.
Another observation of
the Polish coastline is that you will inevitably see
plenty of swans and ducks along the shore line
however, don't get too close to the swans as they
can be moody and aggressive.
The Opera Lesna is
unique to Sopot. The Opera Lesna is an ampitheatre
built inside a picturesque forest with great
acoustics due to it being located in a natural
valley. This venue has been wowing audiences since
the early 1900's and this modernised venue can now
comfortably seat 5000 people. The Opera Lesna is
also the home of the annually held Sopot music
festival which showcases the best of Polish musical
talent as well as some major international stars. In
it's history the stage has welcomed the likes of
Shirley Bassey, Johnny Cash, Annie Lennox, Chris
Rea, Bryan Adams, Whitney Houston and many more. For
line up details of the Sopot Music Festival 2007 then
keep checking the official website
here. |
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