It’s time for a riddle. They pretend to be a small desert, but they really are not. Every year, they wander further and further. They are powerful and unstoppable. Despite this, tourists simply love them and visit them in droves every season. What is this? The famous shifting dunes in Słowinski National Park.
Are you looking for inspiration? The best ideas what to do in Tricity and its surroundings!
Moving dunes – what is it?
At the beginning, let’s explain what shifting dunes are. Do we owe their movement to magic or supernatural forces? Not exactly. The constant wind over the Baltic Sea blows fine grains of sand from the tops of the dunes. This causes them to constantly move eastwards. And it’s quite fast – they move up to 1.6 meters every year.
Shifting dunes in Slowinski National Park
Moving dunes next to Leba are the largest area of this type in Europe. The highest of the sandy mountains is Lacka Dune [in Polish: Wydma Łącka], which reaches a height of about 42 meters. When you stand at the top, you will feel like you are on the roof of the world, in the desert, by the lake and by the sea at the same time. This is because the zone of dunes is located on a narrow spit between Lebsko Lake and the Baltic Sea. An amazing case and an unprecedented sight. Here you can take a little walk, feel the sand in your shoes and enjoy the view of the natural landscape, unspoilt by man.
Slowinski National Park – tickets and opening hours
Moving dunes are located in the Slowinski National Park. You can buy tickets at the box office at the entrance in Rabka village [in Polish: Rąbka] or online.
- A normal ticket costs PLN 9.
- A reduced ticket costs PLN 4.50.
The Park is available from dawn, understood as an hour before sunrise, to dusk, understood as an hour after sunset, throughout the year.
Moving dunes, Leba – how to get?
You can get to Dune Lacka from the village of Rabka, which is adjacent to Leba.
- Car. If you come here by car, you have to leave it in the parking lot about 6 km from the moving dunes (close to the ticket office of Slowinski National Park). Then you will have a walk (in the forest or along the sea) or a trip by electric car.
- Bike. We visited the shifting dunes during a cycling trip along the coast of Baltic Sea. On our two wheels, we took the path to Lacka Dune, where there is a free parking lot for cyclists.
Slowinski National Park – tips
- Moving dunes are great, but it’s an attraction for a maximum of an hour (including taking a few photos). Are you wondering what else you can see in Slowinski National Park and its surroundings? When it comes to natural attractions, the Lebsko and Gardno lakes are a must. In Czolpino (between Rowy and Leba) there is a 25-meter lighthouse belonging to the famous Lighthouse Trail. Lovers of nature and history will certainly like the Natural History Museum of the Slowinski National Park located in Smoldzino and the Museum of the Slowińska Village in Kluki.
- What animal do you associate with the desert? Probably a camel. And what animal do we associate with shifting dunes? Fox. We met this redhead at the very entrance. He seems tame, not afraid to get close to tourists and clearly counts on treats. He’s adorable, but don’t be fooled. Remember that wild animals should not be fed (they lose their hunting instinct) or approached (rabies alert!).
Shifting dunes – reviews
- Patrix – 7/10. Very nice view. The shifting dunes look like a desert. Going uphill, you can feel the adventure under your feet. Unfortunately, there is nothing to see there apart from the dunes so you walk 6 km one way to simply walk on the sands for 30 minutes.
- Wiolczix – 9/10. A very exotic landscape for Polish conditions. Thanks to the shifting dunes and picturesque lakes, the Slowinski National Park is probably the most beautiful part of the Polish coast. You must come here.
Moving dunes – Łeba – frequently asked questions
How to get to the moving dunes of Łeba?
You can only get to the shifting dunes near Łeba on foot, by bike or by electric car. Car traffic is closed to tourists here.
How much does a ticket to the Łeba dunes cost?
The entry fee to the moving dunes in Łeba is actually an entry fee to the Słowiński National Park. In 2024, it ranges from PLN 4.50 (discount ticket) to PLN 9.00 (normal ticket).
What are shifting dunes?
Shifting dunes are a type of dunes in the form of sandy hills. They owe their “movement” to the shifting of sand grains caused by strong gusts of wind. The movement of dunes can be stopped by the vegetation growing on them.
Are dunes and quicksand the same thing?
No, shifting dunes and quicksand are two completely different concepts. Sandy hills that move due to gusts of wind are called moving dunes. In turn, quicksand, also known as slush, is a phenomenon affecting land which, when heavily hydrated, begins to behave like a thick liquid.
Slowinski National Park – map
Moving Dunes are located between the Baltic Sea and Lebsko Lake.
