The Pomeranian Voivodeship (Pomorskie) is Poland's Baltic coast region, centred on the Tricity of Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia. It combines Gdańsk's rebuilt Hanseatic Main Town, the Teutonic fortress of Malbork, the sandy Hel Peninsula, the moving dunes of Słowiński National Park and the lake-studded villages of Kashubia and Kociewie.
Pomeranian Voivodeship (Pomorskie), centered on the Tricity of Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot, is a safe destination with low violent-crime rates. The main risks for visitors are pickpocketing in crowded summer areas, taxi overcharging, inflated bar bills in nightlife streets, Baltic Sea hazards (cold water, rip currents, cyanobacteria blooms) and ticks in forests.
Current safety advisory
Low
Standard European travel precautions apply to Pomeranian Voivodeship. The US Department of State rates Poland Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions, the lowest of its four levels; the official page showed an issue date of 5 June 2025 and no newer revision was found. The voivodeship is in north-western Poland on the Baltic coast, far from the Ukrainian and Belarusian borders. Travelers should check their own government's current advice before departure.
Last updated: 2026-10
Official advisories
Guidance from national travel-advisory services.
Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
Poland is listed at Level 1, the lowest advisory level. The official travel.state.gov page showed an issue date of June 5, 2025. Check travel.state.gov before departure for any newer revision.
Check current advice
Check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/poland for current UK advice, which covers petty crime in tourist areas, alcohol-related incidents in nightlife districts and local entry rules.
Essential safety tips
Practical advice that applies everywhere.
Use app-based taxis (Bolt, Uber, FreeNow) or a licensed taxi from a marked rank; unmarked cabs at Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport and the main railway stations are known to overcharge visitors
Watch belongings in crowded places: Długi Targ and Długa Street in Gdańsk, Gdańsk Główny station, the Sopot pier and Monte Cassino street, and packed SKM trains in summer
Never leave phones or bags on beach blankets or cafe tables while swimming or walking away
Check the flag at every Baltic beach: a red flag means swimming is prohibited, and the water is cold and has rip currents near piers and breakwaters
In July and August check the official bathing-water service (Serwis Kąpieliskowy of the Sanitary Inspectorate) before swimming, because cyanobacteria blooms can close bathing sites and a bloom means a ban on entering the water
Do not pick up amber-like lumps on the beach after storms without checking: white phosphorus from old munitions looks like amber and burns on drying; report it to the police on 997 or 112
Do not touch any metal object washed up on the beach or found in forests; unexploded Second World War ordnance is still found along the Baltic coast and in the Gulf of Gdańsk
Buy and validate a ticket before riding trams, buses and the SKM; inspectors issue on-the-spot fines for travel without a valid ticket
Be careful crossing tram lines in Gdańsk and Gdynia; trams are quiet and cyclists share many promenades
Check yourself for ticks after walking in the Tricity Landscape Park, Słowiński National Park, the Kashubian woods and the Hel Peninsula pine forests from April to October
In winter wear shoes with grip: cobbles and promenades at the Motława river and the Sopot pier can be icy, and sea gales can make pier walks unpleasant
Keep copies of your passport and travel insurance in a separate place from the originals
Check the bar price list before ordering in nightlife streets such as Sopot's Monte Cassino street; avoid venues where a promoter escorts you in from the street
Pharmacies (apteka) are widely available in the Tricity, and each city has duty pharmacies open at night
Tap water is safe to drink in Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot
Common scams to avoid
Recognise and sidestep tourist-targeted scams.
Taxi overcharging
Unmarked cabs waiting at the airport, Gdańsk Główny station and in Sopot quote inflated fares for short trips that cost a fraction of that by app.
How to avoid: Order Bolt, Uber or FreeNow from the app, or use an official taxi rank with a tariff posted on the door.
Bar bill scam
A small number of bars in nightlife streets such as Sopot's Monte Cassino street present inflated bills after a promoter lures tourists in with promises of cheap drinks or company.
How to avoid: Check the printed price list before ordering, avoid venues that escort you from the street, and stick to well-reviewed bars.
Pickpocketing in crowds
Thieves work crowded trams, the SKM, Gdańsk Główny station, Długi Targ, the Sopot pier and Monte Cassino street, especially in July and August and during festivals.
How to avoid: Carry bags in front, zip pockets, and keep phones out of back pockets.
Fake or pressed amber
Souvenir stalls sell plastic, glass or pressed amber (ambroid) as natural Baltic amber at inflated prices.
How to avoid: Buy from established shops that provide a certificate, and ask the seller to explain how to test the piece.
Currency exchange booths with hidden rates
Exchange offices (kantor) near tourist sites advertise attractive rates that pay out less after commission or on small print.
How to avoid: Withdraw PLN from a bank ATM or use a kantor away from tourist sites; ask for the final amount in writing before handing over cash.
Health considerations
Staying healthy on your trip.
- Vaccinations
- No special vaccinations are required beyond routine immunizations. Ticks are present in forests and on dunes from April to October, so tick checks and repellent are advised for visitors hiking in the Tricity Landscape Park, the Kashubian woods and Słowiński National Park; check with a doctor before travel about tick-borne encephalitis vaccination for extended forest time.
- Water
- Tap water in Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot is safe and meets EU standards. Baltic Sea and lake water can be affected by cyanobacteria in summer; avoid entering water when a bloom notice is posted.
- Food
- Food hygiene standards are high. Fried and smoked fish from seaside stalls is generally safe when the stall is busy and the fish is cooked to order.
- Facilities
- Hospitals with emergency departments include the University Clinical Center in Gdańsk (Uniwersyteckie Centrum Kliniczne, ul. Dębinki 7), the Polanki Children's Hospital (Szpital Dziecięcy Polanki im. Macieja Płażyńskiego, ul. Polanki 119, Gdańsk-Oliwa) and the Maritime Hospital of the Polish Red Cross in Gdynia (Szpital Morski im. PCK, ul. Powstania Styczniowego 1). Private clinics such as Medicover and LuxMed also operate in the Tricity. EU citizens with an EHIC card are covered for emergency treatment at public hospitals; other visitors should carry travel insurance.
- Pharmacies
- Pharmacies (apteka) are widespread, and duty pharmacies stay open at night in Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot.
Safety for specific travellers
Tailored advice for different groups.
Solo travellers
The Tricity is safe for solo travelers. Public transport and the SKM run late and the Main Town, Gdynia centre and Sopot seafront are well lit and busy in summer. Use Bolt or Uber late at night instead of waiting alone at empty stops, and tell someone about plans for remote walks on the Hel Peninsula or in Słowiński National Park.
Female travellers
The Tricity and the coast are generally safe for women traveling alone, including in the evening in central districts. Normal nightlife precautions apply: keep an eye on your drink, use app taxis after clubbing in Sopot, and avoid empty underpasses and poorly lit parts of beaches late at night.
Families
Pomeranian Voivodeship is very family friendly. Beaches have lifeguard stations in summer, and the Polanki Children's Hospital in Gdańsk-Oliwa has pediatric emergency care. Supervise children at all times in the Baltic, whose water is cold even in July, and near tram tracks, piers and the Motława quay edges. Check beach flags and bathing-water notices every day.
LGBTQ+ travellers
Poland does not recognize same-sex marriage or partnerships, and attitudes vary. The Tricity is among the more open parts of Poland, with an active community and an annual Equality March (Marsz Równości) in Gdańsk. Discretion with public displays of affection may be advisable in small towns and rural parts of the voivodeship.
Emergency contacts
Numbers to know before you go.
- Police
- 997 (or 112 from a mobile phone)
- Medical
- 999 for an ambulance, or 112
- Fire
- 998 or 112
- Municipal Police
- 986 (Straż Miejska, city guards)
- Embassy
- US Embassy Warsaw, Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31, +48 22 504 2000; there is no embassy in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, so travelers should check their own embassy's website for contact details
- Tourist Police
- Poland has no separate tourist police; call 112 and ask for an English-speaking operator
- Mountain Rescue
- Pomeranian Voivodeship has no mountain terrain. For emergencies on the water or on the beach call 112; the volunteer water rescue service WOPR is also reached on 601 100 100