Museums
a Gothic castle on an island with a tower, Lubinus's map of Pomerania and a collection of Oriental art
Lighthouses and ports
a low brick lighthouse from 1885 at the mouth of the Wieprza, flooded by storms
Lakes
a shallow, slightly brackish lake behind a spit, a breeding ground for birds and a place for windsurfing
Churches and monasteries
a Gothic church with the sarcophagi of the Dukes of Pomerania and an oak from 1817 next to it
Churches and monasteries
a former cemetery chapel on a hexagonal plan with a twelve-sided ambulatory and polychromes
Historic sites
the only surviving one of Darłowo's four town gates, brick with four storeys
Historic sites
Baroque town hall of 1725 with a stone portal from its predecessor and a fountain with a fisherman
Historic sites
a shipowners' house with a gable decorated with bas-reliefs and a plaque with a cog on the side wall
Churches and monasteries
late Gothic church of the 15th century, the former church of two Darłowo hospitals
Solo in Darłowo means a castle on an island, brick churches, the High Gate, a market square with a town hall and a lighthouse, all at your own pace.
Darłowo rewards a person travelling alone: the old town is covered on foot, most monuments carry the solo tag and curiosity alone is enough to enjoy them. The whole town, including places outside this selection, is covered under things to do in Darłowo, and similar ideas from across the province are collected under solo attractions.
The best start is Kościuszko Square and the market area: the town hall, a shipowner's house and St Mary's Church lie only minutes apart. From there it is easy to go to the castle by the river, to the gate in the north, or further out to the sea and the lake. The layout of the town and its monuments is explained in the article Darłowo: the old town.
Three buildings in the very centre tell the story of the former trading town well: a town hall, a gate and a merchant house. A quarter of an hour is enough for each, so they link easily into one loop.
The Ratusz w Darłowie (Town Hall) at Plac Tadeusza Kościuszki 9 was fitted out in 1725 inside former market halls. A Renaissance-style portal survives from the earlier building, and a fountain from 1919 plays on the square outside. Right next to it, on the corner with Rynkowa street, is Kamienica Hemptenmacherów w Darłowie (Hemptenmacher House), a shipowner's house dated 1604, with a gable decorated in relief and a plaque showing a cog on the side wall. About a hundred and twenty metres north of the market, on Powstańców Warszawskich street, rises Brama Wysoka w Darłowie (High Gate): brick, fourteenth-century, and the only one of four old gates to survive. It is privately owned, so you view it from outside.
Gothic Darłowo means a brick fortress by the river and three churches of very different character. The castle takes more time, while the churches can be visited on the way.
Zamek Książąt Pomorskich w Darłowie (Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes) on Zamkowa street 4 is a fourteenth-century brick stronghold surrounded by the river and a mill canal. A museum has run here since 1930, with exhibitions on art of the East, sculpture and an early map of Pomerania, which is why the castle carries the rainy-day tag. The building history is told in the article The castle in Darłowo. A quiet complement is Kościół Mariacki w Darłowie (St Mary's Church) on Franciszkańska street, a brick church with the sarcophagi of Pomeranian dukes, run today by the Franciscans. One of those buried is the subject of the text Eric of Pomerania.
Kościół św. Jerzego w Darłowie (Church of St George) is a modest one-aisle building from the 1400s, built outside the old town walls and once serving a hospital. Kościół św. Gertrudy w Darłowie (St Gertrude's) stands inside a working cemetery at Ojca Damiana Tynieckiego 20; it began as a cemetery chapel, and its body resembles a rotunda, with a six-sided centre inside a twelve-sided ambulatory. Remember that it is a burial place, so keep quiet.
Latarnia Morska Darłowo (Darłowo Lighthouse) is in Darłówko at Wschodnia street 14, right where the river reaches the sea. The brick tower was built in 1885 and heightened in 1927; storms batter it, but visitors can go inside. It pairs well with an evening stroll around the harbour. For quiet and birdwatching choose Kopań (Lake Kopań), a shallow coastal lake north-east of town, separated from the sea by a wooded spit. It has the free, nature and scenic-views tags, and windsurfers find plenty of room.
Spend the morning on the market, town hall, merchant house, High Gate and St Mary's, then the castle, and finish with the lighthouse in Darłówko. It is a relaxed plan on foot.
Yes, the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes carries the rainy-day tag and houses a museum. You can also step into the churches.
Most are viewed from outside: the gate, the merchant house, the town hall and the churches. Check entry rules for the castle and lighthouse with the operator.
At Lake Kopań, which is a bird breeding ground, and by the mouth of the Wieprza in Darłówko.
