Amusement parks outside the big cities

In West Pomeranian Voivodeship amusement parks rarely stand in town centres. They usually lie a few or a dozen or so kilometres from the sea, by the road to a resort, and come to life mainly in summer. This is a type of place that grew out of the needs of the holiday family: when the beach gets boring and the weather lets you down, you need a destination for half a day. Each park below has a different idea of itself: some are based on the legends of the North, others on dinosaurs, a western or wooden machines.

Large parks with a central theme

Hossoland in Brojce is a seasonal park a dozen or so kilometres from the coast. The park describes itself on its website as the largest amusement park in northern Poland. It is divided into four zones inspired by the legends of the Baltic and the culture of the North: the Mermaid Town, Baltambria with the theme of amber treasures, the Land of the Vikings and the Dragon Valley. The website lists 25 rides, from roller coasters to a playground and a train that runs around the park, plus two shows: one about four Vikings and one about dragons in training.

A completely different atmosphere belongs to the Wild West Amusement Park in Zieleniewo near Kołobrzeg. According to its website it has operated since 2000. There are a Native American village with archery, a western city, a funfair, a motor park, a mini zoo, bumper cars and a carousel. The park also hosts summer camps and birthday parties in a saloon or a wigwam. It is seasonal, and outside the season the website states that it is closed.

Near Kołobrzeg, in Pyszka, stands Pomerania Fun Park. According to the website it is a year-round park that combines outdoor play with an indoor play hall. Under the roof there are ball pools and trampolines, as well as Laser Tag and a Viking Village, where you can see replicated buildings, costumes and tools and shoot with a bow. In summer, carousels, bouncy castles and a mini zoo with alpacas, ponies and peacocks are added.

Dinosaurs, whales and wooden games

Baltic Dinosaur Park in Wrzosowo, a few kilometres from Kamień Pomorski, shows, according to its website, dinosaurs at 1:1 scale. Next to it is a mini zoo, where zebras, camels, kangaroos, llamas, a donkey and peacocks live, and visitors are encouraged to stroke the animals. The attractions area lists trampolines, rope parks and bouncy castles, and the park also has an exhibition of minerals. The park operates seasonally.

In Rewal the Whale Park is a seasonal theme park with more than 100 models of sea creatures. According to the website you can see Europe's largest whale, a shark, an octopus and a jellyfish. The park is divided into four lands: the Baltic, the Giants of the Oceans, the Monsters of the Deep and the Pirates and Parrots. For rest there are hammocks, a playground and a pirate ship.

Leonardia in Krupy near Darłowo is an education and entertainment park built in the spirit of Leonardo da Vinci. The gates were opened in May 2013. The park began with 83 games, and according to the website there are now nearly a hundred and the workshop keeps adding new ones. The games and machines are made of wood, polished and finished with natural stains and waxes. The website lists the Games Park, the Shooting Square, Leonardo's Workshop and the Academia. This is a place for those who would rather think than rush about.

Miniatures, railways and bouncy castles

Lighthouses of the Polish coast in miniature are the subject of as many as two parks. The Miniatures and Railways Park in Dziwnów shows, according to its website, nearly 30 lighthouses at 1:10 scale. The tallest miniature, of the lighthouse in Świnoujście, is 6.48 m. To this are added a railway model with more than 1000 metres of track and a park railway with a replica of a Px48 steam locomotive. Children will also find a playground and a modelling workshop where you can see how the miniatures are made.

The Baltic Miniature Park in Międzyzdroje, opened in April 2015, is at 1:25 scale and shows historic monuments of the Baltic states: the Crane in Gdańsk, Malbork Castle, the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes in Szczecin and the Brandenburg Gate. Malbork Castle is, according to the park's website, the largest miniature. The park also has a water basin which is a miniature of the Baltic Sea at 1:45,000 scale. According to the website it operates all year.

In Sarbinowo Gigapark operates under the FunWorld brand. It focuses on inflatable attractions, and the Wild Safari obstacle course stands under a large tent, the Big Tent, so that play continues, according to the website, even in the rain. Dziwnów's Letti Lili Inflatable World is, according to Dziwnów's tourist website, a land of inflatable toys, castles, trampolines and slides, operating seasonally.

How to choose a park