When the beach is out, the indoor options remain

The Baltic can change a family's plans within a single day. Wind, rain and cold in West Pomerania do not have to mean sitting in a guesthouse room, however. In the resorts from Dziwnów to Kołobrzeg and Mielno there is a good number of places under a roof, and each will occupy children in a different way: some show sea animals, others let them burn off energy, and still others entertain with optical illusion. Below is an overview of those that make sense on a rainy day, divided according to what children are looking for.

The sea up close: aquariums and exhibitions

According to the venue's website, the Oceanarium in Kołobrzeg is a small aquarium exhibition in the town centre, intended for individual visitors and school trips. The website lists piranhas and moray eels, colourful fish such as Tanganyika kings, lionfish, hornfish and pufferfish able to inflate themselves, and for those looking for stronger experiences also stingrays and sharks. It is more an hour than half a day, so it is best combined with a walk around the nearby old town.

The 6D Museum, called Maszoperia 1913 on its website, has a completely different character. The walls are covered with about 500 square metres of 3D paintings, and every visitor receives 3D glasses. The main theme is the story of the old fishermen of the Baltic and the legend of the net and the witch. Exhibits may be touched, and the exhibition has effects: fog, scent, wind, soap bubbles and a moving floor. The visit is led by a guide who explains to children, among other things, what a maszoperia (fishing cooperative), a skipper and a checza (fisherman's hut) are. For older children it is a chance to learn some vocabulary of the old fishing trade along the way.

If the rain catches you in Dziwnów, Morskie Centrum Nauki Nautica Park is a good choice. The interactive exhibition is divided into zones. According to the centre's website, these include a zone on safety at sea, which tells of the largest maritime disaster in Poland's post-war history, an experiment zone with demonstrations of phenomena in the sea, a section on Dziwnów as the largest fishing port on the western coast, an exhibition about the Cold War, a maritime exhibition and a display about amber. The topics can be serious, so with younger children it is worth starting with the experiment zone.

Upside down: illusion instead of the beach

The Upside-Down House network has venues in several seaside and mountain towns, and each house has a different theme. In Kołobrzeg it is the pirate house on Solna Street, in Mielno the Cookie Upside-Down House. According to the operator, the interiors are arranged so that everything looks the wrong way round: you can walk along the ceiling and take photos with an illusion effect. The organiser writes of play with no time limit, so it is a good idea for a shorter stop when the rain has just stopped or is only about to start. We leave the admission rules to the operator's website.

When the children need to run wild

After several days of rain, curiosity about sea animals soon runs out and movement is needed. In Kołobrzeg, two venues operate side by side on VI Dywizji Piechoty Street. Klockowisko is an indoor play hall based on building blocks. According to its website there are millions of blocks and five zones: Demolka, Majster w akcji, Hocki Klocki, Małe Paluszki and Na ręce cztery. Besides the blocks there are slides and sponge pits, and for parents a bar with drinks and coffee.

Wrotkowisko is an indoor amusement park with a roller rink. The main part is a hall with a parquet floor for roller skating, next to it are a roller hockey pitch, an obstacle course and a play hall for the youngest. According to the venue's website, the rink admits children and adults and teaches beginners their first steps, so it can be fun for the whole family together. The website also lists a small café for parents.

Further from the sea, in Koszalin, there is PlayPark. The venue's website lists 35 trampolines, a sponge pit, a snowtubing slide, a large climbing wall, a Ninja course, a Gladiator zone and a three-storey monkey grove. A separate zone with smaller trampolines and a block room has been prepared for the youngest. It is the most sporty option on the whole list, good for children with energy to spare.

How to plan a rainy day

The places in Kołobrzeg lie close to each other, so in poorer weather it is easy to combine two in one day without moving from car to car. Dziwnów and Mielno need a separate day, but in both towns there is also something to do under a roof.