A Conversation with Bartłomiej Barski of Visit Sopot
The CEO of Visit Sopot shares his vision for year-round tourism, the power of collaboration, and why Poland’s spa town is redefining the Baltic coast experience
By Ged Brown, Founder and CEO of Low Season Traveller
The rain has just begun to fall as I settle into the offices of Visit Sopot, overlooking Europe’s longest wooden pier stretching 511 metres into the Baltic Sea. Across the road stands the famous Sopot lighthouse, its distinctive silhouette a reminder of the town’s maritime heritage. I’m here to meet Bartłomiej Barski, the CEO of Visit Sopot, who has been instrumental in transforming this elegant spa town into a year-round destination that challenges every preconception about Baltic coast tourism.
It’s early October, and whilst the summer crowds have departed, Sopot is far from quiet. The streets are alive with locals and visitors alike, the restaurants are bustling, and the autumn colours are painting the town in shades of gold and amber. This is precisely the story that Bartłomiej wants to tell: that Sopot in the low season is not a diminished version of its summer self, but rather a destination that reveals its true character when the pace slows and the focus shifts from beach days to wellness, culture, and culinary excellence.
The Green Heart of the Tri-City
Bartłomiej begins by placing Sopot in its geographical context. “The Pomorski region is one of the most beautiful regions in Poland and is visited by many, many people year after year,” he explains. “We’re in the top three when it comes to Polish people visiting different regions. Our agglomeration is quite specific because it’s so easy to say ‘Tri-City.’ There’s Gdańsk, which is the capital of the region and the most recognisable destination in this part of Poland. Then there’s this tiny, cosy city in the middle of the agglomeration, and the third city is Gdynia.”
What strikes me most about his description is the seamlessness of it all. “When you travel by car or on the local train, within 20 minutes you can reach all three cities because there are essentially no borders between them. That’s why it’s so natural for us to say that we’re living in the Tri-City. You can work in Gdańsk, you can live in Gdynia, for example, and you can have fantastic relaxation in Sopot. There is no better place to live, to be honest, from my perspective, absolutely, in Poland.”
But what truly sets Sopot apart is its greenness. With a population of just 32,000, this compact city dedicates 60% of its area to green spaces. “If you look at drone footage, you can see how green the city is,” Bartłomiej says with evident pride. “We’re very proud of this, and it makes the local atmosphere very unique. You can really relax in the city, especially during this time of year.”
A Spa Town Since 1823
Sopot’s identity as a wellness destination is not a modern marketing invention. It’s woven into the fabric of the town’s history. “Since 1823, Sopot has been known as a spa resort,” Bartłomiej tells me. “We’ve held the official status of a spa resort for almost 30 years now, because two kilometres from our office there’s a place where mineral water rises spontaneously from 800 metres depth.”
This mineral water, rich in iodine, magnesium, and potassium, feeds the distinctive “inhalation mushrooms” scattered around the town. These curious structures, which I’d encountered the previous day, are unlike anything I’d seen before. “It’s used for inhalation therapy and skin treatments,” Bartłomiej explains. “But it’s not only the mineral water. It’s also the environment and the location. Even when it’s very windy, it’s very healthy for your skin, for your body, for your mind. There are lots of reasons why we’re one of the healthiest cities in Poland.”
The spa heritage is alive and well in modern Sopot. “We have 21 hotels in Sopot, and 15 have their own spa centres,” he notes. “A lot of people choose Sopot because of that. This is how we cultivate this spa tradition in a modern way. In autumn and winter especially, the hotels and our tourism board promote the city in this way. The weather might not be good, but you can enjoy complete relaxation in these fantastic hotels. Even if it’s raining, you can stay inside. Your children can enjoy activities with staff, you can visit the spa, go to the swimming pool, have a massage, or try different types of treatments.”
The Culinary Revolution
As our conversation unfolds, it becomes clear that Sopot’s appeal extends far beyond its spa facilities. The culinary scene has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years. “It’s very important and it’s growing,” Bartłomiej says when I ask about culinary tourism. “We see more and more people choosing our destination, not only Sopot but Gdańsk as well, because of the exceptional culinary scene.”
The proof is in the recognition. “For two years now, we as a destination, as a region, have been in the Michelin Guide. In this cosy Sopot, which is quite a small city, we have six restaurants with Michelin recommendations. Not stars yet, but still, it’s the Michelin Guide. For such a small city to have six restaurants is quite significant.”
What’s particularly impressive is the calibre of the chefs. “We have a lot of very talented chefs who trained in the UK, in France, in Spain. Then they came back here and started their own concepts. There’s a stereotype that in Poland we only eat tomatoes, potatoes, and maybe some large portion of meat, and that’s Polish cuisine. Now we have a lot of talented chefs who were educated abroad, and they offer a really huge variety of culinary concepts.”
The emphasis on local ingredients is paramount. “Even if your first impression is that it’s an international dish, it’s always based on local products with local flavours woven in,” Bartłomiej emphasises. “We’re very proud of that.”
The Power of Collaboration
What strikes me most during our conversation is Bartłomiej’s emphasis on collaboration over competition. “What’s also wonderful is that these chefs work with each other. They’re not competing, they’re cooperating. Quite often they offer special evenings when they cook together. Two weeks later they’ll meet in another restaurant and do something together again. That’s very important because they’re pushing themselves to be better and better, but it’s not a competition, it’s cooperation.”
This collaborative spirit extends throughout the entire tourism sector in Sopot. “I’m a big football fan, so sometimes I use it as an example: we’re in one team, so we’re playing together,” Bartłomiej says with a smile. “For 12 years I worked for Visit Gdańsk, and since 2022 I’ve been here in Sopot. This was one of my main tasks and targets: to have everyone on board and moving in one direction, not competing but collaborating. Ultimately, all of us will benefit far more if we just play as one team.”
Redefining the Season
Historically, Sopot has been dominated by the Polish domestic market. “Before COVID, 65% were Polish visitors, 35% from other countries,” Bartłomiej explains. “Then COVID changed everything, but for the past two years, we’ve seen it returning to almost the same situation as before COVID, which is good for us.”
However, the ambition is to attract more international visitors. “For our industry, foreign guests are valuable in particular ways. They’ve shown in the past that they’re ready to spend more money because for them, Poland and our destination are very attractive due to the high standard, high quality of service, and reasonable prices. They can dine out at restaurants frequently, they can take a yacht cruise on Gdańsk Bay, or spend money on other attractions.”
The growth in international connectivity has been crucial. “We have more and more direct flights. Our airport deserves huge congratulations for continuing to work with the airlines and launching new direct routes. That’s why we can welcome more and more foreign guests from destinations we never thought we could reach.”
One surprising market has been the Czech Republic. “For the past two years we’ve had more and more Czech visitors, and this is a nationality we never thought would be interested in Poland. But then the geopolitical situation changed. Croatia switched to the Euro, and for Czechs, Croatia became too expensive. Now they’re coming here for the Polish Sea, which is quite different from the Croatian coast. But they admire our location and our leisure offerings. It doesn’t matter to them if it’s raining or not. If it’s raining, they simply go to a restaurant, they visit a museum, they explore Gdańsk.”
The Low Season Advantage
This leads us to what I find most fascinating about Sopot: its embrace of the low season. “Now we’re focusing on showing people that autumn and winter are almost as good as summer for visiting and exploring the destination,” Bartłomiej says. “Perhaps it’s even better because not everyone wants crowds of people on the streets or in the restaurants. People want genuine relaxation, and Sopot as a spa resort during this time of year is an excellent choice.”
The question of whether everything remains open is one that Bartłomiej hears often. “Some people ask us whether we’re still open from September until December or even January. For us it’s quite a strange question because we’re not a typical small seaside destination. There are some of those on the Polish coast, and they really do close their businesses from the end of September for a couple of months. But Sopot is part of this larger agglomeration. We remain open. All the restaurants, cafés, museums remain open. That’s very important: we operate all year round.”
The winter offerings are particularly distinctive. “We have a ski slope, 300 metres long, with all the equipment that’s typical of a winter resort. If there’s natural snow, perfect. If not, we can produce snow with machines. You can ski, and from the top you can look out at the sea. That’s the only place in Poland where you can look at the sea and then ski down the slope.”
From December 6th for three months, an ice rink appears in front of the pier entrance. “We have the only ice rink in Poland with a sea view. For a lot of people it’s quite unique, especially when darkness falls, which happens quite early in December or January, around 4:00 PM. You can go to the ice rink and look out at the pier and the sea.”
The beach saunas operate from early October until the end of April, and I can personally attest to their appeal. Later that evening, I experienced one of these beachside saunas myself, the M15, sitting just metres from the Baltic waves. The warmth of the sauna, the sound of the sea, and the crisp autumn air created an unforgettable atmosphere. I must confess, however, that I didn’t quite muster the courage to take the plunge into the Baltic afterwards. Perhaps I needed to leave something to experience for next time, and there will undoubtedly be a next time.
“After a 15-minute sauna session, you can simply run straight into the sea,” Bartłomiej says with enthusiasm. “There are dedicated groups that meet, for example every weekend, and they go swimming. My wife does exactly that. It’s becoming more and more popular. It’s a genuinely local experience, I would say. It’s absolutely worth trying.”
The Coolcation Trend
As our conversation draws to a close, Bartłomiej shares an insight that encapsulates Sopot’s positioning perfectly. “We meet quite often with tour operators, especially from Scandinavia, and they always tell us that their customers, Norwegians in particular, don’t want to go to Spain, Croatia, or Portugal anymore because it takes such a long time. From Norway, it’s four and a half or five hours each way, it’s 40 degrees when they arrive, they see forest fires, and it’s not so affordable anymore, and the quality and service aren’t at the high level we offer here. Then they say it’s so easy to come to Poland because it takes only one and a half to two hours. They tell us we have fantastic quality, and it doesn’t even matter that the Baltic water is only 15 or 16 degrees. That’s actually an advantage.”
This trend, which Bartłomiej calls “coolcation,” represents a fundamental shift in how people think about coastal holidays. “We’ve started promoting it exactly that way: come to Sopot. Yes, we don’t have 30-degree air temperature and 25-degree sea temperature, but it’s genuinely interesting because you can experience something new, a completely different sensation for your body. But at the same time, you can enjoy this fantastic culinary scene, you can go sightseeing in Gdańsk. That’s our new approach to how we want to promote ourselves and how we want to position the destination.”
As we finish our conversation, the midday tune rings out from speakers across the city, a charming tradition that marks the passage of time in this historic spa town. It’s a fitting end to our discussion, a reminder that Sopot honours its past whilst confidently embracing its future as a year-round destination that offers something genuinely different on the Baltic coast.
Visit Sopot: visit.sopot.pl
Getting There:
Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport (GDN) is served by multiple airlines including:
- Ryanair (extensive European network including UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia)
- Wizz Air (budget routes across Europe)
- LOT Polish Airlines (national carrier with connections worldwide)
- Lufthansa (via Frankfurt and Munich)
- KLM (via Amsterdam)
- SAS Scandinavian Airlines (Scandinavian connections)
- Norwegian Air (Scandinavian routes)
- Jet2.com (seasonal UK routes: Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle)
- Eurowings (German connections)
From Gdańsk Airport, it’s a 20-minute train journey to Sopot.
