City Information
Overview
Sopot’s reputation as one of Poland’s premier seaside resorts is justly deserved. Human settlement here dates back some 2,500 years.
A small fishing village owned by the Cistercians in Oliwa existed here from the 13th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the baths and spas of this increasingly-fashionable health resort lured a select, affluent and aristocratic set to Sopot as much for its soothing waters as for its vibrant social life.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Sopot, then part of the Prussian partition of Poland, became a playground for Europe’s ruling classes. Kaiser Wilhelm II had a summer home here, (now the Maryla hotel) and a separate villa (today's Magnolia hotel). Sopot became part of the Free City of Gdansk under the Treaty of Versailles and Adolf Hitler spent a week here in September 1939 (in the Grand Hotel) while his army marched on Warsaw.
Today, Sopot is once again a hip and happening place, with its trendy bars, restaurants and shops scattered around the main drag, ul. Bohaterów Monte Cassino. Reflecting its summertime popularity you’ll find a strong choice of hotels as well as a nightlife that is considered one of the best in the country.
