Summer is here and it is time for some beach fun! Poland’s northern coast is filled with wide sandy beaches and charming coastal towns. The beaches in Poland aren’t rocky or grey but soft and white, edged by sandy cliffs and devoid of restaurants, patios or hotels. They are truly beautiful!

So what do people bring with them to the beach in Poland? For the most part – pretty much the same stuff every other sunbathing person would take!

sunglasses – okulary przeciwsłoneczne

towel – ręcznik

sunscreen – krem przeciwsłoneczny

bathing suit – kostium kąpielowy

ball – piłka

bucket – wiadro

shovel – łopata

beach chair – fotel plażowy

beach umbrella – parasol plażowy

water – woda

snacks – przekąski

blanket – koc/kocyk

hat – kapelusz/czapka

book – książka

Image by marijana1 from Pixabay

There is however one more thing that is extremely different from what you would see on the beach in USA…

It is parawan. I’m not quite sure how to translate this word…beach separator, wind protector, beach space separator?

Image by Photo Mix from Pixabay

Image by Radosław Szymański from Pixabay

Baltic Sea is known for  persistent high wind – good news for parasailers, less so for those being battered by waves as they try to swim.  Local accommodations however will provide sunbathers with a parawan, a colourful and extremely effective multifold fabric windbreaker that allows you to tan in a windless cocoon. Parawany allow beach-goers to enjoy sunbathing without having their belongings blown away, or sand blown in their faces. This is a positive way to think about parawan…

However, there are plenty of people on the beach, who do not like the idea. In recent years, people have begun abusing these accessories to take up much more beach space than they need. You’ll see tiny ones barely surrounding the space around a single beach towel, and giant ones separating a large part of the beach… Who is right and who is wrong?

I would love to hear from you about parawany. Have you used them? Have you seen them? do you have your own opinion about using them? Please share it with us in comments below!