Sopot is a seaside spa town with a population of about 40,000 people, 20 minutes by train from Gdańsk. A fashionable resort during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was frequented by a louche and colorful crowd of aristocrats and artists. Sopot is flanked by wooded hills, and Gdańsk Bay is sheltered by the Hel Peninsula, with the result that the sea off the town’s splendid sandy beaches is warmer than at other locations along the Baltic coast. Much of the town’s character stems from its art nouveau townhouses and villas. Following a period of intense development, the main street in Sopot, Monte Cassino, is now completely pedestrianized, and along the waterfront, several hotels and spa resorts have been restored.

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