There’s lots of water amidst charming surroundings in Gdańsk in the form of canals, reservoirs, the River Motława and the Baltic Sea. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a watery experience outside of Gdańsk’s city limits, then you won’t go far wrong with Lake Otomiń (Jezioro Otomińskie).
We drove to Jezioro Otomińskie on the last day of April 2023 – a super sunny Sunday. Just a 250-metre walk away from the northern shore of the lake, there’s a large car park:
On the other side of the road, we noticed a little eatery – “Bar Otomin” – which serves fast food and other refreshments. Google reviews point to astronomical prices and food straight out of the microwave.
We reached the northern shore of the lake. It’s here that you’ll find the main beach. There’s a gentle descent down to the water’s edge.
After admiring the views across the lake from the beach, we began our hike around the lake. The route is approximately 5.5 kilometres long. Most of the route is a short distance from the water on a well-kept and sufficiently wide forest trail. Roughly 1.5 km of the route is set back from the lake and you have to cover this section by road or pavement.
Set further back from the main trail to the west side of Jezioro Otomińskie is another trail which is more frequented by cyclists. Cycling is also possible along the main path close to the water.
Just off the northeastern shore of the lake is Hotel Otomin. The hotel welcomes guests to its Family Restaurant (Restauracja Rodzinna) between 12:00 – 20:00 pm.
Impressions of Jezioro Otomińskie
It was wonderful to see people chilling out around the lake with their friends and family. Quite a few people were having a barbecue. The barbecue has come to symbolise “Majówka” – an annual holiday in Poland celebrated during the first three days of May. Hence, some people were clearly making the most of the weather and getting into the spirit of “Majówka” early:
When the warmer weather and visitors arrive, I’ve read that the beach turns into one big garbage can. Unfortunately, the local authorities have not provided an adequate number of rubbish bins in the area surrounding the beach. We noticed quite a bit of rubbish on the beach as we were leaving and there weren’t many visitors at all on this day.
Nevertheless, you shouldn’t let a bit of rubbish take anything away from the scenery and tranquillity to be found all the way round Lake Otomińskie.
FAQ – Jezioro Otomińskie
From Gdańsk Central Railway Station, take either tram 10 or 12 to the stop Siedlce.
From Siedlce, take bus 174 to the stop Otomin – Pętla. From this stop, it’s but a five-minute walk to Lake Otomińskie Beach.
There are no public toilets around Lake Otomińskie. Visitors tend to use the bathrooms inside Hotel Otomin.