Ustka Named Poland's Beach of the Year 2026 After 13 Years

The news in Polish

Ustka jest najlepszą plażą w Polsce w 2026 roku. To duża niespodzianka¹, bo przez dwanaście lat wygrywało² Świnoujście. Ustka ma dobrą infrastrukturę³ i piękną naturę⁴. Jest też najlepszą plażą dla rodzin. Świnoujście zajęło⁵ drugie miejsce, a Dźwirzyno trzecie⁶.

niespodzianka (f.)
coś nieoczekiwanego, co zaskakuje kogoś ↩︎
wygrywać
odnosić zwycięstwo w rywalizacji lub konkursie ↩︎
infrastruktura (f.)
zbiór podstawowych urządzeń i usług niezbędnych do funkcjonowania miejsca, np. drogi, budynki ↩︎
natura (f.)
świat przyrody, środowisko naturalne z roślinami, zwierzętami i krajobrazem ↩︎
zająć
uzyskać określoną pozycję lub miejsce w rankingu lub konkursie ↩︎
trzeci
liczba porządkowa oznaczająca pozycję numer trzy w kolejności ↩︎

Translation

Ustka is the best beach in Poland in 2026. This is a big surprise, because Świnoujście won for twelve years. Ustka has good infrastructure and beautiful nature. It is also the best beach for families. Świnoujście came second, and Dźwirzyno came third.

Text comprehension

Question 1: Which beach won the title of Poland’s best beach for the twelve years before Ustka?

Świnoujście won the title for twelve years before Ustka.

Question 2: What position did Dźwirzyno finish in?

Dźwirzyno finished in third place.

Vocabulary

Polish	English
niespodzianka (f.)	`surprise`
wygrywać	`to win`
infrastruktura (f.)	`infrastructure`
natura (f.)	`nature`
zająć	`to take (a place)`
trzeci	`third`

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Ustka has been named Poland’s Beach of the Year 2026, ending twelve consecutive years of dominance by Świnoujście. The result was announced by Magazyn Travelist in collaboration with the Polish Tourism Organisation (POT) as part of their annual ranking of Polish Baltic beaches.

Marek Świrkowicz, editor-in-chief of Magazyn Travelist, noted that this year’s main category was open for the first time, with no nominations proposed to voters. “After the first time we completely gave the voice to beachgoers in the Beach of the Year category — without proposing any nominations — we immediately received a result that symbolically opens a new chapter,” he said. “Ustka not only won the Beachgoers’ Award, but also won in the family category.”

Ustka’s success was credited to a combination of good infrastructure and natural qualities, ranging from its lively eastern beach with a promenade whose history dates back to the nineteenth century, to quieter stretches on the western side of the resort. Świnoujście came second, noted for its exceptionally wide sandy beach and well-developed facilities. Third place went to Dźwirzyno, a smaller resort situated between the Baltic Sea and Lake Resko Przymorskie.

Ustka Named Poland's Beach of the Year 2026 After 13 Years — Ustka Named Poland’s Beach of the Year 2026 After 13 Years

Voting took place across five thematic categories, with experts from Travelist and POT selecting ten nominated locations in each. Ustka again took the top spot in the best family beach category, ahead of Świnoujście and Łeba. Świnoujście won the most active beach category, followed by Kołobrzeg and Jastarnia — a long-standing favourite among kite- and windsurfers.

Hel was named the most photogenic “INSTAbeach” for another year, while Kołobrzeg was voted the liveliest beach, with Świnoujście and Sopot placing second and third. A newly introduced category, “most atmospheric wild beach,” was won by Mikoszewo, ahead of Wisełka and Stilo.

Separately, a data-driven beach calculator has been developed as part of a project called “Kierunek Bałtyk,” analysing over 30 parameters — including beach width, water quality, accommodation prices and weather data — across 181 bathing spots along Poland’s roughly 770-kilometre coastline. The tool asks users a series of questions and returns three personalised beach recommendations based on their preferences.