Why now?

Poland's party town and premier seaside resort gets into full swing each August. Sunbathers bask on the white Baltic beaches of the Tri-city - that also includes Gdansk to the east and Gdynia to the west - and then head into Sopot for the nightlife.

Where to party

Sfinks (ul Powstancow Warszawy 18) is considered one of the best nightclubs in Poland, with an arty crowd and a decadent interior. PapryKA (klubpapryka.pl) is a mini-labyrinth of eclectically styled rooms in an old seaside villa, famous for its Wednesday night parties. Mandarynka (mandarynka.pl) is a laid-back, loungey option decked in orange paper lanterns.

Where to stay

The recently refurbished Sofitel Grand (sofitel.com) where Hitler stayed in September 1939 to watch the invasion of Poland, is worth a splurge, with doubles from €151pn. The Pensjonat Wanda (bws-hotele.pl), a villa on the beach, has functional, good-value doubles from around £46pn.

Getting there

Wizzair.com and Ryanair.com fly to Gdansk from various UK airports.

More info

inyourpocket.com and gdansk-life.com are both good English-language resources.