Description: Sopot's Aquapark is one of the town's prime attractions both for the visitors and for the locals. Essentially, it's a large leisure complex that comprises of two distinctive parts: a pool area which in turn contains large and complicated leisure pool with whirlpool pools, water massage streams and jets, heated outdoor pool open all year, special children and toddler pool with shallow and very shallow areas and slides and water cannons, two large tube slides and a "wild river". There is also a 25m long, three lane training pool for those wanting a proper swim.
This part of Aquapark is great fun, and pretty much for all the family. The large number of water attractions will occupy all swimming and semi-swimming youngsters and the various water-massage facilities will be appreciated by many older visitors. There is several jacuzzi type whirlpools dotted around and as (different to many UK leisure pools) children are admitted, sitting in one of those is a great relaxation for all the family. Floating aids are available (rings and armbands) for non-swimmers and there is space for loungers and deckchairs as well as a basic snack bar (payment is through the same wristbands that are used to monitor your time in the Park, so no need to carry cash).
I love the outdoor pool at the Aquapark: particularly in the winter swimming in the open, with steam coming up around you is a fantastic experience (though clearly not very Eco-friendly). In the summer, a whole additional section with a huge water engine-machine-thingummy and a fast, tall slide is open outside in addition to everything inside.
The slides are fast and fun, and the Wiled River excellent (though it's easy to get bruised) - height minimums apply to all three.
Aquapark can get very crowded: groups of children come as well as adult organized groups, and in season and on weekends in particular it might become uncomfortable: less with the sheer crowd in the water, and more with the noise echoing and booming in the tall hall, the whole thing can be a bit of a sensory overload, especially for smaller children. If you are staying for any length of time it's worth testing various times or speaking to staff as to when it's likely to be less busy.
The upstairs World of Saunas is by far my favourite part, an adult-only area comprising three steam rooms of various temperatures and humidity levels varying from 45-60C and 45-100% humidity, a mud steam bath as well as four dry saunas, from relatively humid and cool 35% and 65C to the full-blown Nordic experience of 5% humidity and 100C. There is also a jacuzzi pool, a brilliant chill-out room with stone loungers and a selection of spa and beauty treatments.
The dress code upstairs is theoretically "naked" (white robes and white towels are available on extra charge) but I have seen visitors (invariably women) wearing either bikini bottoms or even occasionally full swim suits. Tuesdays all day and Saturday 8am-6pm are ladies-only days.
The saunas and steam baths in the World of Saunas are good quality and very pleasurable. All the steam rooms are lined in stone and tiles, no plastic in sight, all dry saunas are of fragrant wood. During all of my many visits the atmosphere was very civilized and with no untoward beahviour on the side of any visitors (though I never went in the evenings), even though I always went on my own (and was substantially younger and slimmer than I am now!). My favourite are probably the green Caldarium, filled with steam and heat and the outdoor Nordic dry sauna, as well as the wonderful chill-out room with strangely comfortable stone loungers.
In addition to the main attractions of pools and saunas, there is also a pretty swanky bowling alley on the premises.
The pricing system for the Aquapark is somehow treacherous. You can buy an hour, three hours and unlimited ticket, and any time above that is charged extra by the minute. It all operates via a vinyl wristband, so theoretically you can check your time when you want on a special screen inside, and you can also stop it running when you come out before you finish changing - but in my experience it's very easy to overrun the 1 hour pool ticket, while the three hour one is probably a bit long for a family with a toddler. We tend to overpay, either by buying too long or too short a ticket, but the whole experience is fun enough to warrant even this excess.
The worst part of Aquapark apart from the echoing booms when the pool hall is busy? The changing rooms for the pool area! Small, cramped, with very little space outside the cubicles and locker areas themselves and very slippery floors. Family cubicles are either non-existent or very few (anyway, I have been quite a few times with children and haven't noticed) and the whole experience of getting changed is as unpleasant as at my local council leisure pool in Perth (and it's horrible there!). The changing rooms in the Sauna World are much nicer though.
Close