Sopot is the most popular resort on the Baltic coast. It was established as a
sea-bathing centre in 1824 by Jean Georges Haffner, a physician in the
Napoleonic army who chose a spot on the coast that since the 17th century had
been favoured by the wealthy burghers of Gdańsk for their mansions. Its heyday
came in the interwar years, when it attracted some of the richest people in
Europe. The pier is a continuation of the main street, Ulica Bohaterów Monte
Cassino, colloquially known as Monciak. The pier is 512 m (1,680 ft long) and
the bench running all the way around it is the longest in Europe. The pier is
filled with bars, restaurants and cake shops as well as antique shops and
boutiques selling amber. It is a pleasant place to enjoy a beer and the sea air.
An alternative is coffee at the Grand Hotel, built in 1924–7, which overlooks
the beach. This splendid Neo-Baroque building once housed a casino.

The town’s narrow streets hide many delightful guesthouses. In the wooded hills
behind the town is the Opera Leśna (“Opera in the Woods”), built in 1909 and the
venue of the International Song Festival.