When is Defense Museum open?

Defense Museum is open: Sun - Sat 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

What hotels are near Defense Museum?

Hotels near Defense Museum: (0.60 mi) Baltivia Apartamenty (0.59 mi) Na Wydmach Pension (0.85 mi) Cassubia (1.33 mi) Pies Morski Pension (0.91 mi) Villa Leon View all hotels near Defense Museum on Tripadvisor

What restaurants are near Defense Museum?

Restaurants near Defense Museum: (1.06 mi) Fala Fish Friery (1.36 mi) Restauracja Kutter (1.28 mi) To-Tu Restaurant (1.39 mi) Checz (1.17 mi) Stara Wedzarnia View all restaurants near Defense Museum on Tripadvisor

Defense Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

215 reviews

#1 of 11 things to do in Hel

Speciality Museums

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Best nearby

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46 within 3 miles

Fala Fish Friery

348

1.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Polish • Seafood • Mediterranean

Restauracja Kutter

1,800

1.4 mi$$ - $$$ • Polish • Seafood • European

Stara Wedzarnia

126

1.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Polish • European • Gastropub

To-Tu Restaurant

262

1.3 mi$ • Polish • Seafood • European

Captain Morgan Pub Restauracja Hotel

214

1.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Polish • Bar • European

Bar Mewa

231

1.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Polish • European • Grill

Cafe Classic

46

1.2 mi$$ - $$$

Cukiernia - Piekarnia Konkol

1.1 mi$ • Italian • Cafe • European

Bocianie Gniazdo

2

1 miPolish • European

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12 within 6 miles

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16

13 ftMilitary Museums

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583

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2.1 miPiers & Boardwalks • Lookouts

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67

1.2 miSpeciality Museums

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31

1 miNatural History Museums • Science Museums

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196

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5

215 reviews

Excellent

140

Very good

58

Average

14

Poor

0

Terrible

3

Matys

Dublin, Ireland127 contributions

2017

Aug 2018 • Family

The Coastal Defense Museum is an interesting place that acquaints with the history and military of the Second World War and defense methods. There are many different types of weapons and other military equipment on the site.
The bunker, which houses the headquarters, military halls and the largest cannon together with the equipment, makes the biggest impression. It's hard to describe everything, you have to see it yourself and feel the spirit of those times.
On site you can get a chance to shoot some real firearms like Mosin sniper rifle, HK416 assault rifle etc. and also taste real military pea soup with sausage. I definitely recommend it.

Written June 20, 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marek M

Prague, Czech Republic10 contributions

Trip for whole day

Jul 2016 • Friends

You should keep on mind, you need almost whole day for seeing of all parts called "Helski Kompleks Muzealny" which consists of 5 separated museums and exhibitions (including Defence Museum). All together is really huge, you can learn much interesting information. Also here you can take photos, touch exponates and there is army restaurant where you can eat as real soldier.

Written July 23, 2016

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ewa_aa

Gdansk, Poland11 contributions

Good, even for history-beginners

May 2015 • Family

Good musem even for people who are not history fans!
Indoor exhibition (-> in a bunker, you may get cold) full of military exhibits like guns and granates, but also rooms for crew and clinic adapted to what they looked in 1940s.
Outdoor exhibition is scattered around the area of the Musem and all around the town. There is a small train you may take to go to some bunkers - nice, but really short (max 5 minutes).

Staff knows a lot, if you want to ask them.
sometimes you can meet reconstruction gropus around (people dressed in uniforms or lika in war times), what gives a super climate!

Written June 1, 2015

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Poleinahole

Switzerland2,111 contributions

Three Different Museums

Jul 2022 • Solo

This museum is about 30 minutes walk from the Hel ferry pier. (You can also rent a bike or get a ride in a golf cart which does tours). Look for a place where cars are parked on either side of the road and turn right where there is a sign for a big gun. (If you are on the bike or pedestrian path you may miss the signs). It’s about 200 meters down a dirt road on your right. Follow the shooting noises.

You can pay for an audioguide (not rent one), which you keep. Not sure how this works as didn’t do it. (Download to phone?) Otherwise the museum is in Polish only except for special exhibits.

I love WW2 history but it didn’t take me long to visit the museum as a result. The main thing to see is where the Germans had defensive battery guns later moved to Normandy.

The neatest thing was the restaurant which looked like a military field canteen and had photos of the Polish army eating during war. They serve soup snd goulash type food—non vegetarian.

There is another section of the museum (Wieze) on the other side of the road. There’s a sign on the main road which seems to point 200 meters ahead or on the other side of the road. But no, follow the dirt path about 200 meters and you’ll see an old tower. Confusingly, while it’s part of the sand museum, you have to buy another ticket to go inside.

Again, you have to pay extra for an audioguide access. There’s not much of interest inside except on the first floor they had a good exhibit on cracking Enigma. This was in English as well as Polish and fascinating as it focused on the role of Polish mathematicians in helping crack the code. This story is only starting to be known in Western Europe and the US. This museum was of most interesting to me as s result.

As you turn around and go back towards Hel, there is the Hel Museum which is a grab bag of peacocks, manicured garden, statues of mythological creatures. Inside there are exhibits of daily life etc in Hel, but also a small room showing how advanced the Germans were in field medicine during WW2 and a section featuring 100 years of the Polish Air Force. That museum is also in a former gun battery installation. And again you have to buy a new ticket and can get another audioguide.

I spent two hours in total at these three museums.

Written July 30, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Catalin V

Bucharest, Romania22 contributions

A great day in Hel

Sep 2017 • Solo

It might sound weird but it was indeed, despite the name of the place :p. I rent a bike for few hours and I managed to visit everything... this museum followed closely by the Hel museum were the best. If you are around Gdansk just pay a visit to Hel :).

Written September 20, 2017

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AAndzia

Cork, Ireland96 contributions

Great History of.War II

Jun 2017 • Couples

If you visit in proper time you can.go.ride on small train all around the forest we didnt try that because that atraction was close but placre is open anyway you can try shot to the board and is great tour for kids and adult as well there is a big fire gun for defense the shore worth to see for sure even if you not a big fun of history.
More for kids like machines you can get in and see what army used in war big trucks and regular museum too inside.
Place.is quite big to walk around.

Written August 9, 2017

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Artur B

Warsaw, Poland59 contributions

Absolutely worth visiting

Aug 2016 • Family

Many has changed since I have visited Hel the first time. Years when you could use a hole in the fence and enter the abandoned military area.

Now, thanks to activities undertaken by Defence Museum, all belongings and reminiscent that was in good shape, are well kept and preserved by the museum. Thank you.

Tour guides are excellent, trying to vividly explain not only the WWII aspects but the whole history of peninsula, its military advantages and stages in erecting this place as a important defence base, before (Poles), during (Nazi) and after (Communists) the war.

Written October 6, 2016

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Loreta B

Vilnius, Lithuania17 contributions

Interesting place!

Aug 2019 • Family

The place is interesting, a lot of things to see for older kids, but do not repeat our mistake - take the audio guide, because there isn't any info in english. The same problem buying tickets - no word in english

Written August 11, 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tourist_Krzys

Warsaw, Poland2,034 contributions

War machines and a train

Apr 2019 • Family

Lots of military accessories from the second world war. Guns, explosives etc. Plenty black and white movies not suitable for young children. Death and injuries dominate the stories. There is a four-part train ride you pay extra for. Children definitely enjoy this one. Overall a two hour experience even if you just glance around. For me it was a bit too depressive. It is painful to see how much effort humanity has invested in wars and equipment meant to take lives.

Written May 1, 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Renata E

4 contributions

Very good

Feb 2019 • Family

Very pleasant tour with our guide Pawel who was very informative and pointed out any number of interesting facts. A good value tour and well worth it.

Written February 10, 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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