Rare Vintage Photos of Life on the Beaches of a Pre-War Poland

Before the war, Polish beaches hosted royal families and emperors, as well as the era's icons of dance and cinema. Kings, emperors, Mata Hari, Marlena Dietrich, and Poland's own stars of the artistic and political scenes all took to the sandy coast of the Baltic sea, as well as the wilder cliffs of the Dniester river.

Here's a series of images that capture the most beautiful beaches and summer resort destinations of the past of a Pre-War Poland.

A dance class on the beach, 1930. Photo: .National Digital Archive

A Baltic beach in the 1930s. Photo: National Digital Archive

Vacationing on the beach in Gdynia-Orłowo, the 1930s. Source: a postcard from the collection of Alicja Młyńska

Sunbathers rest on the beach, August 1938. Photo: National Digital Archives

Sunbathers rest on the beach. Visible wooden promenade, wicker beach, and a ping-pong table, 1937. Photo: National Digital Archives

The Polish President Ignacy Moscicki with his wife Maria (second from left), daughter of Helena Bobkowska (second from right) and Cpt. Zand. John Huber on the beach, in July 1937. Photo by Witold Pickle / National Digital Archives

The Polish President Ignacy Moscicki and his wife Maria are coming back from the beach. Behind the president goes, among others, his adjutant, Captain. Stefan Kryński, July 1937. Photo: Witold Pickle

Mayor of Krakow Mieczyslaw Kaplicki (center), accompanied by the governor of the Kielce Wladyslaw Dziadosz (right) on the beach, in July 1937. Photo: Witold Pickle

Wladyslaw Korsak with his wife on the beach, ca 1930s. Photo: National Digital Archives

Foreign Minister Jozef Beck, Walerey Slawek and Deputy Speaker of the Sejm Tadeusz Schaetzel sitting at a cafe table in the open air, 1937. Photo: National Digital Archives

Resident of Krakow Mieczyslaw Kaplicki (in pajamas), accompanied by the governor of the Kielce Wladyslaw Dziadosz on the beach, 1937. Photo: National Digital Archives

Swimming Competition organized near Sopot Pier. Source: "Sopoty (Free City of Gdańsk). Swimming world famous in the Baltic purpose of your trip in 1935", Gdańsk 1935, p 19

Boats at the pier. Source: "Ostseebad Zoppot. Die Nordische Riviera", Sopot 1922, p 5

View of part of the beach and pier, postcard from 1903. Source: "Sopot in old photographs" special supplement to the "Journal of the Baltic", January 2001, p 5

On stage before Kasino Hotel spa guests enjoyed themselves. Postcard from the 30s of the twentieth century. Source: "Sopot in old photographs," special supplement to the "Journal of the Baltic", January 2001, p 15

Leisure near pier in Gdansk Westerplatte, 1907. Source: P. Popiński, "Gdańsk on an old postcard", Gdańsk 1996, p 96

Young women on the beach, years of the 20th century. Source: "Ostseebad Zoppot. Die Nordische Riviera", Sopot 1922, p 7

A section of beach. In the background, a pier, 1918-1937, Zaleszczyki. Photo: Wieczorek A. M./National Digital Archives

A section of the so-called sunny beach. People sunbathing, 1931 -1939, Zaleszczyki, M. Baumer. Photo: National Digital Archives

Beach-goers, May, 1931. Photo: National Digital Archive

Beach-goers, July, 1933. Photo: National Digital Archive

A spa resort in Orłowo, source: "Ostseebad Zoppot. Die Nordische Riviera", Sopot 1922, pg. 15

Sailboats in a harbour, Narocz lake, 1930. Photo: National Digital Archives

Warsaw. "Poniatówka" beach, 1930. Photo: National Digital Archive

(Thank you Ewa Bender, via Culture.pl)