Simon Calder’s eastern European beach breaks that are as good as the Med

Summer beach holidays in Europe most commonly conjure images of sea and sand in Spain, France or Italy. But to escape the crowds – and be more original – it’s time to look east, writes Simon Calder

Ditch the usual beach locations and try out an eastern European destination (Getty/iStock)

Despite the puny pound, a bargain-basement waterside holiday in Europe is still a possibility. Just move beyond the obvious tourist destinations and head east – to the likes of Poland, Latvia and Albania – where you will find a warm welcome, intriguing history, and a touch of the exotic.

Here Simon Calder shares his top five destinations to enjoy the beach away from the usual holiday crowds.

Sopot, Poland

Just 20 minutes from Gdansk is a vast swathe of white sand (Getty/iStock)

The Baltic coast of Poland is sea-bathing heaven, though the water could be a touch warmer. The shore comprises a couple of hundred miles of sandy beach. And my favourite spot is the handsome 19th-century resort of Sopot – just a 20-minute train ride from the city of Gdansk, beyond the former Lenin shipyards. You can enjoy a vast swathe of soft white sand and benign sea on a beach that is ideal for young families, and 20th-century prices. If you can tear yourself away from the beach, take a trip from the end of the pier across the bay to Hel – a pretty fishing village at the end of a spit, and the eastern extreme of Puck County.

Swinoujscie, Poland

Try this destination at the far west of the Polish Riviera (Getty/iStock)

At the far west of the Polish Riviera, Swinoujscie is hard to pronounce (try “schvin-oo-oyshter”) but easy to enjoy. The approach is fun: the train from handsome and fascinating Szczecin (“shchetsin”) takes you to a town that suffered gravely in the Second World War but retains some classic 19th-century airs. The beach of soft white sand is blissful, and the hinterland has much of interest on both the Polish and German sides of the border.

Jurmala, Latvia

Jurmala is blessed with a 20-mile stretch of picturesque beach (Getty/iStock)

Latvia is not the go-to nation for seekers of long, sandy beaches. But perhaps it should be. This Baltic republic is blessed with a 20-mile silvery strand presided over by the spa town of Jurmala – just 37 minutes by train from the capital, Riga. Much of the beach is fringed by pine forest. In town, the architectural repertoire ranges from Soviet order (Brezhnev and Khrushchev were regular visitors) to Art Nouveau joy.

Durres, Albania

Pitch up a deckchair at this bustling port on the Adriatic coast (Getty/iStock)

Most people who land at Mother Teresa International airport, the gateway to Albania, head 20 minutes southeast to the capital, Tirana. But I aim half an hour southwest, to Durres on the Adriatic coast: a beach resort with Roman remains, a bustling port, and the Peeping Tourist museum – a testament to the decades under hardline communism when every overseas visitor was spied upon.

Ohrid, North Macedonia

Just 10 minutes from the airport you can find the lakeside town of Ohrid (Getty/iStock)

Amid the mountains in the deep south of the former Yugoslavia lies the lakeside town of Ohrid. The town is a mere 10-minute drive from the airport. It combines Unesco world heritage-listed ancient monasteries with its status as a fun resort beside the deepest body of water in the Balkans: Lake Ohrid. It has a plausible stretch of beach, flower-strewn lanes through which to wander, and decent restaurants serving tasty Balkan cuisine at prices from a distant era. You can also take a trip into soaring mountains, or make a circuit of the lake, including a stretch through Albania: don’t forget your passport.