Grand Fond reveals St Barts’ untamed Atlantic coast — a pebble-strewn beach where surfers challenge the crashing waves, and swimming is wisely avoided amid the rocky shallows. This wild counterpart to nearby Toiny offers raw drama: wind-sculpted vistas stretch to offshore islets, while the relentless surf soundtrack drowns out all traces of the island’s glamour. A 15-minute hike west along slippery coastal trails leads to the Piscines Naturelles Grand Fond, where volcanic rocks cradle seawater pools. Time it right (avoid midday sun and check tides) for safe dips between sea urchin colonies. The full 3-kilometre out-and-back trail offers panoramic ocean views. Just be sure to pack sturdy shoes and water for the scramble over jagged terrain. Shellfish hunters take note: collecting is prohibited, but the beach makes a spectacular picnic spot for those craving salt-sprayed solitude.

This peninsula, north of Gdansk, is the site where World War II began, when Nazi German battleship Schleswig-Holstein fired at a Polish garrison on the coast. Visitors can now visit the ruins of the peninsula’s barracks and blockhouses, one of which has been converted into a museum.

The Silesian Museum exhibits Polish paintings from 1800 to 1939 and features various temporary displays from its immense collections such as archaeology or local history and culture.