ABSTRACT
The coast is a very popular tourist destination, which means that, in summer, its sandy beaches are crowded despite very unstable weather and water temperature that rarely exceeds 20°C. Both the natural factors and, to some extent, the recreational pressure makes the Polish coast exceptionally susceptible to erosion. The breakthrough in coastal settlement came after World War I, in 1918, when - by the Treaty of Versailles - Poland gained independence and access to the Baltic Sea along a 140-km stretch of the coast extending from the Free City of Danzig to the mouth of the River Piasnica. One important factor influencing coastal erosion is a result of North Sea water inflow to the Baltic Sea. The coastal zone seabed is built of sand, shingle and gravel sediments, which form the constituents of many longshore bars, including single, double and multibar systems.
