When assessing the Baltic Sea holiday destinations, this was taken into account over 30 criteriasuch as the width of beaches, distance to the sea, costs of stay, availability of accommodation or expected number of tourists. Based on this information, a tool was created that allows you to adjust the choice of beach to your individual expectations.
Instead of pointing to one universal place on the Baltic Sea, the calculator allows you to create many variants of relaxation, tailored to different needs. Families with children plan holidays differently, young people interested in entertainment, and still differently those looking for silence. Each parameter was appropriately weighted so that the tool could take into account these differences and propose the best solution for each of the nearly 2 million Poles who go to the seaside every year.
How does the calculator work?
After starting the tool, the user answers a few simple questions that guide him through the selection process. They concern: the width of the beach, the presence of lifeguards, the preferred type of accommodation, the cleanliness of the water, gastronomy, the distance of the beach from buildings, the forest surroundings, the means of transport and the weather.
It is worth noting that the set of questions may vary depending on the user, and the answers influence subsequent selection stages. For example, parents may receive questions about guarded swimming areas, and people traveling by car may be asked about parking. The calculator does not indicate one universal beach, but the place best suited to the user's individual preferences.
Calculation methodology
Some of the information was taken from OpenStreetMapwhich made it possible to check details such as the location of the restaurant, availability of parking lots, distance to the beach and ease of getting there.
Additionally used data from popular booking portalswhich allowed us to assess both accommodation prices – from the cheapest options to luxury hotels – as well as the breadth of the offer and the ability to adapt it to various budgets and preferences.
The analysis also took into account data of the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate regarding water quality. 10,000 tests carried out in 2023–2025 on 181 bathing areas were analyzed, which made it possible to identify places with the cleanest water in the Baltic Sea.
In addition, elements affecting the comfort of rest were taken into account, such as the presence of lifeguards, changing rooms, facilities for people traveling with animals and weather conditions – temperature, wind strength and precipitation, using data from the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management.
All this information were combined using an algorithm that is based solely on objective data. However, it is the user who decides on their importance – each answer affects the weight of individual criteria and the direction of the search. This allows the tool to ask different questions depending on your previous choices until it is reasonably confident about the best result.
Beach ranking ahead of us
At the end, the user receives three suggestions for placesthat best meet his expectations. The highest rated location is the most suitable, but it is worth considering the others as the differences between them may be minimal.
The calculator is just the beginning of the project “Towards the Baltic Sea”a joint work of three editorial offices, within which on the first weekend of the holidays, we will publish a ranking of the best places by the Polish seaside.
Beach calculator
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