The series:
- West Pomerania: Poland's West - Part 1: Szczecin Lagoon
- West Pomerania: Poland's West, Part 2 - the Oder
- West Pomerania: Poland's west, part 3 - the Baltic coast
The Polish Baltic coast, characterised by fine sandy beaches, steep cliffs and high dunes, is an impressive legacy of the last ice age. This almost 500 kilometre-long coastline stretches between the Szczecin Lagoon and the Bay of Gdansk and is located in the voivodeships of Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania) and Pomorskie (Pomerania).
West Pomerania forms the western part of the historic region of Western Pomerania, covers around 23,000 square kilometres and borders Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg to the west. The capital Szczecin (Stettin), an old Hanseatic city with around 400,000 inhabitants, is the seventh largest city in Poland. Thanks to its universities, museums, art and theatre scene and numerous pubs and cafés, it is an important cultural centre in the region.
West Pomerania for water sports enthusiasts
Water sports enthusiasts will find numerous marinas on the Oder, in the Szczecin Lagoon and along the Baltic coast of the voivodeship. Over the last ten years, more than 30 of these facilities have been modernised as part of the Zachodniopomorski Szlak Żeglarski (West Pomeranian Sailing Route) project. The project was partly funded by the European Union. The marinas are usually located at a distance of 20 to a maximum of 30 nautical miles from each other.
Mooring fees are moderate: a ten-metre-long boat costs on average between 60 and 80 złoty (approx. 14 to 19 euros) per day. Showers cost between 5 and 7 złoty, the use of washing machines and dryers between 20 and 25 złoty, and the price of electricity is 3 to 5 złoty per kilowatt hour.
Świnoujście (Swinoujście)
The protégé of this formerly small, somewhere in the eastern nowhere of the island of Usedom was none other than Prussia's soldier king Frederick William I. Since Sweden controlled the sea route from the Baltic Sea to Szczecin until well into the 18th century and levied high customs duties on the passage of Prussian merchant ships, his sovereignty had the heavily silted Świna (Swine) dredged.
His son developed the village into a town with a harbour and fortress. In 1872, the Swine Canal was opened as a twelve-kilometre-long connection between the Szczecin Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. This meant that Świnoujście lost importance in favour of Szczecin.
However, Theodor Fontane's childhood town had a second mainstay: with its brine springs and mud baths, it quickly developed into one of the most fashionable spa and seaside resorts of its time. Although many of the magnificent buildings were later lost in the Second World War, part of the old town was rebuilt and modern hotel facilities were added in parts.
The former Russian military and today's marina of the town of 41,000 inhabitants is located around one nautical mile behind the historic pier light Stawa Młyny. It has 175 permanent and 175 guest berths, service and petrol station. The basin depth is between 3.0 and 5.5 metres. The harbour is to be expanded to a total of 650 berths from 2025.
The landing stage for the excursion boats is around 600 metres away. Among other things, they head for Fort Gerhard on the opposite bank.
Nowe Warpno (New Warp)
Once upon a time, Poland was not yet part of the EU and German butter drivers populated the duty-free liquor and tobacco shops in this small town of 1,000 inhabitants. When Poland joined the EU on 1 May 2004, the hustle and bustle in this corner of West Pomerania came to an end. Since then, the bronze landscape painter Hans Hartig has been wielding his brush undisturbed in front of the half-timbered town hall.
Larger sailing yachts use the nearby pier as a mooring (water depth approx. 2.2 metres), while smaller boats can be moored to the right of the pier on the marina's floating jetties (pool depth 1.5 to 1.7 metres; 44 permanent and six guest berths, harbour master: +4 86 92 88 95 47).
The marina's own Tawerna Ignac is one of the catering outlets. During the season, the Cutter "Lütt Matten" (built in 1956) runs daily between the neighbouring German town of Altwarp, around 0.7 nautical miles away, and Nowe Warpno.
Wapnica (lime kiln)
At 265 square kilometres, Wolin (Wollin) is the largest island in Poland. It borders Usedom to the west, has been connected to the neighbouring island by a tunnel since 2023 and is a popular holiday destination for beach lovers and sun worshippers. Around 20 per cent of the island is a nature reserve.
The Wapnica Marina in the north-west of the island lies in an artificial canal that used to connect the Szczecin Lagoon with a lime factory. The canal, which is somewhat susceptible to westerly winds due to its location, offers space for 45 permanent and 7 guest berths (basin depth: 2.5 metres, floating jetties and quay wall).
The marina has modern sanitary facilities, a washing machine, tumble dryer and a generously equipped kitchen. The 350-inhabitant village of Lubin (Lebbin) with its spectacular view over the lagoon, which is around 100 metres below, can be reached on foot in 20 minutes.
Wolin (Wollin)
Whether today's capital Wolin in the south of the island is a descendant of the legendary Baltic metropolis of Vineta is more than questionable. The only fact is that Wolin was Poland's first seaport and was one of the largest cities in the Baltic region in the 11th century.
Today, Wolin on the banks of the Dziwna (Dievenow) has around 4,500 inhabitants, a marina with 40 permanent and five guest berths (basin depth: 2.5 to 3.5 metres), a quay for 20 guest berths and an open-air Viking museum on the opposite river island of Wolińska Kępa.
The Dziwna itself is basically a 35 kilometre long branch of the Oder, which flows into the Baltic Sea at Dziwnów (Dievenow). Due to its shallow depth and a bridge clearance height of 12.50 metres, it is only navigable for motor or small sailing boats and sailing yachts with a retractable mast or lifting or swing keel.
West Pomerania: Nautical literature
Sea charts
- Delius Klasing sports boat charts set 13: "Poland and Lithuania", 5 over-sailors, 17 area and detailed charts plus area guide with area information and waypoint list including 47 harbour plans and 1 year licence for use as a digital chart, edition 2024/25, 89.90 EUR.
Cruising guide
- "Baltic Sea coast 2. from Wismar to Szczecin", 9th edition 2024, 232 p. 39,90 EUR
Travel guide
- Szczecin, Swinoujscie and Wollin Island". Via Reise Verlag, 5th edition 2023, 192 pp, 16.95 EUR
- "Polish Baltic coast. Swinemünde to Kolberg". Via Reise Verlag, 3rd edition 2024, 168 p, 16.95 EUR.
- "Poland. Baltic coast and Masuria". Reise Know-How Verlag, 7th edition 2024/25, 600 p, 23.90 EUR Website of the Polish Tourist Board: www.polen.travel/de
Internet presence of the Zachodniopomorski Szlak Żeglarski (West Pomeranian Sailing Route)
