Our city is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Central Europe. Wide and sandy beaches, iodine- saturated air, a mild climate, great infrastructure, nice people and island location- these are the main reasons millions of Europeans visit our region year after year.
Geography
Świnoujście, a city having more than 40 000 inhabitants, is located in the central part of the archipelago that separates the mouth of the Oder and the Szczecin Lagoon from Pomeranian Bay. According to the legend, the city is situated on 44 islands. The largest of them is Uznam (most of it belongs to Germany, the Polish is merely 16%) and Wolin (265 km²- about half the size of Uznam but it is wholly owned by the Polish and is the largest within Poland). Lagoon and bay are combined by 3 narrows: Piana, Świna and Dziwna. Through Świna leads one of the most important shipping lanes in Europe, from the open Baltic Sea to harbors in Świnoujście and Szczecin.
Drive
by car from Poland
From central and eastern Poland, the easiest way to follow is highway A2 to Poznań and then, on the fast road S11, direction Koszalin, to Swadzim junction. There we should go on DK92 and DK24, the direction of Szczecin to Skwierzyna. From there, the DK3 to Świnoujście. From Gorzów the route is more comfortable, we go to the expressway S3 almost to the end. As yet, the journey is a bit complicated but somewhere in the mid of 2014, S3 highway will be extended from Gorzów to Świebodzin and Sulechów. In this way, you turn aside the A2 directly to S3 without ”breaking” the narrow and congested roads. From southern Poland, you go A4 to Legnica and further DK3/S3 to Świnoujście. Entering into our city, you should go to the roundabout in the district Przytór on DK93- CENTER direction. In this way you will reach the ferry ”Karsibór”. There you should go from Wolin Island to Uznam. The journey takes 15-20 minutes and is free of charge. Schedule can be found on the Internet at: Żegluga Świnoujska. Sometimes there is the queue in front of the ferry. So it is worth turning on the smartphone and checking: HERE
by car from Western Europe
From Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands and northern Germany to Hamburg, Lubeka and then the highway A20 to exit Jarmen on the federal way 110 and from there to SWINEMÜNDE/ŚWINOUJŚCIE to the end. From France, Southern Europe and central & southern Germany, Berlin is the best direction. From Berlin ring road A10 you turn aside on A11, direction Prenzlau and then pass in the area of Gramzow (Kreuz Uckermark) on the A20. From the village PASEWALK the last 100 km we go through federal road B109 to ANKLAM and B110 to Świnoujście. To enter the Uznam Island by B110, you must overcome a bascule bridge in ZECHERIN. Opening hours of the bridge on the Internet: HERE
by car from Northern Europe
Polish shipowners: PŻB and Unity Line have good connections to Świnoujście from Malmö, Ystad and Trelleborg in Sweden. Information on the Internet at www.polferries.pl and www.unityline.pl.
It is worth to mention that the ferry terminal in Świnoujście is the largest and the most modern on the Baltic Sea.
by plane
Pre- war airport in Świnoujście is now called officially Flughafen Heringsdorf and is located in the German part of Uznam Island in less than 10 minutes by car from the city centre. Thus, thanks to Air Berlin we have a great connection with 5 cities in Germany, namely: with Zurych and Berno in Switzerland and Austrian Vienna. Also in 2012 Eurolot provided connection to Warsaw and Cracow. The nearest airport in Poland is about 60km distant, Szczecin- Goleniów airport operated by LOT, Eurolot and Ryan Air.
by train
Regional Transport Company and PKP Intercity provide access to the station Świnoujście. At this station you get off, approach the nearby ferry crossing- Warszów and cross to the centre of Świnoujście to Uznam Island. Ferries sail round the clock, every 20 minutes a day. The journey takes 7 minutes and is free of charge. From the centre you should go by public transport or taxi. Driving from Western Europe we arrive at the station at a junction point ZUSSOW (line Berlin- Stralsund). There should be a change to modern carriages of Uznam Bathing Train (Usedomer Bader Bahn- in short UBB) and go to the destination, namely Świnoujście Center.
History
It was the case which decided about creation of our town. It is all about the politics. And so, in 1637, after the death of the last childless West Pomeranian Duke of Griffin dynasty- Bogusław XIV- Western Pomerania was inherited by kings of Sweden. Swedes ruled the Western Pomerania almost 200 years (until the Congress in Vienna in 1815), but as a result of the provisions of the Peace of Westphalia (1648), they lost the eastern part of the country for Brandenburg, and in 1720 in Stockholm, the king of Prussia, Frederick Wilhelm I bought Szczecin, the Island of Uznam and Wolin for 2 million thalers. But then came the problem of an economic nature. As you know, Szczecin- one of the most important Baltic ports is not located on the sea but on the Oder. At that time, Piana was the only navigable narrow which guaranteed access to the port. In Wołogoszcza (in German- Wolgast), Swedish military stationed. Each Prussian skipper who sailed that way had to give a large fee to Swedish treasury. Next king of Prussia- Frederick II has therefore decided to build on Świna the port, the town, and in time, the port of war as well as fortress. In this way, in 1765 we received civic rights. Describing the history, we must not forget to mention that in the XIX century, Świnoujście became also a well- known resort, there met then the jet set from all over Central Europe. Famous Polish writer, Magdalena Samozwaniec described in her autobiography the meeting of Tsar Nicholas II with the Emperor Wilhelm II in 1907 in Świnoujście. She spent time there for a family holiday. Bathing beach was a place of rest for writers, artists, diplomats and statesmen. The city suffered greatly during World War II. Because of the war port, shipyard and commercial port, the Allies decided to attack them from the air. The biggest bombing took place on 12 March 1945. As a result of provisions made by the Soviet Union, Great Britain and the USA, the town belonged to Poland after 1945, but by 1993, a large garrison of Soviet army stationed there. The Russians maintained a war port with the facilities. Germans were expelled and, as a result, in their place came the Poles from central Poland as well as repatriates from the lands, which after 1939 were taken over by the Soviet Union. Among them, there were a lot of interesting characters, such as the hero of the Warsaw October’56- Lechosław Goździk. Świnoujście was of that time a town with a very interesting atmosphere: cut off from Poland by a narrow, over which have not built the bridge up today and tightly closed border with East Germany. In the 70-s, the port was expanded and a huge fishing conglomerate PPDiUR “Oder” experienced the glory years. The real growth of the city, however, began in the late twentieth century. At that time, tourism gained in importance.
Today
Świnoujście really gained after the Polish accession to the European Union and the Schengen Agreement. Suddenly, it turned out that on the other side of the border, in fact- just nearby, are very interesting places. In the same way as we, our western neighbours “discovered” us. At present, the border can be exceeded at any point on the Uznam Island, the Szczecin Lagoon and the Pomeranian Bay (however, it is required to have an identity card and show it during the control). This is very important because until recently it was only possible to go on foot and only in one place- at the end of the street. If someone wanted to do some shopping in the nearby Ahlbeck and go there by car, had to overcome almost 250km! There are no such restrictions now. However, embarassing is when you don’t know foreign languages and chauvinism associated with it. Inhabitants in Świnoujście are not unique in comparison to other citizens in Poland. Apart from Polish language, we speak here a little German, especially on the famous frontier bazaar, in sanatoriums or places visited very often by west neighbours. The older generation speaks more or less Russian language, and the youngest- English. Well, there are a few people who speaks one of the Scandinavian languages or French. Our western neighbours are even in worse situation. They don’t see any difference between Slavin languages and mix Polish with Russian. This sometimes leads to interesting confusions. However, all of us on both sides of the border are working primarily in services and we all care about the satisfaction of tourists. The fact that we don’t know foreign languages doesn’t have to be such a great obstacle. Another problem is 2 different currencies. Poland, unfortunately isn’t still in the Monetary Union. While in Świnoujście exchange offices are located almost everywhere, in Germany the currency exchange is more complicated. Fortunately, in the XXI century, we have an opportunity to pay by credit cards. it is important to have them with you when going on a trip to another country. Recently, European Union financed mostly 2 walking and cycling routes linking the Polish and German part of the Uznam Island. Świnoujście Spa- Seebad Ahlbeck along the beach (an extension of boardwalk) and Świnoujście Wydrzany- Kamminke (the highest hill- Golm or to Kamminke fishing village).
Świnoujście becomes more and more beautiful. More buildings are renovated, the centre is converted into promenade, revitalized spa park, public transport received new buses, even the amphitheatre and football stadium were renovated. Spa district has gained a new section of promenade and right on the beach, the boardwalk was bulit on piles. You can walk there inhaling iodine and admiring a beautiful beach, the sea and the ships. Sunrises and sunsets viewed from there make us also breathtake.
Tourism
Świnoujście, as well as Sopot and Kołobrzeg is a rich place on the Polish conditions. Well, if someone wants to promote himself on the famous promenade vis a vis in Gold Hotel, you must pay for it. So, it comes out cheaper than in Saint- Tropez. Unfortunately, in contrast to southern France, Italy, Croatia or Bulgaria, no one is able to guarantee good weather in the summer. The air temperature in July in one year may be +30, in another +13. So I recommend vacation here but not necessarily in summer. Spring and autumn are very beautiful on our islands. We are inviting you to the traetments, especially in winter. Although the days are shorter, the air is better, there are no crowds and everything is much cheaper.
Recently, a few modern hotels has been built. The first five-star hotel is still being bulit. In November 2011, a four-star hotel of Interferie network was opened. We also have five three-star bulidings: Atol, Ottaviano, Imperial Gardens and Hampton by Hilton. In addtion, there is a whole bunch of different types of spas, recreational centers and apartment bulidings. Less fussy people may choose urban camping (the most preferable location of camping in Poland) and private accommodation.
Leisure time in Świnoujście is spent on the beach and promenade. If you already get bored with this, the best way is to rent a bike and go on a trip in Świnoujście to imperial spas, Kamminke fishing village or on Wolgast See Lake (reservoir of drinking water for Świnoujście). It is worth noting that the local bike rental companies have also electric motors. You can even rent a Seegway. Children and adults can feel the adrenaline through climbing on the trees in the rope park. For those who want to spend free time on the water, we have ships of “the white fleet”, which you can swim on Świna or the Pomeranian Bay or by hydrofoil to Szczecin (flight time- 55 minutes). There is also a small unit with an engine 700 kilometres which can fly around the bay. You can rent a boat, a canoe or rowing boat on the Karsibór Island. However, the absolute hit are twenty-person electric boats which you can swim in the birds reserve “Karsibórska Kępa” in absolute silence. For golf lovers we have 3 golf courses: Amber Baltic Golf Club in Kołczewo on Wolin Island and on the Uznam Island – Baltic Hills Usedom in Korswandt (near the Polish border) and the club Balmer See on the bay Achterwasser.
Gastronomy
Promenade is usually the most expensive place but there are 3 restaurants I am visiting with biggest pleasure: Amsterdam and Asian Restaurant near the “new” promenade and the Polish Inn in the indoor swimming pool. In the centre I would recommend Albakora (good and cheap). Near the station Świnoujście Center, best to eat in Batista. In port I recommend Centrala and “des Kaisers Pavillon”. In the fortress there is a “Constellation”- the mysterious interiors and a fantastic cuisine. When it comes to around Świnoujście, “Knight’s evening” in Mielęcin is a really positive surprise. Wasserschloss Mellenthin is on the German side of the Uznam Island, about 15 minutes drive from our town. Fidor’s family made with a great effort and money the hotel, a restaurant and brevery inside the castle. As far as fish is concerned, you can get it almost everywhere. Fried with chips (yuck!- I personally don’t recommend it) and vinegar with a green salad in a roll on the promenade. Smoked fish you can get in a bar Turkus in Wapnica on the Turquoise Lake, at Mayor’s port in Kamminke on the Szczecin Lagoon and in smokehouse in Warta (in German- Warthe) on the Lieper Winkel Peninsula.
Culture
The culture is not dead, although it is not good. In Świnoujście there are no cinemas. You must go to the nearby Międzyzdroje to watch the movie. There is no permanent theatre, the opera or philharmonic. More things to do is in the summer. The performances come to us, especially comedians and singers. There are 3 events which are repeated that I would particularly recommend. Carousel Coolture, Artistic Festival of Academic Youth FAMA and Floating Festival of See Song “Fan”. Coming to us it is worth looking at the official website of the city council, which provides the information about cultural events.
Places worth visiting
– The promenade of the fin de siecle’u age, with a length of about 12km which extends from Świnoujście through Seebad Ahlbeck, Seebad Heringsdorf and ends in Seebad Bansin (I recommend a seegway or a bike) ot if you walk, you should do it just in one direction, to come back- you should go by train
– Władysław IV Coast overlooking the harbor of war, commercial and ferry terminal
– Spa park (built in the mid-nineteenth century by plans of Peter Joseph Lenne- General Director of the Prussian Gardens)
– Strongholds of Prussian times. An interesting example of the military architecture of the late nineteenth century. Up to date, remained 3 of them: Angel Fort, West Artillery Fort on Uznam Island and Gerhard’s Fort on Wolin Island
– A museum in a former town hall (1805)- exposure in the field of fisheries, seascape painting and the history of the city
– A lighthouse (the highest on the Polish coast- 68m)
Being in Świnoujście it is worthy to visit holiday resorts on the Wolin Island (Międzyzdroje, Międzywodzie, Dziwnów and Wisełka), go for a walk in the Wolin National Park or visit the Slavic and Vikings open-air museum in Wolin. For lovers of history I recommend a real pearl- St John the Baptist Church in Kamień Pomorski (famous for its Baroque organ in 1669). On the German side of the region Uznam-Wolin I recommend especially a trip to the Imperial and Amber Spas, visiting the butterfly farm in Trassenheide and museum in Peenemunde.
If I managed to encourage you in my town and you have any questions, I recommend the official website of Świnoujście or my website www.hit.info.pl
I am cordially inviting you to Świnoujście.
Photos from author’s private archive.