The series:
- Poland: West Pomerania, Part 1 - the Szczecin Lagoon
- Poland: West Pomerania, part 2 - the Oder
- Poland: West Pomerania, part 3 - the Baltic coast
Szczecin (Stettin): Highlight in West Pomerania
The traditional harbour city is one of the absolute highlights of West Pomerania and along the entire Polish Baltic coast. Once the residence of the Pomeranian dukes and a member of the Hanseatic League, Szczecin today boasts a rich architectural heritage, colourful student life and ultra-modern buildings such as the Philharmonic Hall.
Other highlights are the numerous parks, the river islands and, of course, the 54 square kilometre Jezioro Dąbie (Lake Dąbie). The Oder island of Łasztownia (Lastadie), once the site of less distinctive industrial and harbour facilities, is now a trendy nightlife district.
Hip restaurants, stylish offices, the 2023 opened Morskie Centrum Nauki (maritime science centre), an amusement park with a Ferris wheel and garishly illuminated old harbour cranes provide the perfect mix of maritime flair and urban coolness.
The 15-hectare neighbouring island of Wyspa Grodzka is also popular. Its sandy beach with sun loungers, open-air bar and DJs offers a magnificent view of the imposing Wilhelminian and neo-Renaissance buildings on the 500 metre-long Hakenterrasse.
With its modern North West Marina Wyspa Grodzka is also very popular with skippers and crew. However, her "party level" can sometimes spike in summer (48 permanent residents, 27 guests).
Things are much quieter in one of the marinas located four kilometres to the east on the southern shore of Małe Dąbie. The largest is Marina Pogon with 240 permanent berths and 20 guest berths (marinapogon.pl, depth: 2 to 3 metres).
Lubczyna (Lübzin)
To get straight to the point: The chances of finding a free Guest berth in Lubczyna to get hold of are not particularly high. The idyllic, well-equipped marina at the north-eastern end of the 54 square kilometre Jezioro Dąbie has 90 berths, but only a few of them are reserved for guests.
Those who are nevertheless lucky will appreciate this "natural" alternative to Szczecin's North East Marina with its surrounding village of 600 inhabitants and nearby lido (pool depth: 2 to 2.5 metres).
Trzebież (goat place)
Trzebież has a somewhat less spectacular townscape than Nowe Warpno, but has twice as many inhabitants and a marina with 120 guest berths well protected against wind and weather. The depth varies between 1.5 and 2.5 metres, and when it comes to service, everything is available from a screwdriver to a 30-tonne crane, everything you need in West Pomerania if your boat gets stuck.
Half an hour's walk towards the lagoon, there is an extensive sandy beach with bathing fun, sports facilities and restaurants. In front of the marina itself, the "Wiking" restaurant with its solid bistro cuisine caters for the physical well-being of skipper and crew.
Stepnica (Stepenitz)
The small town of 2,600 inhabitants at the mouth of the Oder into the Szczecin Lagoon has two marinas. Both date back to fish farming and timber processing at the end of the 19th century. The first, seen from Szczecin, is named after Robert Hilgendorf (40 guest berths, basin depth: 2.5 metres, harbour master: +4 86 07 25 73 33).
Hilgendorf was born in the neighbouring village in 1852, went to sea and circumnavigated the legendary South American Cape Horn 66 times as a windjammer captain. This made him a kind of pop star of seafaring.
The second jetty is the Młynski canal harbour, which is around 800 metres long and just a ten-minute walk away. It used to connect the local sawmill with the Oder and now serves as a weather-protected harbour (tel.: +4 89 14 18 85 21, email: biuro@lok-stepnica.pl, 120 permanent and 30 guest berths, basin depth: 2.50 metres).
In both cases, the town's former parlour, now the Tawerna Panorama, is the first port of call for good fish and meat dishes.
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)
