A town set on islands, a beach that touches Germany, a lighthouse among the tallest in the world: Świnoujście cultivates its quirks. The westernmost resort on the Polish coast occupies the delta of the Świna, scattered across dozens of islands between the Szczecin Lagoon and the Baltic. Its main part lies on the island of Usedom, shared with neighbouring Germany, and ferries stitch together the banks the river divides. The call has a prewar feel, that of the great Baltic seaside resorts.

Poland's widest beach

It all starts with the sand. Świnoujście's beach is said to be the widest in the country, an expanse of fine sand where the sea retreats far out and where, as soon as the weather turns fine, the two-seat wicker beach chairs typical of Baltic resorts appear. The water stays cool, but the northern light, the kites and the families walking along the shore create a seaside scene from another era. Even off-season, a walk along this vast expanse is worth going ashore for on its own.

The spa district and its promenade

Set back from the shore, the spa district lines up white villas with ornate balconies, guesthouses and cure houses inherited from the 19th century, when the resort drew spa-goers from all over Central Europe. The historic promenade links them along a shady boulevard dotted with cafés, ice cream parlours and a bandstand. Nearby, the spa park spreads nearly 60 hectares of paths, flower beds and old trees: a green lung where bicycles and strollers have replaced sedan chairs. The spa establishments carry on an unbroken health-resort tradition, and the iodine-rich sea air is still part of the treatment.

Walking to Germany

Here is perhaps the most memorable feature of the call: a coastal promenade of about twelve kilometres heads west and crosses the German border, with no checkpoint or barrier, to reach the resort of Ahlbeck and its wooden pier. You pass from one country to another between two pines, with a discreet marker as the only witness; cyclists have a parallel path, and bikes can be rented all over the resort. Setting foot in Germany before coming back to Poland for a meal: few destinations offer such a travel anecdote so easily.

The lighthouse and the fortifications

On the east bank of the Świna, the Świnoujście lighthouse raises its 68 metres of brick, the tallest on the Polish coast. The 308 steps of its staircase lead to a gallery from which the view takes in the coming and going of ships, the river mouth and the mosaic of islands in the delta. Along the way, the white and red silhouette of Stawa Młyny, the windmill-shaped beacon that has become the town's emblem, stands guard at the entrance to the channel. Military history buffs will continue to Fort Gerhard, a 19th-century Prussian fortification turned museum, where guides in period uniform bring the casemates to life.

Lagoon and forest nature

On the town's doorstep, Wolin National Park protects cliffs, beech forests and turquoise lakes; European bison can be seen there in a display enclosure. Boat excursions around the delta complete the picture, among reed beds, waterbird reserves and shipyards.

On the way back, the evening light gilds the brick of the lighthouse and the façades of the spa district. Świnoujście then leaves a singular impression: that of a border turned into a promenade, where two countries peacefully share the same beach.