Międzyzdroje Pier

The Międzyzdroje Pier is a reinforced concrete jetty 395 m long that reaches into the Pomeranian Bay from the beach on the island of Wolin, in the middle of the beach, next to the amphitheatre. At the entrance stand two white towers, a remnant of the old wooden pier. The pier also has the status of a sea landing stage, from which excursion ships sail.

The old pier

The first small wooden jetty was built in Międzyzdroje in 1884, as the first in the region. Residents named it after Emperor Frederick III, in gratitude for his intercession in the extension of the harbour on Lake Wicko. A larger wooden pier was ceremonially opened on 1 July 1906. It was over 300 m long and had a glazed restaurant at the end. For years it served as a landing stage for passenger ships from Szczecin and Świnoujście.

The structure was destroyed many times. In 1913 a strong storm destroyed a large part of the pier, and residents rebuilt it a year later. In 1914 sappers from Świnoujście blew it up for fear of a Russian landing. After rebuilding in 1920 it was 200 m long. In 1954 a storm destroyed almost the whole jetty, in 1961 the Art Nouveau arcade leading to the pier burned down, and in 1985 wind and ice damaged the structure and the pier was closed. The jetty was dismantled in 1989, leaving only the small towers.

The present pier

Construction of a new pier began in 1994 with municipal funds, in two stages. The first part, 120 m long and 17.5 m wide, was opened in 1996. The reinforced concrete structure stands on tubular piles 1.5 m in diameter and 32 m long. The second stage, completed at the end of 2004, extended the pier to 395 m. The new section was ceremonially opened on 19 March 2005.

The last 75 m is lowered so that coastal ships can moor there, and the last 40 m is a passenger landing stage. The extension was meant to allow ships of the white fleet to call at Międzyzdroje and run cruises to Świnoujście and to German ports on Uznam. Since June 2005 the pier has had the status of a sea landing stage, and from September 2006 to December 2007 a sea border crossing operated on it.

Practical information

• Location: the middle part of the beach in Międzyzdroje, next to the amphitheatre.
• White fleet cruises leave from the end section of the pier. Timetables are given by the operators.
• Rules of entry to the pier and any seasonal charges are given by the town of Międzyzdroje.
• Nearby: Walk of Fame (Aleja Gwiazd), Wax Figures Museum and Wolin National Park.