Nature

Nature in West Pomerania covers over a hundred places, from the lakes of the Bukowa Forest to beech avenues, parks and moraine hills.

Every address here is free, which makes the list a good starting point for a day outdoors without tickets. Half of it is lakes, the other half parks, natural monuments, avenues and hills, and some lie within town limits, so you need not travel far.

Where to look for nature in West Pomerania?

Lakes are the most numerous, followed by parks and nature spots in towns, and then hills, trails and coastal beaches. The region has no single centre: the parks of Szczecin border the Bukowa Forest, and the lakelands spread inland, from Szczecinek to Wałcz.

If you live in Szczecin or are staying there, begin with Nature: Szczecin. For a day further from the city, pick a county: Wałcz, Szczecinek and Borne Sulinowo each have several lakes, while Cedynia, Golczewo and Ińsko have collections of their own. Each of them has a separate list.

Which parks, natural monuments and avenues are worth seeing?

Beyond the lakes, the most interesting places are those where nature has a distinct feature: a row of old trees, trees with an odd shape, or a park laid out on former estate land.

An avenue, a forest and a park

Beech avenue from Jacinki to Nacław runs along provincial road no. 206 in the gmina of Polanów. About four hundred trees form a tunnel five kilometres long, and the beeches are around two hundred years old. Beech avenues were rarely planted, as maples, limes or oaks were the usual choice, so such a natural monument is among the few in Poland.

Crooked Forest in Nowe Czarnowo, in Gryfino county, has been made a natural monument and covers under half a hectare. A stand of pines grows here whose trunks run flat near the ground and only then climb upright. Hypotheses about the cause of this shape are still debated, so photographers who like unusual forms enjoy the spot.

Inside Szczecin there is Jasne Błonia north of the City Hall building, a green square from 1925-1927 entered in the register of monuments. The avenues carry 213 sycamore-leaved plane trees, with a lawn with flower beds in the middle and two monuments: one to the Polish Deed and one to John Paul II. The Quistorp family once owned the ground.

Hills and ponds in Szczecin

Syrenie Stawy is a set of ponds in the Niemierzyn Valley, within the Kasprowicz-Arkoński park complex. They are some three kilometres from the centre, beside a park alley heading for the Arkonka bathing spot, and the Osówka stream feeds them. It is a place for a stroll or a bike ride, not an expedition.

Academic Hill in Zdroje rises just over fifty metres above sea level on a mound left by a chalk mine in the Forest Park. The view from the top takes in the town, the Oder valley and nearby uplands, while the western and northern slopes are steep and grassy.

Which lakes to choose for a day by the water?

Lakes differ mainly in size and in what the shore offers. Some have a beach and a lifeguard, others only a wild bank, others a trail around the water. Choose by the description, not the name, because many have a bathing spot, a camping field or a jetty, and some are protected.

Lakes with a beach and a camping field

At Lake Dominikowskie near Drawno you will find a jetty, a sandy beach and a camping field, with the forests of the Drawsko Forest all around. Lake Jeleńskie near Jelenin lies among moraine hills in a glacial channel and has a beach, a playground and a camping field, so it suits families with children.

In Banie, Lake Dłużec has a guarded beach, and the Tywa, used for kayak trips, flows through it. Lake Barlinek lies within the town of Barlinek, with a beach and a bathing area, four islands and a green trail all around. Near the village of Porost in the gmina of Bobolice lies Lake Chlewo, a lobelia lake with a bathing spot, poor in nutrients and set within a Natura 2000 area.

Lakes for kayaks and sailing

Kayakers have several rivers and lakes to choose from. On the Radew lies Lake Hajka, a reservoir of about 92 ha with a historic hydroelectric plant from 1912; petrol engines are banned there in the season, so it is quieter. The Drawsko Lakeland offers support for sailors: Lake Drawsko has sailing bases, Lake Lubie kayak routes, and at Lake Wierzchowo you will meet paddlers.

Ships and yachts can be met on Lake Dąbie, the Szczecin lake with a fairway and marinas, and further out lies the Szczecin Lagoon with bathing spots on the Polish shore. On a smaller scale is Lake Myśliborskie, where sailing regattas take place.

Forest lakes and lakeland waters

In a beech forest near Łobez lies Lake Karwowo, a small lake with a bathing spot, a tent field and fishing. In the Bierzwnik Forests there is Lake Bierzwnik with an old-tree reserve on its island, and in Ińsko Lake Ińsko with an island reserve. Larger waters are Lake Pile near Borne Sulinowo and Lake Bytyń Wielki in Wałcz county, both broad enough to pick a quiet stretch of shore.

In Wałcz you will see Lake Raduń, and in Moryń Lake Morzycko. A quiet walk is offered by Lake Wielimie with its large island, and by the sea lie Lake Jamno in the gmina of Mielno and Lake Kopań near Darłowo, a nesting site for birds.

What nature spots lie in the Bukowa Forest and on Wolin?

The two biggest concentrations of nature near Szczecin are the Bukowa Forest and the island of Wolin with its national park. Many places in these areas link into a one-day route.

The Bukowa Forest and Szczecin surroundings

Lake Glinna Wielka in the gmina of Stare Czarnowo spreads over 75.6 ha at the forest's southern limit, where an old stronghold survives and paths meet in the Łużec glade. It is described as the biggest water on the forest's southern fringe and has five bays. In the same forest, in the south-western part, lies Lake Binowskie with a beach, guesthouses and paths starting in Binowo.

From Szczecin it is easy to reach Emerald Lake (Jezioro Szmaragdowe) in Zdroje, an artificial lake in a former chalk working, flooded in 1925, with viewpoints around. The area around Stare Czarnowo is collected in Nature: Stare Czarnowo.

Wolin and Wolin National Park

On Wolin two lakes differ in character. Turquoise Lake (Jezioro Turkusowe) near Wapnica formed in the pit of an old chalk mine, covers 6.74 ha and has bluish-green water. Lake Czajcze in the gmina of Wolin is the second largest lake on the island after Koprowo, horseshoe-shaped, and its peninsula, once an island, sheltered people from nearby strongholds in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Two hills lead towards the sea: Gosań and Kawcza Góra, both in the national park, with viewpoints over the cliff. Lake Wicko Wielkie in Świnoujście lies mostly inside Wolin National Park.

A place of different, factual character is Gallows Hill, an archaeological reserve south of Wolin, on a rise above the Dziwna called Gołogóra. Behind a fence lies a barrow cemetery of the 9th and 10th centuries, counted among the oldest early medieval necropolises of West Pomerania.

Where to go with children and by bike?

Nature on this list suits family outings well, because most places need no ticket or booking. For children a beach and a playground count, and for cyclists a trail around the water or a park alley.

With little ones, head for Lake Jeleńskie, where a playground and a camping field sit next to the beach, or Lake Dominikowskie with its jetty. By bike you can ride the alley by Syrenie Stawy, and the green trail around Lake Barlinek lets you circle the whole water. A walk with a touch of adventure is Glinna Wielka: a hill fort stands beside the water and paths meet in the Łużec glade.

The eastern shore of Lake Czajcze is sandy, and the horseshoe peninsula and boulders by the bank give children plenty to look at. For lakes with a bathing area, check the season, since guarded beaches work in summer.

What to see around Wałcz, Szczecinek and Borne Sulinowo?

This is lakeland country: there are so many lakes that a few days are easily filled. It is best to give each town one day and spread out into the surroundings.

In Wałcz the shore of Lake Raduń runs for over nineteen kilometres, and a sports centre, bathing areas and camping fields line the water. From the town you can follow a red trail to Drawa National Park, and a suspension bridge crosses the water. In Szczecinek, stop at Lake Wierzchowo, with sandy beaches and the Gwda starting from its water.

Lake Pile stretches by Borne Sulinowo, 9,150 m long with a shoreline of 31 kilometres, so even on a fine day it is easy to find a free stretch of bank. Further on, in the gmina of Bobolice, lies Chlewo, a lobelia lake in a Natura 2000 area.

How to plan a trip around the nature of the region?

Nature is scattered, so build a day around one county or one lake. County lists let you link several places: Nature: Wałcz, Nature: Szczecinek, Nature: Borne Sulinowo, Nature: Cedynia, Nature: Golczewo and Nature: Ińsko.

Near Cedynia stands Czcibor Hill, a moraine rise in the Cedynia Hills with an eagle monument and 270 steps. Koszalin has Chełmska Hill, and Kołobrzeg and Międzyzdroje have piers, the Kołobrzeg Pier and the Międzyzdroje Pier, with views of the Baltic. All the nature spots of the region are gathered on the Nature page.

For a short outing choose places by the city: Syrenie Stawy or Jasne Błonia in Szczecin, Emerald Lake in Zdroje, or Dąbie. For a full day the Bukowa Forest with Glinna Wielka and Binowo works well. Before you go, check whether the bathing area is open and whether camping is allowed, because the rules change with the season.

Frequently asked questions

Which lakes in West Pomerania have beaches and bathing areas?

Beaches or bathing areas can be found at Lake Dominikowskie, Lake Jeleńskie, Dłużec, Lake Barlinek, Chlewo, Lake Binowskie and Karwowo, among others. Each description says whether it is guarded.

Where is a beech avenue in the region?

The beech avenue from Jacinki to Nacław in the gmina of Polanów is about five kilometres long with about four hundred trees. It is a natural monument entered in the register of monuments.

What is the Crooked Forest?

It is a natural monument in Nowe Czarnowo, in Gryfino county: a group of pines with trunks that turn sharply near the ground, at roughly a right angle. Hypotheses still debate the cause of this shape.

Which nature spots are in Szczecin itself?

Jasne Błonia with its plane trees, Syrenie Stawy in the Niemierzyn Valley, Emerald Lake and Academic Hill in Zdroje, and Lake Dąbie.

Do you have to pay to enter these places?

No, every place on this list is marked as free. Only services nearby, such as a bathing area or a camping field, may cost money.