Lighthouses and ports
a 19th-century shipping canal that cut the island of Karsibór off from Uznam
Lighthouses and ports
a brick lighthouse from 1857 with 308 steps, the tallest on the Polish coast
Lighthouses and ports
a white windmill-shaped stawa at the end of the breakwater, a symbol of Świnoujście
Places with character
a tunnel under the Świna linking Uznam and Wolin, bored by a machine named Wyspiarka
Places with character
a seaport on the Świna strait with a breakwater, a ferry terminal and a yacht harbour in the town centre
Spa towns
Museums
a former town hall of 1806 with an exhibition on the fauna of the Baltic, fishing and the history of the town
Historic sites
a Prussian coastal fort of 1848-1859 with a museum and visits in the role of a Prussian army recruit
Lakes
a former bay of the Szczecin Lagoon in Wolin National Park with the ports of Lubin and Wapnica and the Viking Oak
Historic sites
bunkers from the 1930s, a secret command post in the communist period, visited with a guide
Historic sites
a brick rotunda with a terrace from 1854-1858, a fortification museum and a Vikings' hall in a former fort
Historic sites
a Prussian coastal fort with casemates, the Henningsen battery shelter and a fortress history museum
Historic sites
a Prussian complex of four forts at the mouth of the Świna, three of which can be visited today
Churches and monasteries
a church of 1788-1792 with a tower of 1881, a Steinmeyer organ and a model sailing ship under the ceiling
Churches and monasteries
a Neo-Gothic brick church from 1895-1896, built for Polish seasonal workers
Churches and monasteries
what remains of a Neo-Gothic church from 1904, converted into a viewing terrace
Churches and monasteries
late Gothic church by the former crossing of the Świna, with a 16th-century altar
Places with character
bridge over the Old Świna with a pavement, linking Karsibór with Wolin Island
Churches and monasteries
Neo-Gothic church of the early 20th century in Przytór, formerly Protestant, with three stained-glass windows in the chancel
reserve on Uznam with royal fern, an educational path and a viewpoint
Cemeteries and monuments
monument to the crew of a Lancaster of No. 617 Squadron RAF, shot down over Karsibór in 1945
Places with character
bench of the traveller and explorer of Cameroon from Kalisz, set up in 2023
Historic sites
brick post office building from 1878, rebuilt around 1900, in the centre of Świnoujście
rope park in the town centre with ten routes, next to the amphitheatre
Things to do in Świnoujście: a lighthouse with 308 steps, Prussian forts, salt graduation towers, Stawa Młyny and dozens more places.
Świnoujście lies on the islands of Uznam, Wolin and Karsibór, so most sightseeing here involves water, bridges and crossings. The town has Prussian forts, a seaside spa, several brick neo-Gothic churches and two small nature reserves nearby.
For the first day three stops are enough: the lighthouse, Stawa Młyny at the end of the breakwater and the port. Each shows the town from the water, and all lie close to the shoreline, so they combine easily. Only then reach for the forts and the spa park.
Świnoujście Lighthouse stands in the Warszów district on Bunkrowa Street. It is a brick tower from 1857, according to Wikipedia the tallest on the Polish coast, and 308 steps lead to the top. Visitors can climb it. Stawa Młyny looks like a white windmill with a black roof. It is a 10 m navigation mark put up in 1873-1874 at the tip of the West Breakwater. It is regarded as a symbol of the town. Świnoujście Port lies in the centre, on the Świna strait, and handles ferries and LNG, and has a marina for yachts.
The crossing between the islands is itself worth a look. The Świna Tunnel, 1.78 km long, opened on 30 June 2023 and links Uznam with Wolin. Its story is told in the article on the tunnel and crossings between the islands. Over the Old Świna runs the Piast Bridge from 2012, 407 m long, which joins Karsibór with Ognica.
Świnoujście was a Prussian port fortress, and three of its four forts survive: Anioła, Gerharda and Zachodni. Two have museums, and all stand near the mouth of the Świna. The full list of fortifications is under castles and forts in Świnoujście.
Świnoujście Fortress was a Prussian system of port fortifications from the 19th century. The best preserved is Fort Gerharda (Gerhard's Fort), also called the Eastern Fort, built in 1848-1859 at Ku Morzu 5. It has a museum and offers a visit in the role of a recruit, and you can reach it by boat. Its story is told in the article on Fort Gerharda. Fort Anioła (Angel's Fort) at Jachtowa 2 is a three-storey rotunda from 1854-1858, now a museum of military architecture and a cultural venue with exhibitions and a café. At number 4a stands Fort Zachodni (the Western Fort) from 1856-1861, home to the Fortress History Museum with casemates and shelters. The same fort also holds the shooting range of the 44 Wyspy Shooting Club, open after contacting the club.
A completely different era is the Vineta coastal artillery battery complex at Wolińska 10. The shelters were built in the 1930s, served as a secret command post in the Polish People's Republic era, and are now toured with a guide as the Underground City on Wolin island.
Świnoujście has been a spa for over two centuries, and the remains of that tradition are part of a walk today: a park, graduation towers and a promenade. Everything lies near the beach. The resort's history is explained in the article on the Świnoujście spa, and further places are under atmospheric places.
The Spa Park is a historic spa park from the 1820s, linked to a design by Peter Joseph Lenné, with avenues, sculptures and old trees. It lies on the eastern edge of Uznam island. The salt graduation towers are in the west of the Historic Promenade, where the path from Małachowskiego Street reaches the beach. Brine comes from the Świnoujście spa. The wooden structures suit a stroll along the sea. In the centre stands the red brick post office building from 1878, rebuilt around 1900, and near it is the Stefan Szolc-Rogoziński bench from 2023, dedicated to the traveller and explorer of Cameroon.
Outside town lie several places for a quiet walk: a lake, a fern reserve and wooden viewing towers. Many are free. All viewpoints are described under beautiful views, and free places are in the free things to do section.
The Karsiborskie Paprocie nature reserve is a floristic reserve of 38.14 ha on Uznam island, on the Szczecin Lagoon, with the largest site of royal fern in West Pomerania and a 4 km educational trail. By this trail stands the viewing tower in Karsibór Forestry, a wooden, unroofed platform 8 m above the lagoon. Wicko Wielkie is a 12 km² lake that was once a bay of the Szczecin Lagoon. Most of it lies in Wolin National Park, and the ports of Lubin and Wapnica are on its shores. In town, a view from above comes from the tower of Martin Luther's church at Paderewskiego 7, the remnant of a demolished neo-Gothic Protestant church from 1904, today with a viewing terrace. The last stop on this route is the Piast Canal, a shipping canal dug in 1874-1880 across Uznam, linking the Świna with the Szczecin Lagoon as part of the fairway to Szczecin.
Świnoujście's churches are mostly brick neo-Gothic from the turn of the 20th century, joined by a few older and newer buildings. Several were built for Protestant parishes and taken over by Catholics after the war. The full list is under churches and monasteries.
The Church of Christ the King at Kościelny Square 1 has its present form from 1788-1792, a tower from 1881, a Steinmeyer organ and a model corvette under the ceiling. The Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea at Piastowska 12 is a neo-Gothic church from 1895-1896, the first Catholic one in the area, with an Ave Maris Stella mosaic above the portal. The Church of the Sacred Heart in the Przytór district, from 1901-1902, was built for a Protestant parish. In Karsibór stands the oldest, the Church of the Immaculate Conception, late Gothic from the 15th century, where the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus was quartered in 1630. A modern addition is the Church of Saints Stanislaus and Boniface in the Posejdon estate, built in 1994-1998.
For families the town has a rope park in the centre, and for rainy days a museum, forts with exhibitions and a shooting range. More on a weekend on the islands is in the article on a weekend in Świnoujście, Wolin and Międzyzdroje, and routes for couples are suggested under for couples.
Park Linowy Bluszcz is in the centre at Matejki 22, next to the amphitheatre, with ten routes from easy to hard. The Sea Fisheries Museum is at Plac Rybaka 1 in the former town hall from 1806, one of the oldest buildings in town. It shows Baltic fauna, amber, fishing tools, ship models and the history of Świnoujście. In the town's calendar, also check the events in Świnoujście.
Świnoujście has one site tied to events from the end of the war. This site is approached with calm and restraint.
The RAF Airmen Monument stands in Karsibór, on the site of the original burial of the crew of a British Lancaster shot down on 16 April 1945 during a raid on the cruiser Lützow.
The lighthouse, Stawa Młyny, the port and one of the forts, preferably Fort Gerharda or Fort Zachodni. In the evening you can stroll along the promenade and through the spa park.
Yes, the lighthouse in the Warszów district is open to visitors. 308 steps lead to the top, and the brick tower dates from 1857.
Three forts survive from the Prussian fortress: Anioła, Gerharda and Zachodni. Fort Gerharda and Fort Zachodni have museums, and Fort Anioła has exhibitions and a café.
Among free places are the Karsiborskie Paprocie reserve, the viewing tower in Karsibór Forestry, Lake Wicko Wielkie and the RAF Airmen Monument. Four places are listed in a separate section.
