Świnoujście combines a long beach with coastal paths and historic sites from different chapters of the town’s history. This gives you two main themes to consider when planning your trip: coastal scenery and outdoor activities, or the lighthouse, forts and underground defensive complex. Each site tells a distinctly different story about the town.
Beach and coastal scenery
The beach in Świnoujście stretches across Uznam and Wolin and is 10 kilometers long in total. Of this, 3.7 kilometers lie on Uznam and 6 kilometers on Wolin. The coastal landscape also includes breakwaters dating from the early 19th century. The western breakwater is topped by the windmill-shaped sea mark “Młyny”; the central breakwater extends more than 1,400 meters out to sea.
Zdrojowy Park offers a different view of the landscape. It dates from the 19th century and was laid out to a design by landscape architect Peter Josef Lenné. Mediterranean vegetation and trees around 150 years old are among its distinctive features. In Świnoujście, the open coast and a historically designed park offer contrasting landscape experiences.
Paths, cycling routes and water sports
The cross-border seafront promenade is 12.5 kilometers long. It runs through green spaces in Świnoujście and in Ahlbeck, Heringsdorf and Bansin, with sea views along much of the way. Another route description takes you to Karsibór Island: the ROUND KARSIBÓR cycling route is about 21 kilometers long and passes through reed beds, meadows and forests along the Piast Canal, continuing to the new eastern breakwater. This extends 430 meters into the Szczecin Lagoon. The promenade passes through several named places; the route on Karsibór connects different landscapes with a specific destination on the water.
There is a pump track for acrobatic cycling on Grunwaldzka Street. The closed circuit has fast turns and rollers. For shorter journeys, Promenada Zdrowia is another option: separated from the sea by a line of dunes, it has separate paths for pedestrians, cyclists and roller skaters. The facilities also include landscape architecture, outdoor fitness equipment, drinking fountains, a fountain, bicycle racks, playgrounds and a leisure park. A 950-meter pedestrian path is planned, along with a track for roller skaters and inline skaters and a cycling path.
If you prefer to get around on foot, Świnoujście has numerous walking trails ranging from 4 to 20 kilometers, suitable for walks and Nordic walking. Conditions in Świnoujście are good for windsurfing, kitesurfing and skimboarding. Sailing events and regattas are also held in the surrounding waters, including the Sea Days Regatta, the Tourist Regatta, the Unity Line Regatta and Sail Świnoujście. Sailboats can be seen during Sail Świnoujście. If you want to plan your trip around a regatta, check the event dates in advance.
Lighthouse, forts and underground history
The Muzeum Rybołówstwa Morskiego (Maritime Fisheries Museum) is housed in the former town hall. Its collections cover the history of fishing, the town and the region, as well as old navigation instruments and exhibits on marine fauna. The museum hosts numerous exhibitions. The Latarnia Morska (lighthouse) in Świnoujście dates from 1858 and houses an exhibition about lighthouses and sea rescue.
The forts each tell a different part of the fortress’s history. Fort Anioła was built between 1854 and 1858, modeled on Hadrian’s Mausoleum in Rome. Fort Wschodni (Gerharda) is one of three surviving 19th-century fortifications in the Fortress of Świnoujście. The fort houses an exhibition about the town’s fortifications, along with objects found there.
Podziemne Miasto (Underground City) offers a different historical perspective: the complex consists of shelters connected by a one-kilometer tunnel. During the Second World War, the site served as a coastal defense battery; after the war, it became the Polish military’s command post. This shift between two uses gives the site a different history from the above-ground fortifications.
Karsibór and cultural events
A Gothic church dating from the 15th century stands on Karsibór Island. Its furnishings also span different periods: the altar dates from the 15th century and the pulpit from the 17th century. A visit to this building adds another specific piece of regional history to the coastal and fortress sites.
The cultural program also includes the FAMA Festival, held in Świnoujście since 1966. It prompted the expansion of the amphitheater. Together with the exhibitions at the Fisheries Museum and the regattas, the festival reveals another side of the destination, beyond its beaches and cycling routes. Check the latest event listings for specific festival dates.
Discover more destinations: Łukęcin, Wicko, Międzywodzie, Kamień Pomorski, Dziwnówek, Dziwnów, Wolin, Międzyzdroje.
Go to the main travel overview: Kamień Pomorski.
