The Chrząszczewo Island

The Chrząszczewo Island’s area amounts to about 10 km², and is the third largest island in Poland. There are three towns located there: Chrząszczewo, Chrząszczewko, and Buniewice. There are some interesting places and events connected with the island. North of the town of Chrząszczewo, a megalithic barrow was found; it is worth seeing when strolling towards the King’s Boulder. It is an enormous erratic situated 20 m from the northern shore of the island, in the waters of the Kamień Lagoon. The erratic boulder has a circumference of approximately 20 m. Imposing size of the boulder and its location resulted in many legends connected with it. Among other things, the town of Kamień Pomorski [the Pomerania Rock] took its name from it. Along the way, tourists also go past oil wells. They are remnants of some attempts at extracting petroleum occurring at the depth of 2,700-3,200 m below sea level made in the 1970s. Prior to the Second World War, a German cement factory operated on the island. It was destroyed during the war, and what was left of it was an overgrown canal that used to serve to transport lime and cement to the Reich. Some sources noted that the area of the factory functioned as a base for torpedo boats during the Second World War. It is also likely that V rocket launcher installations were located there. Currently, the island is a quiet and peaceful place for nature and people. It is a paradise for enthusiasts of sailing and fishing. It is protected as a part of the Natura 2000 Ujście Odry i Zalew Szczeciński area. There is one of two natural sites of muddy salt marshes with common glasswort in Poland.