Velo Baltica - Stage I [Świnoujście - Dziwnówek]

Stage I: Świnoujście – Dziwnówek [52 km]

We start right at the German border, although no one is stopping you from going in the opposite direction. However, due to the wind direction, most cyclists choose to travel from west to east. To get to the border, you have to cross the Świna River, assuming you arrived by train. The station is located on the right bank, and right next to it is a ferry terminal, from where free ferries run to the city center every few minutes.

You don't have to start the route exactly at the border, but we recommend adding those few (okay, a dozen or so in both directions) kilometers to take a photo at the symbolic border gate between Poland and Germany, and then see the symbol of the city and one of the most "postcard-perfect" places on the Polish coast: Stawa Młyny. Stawa is a navigation mark that helps ships enter the port. In Świnoujście, it has a fanciful windmill shape and is located at the end of the breakwater at the mouth of the Świna River to the Baltic Sea. It is not a lighthouse, as the lighthouse is located on the other side of the strait. Its height of 67.7 meters makes it the tallest lighthouse in Poland. What's more, it is the tallest brick lighthouse in the world!

Climbing the 308 steps to the top is good training at the beginning of the trip. Those who come here from Gdańsk and already have hundreds of kilometers under their belts may not be very enthusiastic about such a climb, but it is worth taking a look at the panorama of Świnoujście, the sea, and the gas port under construction - an investment that means we do not have to worry about Russia cutting off our gas supply. While raw materials are the tools of war today, fort systems were useful in the past. One of them, Gerhard's fort, is located right next to the lighthouse.

From Świnoujście to Międzyzdroje, we ride along a forest, sometimes sandy path, which approaches the beach before Międzyzdroje. At the entrance to the dunes, you have to push your bikes, but the views from the path at the top of the dunes make up for it. Alternatively, you can take a parallel path deeper into the forest. Interestingly, we pass the famous nudist beach in Lubiewo, known from literature. Sunbathers without clothes are a little bothered by passing (and clothed) cyclists, so we do not recommend staring ostentatiously, even if it is tempting.

You can look at people to your heart's content on the 400-meter-long pier or the Promenade of Stars in Międzyzdroje. After all, people come here to show off. The town is almost surrounded by the Wolin National Park, whose biggest attraction (apart from the beautiful forest) is the European Bison Show Farm. The herd numbers an average of 5-12 individuals, and the names of the young born each year (which must begin with PO) are given by listeners in a competition organized by Radio Szczecin. "Surplus" individuals are sent to other centers, including Germany, to reproduce the population of this animal, which was once common in Europe. We can also see white-tailed eagles in the enclosure. Although there are several dozen of them living in the Wolin National Park, we have a better chance of seeing our national bird in the wild when traveling along the Blue Velo trail, which intersects with our route in Międzyzdroje.

From Międzyzdroje to Dziwnówek, we ride on mixed terrain at some distance from the sea. The last two kilometers before Warnowo may be muddy or sandy, depending on the weather. We hope that in the future, the trail will follow the planned bicycle path along provincial road No. 102 from Międzyzdroje to Wisełka. For now, we ride along the new bicycle path from Wisełka. We leave the island of Wolin by crossing the WOŚP drawbridge in Dziwnów.

Transport: PKP railway stations are located in Świnoujście, Świnoujście Przytor, Lubiewo, Międzyzdroje, Wapnica (on the Szczecin - Świnoujście line) and on the route in Kamień Pomorski (on the Szczecin - Kamień Pomorski line). Connections are operated by POLREGIO and Intercity. The timetable is available at https://portalpasazera.pl. There is a ferry crossing next to the station, providing free transport for cyclists to the city center.

Surface: asphalt 52%, aggregate 24%, cobblestones 18%, dirt roads 5%, cobblestones 1%.

Type of traffic: bicycle paths 57%, general traffic 18%, forest/field roads 25%.