Świnoujście

Set on the Świna Strait, the city spans the islands of Usedom, Wolin and Karsibór, linking the Baltic Sea with the Szczecin Lagoon. For cruisers it functions as Poland’s western gateway: easy day sails lead west to the Usedom resorts and the German border, or east along the West Pomeranian coast. The signature landfall is Stawa Młyny, the windmill-shaped beacon on the western breakwater and an official city emblem.

Inside, the route continues on sheltered waters toward the lagoon; the lagoon itself is shallow (roughly 3–5.5 m), so passages are planned along buoyed channels. The deep-water fairway Świnoujście–Szczecin (deepened to about 12.5 m) brings frequent commercial traffic—worth factoring in when crossing the channels.

This corner of the Baltic is effectively non-tidal, with water levels driven by wind setup and seiches rather than astronomical tide. City logistics improved with the road tunnel under the Świna, opened on 30 June 2023, the first fixed link between the Usedom and Wolin parts of the city. In summer you get broad beaches (up to ~200 m in places) and a long seaside promenade that continues toward Ahlbeck/Heringsdorf. From here, day routes include eastbound coastal hops or an inland alternative across the lagoon and the Oder toward Szczecin.