Stettiner Haff-Rundweg (Szczecin Lagoon Cycling Path)

The journey begins with a detour to the city harbour in the town of Ueckermünde, which with its maritime atmosphere will get you in the mood for the coming experience. Traditional fishing villages are situated between lagoon beaches and the lush forests of the Ueckermünde Heath. Numerous birds breed in the meadows called Haffwiesen just outside Anklam. The aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal was born in Anklam, so the city has set up a museum where you can have a look at his first flying machines.

 

Behind the Zecheriner bridge, the path leads to the island of Usedom. The hinterland of the Kaiserbäder (imperial baths of Bansin, Heringsdorf and Alhbeck) spoils you with fresh fish and wonderful peace. The Kaiserbad Ahlbeck shines in its full beauty behind the 69 meter high Golm, the highest elevation of Usedom. The famous pier overlooks the rushing Baltic Sea. The Polish town of Swinoujscie is also enchanting with its magnificent spa architecture.

 

A ferry takes cyclists to the sister island of Wolin. On the steep coast and the banks of the Bodden (bay), the route continues to Miedzyzdroje, where the 75-metre high coast offers an impressive panorama of the entire Pomeranian Bay. The trail leads from the eastern shore of the Szczecin Lagoon to Stepnice between swampy meadows and a vast forest area.

 

With great views of one of the largest rivers in Europe, the journey through the river mouth of the Oder is fascinating. From Szczecin, mighty towers greet the cyclists from afar. After years of war, the former port metropolis now presents itself in its old splendour again. The last part of the route starts in the Wkrzanska jungle. After crossing Lake Neuwarp by ferry, the starting point Ueckermünde is almost in sight again.