Located in the southern Baltic region, Usedom is an island within the Pomeranian Bay and is separated from the main land by the rivers: Peena and Szczecin. It also has a neighbouring island going by the name of Wolin and the river that flows in between is called Swina. The greater part of the island comes under the constituency of the German state: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Furthermore, Świnoujście or Swinemünde, the largest city of the island is part of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland. Here in-fact resides about half the islands population.
Usedom is advertised as the Sun Island and as the sunniest region of Germany and the Baltic Sea. This is because it receives nearly 1906 sunshine hours per year. If you were to visit the Baltic coast of the island you will find fine sandy beaches which stretch 42 kilometres in length.
The island has been a popular tourist destination since early parts of 19th century. Numerous resorts with varied architecture styles laden with many a number of luxurious features have been cropping up around ever since. Today, there are villa styled resorts along with imperial baths and Europa beach promenade is also present. Along with this, Usedom has been a major centre for culture and other kinds of festivities. There are concerts, musicals and theatre performances, literary festivals, along with films being shot and screened. Usedom in its own right ranks top on the popularity scale.
Transportation
Travelling within the island is quite convenient because, firstly due to the public transport facilitates. There are bus facilities and the UBB railway network.
The streets of Usedom are well paved and developed for bicycle tracks. The German part of the island is termed as Federal highway 111 system. It junctions at Gützkow and from here along Federal highway 20 you can reach Peenebrücke Wolgast.
There is no proper road link with the Polish side of Usedom from the eastern side of Wolin. But, there are car ferries which frequent along that route and are convenient. There are boat and ship facilities also available as modes of transportation and adventure.
The closest airport near the Polish border is airport Heringsdorf, located in the town of Garz. Furthermore, to access the inner-German regions, mostly charter flights are available which can take you directly to most of the major German cities.
Geology, geography and climate of the region
The total area of Usedom is about 445 kilometres squared out of which 375 kilometres square is under the German Vorpommern-Greifswald jurisdiction and the remaining 72 square kilometres fall under that of the Polish West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Moreover, as per the latest figures, greater amount of the population, that is, approximately 45,000 is of Polish descent and about 31,500 is that of German.
Usedom is the second largest island in Germany and the largest being Rügen. Moreover, it is situated in the southwestern Baltic region and is the member of the Vorpommern Bodden coast. Rivers Peene and Swine flow on the western and eastern sides of the island respectively. Furthermore, the Peenestrom which is an extension of valley of the Peene River forms a straight and flows between the island and the mainland. Towards the south of the island you will find the Szczecin Lagoon and Baltic Sea is on the northeaster side, whereas the largest island of Germany Rügen along with Ruden and Greifswald Oie are located on the north-western side. Largely the island remains flat and mostly marshes occupy its surface.
Towards the sea side of the island, the coast runs straight and is characterised by the gentle slopes of Schorre. The north-eastern coast is pretty much flat and you can find the Koserow cliffs there. The highest summit on this side of the island is that of Streckelsberg. The Peenestrom lagoon is the largest lagoon which straight-up divides the Baltic Sea and thereby creating some peninsulas and bays.
Interestingly the south-eastern side of the island is characterised by hills and is often called Usedomer Switzerland. Between the alluvial north-east and the rocky terrain of the south east is a region which carries sediment deposits from the ancient ocean. The prominent lakes of the region are: Schmollensee and Gothensee.
The geological formations of the island are a result of the melting of Scandinavian ice of the Vistula glaciation from nearly 15,000 years ago. This melting ice flowed down south and formed the Szczecin Lagoon. The massive boulders that you will be seeing on Usedom are also in-fact a result of glaciation. These boulders weigh several tonnes and the oldest amongst them is 2 billion years old.
Most of Usedom is protected because of the natural endowments that it carries. The following is a list of few of the main natural reserves that can and must be visited:
- Nature reserve Peenemünder hook, Struck and Ruden: It is the oldest reserve of Usedom which was reported to have been opened in 1925.
- Peninsula Gnitz: This 61 ha reserve has been in operation since 1994.
- Wockninsee silted in Ückeritz: It was opened in 1967
- Mümmelkense: Opened in 1967, it is located between Moorsee Schmollensee and Baltic beach.
- Nature reserve Peninsula Cosim on Balmer See: It covers an area of 85 ha and this reserve has been in operation since 1996.
- Bird Islands Böhmke and Werder: Situated in Lake Balm, it was opened in 1967 and spanning an area of 118 ha, it is among the largest reserve of the island.
- Gothensee: It is the largest NSG on Usedom. This ginormous reserve measures 800 ha and was opened in 1997.
- Golm: It is located on the highest mountain of Usedom and began functioning in 1976.
- Zern Insee: This 365 ha reserve shares its borders with Poland.
- Small Krebssee: It has been functioning since 1996 and is situated between: Schmollensee and Gothensee.
Usedom is the sunniest region of Germany which receives an annual sunshine duration of 1917 hours. On the other hand the German mainland’s average is 1550 hours. Moreover, the average rainfall received by Usedom measures at 550 mm. Here February is the driest month whereas July is the month which gets the most rainfall. Though, there are seasonal fluctuations throughout the year, the island remains a comfortable destination in terms of climatic conditions throughout the year.
History of the region
Genealogical studies have shown that the initial major inhabitants of the islands regions were the Germanic Rugians who settled here sometime around the Stone Age. As the Neolithic period approached, migration within the region also increased manifolds. Moreover, Polabian Slavs are known to have started moving in this region between the 5th and 7th century A.D. The region also benefited from Oderweg which was an important trade route. This route was well connected with the Mediterranean Sea along with the Scandinavian region. The island grew out to be a major trading centre and thus became prosperous though the ages.
The islands of Wolin and Usedom were formalised as an independent cultural congregation called the Usedom-Wolin group since the 1970’s. Moreover, for a very long time, the islanders had been selling many precious artefacts that they’d find on the shore or the mainland in exchange of money or other goods. Archaeologists in 1975 near Ückeritz unearthed 110 items of decoration of horse carts. These items dated back to the Bronze Age and were meant for the worship of the Sun god. Henceforth, many studies have had been conducted in the region and most of the documentations and the artefacts can be found in the public libraries and local museums.
Wartislaw I, the Slavic Promeranian Duke in the year 1128 with the efforts of Otto of Bamberg chose the paths of Christianity and thus began the reign of the ecclesiastics and also the spread of Christianity. Later-on in 1155 a monastery was established in Grobe by the Premonstratensians. This monastery came to be known as Usedom Abbey. It was also moved to Pudagla in 1309. The ownership of this monastery changed quite a bit of hands in the following course of time. For instance, during the age of the Reformation, the monastery went to the Slavic Dukes of Pomerania, who later-on took control of Usedom.
Furthermore, during the Thirty Years’ War, Usedom was annexed by the Swedish Army which was under the leadership of Gustavus Adolphus. This war almost lasted a century until Frederick William I, the Prussian King, in 1720 in-fact purchased the island for 2 million thalers. In 1740, the seaport of Swinemünde was constructed by Frederick the Great.
Moreover, Usedom was also much in news during the World Wars, particularly during the time leading to the Second World War. It was Peenemünde, a small village on the island which became famous because of the missile testing that was conducted here and largely over the island many slave labourers were employed. The eastern section of Usedom was assigned to Poland in 1945 during the Postdam Conference. This section of the island comprised of the port-city of Swinemünde or Świnoujście.
What to see and places to visit
Usedom, in the recent times has seen quite a large flow of tourists. Tourism as a matter of fact is the sector which contributes majorly to the economy of Usedom. Due to the immense demand the island transformed into a major holiday and recreation hot spot. You can find top notch hotels, cheap bread and breakfasts along with the beautiful and elegant town architecture and works of internationally renowned artists and local craft and much more here.
Along the Baltic seaside you will find the three grand imperial baths Heringsdorf, Bansin and Ahlbeck. The sandy shore of the Baltic Sea, and the fortifications and the port of Swinoujscie receive quite a lot of visitors. Here among the many hotels, inns and spas you will find some of the most exquisite services such as seawater baths and witness a rarity such as that of a butterfly farm. Among other things you might also be interested in seeing the local crafts being made from scratch and also made available for purchase or visit the climbing parks, museums and other cultural centres. At the Usedom Baltic Sea coast you can also see an unusually large number of piers protruding.
The Upstate area is famous for its Amber baths and its myriad freshwater lakes. In the hinterland region you can also find traditional living still being practiced. Thatched cottages, salt huts and windmills are quite a common site. Furthermore, cycling on the island is evidently popular among individuals of all age groups.