"WELCOME to my Swinoujscie Page " a Swinoujscie Travel Page by queensali

SWINOUJSCIE - -Situated in the extract corner of northwest Poland. Like no other town in Poland, Świnoujście is located on several dozen islands. Its area being naturally delimited by the Szczecin Bay, the Baltic Sea and the German border.

In the new administrative division established in 1999, Świnoujście has the status of being both town and county /powiat in Polish/. As one of the largest towns in Zachodniopomorskie Province, Świnoujście has an area of 195 km2, which, strangely enough, increases regularly. In the process of sea recession the coastline has moved north by 1.5 km.

The town is situated on 44 islands of which only three: Uznam, Wolin and Karsibór are populated.

With its attractive location, Świnoujście has exceptionally favourable conditions for the development of marine business and tourism. 'Poland begins here' say local residents happily. The ferry terminal, a vital link between Central Europe and Scandinavia, provides regular service to Sweden and Denmark for passengers, cars, trucks and railway wagons.

The distance from Świnoujście to Berlin is only 160 km, to Sweden 175 km, and to Denmark 150 km.

The Odra Estuary is an area of relatively early human settlements. First Germanic and Slavonic tribes arrived here around 4200-1700 BC.

In historic times this area used to be of particular interest for neighbouring peoples: Germans, Danes, Swedes and Poles. More than a thousand years ago the nearby Wolin was already a thriving town while Świnoujście appeared on the historic scene much later.

1128 Bishop Otto of Bamberg arrives to christianize the inhabitants of Wolin

1181 First castles built at the mouth of the Świna River

1184 Castles destroyed by the Danes

1230 First mention of the ferry across the River Świna

1261 'A castle on the Świna River' mentioned in a document issued by Prince Barnim I

1630 Troops of the Swedish King Gustav Adolf arrive at Uznam and Wolin (legend has it that the king took a rest in the presbytery in Karsibórz)

1720 The Treaty of Stockholm - Wolin and Uznam islands consigned to Prussia

1738-1780 Dredging works and construction of the port at the mouth of the Świna River

1747 Świnoujście becomes a seaport, Szczecin's outer harbour

1765 New settlement on the Świna River acquires civic rights

1818-1823 Construction of breakwaters at the outlet of the Świna

1824 Świnoujście becomes a seaside resort, soon to become the most popular European spa

1848 Construction of the Świnoujście Fortress is launched

1859 Construction of the then tallest lighthouse in the world is completed

1876 Świnoujście linked to Berlin by a railway

1880 Opening of the Piastowski Channel

1907 German Kaiser and Russian Tsar meet in Świnoujście

1934-1939 Świnoujście becomes the naval station of Hitler's Kriegsmarine

12.III.1945 Heavy bombings by allied air forces cause damages and kill thousands of residentsi

4-5.V. 1945 Russian troops enter the islands and take control of Świnoujście

4-6.X.1945 The town taken over by representative of the Polish Authorities

1948-51 Construction of the 'Odra' fishing base

1958 Resolution of the Council of Ministers in favour of the reconstruction of Świnoujście

1959 The health treatment company 'Uzdrowiska' is established

24.XII.1992 Last Soviet troops leave Świnoujście