Szczecin Lagoon Cycle Route

The Szczecin Lagoon Cycle Route (Polish: Wokół Zalewu Szczecińskiego, German: Stettiner Haff-Rundweg) is a cross-border loop through two countries: on the eastern, Polish side via Szczecin, Stepnica, Wolin, Międzyzdroje and Świnoujście, and on the western, German side via Anklam, Ueckermünde and Altwarp. The eastern part of the route fully overlaps with Blue Velo, and many sections run with direct views of Lake Dąbie and the Lagoon itself.

This is a route for cyclists who like time by the water. The trail combines flood embankments and shoreline paths with local asphalt roads and forest tracks, passing marinas, beaches, the beech forests of Wolin National Park and the bird sanctuaries the Lagoon's waters are known for: the Czarnocin reserve, Anklamer Stadtbruch and the Unteres Peenetal. On top of that comes a historical layer, from the Slavic and Viking settlement near Wolin to the Prussian forts of Świnoujście.

Essential facts about the route

• Riding time: 2–7 days, depending on pace and the number of stops
• Difficulty: easy; the route is not physically demanding
• Elevation profile: mostly flat terrain with short rises; no long or steep climbs, the highest point sits at around 45–50 m above sea level
• Surface: mixed; asphalt mainly on approach roads and near larger towns, plenty of gravel and crushed stone (especially on the Polish side of the Lagoon and along Lake Dąbie), with occasional concrete slabs and short stretches of setts
• Road type: cycle paths, tracks along flood embankments, local asphalt roads and forest tracks
• Direction: the loop can be ridden either way without any drawbacks
• Recommended bike: gravel, trekking or hardtail MTB
• For families: in sections; traffic-separated fragments, such as the embankment path between Czarnocin and Zagórze, the Wolin – Międzyzdroje cycle path or the dedicated cycleways from Trzebież to Szczecin, are suitable for children, but between them the route uses local roads with car traffic

Waymarking and navigation

The waymarking is inconsistent and differs on the two sides of the border. On the German side the route is better maintained and more clearly signed, though for long stretches it runs together with the Oder-Neiße-Radweg (D-12), and signs for the Stettiner Haff-Rundweg itself appear only sporadically. On the Polish side some fragments are more weakly marked or diverted along local roads; there are no signs in Świnoujście, and waymarking in Szczecin, as of 2026, is still only planned.

For this reason, a GPX track is the foundation on this route, not an extra. You can download the file directly from the route page in VeloPlanner; on the ground, it's better to follow the map and your planned sections than to rely on signs alone.

Which direction and when to ride

Direction has no effect on difficulty, so the choice comes down to travel logistics and which part of the loop you want to save for the end. The best window runs from spring to early autumn: that's when the seasonal ferries across the Lagoon operate, letting you shorten and reshape the loop, and when the summer timetable on the Szczecin – Goleniów – Wolin – Świnoujście line includes Polregio trains carrying up to 30 bikes. Summer is also peak season, so it pays to buy train bike tickets in advance.

Stages: how the Szczecin Lagoon Cycle Route divides

The route has no official stage structure; you can ride it in 2–7 days, starting practically anywhere. The seven sections between key towns below are an editorial suggestion, not a structure imposed by the route operator.

Szczecin – Modrzewie: You leave the city centre on the scenic cycle path of Trasa Zamkowa (enter at the bottom, close to the waterfront), and beyond the Dąbie district a new gravel path begins along the shore of Lake Dąbie. Along the way there are waterside rest spots such as Zakątek Chełszcząca and Przylądek Czterech Szkieletów, a shipwreck in the reeds before Lubczyna, and a marina and beach in Lubczyna itself. At the mouth of the Ina it's worth turning off to a wild beach with a view of the betonowiec, a sunken reinforced-concrete ship bombed in Szczecin in 1945.

Modrzewie – Wolin: Via Stepnica, a 13th-century fishing settlement with the wooden Tawerna Panorama from 1840 and a beach with sand brought in from Świnoujście, the route heads for the embankments right on the Lagoon. Nearby lies the Olszanka reserve, home to Poland's densest concentration of white-tailed eagle nests. From Czarnocin begins one of the loop's prettiest stretches: a gravel path along the embankments through the Natura 2000 area Ujście Odry i Zalew Szczeciński, where free-roaming Polish konik horses and Highland cattle graze the meadows, sometimes right on the path.

Wolin – Świnoujście/Ahlbeck: Wolin, in the early Middle Ages one of Europe's largest towns according to some sources, recalls its former power with the open-air Centre of Slavs and Vikings. Beyond it the terrain turns hilly: you can take in the panorama of the Świna reverse delta from the 12th-century hillfort in Lubin (paid entry) or free of charge from Zielonka hill. Past Turquoise Lake in Wapnica and Międzyzdroje comes a 2.5-kilometre stretch along the edge of a dune with views of the beach and the Baltic; at the entry and exit you'll need to push your bike a few metres through sand.

Świnoujście/Ahlbeck – Anklam: Świnoujście, a city spread across 44 islands, tempts with Prussian fortifications, Poland's tallest lighthouse (68 m) and the windmill-shaped Stawa Młyny beacon. You cross the border on a comfortable forest walking-and-cycling path leading straight to the pier in Ahlbeck, one of Usedom's imperial resorts. Further on, the route passes the DDR Museum in Dargen and Traktoren Welt, leaves the island over the Zecheriner Brücke, a bascule bridge from 1931, and reaches Anklam along wetlands with a drowned forest and a footbridge over the Peene river. The seasonal Kamp – Karnin bike ferry lets you shorten this stage and see up close the lone span of the former Berlin – Świnoujście railway bridge.

Anklam – Ueckermünde: Hanseatic Anklam is the birthplace of Otto Lilienthal, the aviation pioneer honoured here with an interactive museum. Beyond the town the route follows an embankment through Anklamer Stadtbruch, a vast peat bog returned to nature after the flood of 1995 and a genuine bird paradise; the best viewing is from the observation tower 2.5 km before the village of Bugewitz. The way to Ueckermünde runs along narrow dirt paths via the beach at Mönkebude, then on cycle paths.

Ueckermünde – Trzebież: Ueckermünde has a historic old town with the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes (today a museum of the Lagoon), a moored replica of a medieval cog and a suburban zoo where visitors can feed the animals. On the Polish side of the border it's worth a 3 km detour to Nowe Warpno, one of Poland's westernmost towns, with a 15th-century half-timbered old town and a seasonal ferry to Altwarp in Germany. The route then passes the half-timbered church in Warnołęka from 1727 and a lavender field in Brzózki before reaching Trzebież.

Trzebież – Szczecin: Trzebież is home to Poland's largest port on the Szczecin Lagoon; the town also commemorates kayaker Aleksander Doba, the first person to paddle solo across the Atlantic. Via Police, with the ruins of a 14th-century Augustinian monastery in Jasienica and the remains of a German synthetic-fuel factory, the route returns to Szczecin on dedicated cycleways. For the finale there's Wały Chrobrego, the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes, or Łasztownia with its view of the Old Town.

What to see around the Szczecin Lagoon

Most attractions sit directly on the route or need only a short detour. The key ones, grouped by theme:

Nature and viewpoints

• Wolin National Park: beech forests and viewpoints; the section along the route is free of charge
• Turquoise Lake in Wapnica: a former chalk quarry with an unusual turquoise colour
• The Świna reverse delta: panorama from the hillfort in Lubin or from Zielonka hill
• The Czarnocin reserve and the Natura 2000 area Ujście Odry i Zalew Szczeciński: waterbirds, viewing platforms, konik horses and Highland cattle
• The Olszanka reserve near Stepnica: Poland's densest concentration of white-tailed eagle nests
• Anklamer Stadtbruch: a vast peat bog with an observation tower near Bugewitz
• Unteres Peenetal: wetlands with a drowned forest, a favourite of cormorants
• Lake Dąbie with the beach and marina in Lubczyna

Military sites and technical heritage

• Fort Gerharda and the lighthouse in Świnoujście: one of Europe's best-preserved 19th-century Prussian coastal forts and Poland's tallest lighthouse
• The Świnoujście Fortress: Fort Anioła and Fort Zachodni with military exhibitions
• Stawa Młyny: a windmill-shaped navigation beacon and the symbol of Świnoujście
• The V-3 site near Wapnica: a small museum dedicated to the longest gun of the Second World War
• The betonowiec at the mouth of the Ina: a reinforced-concrete shipwreck stranded on a shoal
• The bridge span at Karnin: a remnant of the demolished Berlin – Świnoujście railway bridge, seen up close only from the water
• The former synthetic-fuel factory in Police with the "Skarb" history museum and guided tours on Saturdays

History and culture

• The Centre of Slavs and Vikings Jomsborg–Vineta near Wolin: a reconstruction of a 9th–11th-century settlement; the Festival of Slavs and Vikings in summer
• Wolin: the A. Kaube Regional Museum, a historic grain elevator and a Dutch-type windmill (both admired from outside)
• Szczecin: Wały Chrobrego, the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes, the boulevards and Łasztownia
• Usedom's imperial resorts: Ahlbeck, Heringsdorf and Bansin, with architecture from the turn of the 20th century
• The Otto Lilienthal Museum in Anklam: an interactive story of the aviation pioneer
• Ueckermünde: the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes with a museum of the Lagoon and a replica Hanseatic cog
• Nowe Warpno: a half-timbered town hall and a promenade with views of the German shore
• The ruins of the Augustinian monastery in Jasienica
• Karszno Palace: a neo-Renaissance residence modelled on Loire châteaux, admired from outside

Getting there and transport

How to reach the route

You can start riding at practically any point on the loop. The most convenient bases are Szczecin or Świnoujście: both cities have the best rail connections and long-term parking. On the German side, Anklam and Ueckermünde are the natural starting points.

Railway stations sit right by the route in Szczecin (Główny and Dąbie), Goleniów, Wolin, Międzyzdroje and Świnoujście. Services are run by Polregio, Koleje Zachodniopomorskie and Intercity; carrying a bike requires an extra ticket, which in summer is worth arranging ahead of time. On the German side, Deutsche Bahn stations are located in left-bank Świnoujście, Ahlbeck, Anklam and Ueckermünde (change in Pasewalk for Szczecin, Berlin and Stralsund), and DB Regio and UBB offer all-day bike tickets. Seasonally, FlixBus and PKS coaches also carry bikes; you register the bike when buying your ticket, and spaces are very limited. Drivers will find car parks in Szczecin, Stepnica, Wolin, Międzyzdroje and Nowe Warpno, among other places. Airports lie near Goleniów and at Heringsdorf near Świnoujście.

Ferries across the Lagoon: shortcuts and return options

Water crossings make the loop flexible to shorten and reshape:

• Kamp – Karnin: a seasonal ferry created with cyclists in mind (carries up to 20 bikes), shortens the Świnoujście – Anklam stage and passes right by the historic bridge span
• Ueckermünde – Kamminke near Świnoujście: sailings on selected days of the week in season
• Nowe Warpno – Altwarp: a seasonal, fifteen-minute crossing between the Polish and German shores, with bikes allowed on board
• Trzebież – Kopice/Stepnica: an on-request crossing, booked in advance; lets you skip Szczecin and shorten the loop considerably
• on summer weekends, boats carrying bikes run between Szczecin and Świnoujście

In Szczecin itself you can take your bike on public transport free of charge (the tram is the easiest option), and city buses run from Police and Jasienica, also with free bike carriage.

Practical considerations

The biggest challenge here is navigation and ferry logistics: signs can be inconsistent, and the ferries run seasonally with limited capacity. A GPX track, sailing times checked before you set off, and train bike tickets bought in advance will save you plenty of stress, especially in the summer holidays.

A few things worth remembering:

• at the entry and exit of the dune stretch beyond Międzyzdroje you'll need to push your bike a few metres through sand; a short sandy fragment also appears just before the border on the German side
• the long gravel and crushed-stone sections on the Polish side of the Lagoon and along Lake Dąbie make a case for wider tyres
• the alternative concrete-slab track along the embankments between Warnołęka and Brzózki is in average condition and can be overgrown in summer; in spring it's an interesting scenic option
• the factory ruins in the forests around Police can only be visited with a guide; exploring on your own is a bad idea

Final tips

The Szczecin Lagoon Cycle Route is best enjoyed without hurry: swimming spots, marinas and observation towers invite stops more often than any plan allows, and the 2–7 day range leaves plenty of room. Open the full route in VeloPlanner and split it in the planner into sections matched to your own pace, and keep the Lagoon ferries in reserve as a safety valve in case of weather or a change of plans. The water is almost always on one side of your handlebars; the rest is up to you.