Zachodniopomorskie is a coastal province (voivodeship), in the north-western corner of Poland.

Cities

Location within Poland

• 1 Szczecin (German: Stettin) — medieval capital city with an enormous harbor, monuments and old parks, as well as numerous museums
• 2 Czaplinek
• 3 Koszalin
• 4 Połczyn-Zdrój — spa in the Lake District
• 5 Police
• 6 Stargard — medieval town near Szczecin
• 7 Świdwin

Baltic Coast towns

• 8 Darłowo
• 9 Dziwnów
• 10 Kamień Pomorski
• 11 Kołobrzeg - popular seaside resort in the middle of the coast
• 12 Międzyzdroje
• 13 Mielno - party town, also known as "Polish Ibiza". Lots of clubs, concerts, parties, and drunk people.
• 14 Świnoujście - spa resort close to German border with park and fancy hotels
• 15 Ustronie Morskie

Other destinations

• 1 Crooked Forest – forest close to city of Gryfino with characteristic crooked trees, probably formed by humans to grow this way
• 2 Drawa National Park — national park protecting the wildlife of the river Drawa and a canoeing site
• 3 Usedom — island in the Baltic Sea shared with Germany
• 4 Wolin National Park — national park on forested cliff coast of Wolin island with European bison preserve
• 5 Borne Sulinowo — mostly abandoned Soviet military base, top secret closed city in the past and a piece of Soviet Union in Poland

Understand

Climate

Climate in Zachodniopomorskie is mix of oceanic and continental climate, which means that temperature amplitude is low and rainfall is common, though not as much as in Western Europe. Prepare for bad weather as periods of prolonged rainfall lasting for two weeks straight are not uncommon. Opposite can also happen with beautiful sunny weather lasting equally long. Coast is usually much milder being several degree warmer/cooler than the interior depending on season.

Get in

Some major airlines, Poland's national carriers LOT Polish Airlines and some low cost airlines fly to Szczecin's Szczecin-Goleniów Airport (SZZ ^IATA). Domestic flights operated by LOT (under Eurolot brand) connect Szczecin with Warsaw's Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW ^IATA).

See

The Crooked Forest near Gryfino

• The famous Crooked Forest (Polish: Krzywy Las) close to the town Gryfino, near the German border.

Do

Events

• 1 Pol'and'Rock (Przystanek Woodstock) (Czaplinek). Beginning of August.  

Stay safe

Zachodniopomorskie is quite safe when it comes to crime, however some coastal towns attract lots of partying youth often abusing drugs and alcohol, especially in town of Mielno. If you plan to stay closer to southeastern part of the province you need to mind your location as it is quite desolate and you may get lost in one of many large forests here.

Beaches which are unfit for swimming will have red flag waving. Follow official information and prefer beaches with lifeguards if possible. While swimming in Baltic Sea can definitely be a nice experience you need to be wary of hypothermia even in summer as water tends to be cool 22 degrees Celsius at most. Higher water temperatures usually result in algal blooms making swimming in the sea unsafe.

Go next

Zachodniopomorskie borders three other Polish voivodeships:

• Lubuskie,
• Wielkopolskie,
• Pomorskie,

as well as the Baltic Sea and Germany.

Sweden is accessible by ferry from Świnoujście.