Swinemünde - Usedom

Today we leave the Polish land strip on the east of the island of Usedom and will enter the federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The starting point of the stage is the church "King Christ" in the center of Swinoujscie/Swinemünde at Plac Koszielny. After a loop westwards and then southwards past the Michela Church, we return to the Grunwaldzka axis and thus leave the city center. After about an hour, we reach the border between Poland and Germany crossing the Torfkanal. Before reaching the village of Kamminke, we pass the Golm hill. Once a local excursion destination with a tower and restaurant, the hill was used as a mass grave for over 24,000 soldiers and civilians after the bombings in March 1945. Slightly further south in Kamminke, we find accommodation and catering options. From Kamminke to Gummlin, the path runs along the southern coast of Usedom, thus along the Szczecin Lagoon.

Starting from Garz, we can observe aircraft traffic at Heringsdorf Airport on the left during the summer months. In Zirchow, we encounter the oldest building on the island, the Saint Jacobi Church. Directly opposite is the pilgrim hostel. Behind Dargen, we will hike on a disused railway track.

In the small village of Stolpe, Schloss Stolpe will surprise us. After the war, it was repeatedly rebuilt and remodeled, which explains its current appearance. Due to lack of funds, the property gradually fell into disrepair and is currently being restored step by step as a cultural center. The stage destination Usedom is quite a small town that reached its peak in the 12th century when the Pomeranian nobility agreed to the Christianization by Otto of Bamberg. The current sight in Usedom is the Gothic St. Mary's Church.

Note(s)

The pilgrim path along the southern shore of the Baltic Sea has different names, for example in Germany also the "Baltic-Westphalian Way of St. James." Eastward from Poland, the name "Pomeranian Way of St. James" is common. In this documentation, we stick to the cross-border name "Via Baltica," partly because of its brevity, and also because pilgrims to Rome or even Jerusalem can use it.

See also

"The Pomeranian Way of St. James Travel Guide": www.en.re-create.pl

"Pilgrimage on the Via Baltica": www.via-baltica-verlag.de