West Pomerania: Not Just a Beach. A Guide to the Crooked Forest, Vikings, and Emerald Lakes.

West Pomerania is a region of great water. But we don't just mean the Baltic Sea. It is a land where lakes are as deep as in Switzerland, rivers as rushing as in the mountains, and forests hide secrets that no one has solved to this day.

We take you on a journey away from crowded resorts. We will show you West Pomerania, which is wild, green, and fascinating.

1. Drawsko Lake District: Land of a Thousand Lakes

If Masuria is too crowded for you, choose the Drawsko Lake District. It is an incredibly hilly region (terminal moraines), full of lakes with crystal clear, emerald water.

• Lake Drawsko: The second deepest lake in Poland. It has as many as 12 islands, including Bielawa Island with a nature trail. It is a paradise for sailors looking for silence.
• Drawa River: Kayaking on the Drawa (especially through the Drawieński National Park) is a challenge. The river flows in gorges, the current is swift, and fallen trees lie in the water. It is an adventure in its purest form.

2. Crooked Forest: Nature's Puzzle

Near Gryfino grows a forest that looks like a sci-fi movie set. It is a cluster of about 100 pines whose trunks bend at a 90-degree angle just above the ground, forming an arc. To this day, it is not certain how they were formed. Is it the work of people who wanted to obtain wood for furniture or boatbuilding? Or maybe a whim of nature? Walking among these trees is an absolutely unique experience.

3. Wolin: Island of Vikings and Turquoise Water

Wolin is the largest Polish island and a place with an extraordinary history.

• Center of Slavs and Vikings: Wolin (Jomsborg) was once a power. In the open-air museum, you will see reconstructions of early medieval huts, and during the Festival of Slavs and Vikings, you can feel like heroes of a Nordic saga.
• Turquoise Lake: In a former chalk mine, a lake with an unnatural, blue-turquoise color was created. The view from the viewpoint on Piaskowa Góra is breathtaking.
• Cliffs: The cliffs in the Wolin National Park are the highest in Poland. Walking on the beach under the 90-meter Gosań wall teaches humility towards the elements.

4. Szczecin: Floating Gardens

Szczecin is not located by the sea (it is still a bit to the Baltic from here), but it is a city inseparably connected with water.

• Wały Chrobrego: Viewing terraces on the Oder are the city's showcase. But we recommend renting a motorboat (no license needed) and swimming through the canals of Międzyodrze. It is the "Szczecin Amazon" – wild nature in the city center.
• Philharmonic: A white, towering building resembling an iceberg is an icon of contemporary architecture, awarded the most important European prize, the Mies van der Rohe Award.

5. Hortulus Gardens: Get Lost in the Maze

In Dobrzyca near Koszalin are the Hortulus Thematic Gardens. It is a complex of several dozen gardens in various styles (Japanese, French, English). The biggest attraction, however, is the world's largest hornbeam maze with a viewing tower in the middle. It's great fun not only for children – finding the exit really takes a moment!

6. Tastes of the West: Paprykarz and Fish

Here you eat what the sea and rivers give.

• Szczecin Paprykarz: Forget about cans from the supermarket. Real, artisanal paprykarz in Szczecin restaurants is an exquisite dish – made from the best fish, rice, and vegetables, heavily seasoned with pepper and paprika.
• Herring and Cod: Fresh fish straight from the cutter, fried in butter or smoked with alder smoke, is the taste of holidays that cannot be faked.

Summary

West Pomerania is space. It is kilometers of empty beaches (if you know where to look), deep forests, and lakes where you can see yourself like in a mirror. It is the perfect direction to recharge your batteries and feel the sea breeze, not necessarily lying flat on the sand.