Usedom - Island Attractions
Usedom, the more westerly of the two large islands at the mouth of the Oder, has an area of 445sq.km/172sq.mi, of which 354sq.km/137sq.mi belong to Germany. The frontier with Poland runs to the east of the seaside resort of Ahlbeck in the north and to the east of Kamminke in the south.
The outer coast of Usedom, 42km/26mi long, extends in an almost continuous straight line. The highest hills on this side of the island are the Streckelsberg (56m/184ft) near Koserow and the Langer Berg (54m/177ft) near Bansin. Covered with mixed and deciduous forest, they fall steeply down to the sea, with stretches of flat coast at intervals. Inland are tracts of mixed or coniferous forest. Along the whole coast are beaches of fine sand.
The coast on the inland side is broken up by two large inlets, the Achterwasser and the Krumminer Wiek, and these, combined with a series of perninsulas (Wolgaster Ort, Gnitz, Lieper Winkel, Usedomer Winkel), give the island a rather ragged coastline on this side. As a result, considerable stretches of the coast are bordered by beds of reeds. Between Zemplin and Koserow the coast on the inland side comes within little more than 100m/110yds of the outer coast.
There are numbers of lakes on Usedom, particularly in the eastern part of the island; the largest are the Gothensee (609 hectares/1504 acres) and the Schmollensee (515 hectares/1272 acres).
The highest hills are in the center of the island. Some, such as the Kükelsberg (58m/190ft), rise out of the surrounding arable land; others, including the Golm (59m/194ft) near Kamminke and the Kirchenberg (50m/164ft) near Morgenitz, are in areas of woodland. From the Weisser Berg (32m/105ft) on the Gnitz peninsula there are extensive views over the Achterwasser.
The outer coast of Usedom, 42km/26mi long, extends in an almost continuous straight line. The highest hills on this side of the island are the Streckelsberg (56m/184ft) near Koserow and the Langer Berg (54m/177ft) near Bansin. Covered with mixed and deciduous forest, they fall steeply down to the sea, with stretches of flat coast at intervals. Inland are tracts of mixed or coniferous forest. Along the whole coast are beaches of fine sand.
The coast on the inland side is broken up by two large inlets, the Achterwasser and the Krumminer Wiek, and these, combined with a series of perninsulas (Wolgaster Ort, Gnitz, Lieper Winkel, Usedomer Winkel), give the island a rather ragged coastline on this side. As a result, considerable stretches of the coast are bordered by beds of reeds. Between Zemplin and Koserow the coast on the inland side comes within little more than 100m/110yds of the outer coast.
There are numbers of lakes on Usedom, particularly in the eastern part of the island; the largest are the Gothensee (609 hectares/1504 acres) and the Schmollensee (515 hectares/1272 acres).
The highest hills are in the center of the island. Some, such as the Kükelsberg (58m/190ft), rise out of the surrounding arable land; others, including the Golm (59m/194ft) near Kamminke and the Kirchenberg (50m/164ft) near Morgenitz, are in areas of woodland. From the Weisser Berg (32m/105ft) on the Gnitz peninsula there are extensive views over the Achterwasser.
Seaside Resorts
Until the middle of the 19th C. the Usedo Islanders' main source of income was fishing, and accordingly the old villages (now seaside resorts) almost all lie along the coast on the inland side of the island (Zinnowitz, Zempin, Koserow, Loddin, Ueckeritz, Bansin); the only exception is Ahlbeck. The holiday and tourist trade began to develop in the 1880s, and new settlements grew up along the outer coast. A typical 19th C. resort is Heringsdorf with its tree-lined streets and guest houses set in large gardens.
Town of Usedom, Germany
The town of Usedom (pop. 3,000) occupies the site of an old Slav market settlement and fortress. At the Diet of Usedom in 1128 the Pomeranian nobles, under the influence of Bishop Otto of Bamberg, adopted the Christian faith (commemorative monument on the Schlossberg). In the 13th century, Usedom developed into a town of craftsmen, traders, farmers and fishermen. A boost was given to the town's economy by the construction of the Zecherin Bridge in the 1930s, making it a port of call for holiday-makers on their way to the coastal resorts.
Wolgast, Germany
The administrative center of Usedo Island and another transit point for road and rail traffic is Wolgast (pop. 17,000), on the west bank of the Peenestrom, on the mainland.
