Usedom Travel Guide
A detailed destination guide for your next Germany vacation
Usedom Overview
The island is separated in the east from the neighboring island of Wolin by the Świna strait, which is the main route connecting Szczecin Bay with the Pomeranian Bay, a part of the Baltic Sea. The strait between the island and the mainland is called Peenestrom; it is an underwater extension of the valley of the Peene river, which flows into the westernmost part of Szczecin Bay. The island is mostly plain, partly covered by marshes. The main town on the island is Świnoujście, which has more inhabitants than the rest of the island. Another town, giving its name to the island, is called Usedom. The largest town in the German part is Heringsdorf (formerly Dreikaiserbäder). There are many popular tourist resorts on the northern coast, including the three Dreikaiserbäder cities of Ahlbeck (Ahlbeck vacation rentals | Ahlbeck travel guide), Heringsdorf and Bansin, as well as Świnoujście and Zinnowitz (Zinnowitz vacation rentals | Zinnowitz travel guide). Economic activities include agriculture, fishing, animal husbandry, food processing and timber.
Where to stay in Usedom?
Check out our selection of hand-selected and quality Usedom vacation rentals and holiday apartments.
Things to See in Usedom
The Isle of Usedom is one of Germany's major holiday and recreation areas due to its beaches, its natural beauty and a number of elegant seaside towns such as Zinnowitz (Zinnowitz vacation rentals | Zinnowitz travel guide) and Heringsdorf, which have been frequented by the German and international nobility as well as the general public. Many hotels and bed and breakfast establishments are available on both sides of the German-Polish border. In addition to the coastline, the hinterland features nature reserves, castles, lakes and historic villages. Points of interest include Usedom's Botanischer Garten Mellenthin, a botanical garden
[ source: wikipedia ]
Maps and Driving Directions to Usedom
Travel Insider Tips for Usedom
I used to spend all my summers on the Baltic Sea island of Usedom. the Ostsee has beautiful beaches - I think I'd prefer them to any tropical location.
Shared by Andrea Larkin, Jul 2010
Rathaus
[ source: Wikipedia]
Related Sites
We collected some useful links related to Usedom. If you know a few more sites not listed here, or also know some insider tips or point of interests for this destination? Please share and submit your Germany travel tip. If approved it will be shown on this page!
- Homepage of Usedom: Usedom (official home page)
- Wikipedia: Usedom
More about the History of Usedom
Settled since the Stone Age, the area was inhabited by Germanic Rugians, before the Polabian Slavs moved in during the 5th to 7th centuries. Around the island, Wendish/Scandinavian trade centres such as Vineta/Jomsborg and Menzlin arose. In 1128 the Pomeranian Duke Wartislaw I was converted to Christianity through the efforts of Otto of Bamberg. In 1155 the Premonstratensians established a monastery in Grobe, generally known as Usedom Abbey, which in 1309 was moved to the village of Pudagla. In the meantime a Cistercian nunnery was founded in Krummin and soon almost the whole island was in the possession of one or the other. During the Reformation, ownership passed to the Slavic dukes of Pomerania, who took over the island. During the Thirty Years' War, on June 26, 1630, the Swedish Army under King Gustav Adolf II landed in the village of Peenemünde, located on the Peene river (Polish: Piana). Usedom was annexed by Sweden after the war for almost a century, until in 1720 it was sold for 2 million thalers to the Prussian king Frederick William I. In 1740 Frederick the Great developed a seaport in Swinemünde. The small village of Peenemünde came to prominence again during World War II. The Luftwaffe tested their missiles and rockets, including the V-1 and V-2. Germany used thousands of slave labourers who were prisoners of war on Usedom during World War II. In 1945, the eastern part of the island, together with the city and port of Świnoujście, was assigned to Poland by the Potsdam Conference, the German inhabitants being expelled to the west. The territory was populated with Poles who had in turn been expelled by the Soviet Union from lands east of the Bug River.
[ source: wikipedia ]
What makes this Live Like a German Usedom Travel Guide special...
This Usedom travel guide provides you with an overview of Usedom, Usedom pictures, and a local travel guide that suggests many special trips, unique activities, and vacation ideas, that you can't find in a typical Germany travel guide.
Some of this information is compiled from popular and well-known sources (e.g., such as Wikipedia, Wikitravel, and great pictures from Flickr). However, what makes this Germany travel guide special is that most of the travel suggestions and insider tips are provided by local residents, property owners, and our readers, who share and submit their travel tips with us. All submissions are then editorially reviewed to ensure high quality. All this information is logically organized within this destination guide to make it easy for you to find things quickly.
In addition, the Usedom destination guide features restaurant recommendations, restaurant reviews, where to go for grocery shopping, sports activities, getting around, cultural events and highlights, entertainment, and health related information - so you are informed for your travel to Germany, and you can learn about all the cool things you can do during your Germany vacation!
