After two short trips to Świnoujście in the darkness (December 2022 and late-November 2023, the latter one here), I vowed a return when the days were longer. One reason was to see what could count as the strangest railway station on the territory of Poland – Świnoujście Centrum. A station that connects with no other station in Poland; it serves as the terminus of a line that serves 24 stations, 23 of which being in Germany.
The railway, the Usedomer Bäderbahn GmbH (UBB, 'Usedom bathing railway', originally opened in 1911 to serve Baltic beach resorts. (Usedom is the German name for the Baltic island that's called Uznam in Polish; mostly in Germany, it also contains the Polish town of Świnoujście.)
In 2008, the line returned to Świnoujście (formerly Swinemünde), Polish since 1945. Today, the border between the two countries, crossed shortly after leaving Świnoujście Centrum, is almost invisible. No one checks passports or ID cards. Below: the 12:16 for Züssow waits for passengers at Świnoujście Centrum. If you enlarge, you'll see that German railways have the same passion for ridiculous track numbers as do Polish railways – Świnoujście Centrum has a Track (Gleis/Tor) 31 and Track 32, rather than the logical Platform 1 and Platform 2.
However, all is not straightforward. To buy your ticket, you need cash (cards not accepted) – and you'll need German cash (Polish złotys not accepted). There is no information on the station as to fare structure or timetable in Polish or indeed in English – this is in German. This is the one station in Poland for which I cannot buy a ticket via my Polish railway apps, Koleo or Portal Pasażera. The train conductor spoke only German. To her credit, it must be said that she was friendly and helpful. Below: the road border, seen from the train as it crosses over onto German soil.
Below: commemorative border gate, standing where once coils of impenetrable barbed wire divided the Polish People's Republic from the German Democratic Republic. Now a cycle path links links Ahlbeck and Świnoujście inland of the beach and the sand dunes.
Back to the działka after lockdown
This time eight years ago:
The Network vs The Hierarchy in politics
This time nine years ago:
45 years under one roof
This time 11 years ago:
Pozytywki ponds after refurbishment
This time 12 years ago:
Mayday in the heat (don't exaggerate with the suncream!)
This time 14 years ago:
Bike ride across rural Poland
This time 17 years ago:
Into the mountains
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