Wolin, Szczecin and Western Pomerania

From Prague the route runs through Ústí nad Labem, Dresden and the Berlin ring road onto the A11 motorway and on to the border crossing at Kołbaskowo. It is a long day, but entirely on motorways, so it can be managed with one proper break. In Szczecin, save the Chrobry Embankment for the evening — a wide terrace above the Oder with staircases, a fountain and a view of the harbour cranes.

The Ducal Castle of Pomerania stands on a rise above the river. The Renaissance courtyard is open to walk through, and inside you will find a museum, exhibition halls and a café. From the castle runs the so-called Red Route, marked directly in the pavement, past St James' Cathedral and the city gates. In the afternoon, drive west to Świnoujście: the shortest way crosses the island of Wolin and, since 2023, continues through the new tunnel under the Świna, so there is no waiting for a ferry. Świnoujście already lies on the island of Usedom, right at the German border.

The lighthouse in the Warszów district is the tallest on the Polish Baltic coast and more than three hundred steps lead to the top; from the gallery you can see the mouth of the Świna, the port and a stretch of German Usedom. The rest of the day belongs to the beach and the promenade, which runs seamlessly into the neighbouring German resort of Ahlbeck — you will mostly recognise the border by the information board. Anyone keen on military history can head for Fort Gerharda, a 19th-century Prussian coastal fortress.

You take the tunnel under the Świna back to the island of Wolin; pedestrians and cyclists are not allowed inside, so the Bielik ferries still run for them. In Międzyzdroje, leave time for the pier and for the bison enclosure run by Wolin National Park; entry to the park and to the enclosure is charged separately. In the afternoon, walk up Gosań — a hill more than ninety metres high whose viewpoint takes in a long stretch of cliff coast and the open sea.

Of St Nicholas' Church in Trzęsacz, a piece of wall right on the edge of the cliff is all that remains. The Gothic church from the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries originally stood further from the water, but the sea took a little of the cliff year after year until the remnant ended up above the beach; a multimedia museum and a viewing platform stand beside the ruins today. Then follow the coast road through Niechorze with its red brick lighthouse to Kołobrzeg, where the afternoon is enough for both the concrete pier and the lighthouse at the mouth of the Parsęta.

There are two ways home. Either back through Szczecin, Berlin and Dresden, motorway the whole way, or south on the S3 expressway through Gorzów and Zielona Góra to the border at Lubawka and Královec — that option runs through the Polish interior and tends to be quieter. Whichever you choose, it is the longest drive of the entire trip, so set off early and count on two breaks.