Usedom’s Achterland

The entire southern half of Usedom Island, excluding the coastal strip with its seaside resorts, is known as the Achterland (from Low German achtern, meaning “behind”). Inland lakes nestled among rolling hills, meadows, forests and heathland, together with the coast of the Szczecin Lagoon to the south and the Peene River, with its large western inlet, the Achterwasser, make the Achterland a unique refuge for nature and an appealing place for curious holidaymakers to explore.

This extensive area is home to several interesting natural and historical attractions. Since 2005, European bison have lived at the bison enclosure on the Mellenthin Heath, south of the B110 near Dargen. Many of these impressive animals were born there.

Nearby, enthusiasts have painstakingly assembled one of the most comprehensive collections of motor vehicles from the former GDR since 1990. At the Dargen Motorcycle Museum, visitors can even take some of the historic vehicles for a test drive—from a Trabant to a G-5 truck.
The remains of the former Karnin Railway Lift Bridge at the southwestern tip of Usedom Island are a reminder of the past and a symbol of the future. The surviving lifting section of what was once the most technologically advanced bridge over the Peene River also represents plans to restore the railway line that once ran from Berlin across southern Usedom to Świnoujście, with the bridge as one of its links.


The castles in Stolpe and Mellenthin bear witness to a vibrant past. Since 2000, the owners of Mellenthin Water Castle have been gradually converting it into a hotel offering a range of experiences.

The Golm, north of Kamminke on the German-Polish border, recalls another chapter of the past. At 60 metres, it is Usedom’s highest hill. Remains of a Bronze Age hillfort have been found at its summit. Once the “home hill” of nearby Świnoujście, its slopes became the burial place of more than 20,000 victims of the American bombing of Świnoujście in March 1945, who were laid to rest in mass graves. The memorial erected after 1945, expanded with an information pavilion in 2000, is administered by the German War Graves Commission. It runs a youth meeting centre in Kamminke.

Situated close to the Baltic coast yet far from the bustle of the seaside resorts, Usedom’s Achterland is particularly well suited to cycling and hiking tours.