Discover the Amber Resorts by Bike

Where does this name actually come from? Amber Resorts? Here, at the narrowest point of the island, the seaside resorts of Ückeritz, Loddin, Koserow, and Zempin are strung together like amber beads on a string. After stormy days and nights, you can find the “gold of the sea” right on the beach here. I, too, am an enthusiastic amber collector.

From the Ückeritz train station, I set off for the campground, through the forest along Lake Wocknin. The nature trail, just under three kilometers long, is perfect for hiking and leads toward Stagnieß Harbor. And that’s exactly where I want to go. Here at the harbor, I could take my first break. And that’s exactly what I do—not because I’m already exhausted, but because I need to take a moment to enjoy this beautiful spot. Time and again, I’m fascinated by this idyllic, natural setting. Today is another one of those beautiful days. The sun is shining, and the water is gently lapping. It’s only a bit chilly in the breeze. I should mention that I’m riding an e-bike, so I don’t break a sweat that easily. Actually, not at all. An e-bike is definitely a good choice for the “Usedom Mountains” if you don’t want to completely exhaust yourself but would rather enjoy the scenery in comfort. If you take the route through the coastal forest from Ückeritz toward Stubbenfelde, you’ll have to tackle some sections with a gradient of up to 16%. And heading toward Bansin, it’s no different—it’s nothing but uphill and downhill. At the same time, it’s a truly wonderful hiking route, with a view of the Baltic Sea the whole way! That makes a little effort well worth it, doesn’t it?

Back to Stagnieß Harbor! From here, the route continues past the Ückeritz fishing ponds to the Bernsteinbad Loddin. Here, I can recommend a wonderful hike to the Loddiner Höft. You should leave your bike at “Waterblick,” since the path to the Höft is very sandy and ends with a steep uphill climb. The Loddiner Höft is a headland extending into the Achterwasser that offers you a magnificent view of the Achterwasser, the Lieper Winkel, and the Gnitz Peninsula from a steep cliff about 16 meters high. The Loddiner Höft is also a beautiful favorite spot to experience fantastic sunsets. But it’s still the middle of the day, so I’m heading to Kölpinsee, to the Kölpinsee.
The name comes from the Slavic languages and means something like “Swan Lake.” In Kölpinsee lies the small “Swan Island,” home to a wide variety of waterfowl and also known as “Love Island.” Isn’t that romantic? I love this lake. There’s something so calming about it. I could sit here all day and just stare out at the water. But I know where my next destination is taking me, and it’s at least just as beautiful. So I make a U-turn and head back to the B111, right where the two towns of Loddin and Kölpinsee are practically separated. From there, I’m off to Damerow. As a guest, I’d treat myself to my first coffee break right now on the sun terrace of the Damerow Forest House. At the moment, this is only possible if you bring your own picnic—right across the way at the Schwedeneiche, on the large Forest House meadow, or behind the dike on the small pier by the Achterwasser. The latter is the one I'll choose. After a quick sunbath, I can continue directly from here along the dike, past the Otto Niemeyer-Holstein Studio, toward Zempin.

Before heading back to the starting point, I cycle—this time along the dike—toward Koserow. I pass the Koserow salt sheds and the pier, which isn’t quite finished yet, always with a view of the Baltic Sea, until I enter the coastal forest. At Steckelsberg, I stop briefly once more and make my way up the hill on foot. I just have to treat myself to this view of the entire Baltic Sea coast one more time. At about 58 meters, Streckelsberg is the third-highest elevation on the island of Usedom. According to legend, Maria Schweidler—who was later branded a witch—found a great deal of amber here and used it to alleviate the suffering of the people on Usedom. The legendary pirate Klaus Störtebeker is also said to have had a hideout here. And in the vicinity of Streckelsberg, the legendary city of Vineta is said to have sunk off the coast of Koserow. So Streckelsberg is truly a place steeped in legend.

Before it gets dark, I’d better head back to Ückeritz. There’s really nothing else to do on a day like this. Because of the current curfew, I’m also having a really hard time making it to the beach in time for sunrise in the morning… But that’s obviously a first-world problem, and I don’t really want to go into it any further. Instead, I hope you enjoyed my little bike tour and that we’ll finally be able to cycle across Usedom together again soon.

You can find all of Usedom’s great bike trails on the Cycling page.

Ahoy and warm regards from Marika—your island blogger.