# Zachodniopomorskie

Zachodniopomorskie is a coastal province (voivodeship), in the north-western corner of Poland.

## Cities

* 53.432514.5480561 Szczecin (German: Stettin) — medieval capital city with an enormous harbor, monuments and old parks, as well as numerous museums
* 53.5516.2333332 Czaplinek
* 54.216.1833333 Koszalin
* 53.76666716.14 Połczyn-Zdrój — spa in the Lake District
* 53.53333314.5666675 Police
* 53.337515.0377786 Stargard — medieval town near Szczecin
* 53.78333315.7666677 Świdwin

### Baltic Coast towns

* 54.41666716.4166678 Darłowo
* 54.01666714.759 Dziwnów
* 53.96666714.76666710 Kamień Pomorski
* 54.18333315.58333311 Kołobrzeg - popular seaside resort in the middle of the coast
* 53.93333314.4512 Międzyzdroje
* 54.2616.06083313 Mielno - party town, also known as "Polish Ibiza". Lots of clubs, concerts, parties, and drunk people.
* 53.91666714.2514 Świnoujście - spa resort close to German border with park and fancy hotels
* 54.216715.7515 Ustronie Morskie

## Other destinations

* 53.2524314.488311 Crooked Forest – forest close to city of Gryfino with characteristic crooked trees, probably formed by humans to grow this way
* 53.140515.87332 Drawa National Park — national park protecting the wildlife of the river Drawa and a canoeing site
* 53.93333314.0833333 Usedom — island in the Baltic Sea shared with Germany
* 53.93333314.454 Wolin National Park — national park on forested cliff coast of Wolin island with European bison preserve
* 53.5803116.53775 Borne Sulinowo — mostly abandoned Soviet military base, top secret closed city in the past and a piece of Soviet Union in Poland

## Understand
### Climate

Climate in Zachodniopomorskie is mix of oceanic and continental climate, which means that temperature amplitude is low and rainfall is common, though not as much as in Western Europe. Prepare for bad weather as periods of prolonged rainfall lasting for two weeks straight are not uncommon. Opposite can also happen with beautiful sunny weather lasting equally long. Coast is usually much milder being several degree warmer/cooler than the interior depending on season.

## Get in

Some major airlines, Poland's national carriers LOT Polish Airlines and some low cost airlines fly to Szczecin's Szczecin-Goleniów Airport (SZZ). Domestic flights operated by LOT connect Szczecin with Warsaw's Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW).

## See

* The famous Crooked Forest (Polish: Krzywy Las) close to the town Gryfino, near the German border.

## Do
### Events

* 52.6111814.6696681 Pol'and'Rock (Przystanek Woodstock) (Czaplinek). Beginning of August.

## Stay safe

Zachodniopomorskie is quite safe when it comes to crime, however some coastal towns attract lots of partying youth often abusing drugs and alcohol, especially the town of Mielno. If you plan to stay closer to southeastern part of the province you need to mind your location as it is quite desolate and you may get lost in one of many large forests here.
Beaches which are unfit for swimming will have red flag waving. Follow official information and prefer beaches with lifeguards if possible. While swimming in Baltic Sea can definitely be a nice experience you need to be wary of hypothermia even in summer as water tends to be cool 22 degrees Celsius at most. Higher water temperatures usually result in algal blooms making swimming in the sea unsafe.

## Go next

Zachodniopomorskie borders three other Polish voivodeships:
* Lubuskie,
* Wielkopolskie,
* Pomorskie,
as well as the Baltic Sea and Germany.
Sweden is accessible by ferry from Świnoujście.