Imperial Seaside Resorts on Usedom
Already at the beginning of the 19th century a bath culture developed on Usedom. Starting with the small village of Swinemünde, which is now on the Polish side. Discovered by the Prussian king, the places on the island enjoyed more and more bathers over the course of the century. Especially the villages Ahlbeck, Heringsdorf and Bansin. Personalities such as the brothers Mann, Maxim Gorki, Leo Tolstoi or Johann Strauss spent their summers here and strolled along the beach promenades.
Seebad Ahlbeck
With its white sandy beach and the many villas of the spa architecture behind the dunes, the village offers you a unique holiday feeling. Stroll along the promenade or sunbathe on the beach with the sound of the sea in your ear - who can't relax?
Always worth seeing is the pier Ahlbeck, which was built in 1882 and is thus Germany's oldest pier. During renovation and restoration work, care has always been taken to preserve the historical core of the pier and the restaurant, so that the maritime charm of 19th century spa architecture is still preserved today.
Another highlight in Ahlbeck is the music pavilion. The music or concert shell is located directly on the beach promenade, so that the sound of the sea can be heard during the concerts - a unique experience. In summer, many events worth seeing and hearing take place here. So always keep an eye on the calendar of events.
The seaside resort is only about 4 km away from our house, so this could be a destination for a bicycle tour or a hike, for example.
Ostseebad Heringsdorf
Heringsdorf is another seaside resort on the Baltic Sea, which, along with Ahlbeck and Bansin, is one of the three imperial resorts. A particularly beautiful example of the spa architecture here is the villa in Dellbrückstrasse No. 6, which lies almost directly behind the dunes and on the beach. Like so many villas in Heringsdorf, the house was built at the end of the 19th century. At that time the villa was built as a guest house and Kaiser Wilhelm II was a regular guest here during his bathing times.
If you would like to see one of the villas from the inside, we recommend a visit to the Villa Irmgard Museum. Also not far from the beach and behind the dunes in Heringsdorf. Its best-known inhabitant was the Russian writer Maxim Gorki, who was here with his family on recovery leave at the beginning of the 20th century. Today the building is a museum. Here you can visit the writer's working and living rooms and learn a lot of interesting information about the history of the Baltic seaside resort Heringsdorf.
These are just two examples of the large villas in Heringsdorf. We bet you will discover and admire many more.
Distance from our hotel approx. 6,5 km.
Seebad Bansin
If one drives from Heringsdorf only 2 km further north, one immediately comes across the next Kaiserbad. The seaside resort Bansin is the smallest place of the 3 imperial resorts but promises you at least as much marritimen charm as the other two places.
Bansin also owned and still owns a pier, which was demolished after the Second World War due to weather damage. It was rebuilt in 1990, but only as a pier without a restaurant. Today, the eagle ships that connect the three imperial spas dock here.
The tropical house and probably the smallest zoo in Germany with around 150 exotic animals and plants are also worth a visit. All enclosures and terrariums are designed in such a way that they are modelled on the natural habitat of their inhabitants, because the operators are committed to nature and species protection. The little guests can let off steam on the jungle playground or watch the impressive show feedings.
Distance from our hotel approx. 8 km.
Swinemünde
The Baltic seaside resort is located directly on the German-Polish border, on the Polish side, and although it is not one of the German imperial resorts, it is connected to them from Bansin thanks to Europe's longest promenade. The coastal section in particular enjoys numerous bathing holidaymakers and active water sports enthusiasts every year. Here, too, you will find the typical maritime charm and spa architecture.
The village is divided into two parts by the Swine River, but they are connected by a very good ferry connection. The city centre is located west of the river and offers you many possibilities for shopping, shopping, strolling and and and and. In the old town hall with its impressive tower, however, there is now a museum of fishing, which naturally played a very important role in the port city.
Take the ferry to the Wollnier side and you will see the famous lighthouse of Swinemünde. With a height of 64.8 metres, it rises on the coast and is also the largest lighthouse on the Baltic Sea. If you are looking for a great view over the sea you should tackle the 308 steps of the tower - believe us: it's worth it!
Another real insider tip are the three forts in Swinemünde. Fort Aniola, Fort Zachodni and Fort Gerharda were built of bricks and offer you many places worth discovering with over 100 exhibits from the history of the war port city.
The village of Swinemünde is only about 10 km away from us.
