Boom without end: Is the Polish Baltic Sea heading for a new all-time high in 2026?

The 19th Century: Port, fortress and birth of a Spa resort

The 19th century transformed Swinemünde dramatically. Three developments defined this era:

1. A major Baltic port

The first modern harbour was built in 1825, turning the town into an important naval and commercial hub. Shipbuilding followed soon after, accelerating economic growth.

2. Military stronghold

Prussia fortified the city with defensive walls and forts beginning in the 1840s. By 1863 it became a naval station and strategic garrison, reinforcing its geopolitical importance.

3. The rise of Seaside tourism

Perhaps most decisive for today’s identity was the declaration of Świnoujście as a seaside resort in 1824. Soon afterwards:

• spa facilities emerged,

• healing brine springs were discovered,

• elegant promenades and parks were built,

• aristocrats and imperial families began visiting.

The spa tradition quickly became central to the local economy and reputation.

The Golden Age of Tourism (Late 19th – Early 20th Century)

Around 1900, Swinemünde entered its glamorous era as an imperial Baltic spa comparable to neighbouring German resorts like Ahlbeck or Heringsdorf.

Grand villas, sanatoriums and hotels appeared along the coast, many designed in the distinctive spa architecture style featuring:

• ornate balconies,

• verandas,

• towers and decorative façades.

These buildings symbolized prestige and leisure culture of the European upper classes. Remarkably, many survive today and continue operating as hotels and guesthouses.

By 1939 the city counted:

• 38 hotels

• 153 boarding houses

• international tennis tournaments and cultural venues

• nearly 600,000 visitors annually

— extraordinary numbers for the period.

Historic landmarks from this era still visible today include:

• the concert shell (1912),

• spa park landscapes designed by renowned Prussian garden architect Peter Joseph Lenné,

• seaside promenades illuminated already in the early 20th century.

War, destruction and a new Polish chapter (1945–1989)

World War II brought devastation. The city suffered heavy destruction and political transformation when borders shifted westward after 1945. Swinemünde became Polish Świnoujście, and the German population was largely replaced.

During the communist era:

• tourism continued but focused on health resorts and workers’ holidays,

• the port and military functions dominated,

• spa traditions survived through sanatorium culture.

Despite economic limitations, many historic hotels and villas were preserved rather than demolished — a crucial factor in today’s tourism appeal.

Renaissance after 1990: Open borders and European tourism

The fall of communism and Poland’s integration into Europe radically changed the city.

Key developments included:

• restoration of historic spa buildings,

• modernization of promenades,

• cross-border cooperation with German Usedom resorts,

• growth of cycling and wellness tourism.

The creation of Europe’s longest cross-border seaside promenade (12.5 km) symbolized the transformation from a divided frontier into a shared tourism region.

Travel expert Mr. Frank Müller from Rostock said in an interview:

"Świnoujście is one of the most beautiful beach cities in Europe..."