Ustronie Morskie is a small fishing village on the Baltic Sea. The scenery is dominated by cliffs falling abruptly down to the sandy beach, which in summer attracts large crowds of holidaymakers. In addition to the beach, Ustronie boasts clean air and lush forests, providing opportunities for hiking and other forms of recreation. For those tired of swimming and sunbathing, there are some historic sites as well as monuments of nature nearby.
Naturally, Ustronie Morskie is a perfect spot to engage in beach activities, like sunbathing, swimming and practising various water sports. The beach is 35 meters wide, while the sandy bottom of the sea stays shallow for a long way out, making it suitable for children and less confident swimmers to enjoy themselves. Along the eastern part of the beach extends a seaside pine forest, a portion of which has been transformed into a park. Anglers can choose between saltwater fishing on the shore and freshwater fishing in the rivers Czerwona and Parseta, both known for their clean water and rare species of fish.
There are also great possibilities of spending your leisure time away from the beach. A must-do while in Ustronie Morskie is an excursion to the oldest oak-tree in Poland, known as “Boleslaw”, growing not far from the village. It is 800 years old and you can get to see it by path from a hiking trail or by bike. Several more hiking trails are available besides this one; furthermore, Ustronie has a horse-riding centre where you can ride in a huge area of 50 ha and for those really interested there are rides through the beautiful forest.
Ustronie Morskie is situated on the Central Pomeranian coast, 12 km east of Kolobrzeg, 34 km from Koszalin and 150 km from Szczecin. The distance to the border with Germany in Kolbaskowo is 180 km. Travellers can reach Ustronie from the Kolobrzeg to Koszalin road, no. 11, which passes only 1 km away from the village.
The shore here is high and falls steeply to the beach, a type rarely seen along the Koszalin coast. Because of large amounts of iodine in the air, the local climate is beneficial to sufferers of upper respiratory system diseases. Inhalation is the most effective when done during a storm, which can occur at any season of the year.
Ustronie Morskie’s fame as a seaside resort dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. Up until 1945 the village was known under its German name of Henkenhagen.
The first Polish inhabitants arrived when the Second World War ended. Most of them were tired and broken-hearted at the sight of their devastated hometowns and simply craved peace and quiet. Here they found all that they were looking for.
Soon after the War the name Henkenhagen was polonised, as were all other German names of cities, towns and villages in the territory of Poland. Enraptured by the village, the people quite naturally came up with the name Ustronie Morskie, which means “quiet little place by the sea”. In 1946 the railway station, until then called Glowaczewo by railwaymen, was given the same name as the village.
The first holidaymakers came to Ustronie Morskie as early as a year after the end of the War.