Gosań Hill near Międzyzdroje

At Gosań the cliff of Wolin National Park reaches its highest point: the top of the bluff stands 93 m above sea level, and the park describes the hill as the highest elevation on the Polish coast. From the viewing platform, reached by a short path through beech woodland, you can see the Pomeranian Bay, Międzyzdroje, Świnoujście and, when the air is clear, even Ahlbeck in Germany.

A cliff that keeps changing

Gosań lies about 4 km north-east of Międzyzdroje, on regional road 102 towards Dziwnów. The hill is a textbook abrasion cliff with talus slopes: waves undercut its base, wind and rain dry out and wash the slope, and the sand-and-gravel face slides down at its natural angle of repose. Where shrubs and trees take hold, the top edge of the cliff becomes almost vertical. Debris cones form at the foot – once the sea washes the sand out of them, only stones remain.

On the beach below Gosań lies a boulder field stretching about 4 km along the shore. According to the national park, it includes a boulder with a volume of more than 8 m³.

History: from Gosan Berg to a viewpoint

The Polish name Gosań was officially introduced in 1949, replacing the German Gosan Berg. Remains of observation post no. 319, built in the 1950s and used by the 17th Fixed Artillery Battery in Międzyzdroje, survive on the hill – there was a crew shelter and an observation tower. A little to the west you can see a former radar post bunker. The highest point of the whole island of Wolin, Grzywacz, is only about 0.7 km away.

What to see

• The panorama of the Pomeranian Bay – towards Międzyzdroje, Świnoujście and Ahlbeck.
• The cliff edge up close – from the platform you can see how the bluff drops to the beach.
• Sunset – recommended by the national park as one of the best times to visit.
• Pomeranian beech forest along the access path.

Tripto tip

The path to the viewpoint starts on road 102; from the road it is about 300 m through the forest, with a short climb. Gosań lies within Wolin National Park, where an entrance fee applies – tickets are sold by the park online, from machines at trailheads and at the Natural History Museum and the Bison Enclosure. Stay on the path and behind the railings: the cliff edge is active and can slip, especially after rain. Allow 30–45 minutes for the visit. Gosań is one of the park's four viewpoints – in Międzyzdroje you can add Kawcza Góra (61 m), reached by a 700-metre trail from the end of the promenade.