Lubin Hillfort – Viewing Terraces

In Lubin on Wolin Island, about 7 km from Międzyzdroje, an early medieval hillfort sits on the highest cliff above the Szczecin Lagoon. From wooden terraces more than 50 m above sea level you can see the archipelago of 44 islands in the Świna backward delta, Lake Wicko Wielkie and ships on the Szczecin–Świnoujście fairway. Beneath your feet lie the remains of the stronghold and the foundations of one of the oldest churches in Pomerania.

History: a stronghold, Otto of Bamberg and the Danes

The stronghold existed here between the 10th and 12th centuries, and Lubin is among the earliest recorded settlements in Pomerania. Herbord, biographer of St Otto of Bamberg, describes it as castellum lubinum and says the missionary to Pomerania built a church altar here – this happened in 1124. Documents from 1186 and 1243 name a church of St Nicholas, patron of sailors and fishermen. In the 12th century the stronghold was probably the seat of a ducal official who administered the area.

The end came with a campaign by the Danish king Valdemar I: according to the chronicler Saxo Grammaticus, Lubin was taken, probably in 1173. The church, however, continued as a parish church for a long time – it is mentioned in 1321–1322 – and was only pulled down in the early modern period, when a new church was built where it still stands today.

What to see

Excavations began in 2008, led by Prof. Marian Rębkowski and Dr Andrzej Janowski. Two small trenches alone yielded nearly 2,900 pottery fragments, about 3,800 bone fragments and 89 notable objects, including antler combs – one decorated with Scandinavian interlace – and amber beads. The church foundations, its graveyard and the remains of a medieval residential tower were uncovered. Information boards on site tell the story of the stronghold and display fragments of early medieval pottery.

Did you know?

Centuries ago a hoard of more than a hundred silver coins was found on the hill, including Arab dirhams – the youngest struck in Samarkand around 950. The 2008–2011 excavations turned up more coins, including a dirham from the Samanid state. As a souvenir you can strike your own replica coin on site.

Tripto tips

The hillfort is open from April to October; in 2026 the season began on 28 March, with hours of 11:00–17:00 in April, longer from May to September (10:00–18:00, until 20:00 in July and August) and 10:00–17:00 in October. It is closed from December to March, and in autumn and winter a visit may be possible by phone appointment. On Fridays and Saturdays in July and August, entry for individual visitors is free from 19:00 to 22:00 – a good time for sunset over the lagoon. Paths are surfaced with a ramp to the terrace, the site is accessible for wheelchairs and bikes, and dogs are welcome. There is free parking right next door, plus toilets and a café. Getting there: from the roundabout near Międzyzdroje follow signs to Lubin, through Wicko and Wapnica, up to the church on ul. Główna – the lane to the hillfort starts opposite. Bring binoculars: the white-tailed eagle, symbol of Wolin National Park, circles over the site.