Lake Resko Przymorskie (Dźwirzyno)

Lake Resko Przymorskie (roughly “RES-ko pshi-MOR-skyeh”) is a large, shallow coastal lake at Dźwirzyno, about 10 km west of Kołobrzeg, separated from the Baltic Sea only by a narrow dune-covered spit. It is one of the best places near Kołobrzeg for birdwatching, sailing and windsurfing, and an easy bike ride from town on the EuroVelo 10 route. Summer brings water sports; the off-season brings silence, reed beds and flocks of migrating birds.

Where it is

Kołobrzeg is a Baltic spa town in northwest Poland, about 230 km northeast of Berlin; the nearest airport is Szczecin-Goleniów, about 100 km away. Dźwirzyno, a small holiday village, sits on the lake's northeastern shore, where a channel links the lake with the sea.

A lake shaped by the sea

The lake formed when a sandbar cut off an old bay. The spit between lake and sea is 0.3–1 km wide, with dunes up to 16 m high. The water area varies with wind and sea level – sources give anywhere from 554 to 669 hectares – and the lake is very shallow: 1.3 m on average and 2.5 m at most. During storms, seawater pushes in through the Resko channel and can raise the level by up to 1.5 m.

Birds and wildlife

The lake lies within the EU's Natura 2000 network, including a special protection area for birds. Thick reed beds keep people out and birds undisturbed. Thirteen breeding species have been recorded, among them greylag geese, goldeneyes, bearded reedlings and red-backed shrikes. On migration, grebes, coots, cranes, geese and ducks gather in large flocks, and white-tailed eagles feed here year-round.

Dźwirzyno as a base

Dźwirzyno (German: Kolberger Deep) is a holiday village with a small fishing port on the channel, a wide sandy beach and pine woods on the dunes. Sixteen old pedunculate oaks on Wyzwolenia Street are protected natural monuments. With plenty of hotels and guesthouses, it makes a quieter alternative to staying in Kołobrzeg.

Things to do

• Windsurfing, sailing and kayaking from the marina and water sports center at Dźwirzyno, mostly in summer.
• Cycling the Velo Baltica (EuroVelo 10) from Kołobrzeg via Grzybowo; at Dźwirzyno a boardwalk with a viewing deck, built in 2018, crosses the shifting dunes.
• Swimming is best at the sea beach, which has a lifeguarded area in summer; the lake water is highly eutrophic.

Access is free and the shore is open year-round, but most facilities are seasonal. Spring and autumn are best for birds; bring binoculars and windproof clothing in winter. Allow one to three hours, more if you combine the lake with a bike ride from Kołobrzeg.

A place of remembrance

In March 1945, as the front reached the coast, German seaplanes evacuated refugees and children from a base on the lake. On March 5, 1945, a Do 24 flying boat crashed just after takeoff, killing 72 children and four crew. Overloading was long blamed, but in 2010 Polish divers found bullet damage on the wreck, which still lies in the mud on the lake bed.