Ustka Harbour and Swing Footbridge

Ustka began with its harbour: it was the medieval town of Słupsk that founded a landing place at the mouth of the Słupia, giving itself a window on the Baltic. Today fishing boats, yachts and excursion ships moor along the harbour canal, and a white swing footbridge with a tall pylon takes you from the eastern part of town – the promenade, lighthouse and Mermaid statue – to the western side, with Blücher's Bunkers and the West Beach. When it swings open to let ships through, the turn takes about 4 minutes and always draws a crowd.

History: Słupsk's harbour

A fishing settlement grew up around the harbour as early as the Middle Ages. Some ships unloaded in Ustka, others continued up the Słupia to Słupsk. Between 1356 and 1476 the port traded with Darłowo, Kołobrzeg, Szczecin, Lübeck, Gdańsk and Elbląg, exporting furs, fish, tar and cooperage. That era ended with the Thirty Years' War and the silting up of the river mouth after violent storms in the mid-17th century.

Work on the modern harbour began in 1818–1820 with breakwaters framing the river mouth. From 1831 the port was run by the state, and in 1864–1903 it took on the shape it has today. Ustka and its harbour only ceased to depend on Słupsk in the mid-19th century. After 1945 the port grew little, and its status as a seaport was formally confirmed in 1961. A fish auction has operated here since 2003, and a yacht marina was built on the western side.

What to look out for

• The former spirits warehouse on ul. Bohaterów Westerplatte – a two-storey red-brick building with a barrel roof.
• The loading tower in a similar style on the western quay.
• The Red Shed – the sea-rescue station with double doors on the eastern quay.
• Grain granaries on ul. Zaruskiego and Bulwar Portowy: one houses a creative arts centre, the other a tavern.

The swing footbridge

The footbridge opened in December 2013; it is about 57 m long and cost PLN 4.5 million to build. It had a rough start: in its first week the control software froze, and in hot weather the structure began to vibrate dangerously. The crossing was closed for almost two years, and an expert found design errors to blame. After repairs, including re-tensioning the stays that hold the pylon upright, it has been back in service since May 2017.

The bridge operates at set times and may be closed in bad weather or during harbour works; check the current timetable on site. When it is out of service you have to walk round through town, which according to reports from 2015 adds 2–3 km.

Breakwater reconstruction

The Gdynia Maritime Office is rebuilding the breakwaters, which are over a hundred years old; contracts worth a total of PLN 102.5 million allowed 15 months for the work. After reconstruction the eastern breakwater will be 336.5 m long and the western one 436.3 m, and the port is to serve vessels supporting offshore wind farms. During the works the Mermaid statue was moved near the Harbour Master's Office and is due to return to its usual spot afterwards.

Tripto tip

The quays are free to visit all year round. Allow about an hour for a walk around the harbour including the bridge crossing; if you want to see it swing, wait by the bridge when a ship approaches the canal. Blücher's Bunkers and the West Beach are on the western side, the promenade and lighthouse on the eastern side.