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Marks on the water

The lighthouse and Stawa Młyny

Two navigation marks that became symbols of the town: the tallest lighthouse on the Polish coast and the white "windmill" at the end of the breakwater.

Stawa Młyny

The lighthouse

Construction of the lighthouse began in 1854, and the light was first lit on 1 December 1857. Originally the tower was an octagon tapering towards the top. In the early 20th century it was rebuilt into its present cylindrical shape, clad in clinker brick.

The tower is 67.7 metres tall and the light shines 65 metres above sea level. It is the tallest lighthouse on the Polish coast and the tallest brick lighthouse in the world. During the air raid of 12 March 1945, bombs exploding nearby cracked the tower, but the lighthouse survived. It has been open to visitors since 2000.

Stawa Młyny

The beacon was built in 1873-1874, when the fairway into the port was being modernised. It stands at the end of the western breakwater and is about 10 metres tall. Although it looks like a windmill, it never was one: it is a navigation mark whose shape was designed to be easy to see from the sea.

Today Stawa Młyny is part of the official logo of Świnoujście and the town’s most recognisable symbol.

More in: History and curiosities

History and curiosities

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Świnoujście lighthouse at dusk Forts and monuments

Świnoujście Lighthouse

The tallest lighthouse on the Polish Baltic coast. 308 steps lead up to the terrace, from which you can see the mouth of the Świna, the port, the beach and the German part of Usedom.

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Stawa Młyny against a blue sky Sea and port

Stawa Młyny and the western breakwater

The white "windmill" at the end of the breakwater is the symbol of Świnoujście. In fact it is a 19th-century navigation mark that still guides ships into the port today.

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The port of Świnoujście History

The port, the fairway and the ferries

The Piast Canal, ferries to Sweden, the LNG terminal and a port right in the town centre. How Świnoujście became the most important port in western Poland.

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