More info about Szczecin Lagoon
© TMV/Sweet
The latest eye-catcher in the Szczecin Lagoon is the "Pomeranian Cog UCRA", the magnificent replica of a medieval sailing ship. All aboard!
There's no question about it: this ship stirs the imagination. For it is almost unbelievable what one hears about the "Pomeranian Cog UCRA". And not only as far as the circumstances of its completion are concerned, even if they are unusual enough: Construction of the 26-meter-long wooden ship, which at first glance looks as if it had been hijacked from the trove of the Hollywood flick "Pirates of the Caribbean" to the Baltic Sea, began back in 2001 - originally as a job creation project in the historic shipyard of the Ukranenland. But then in 2011 the entire project was on the back burner for financial reasons until the city of Torgelow in Vorpommern-Greifswald took over the half-finished ship.
More than one million euros have been invested in the historical replica. But what exactly was replicated? The "Pommernkogge" has several models. On the one hand, it is one of the oldest ship models from Ebersdorf/Saxony dating back to 1450. On the other hand, however, and this is where it gets really curious, the 100-ton wooden cog, which is massive and magnificent to look at, is modeled on a ship depiction that can be seen on the Epiphany altar in the Rostock Museum of Cultural History.
After the first successful cruises, on the other hand, it is clear who will be able to enjoy cruises with the UCRA in the future: In the future, the proud Pomeranian cog will cruise the Szczecin Lagoon from Uckermünde with school classes, youth groups and other maritime interested passengers. With this very special highlight, the Szczecin Lagoon has once again greatly enriched the range of its tourist attractions. Until now, extensive sandy beaches and well-developed cycling and hiking trails have already attracted many nature lovers to the region, which is connected to the forest area of the Ueckermünder Heide (Ueckermünde Heath) via a landscape conservation area of around 260 square kilometers.
What makes the area around the Szczecin Lagoon so attractive, especially for families, is its rich variety: forests and meadows characterize the natural paradise on the border to Poland; especially in autumn, the excellently developed cycling paths and the equally well signposted hiking trails are a boon for body and soul. In addition, towns such as the seaside resort of Ueckermünde with its historic old town entice visitors to take an extended stroll - including, of course, culinary excursions through the traditional inns of the idyllic town in Western Pomerania. Small villages like the dreamy Mönkebude also have their charm: the village developed from the old Slavic settlement of Doblowitz and was founded in 1244 by the monks of the Grobe monastery on Usedom. Hence the name "Mönkebude" - "monk's house". Today Mönkebude is a popular resort. Sailors drop anchor in the small marina. And people with a penchant for medieval-looking ships can lie in wait here: The Pomeranian cog UCRA is sure to pass by sometime....
Cover image: © Philipp Schulz, teaser image:
