Vistula Spit

Geographical location

The Vistula Spit (Polish Mierzeja Wiślana, Russian Балтийская коса Baltiyskaya Kosa ) is a narrow spit of land ( Spit ) of around 70 km long and several hundred meters in width ( maximum width 1.8 km ) running in a northeasterly direction, and the Vistula Lagoon of the open Baltic Sea separated. Right across the Vistula Spit, the boundary between Poland ( Pomorskie ) and Russia runs ( Kaliningrad Oblast ).

The Prussian name was " Aismares " ( " aislu ": fast "mari, mary ": Haff ). Order was to time the name " Danziger Spit ". This designation indicates the path of Koenigsberg to Danzig out - similar to the " Curonian Spit ", which denotes the way to Kurland. The term " Vistula Spit " is likely a translation of " aislu " his ( analogy too fast: fresh, fresh breeze ), but may also by the first German settlers on the Spit - the Frisians - descended ( Frisian Spit shortened to Vistula Spit ). In the literature, an alternative explanation is to be found: used to be called freshwater " Fresh Water " ( English freshwater ). All lagoons ( haf = Middle Low German ) with ausgesüßtem water were called Vistula Lagoon, as for example, the Oder Lagoon. Not since the first third of the 19th century, the name was " Fresh " on the lagoon ( related to Norwegian, Danish hav = sea ) or on the spit over, but already in 1676 in the book Speculum Germaniae or a geographical Kurtzer report designated by the entire Teuschland as fresh Haff, which is pointed to previous use of other authors.

Places

At the foot of the Vistula Spit is Steegen ( Stegna ). The road from Gdansk, " Gdanska " north following are the towns ground angle ( Kąty ), Vogelsang ( Skowronki ) Schortland, Pröbbernau ( Przebrno ) Liep and the seaside resort Kahlenberg ( Krynica Morska ). There is a 2.5 km long beach, manicured parks and mixed forest. 1939, the site was visited by around 5,000 guests. The last place on the Polish side is Neukrug, Polish: Nowa Karczma, the place is now called Piaski. You now belong to the Polish Pomeranian Voivodeship and attractions for tourism. Narmeln with the imposing 45 meter high dune of the Vistula Spit is already on Russian territory and has since 1945, as far as known, no civilian settlement more. The Russian part of the Curonian Spit is locked at its northern end, and Kaddighaken Neutief are ( Kosa ), a district of the port city pillau ( Baltijsk ).

History

In the 13th century silted a passage through the Spit, Elbing and previously Truso, had allows direct access to the Baltic. From the abundantly growing on the Spit " Kaddig " ( East Prussian for juniper) presented the immigrant Frisian Mennonites once ago the famous almond - brandy.

At the end of the Second World War was over the frozen Lagoon and the Vistula Spit a main route of the columns of refugees from East Prussia to the west.

Poland is considering the construction of a canal through the stitch so as not to be dependent on the only natural Baltic access at pillau which is Russian controlled.