Kopice on the Szczecin Lagoon: Nature Trails and Cultural Heritage
Accommodation in Kopice
Kopice on the shores of the Szczecin Lagoon
Kopice lies directly on the shores of the Szczecin Lagoon. Water, trails, and protected historic sites shape the character of this Polish destination. At the marina, you can enjoy views of sunsets over the lagoon and larger ships travelling along the international E-30 waterway. Kopice thus combines a waterfront location with glimpses of shipping traffic and opportunities to explore nature and culture. The marina offers a different perspective on the lagoon from the trails on foot and by bike: here, the view takes centre stage; there, it is all about moving through the surrounding area.
Ruins of the Schaffgotsch Palace in Kopice
Photo: Adam Rostecki / Regionalny Instytut Kultury w Katowicach via Source, CC BY 4.0
Trails for learning about nature and staying active
The educational nature trail Promenada Słońca runs between Kopice and Czarnocin and serves both educational purposes and recreational tourism. At the start of the trail in Kopice, there is a shelter with tables and benches. Along the route, you will find 15 information boards, signposts, a wind meter, and nesting boxes. These features combine the trail’s focus on nature with practical facilities: the boards make its educational purpose tangible, while the shelter at the Kopice end, with its tables and benches, offers a place to rest.
Two other routes cater to different ways of getting around. The international R-66 cycling route, “Around the Szczecin Lagoon,” follows the lagoon through Gąsierzyno and Kopice to Czarnocin. Check its route again before setting off. The green long-distance hiking trail ZP-1007, “Szlak Stepnicki,” passes through Kopice. The distinction is simple: R-66 is a cycling route along the lagoon and through several named places, while ZP-1007 is a long-distance hiking trail that passes through Kopice. This makes it easy to distinguish between the routes by their mode of travel and the routes they follow.
Protected traces of the village’s history
Kopice’s protected cultural heritage includes two former burial grounds from different centuries. The protected former churchyard dates from the first half of the 16th century. After the church was demolished after 1945, a row of lime trees and individual willows remained there. The former Protestant cemetery dates from the second half of the 18th century and is also designated as protected cultural heritage. The dates help place the two sites in time: the churchyard is the older one, while the Protestant cemetery belongs to a later period.
Nature nearby
Near Kopice, between Kopice and Czarnocin, lies the “Krzewina” nature and landscape complex. It protects grey dunes with oak and pine forest, as well as grassland and pioneer communities. Its conservation scope extends beyond the forest: dunes, grassland, and pioneer communities are also included. Krzewina therefore offers a different nature experience from the lagoon views at the marina and broadens the landscape perspective beyond the immediate shoreline.
For the broader travel overview: Stepniczka.
