Wydma Orzechowska (Orzechowo Dune)

A coastal dune near Ustka

Wydma Orzechowska lies in Orzechowo, a few kilometres east of Ustka, right by the southern shore of the Baltic Sea. Its summit rises about 23 metres above the coastal plain stretching away to the east and south, so from the top you can see both the beach strip and the lowland hinterland. An educational trail almost 2.8 kilometres long has been laid out around the dune.

The trail and its nature

The path runs across the dune ridge itself and the ground immediately around it. Along the way you can see successive stages of sand becoming overgrown: dune grasses, heath and coastal pine forest. These are habitats for birds and small animals, and the vegetation developed here in a relatively short time, making the dune a textbook example of ecological succession.

Getting there

It is about three kilometres from Ustka to Orzechowo along the beach, so a visit is easy to combine with a morning walk by the sea. There is also access from the village side. The whole loop takes roughly an hour and requires no particular fitness, although the sandy climbs can be tiring.