Stawa Młyny (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

: ''Mühlenbake'') is a

beacon A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location. A common example is the lighthouse, which draws attention to a fixed point that can be used to navigate around obstacles or into port. More mode ...

in the shape of a

windmill A windmill is a machine operated by the force of wind acting on vanes or sails to mill grain (gristmills), pump water, generate electricity, or drive other machinery. Windmills were used throughout the high medieval and early modern period ...

Świnoujście Świnoujście (; ; ; meaning " Świna ivermouth"; ) is a city in Western Pomerania and seaport on the Baltic Sea and Szczecin Lagoon, in the extreme north-west of Poland, mainly on the islands of Usedom and Wolin, and Karsibór island, once ...

West Pomeranian Voivodeship West Pomeranian Voivodeship is a Voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship (province) in northwestern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Szczecin. Its area equals , and in 2021, it was inhabited by 1,682,003 people. It was established on 1 Janua ...

; in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. The beacon acts as a signal for vessels entering the Port of Świnoujście, from the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

Description

The beacon is 10 meters in height; painted white with a black roof. The beacon was built between 1873 and 1874 during the modernisation of the ship route into the Port of Świnoujście (then: ''Swinemünde''). Stawa Młyny is an official symbol of Świnoujście, being part of the official logo of the city, which is characterised with the beacon. The beacon is a popular tourist attraction in Świnoujście and the Island of

Uznam Usedom ( , ) is a Baltic Sea island in Pomerania, divided between Germany and Poland. It is the second largest Pomeranian island after Rügen, and the most populous island in the Baltic Sea. It lies north of the Szczecin Lagoon estuary of the ...

; the beacon is known for being featured on postcards of the town, and is popular part for guided tours around Świnoujście. There is a legend associated with the Mill Pond. When Świnoujście/Swinemünde became a port city, its inhabitants began to work on ships, leaving for long cruises. The wives waited for the sailors, who returned exhausted and aged. One of them, Alice, distraught by the appearance of her beloved Christopher, went to the seashore at night and cried. A mysterious voice told her to seek rescue in the windmill behind her, from which the old miller came out. He ordered Alice to come the next day with her husband; then he ordered to cover him with mud, take a bath in the sea and walk on the shore. A week later, he took him to a windmill. After some time, Alice's husband came out of the interior rejuvenated. The windmill was quickly visited by other sailors as well. However, when the old miller died, it turned out that no one knew the secrets of his treatments, and the mechanism of the windmill stopped. Despite this, people thirsty for rejuvenation continued to come – and still come today – to Świnoujście to cover themselves with mud, swim and walk.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stawa Mlyny Lighthouses completed in 1874 Resort architecture in Pomerania Lighthouses in Poland Tourist attractions in West Pomeranian Voivodeship