Krynica Morska (german: Kahlberg) is a town and coextensive municipality (''

gmina The gmina (Polish: , plural ''gminy'' , from German ''Gemeinde'' meaning ''commune'') is the principal unit of the administrative division of Poland, similar to a municipality. , there were 2,477 gminas throughout the country, encompassing over 4 ...

'') on the

Vistula Spit The Vistula Spit ( pl, Mierzeja Wiślana; russian: Балтийская коса; german: Frische Nehrung) is an aeolian sand spit, or peninsular stretch of land that separates Vistula Lagoon from Gdańsk Bay, in the Baltic Sea, with its tip sep ...

in northern

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

with 1,364 inhabitants as of 2006. It has been a part of Nowy Dwór Gdański County in

Pomeranian Voivodeship Pomeranian Voivodeship, Pomorskie Region, or Pomerania Province ( Polish: ''Województwo pomorskie'' ; ( Kashubian: ''Pòmòrsczé wòjewództwò'' ), is a voivodeship, or province, in northwestern Poland. The provincial capital is Gdańsk. Th ...

since 1999; previously it was in

Elbląg Voivodeship Elbląg Voivodeship () was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland from 1975 to 1998, superseded by the Pomeranian Voivodeship and the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. Its capital city was Elbląg. Major cities and towns (p ...

from 1975 to 1998.

Overview

Before 1793 the area was part of the

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exi ...

; from 1793-1945

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

(within

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

from 1871). The village was known as ''Kahlberg'' during that time. It was administered by the city of Danzig (now

Gdańsk Gdańsk ( , also ; ; csb, Gduńsk;Stefan Ramułt, ''Słownik języka pomorskiego, czyli kaszubskiego'', Kraków 1893, Gdańsk 2003, ISBN 83-87408-64-6. , Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, ''Orbis latinus oder Verzeichniss der lateinischen Benen ...

) until 1842, and afterwards by the city of Elbing (now

Elbląg Elbląg (; german: Elbing, Old Prussian: ''Elbings'') is a city in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland, located in the eastern edge of the Żuławy region with 117,390 inhabitants, as of December 2021. It is the capital of Elbląg Count ...

). The settlement was first mentioned in 1424 and became a summer resort around 1840. When it came back under Polish rule after the Second World War, it was given the name Łysica (the Polish root ''łys-'' corresponding to the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

''kahl'', meaning "bald"). In 1958 it was renamed Krynica Morska ('' Krynica'' is an obsolete, poetic term for "

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a h ...

"; ''Morska'' meaning "of the sea", i.e., "sea spring" or "seaside spring") as opposed to the other famous Polish resort of Krynica. In 1991 three former villages, Krynica Morska, Nowa Karczma, and Przebrno of Gmina Sztutowo were united into a new ''gmina'', Krynica Morska, which simultaneously was assigned the town status. Krynica Morska is the main tourist destination on the Vistula Spit. The administrative area of the town extends along most of the Polish part of the spit, up to the Russian border, also including a number of other localities such as Przebrno and Piaski (the latter being about from the border, which is not crossable at present). It has the smallest population of any urban commune (''gmina'') in Poland. Because of the inclusion of mainly rural areas of the spit within its boundaries, it has the lowest

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

of any town (''miasto'') in Poland, with 11.74 persons/km². The

Lighthouse in Krynica Morska The Krynica Morska Lighthouse is an active lighthouse in the town of Krynica Morska, Pomeranian Voivodship, Poland. History The original lighthouse was built in 1895. It had a Fresnel lens, a 2 sec on / 4 sec off characteristics, and visibil ...

was originally built in 1895. It was destroyed in 1945 after being mined by retreating German forces. A new lighthouse, now open to visitors, was built in 1951. Adjacent to it is a small cemetery with a monument to the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

soldiers killed in the explosion that destroyed the original building.

Gallery

Wybrzeże - panoramio (3).jpg, Beach in Krynica Morska Krynica Morska July 2013 18.JPG, Port of Krynica Morska KrynicaMorskaUlicaGdańska.JPG, Gdańska street Teleexpressu 2 5.jpg, Heritage architecture Krynica Morska, port morski nad Zalewem Wiślanym (HB20).jpg

References

{{Authority control Cities and towns in Pomeranian Voivodeship Nowy Dwór Gdański County Resorts in Poland