Wolin is a Baltic island just off the coast of Pomerania where the rivers Swina and Dziwna empty into the sea. The ford to the island across the Dziwna meant it was settled as far back as history reaches. At some point in the 9th Century AD it was filled seemingly by a mixture of Scandinavians and Slavs; fortifications date to this period as well, as it became both a commercial and fishing center. Indeed, during the Viking Age it was the second-largest Viking marketplace, behind only Hedeby. Historians have speculated that Wolin may have been the basis for the semi-legendary Viking stronghold of Jomsborg that existed between the 960s and 1043. According to the sagas, the Jomsvikings were a band of elite warriors who adhered to a special codex and were loyal only to their leader. Supposedly, when their last jarl Sigvald died, most of the Jomsvikings left, following his brother Thorkell to England, where they took up arms as Cnut’s fierce huscarls.

On the Baltic Sea, Wolin was an early Slav settlement that formed a key trading point during the 10th and 11th centuries and a military outpost for a number of different groups. As Viking ships began to plow the Baltic, settlements such as Wolin grew increasingly important for commerce (Vikings weren’t just about plunder!) as well as a base for military excursions. With Christianization, the town waned in power and influence – repeat plundering by Danish forces didn’t help, but in the later Middle Ages, the city became one of the city-states of the Holy Roman Empire. It constituted a part of the important region of Pomerania, a medieval state that incorporated Germans as well as Slavs.

The city changed hands through conquest and succession, being occupied by Sweden, the Teutonic Knights and, eventually, Prussia – that state which is the predecessor for modern-day Germany. When the Soviets defeated Germany in World War II, Wolin transferred hands yet again, this time to modern-day Poland.

Today, Wolin is famous for its wildlife preserve, where some of the last European bison can be found, as well as a yearly Viking festival, celebrating the town’s martial history.