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The Pomeranian landscape was shaped by the last glacier, which moved from north to south and then retreated to Scandinavia about 10 thousand years ago, leaving scenic moraine hills and valleys, often containing lakes. In the most western part, the most interesting area is Wolin Island, protected by the Wolin National Park. Wolin Island is a delightful patchwork of different landscapes: empty flats, rugged cliffs, sandbars, and rocks jutting out of the lagoon waters, forest wildernesses, crowded beaches, fishermen's cottages, charming pensions... It is a great place to relax both for nature lovers (particularly bird-watchers) and those who prefer to tan on the beach. In summer, the island is extremely popular with holidaymakers, but at a stone's throw from the lively resorts there are also plenty of secluded spots. The Wolin National Park was established in 1960. Originally, its area was just 48.5 sq km, but in 1996 it was extended to 109 sq km. The Park's beauty lies in the diversity of its natural and geological composition. The cliffs here are among the highest and longest moraine elevations on the Polish coast. The most picturesque, steep cliffs, reminiscent of Friedrich's paintings, stretch east of Miedzyzdroje. The unique soils support orchids, represented in the Park by as many as nine species. The cliff-tops are dominated by wind-gnarled pines and beeches. The Park is proud of its European bison, bred in a fenced reserve, and white-tailed eagles, with ten couples of these big seabirds nesting on the island. Wolin has hundreds of hotels, pensions and holiday homes, some of them just a few paces from the Park's borders. If you stay in one of them in summer, you can commune with nature and then have fun during various festivals. There's one going on almost every day in high season.