Vistula Spit

The Vistula Spit (Template:Lang-pl; Template:Lang-ru; Template:Lang-de) is a spit, or peninsular stretch of land, which cuts the Vistula Lagoon off from Gdańsk Bay (Danziger Bucht). The border between Poland and Kaliningrad Oblast, an exclave of Russia, runs across it, splitting it politically in halves. The westernmost point of Russia is located on the Vistula Spit.

History

Until the 13th century, the spit had navigable straits in the middle, which allowed the city of Elbląg (Elbing), part of the monastic State of the Teutonic Knights, direct access to the Baltic Sea. The natural closing of the straits in the late 13th century reduced Elbing's status as an important trading seaport. Thus, and by the Teutonic takeover of Danzig (Gdańsk) and Polish Pomerania in 1308, the importance of Gdańsk (Danzig) grew.

Nowadays, Poland discusses the project of digging a channel through its part of the spit, in order to regain direct access to the Baltic, rather than by the only natural, yet Russian-controlled port at Baltiysk (Pillau/Piława).