Heringsdorf is the principal resort town on the island of Usedom. It is a stone’s throw from the Polish border. Heringsdorf is often linked with neighbouring resorts of Ahlbeck and Bansin. Formerly the fashionable place for aristocrats to holiday, Heringsdorf went through a period of decline under the GDR. However, since 1990 it has been recovering and is now more popular than ever. It features a fine beach and pier. In the town itself, reminders of its former glory in the form of grand white houses and architecture abound. There are plenty of restaurants, hotels and shops.