The Vistula Spit (Polish: Mierzeja Wiślana, Russian: :Балтийская коса, German: Frische Nehrung) is a peninsular stretch of land cutting Vistula Lagoon off from Gdansk Bay. It is split in half between Poland and Russia.
Until the 13th century, the Spit had navigable straits in the middle, which allowed the city of Elblag (at this time part of the Teutonic State) direct access to Baltic Sea. Natural closing of the straits in late 13th century eliminated Elblag as an important sea port and motivated the Teutonic Order to invade Polish Pomerania, with its port city of Gdansk.
