Until 1945, Słubice was the Dammvorstadt, the suburb of Frankfurt an der Oder on the east bank of the river. When the border was redrawn along the Oder after the war, the town became Polish, its German population was expelled, and it was resettled by Poles, many of them themselves displaced from lands further east. Today, a bridge links the two towns, and the border is open, with people crossing freely to shop, work and study. The Collegium Polonicum, a joint institution of the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt and a Polish university, stands near the bridge as a symbol of reconciliation.
For many Germans, Słubice is a shopping destination. The bazaar near the border sells cheap cigarettes, clothes and souvenirs, and fuel is usually cheaper on the Polish side, so many riders fill up here. The town also has restaurants serving Polish dishes, such as pierogi, żurek soup and bigos, at prices lower than in Germany.
The Oder itself is a wide, slow river, with meadows and floodplain forests on both banks, and the views from the bridge are lovely, especially in the evening. The riding around Słubice is flat and open, with roads along the river and through the fields and forests. Traffic can be heavy near the border crossing, and the roads in Poland may have different speed limits and rules, including the requirement to ride with dipped headlights at all times.
Słubice has plenty of fuel stations, shops and restaurants. A stop for a meal and a full tank is a classic part of a ride to the Oder. The Barnim forests and the Werbellinsee lie to the north-west, back across the border in Germany.