Szczecin in Poland
Unsung places are often the most interesting. Enter Szczecin, the Polish port city on the Baltic which lies just a shade east of the German border. This is Poland with a twist, for the city has a complicated history. One-time capital of Pomerania, Swedish until 1720 and then German until 1945, the city now known as Szczecin became Polish in the great reorganization of central European borders that followed the Second World War.
Prussia meets Poland
If you are looking for another Krakow, think again. Szczecin offers something very different. No great Italianate piazzas. The Prussian imprint is evident in the Szczecin streetscape with some bold 19th-century buildings akin to those you might expect to find in Berlin. Throw in some superb examples of brick-Gothic– of the kind you’ll run across throughout the Baltic region – and Szczecin makes for an appealing mix.
Key sights
One of the favorite Szczecin corners is the museum on the history of the city housed in the old town hall. It traces the story of the city’s early development and recounts how German Stettin morphed into Polish Szczecin. You’ll find green parkland aplenty, especially north of the city center. For riverside strolls head for the esplanade above the River Odra, where you will find the impressive nautical academy and a clutch of decent cafés.
Cafés and bars
Szczecin is not just a place to see, but a place to be. Expect modest prices and a great range of city center bars and restaurants. There is a good quartet of cafés on Jan Pawel II Boulevard (recently renamed in honor of the late Polish Pope). Other restaurants worth visiting are the Bombay, which dishes up some of the tastiest Indian food in Poland, and the Chata, where you’ll find pierogi aplenty in a folksy vaulted cellar.