Szczecin, also known as Stettin, is a port city and the capital of the Zachodniopomorskie province in northwestern Poland. The recorded history of Szczecin dates back to the 8th century when Vikings and West Slavs settled in Pomerania. During the 10th century, it was annexed to Poland by Mieszko I.

In 1243, it was granted municipal autonomy and became the capital of the dukedom of Western Pomerania. Szczecin joined the Hanseatic League in 1360.
Over the centuries, it changed hands between various powers, including Brandenburg, Sweden, and Prussia. After World War II, it was transferred to Poland.

Economy and the Port

Szczecin is a major seaport located on the western bank of the Oder River, near its mouth, approximately 40 miles (65 km) from the Baltic Sea. Shipbuilding and shipping are significant occupations.

It’s one of Poland’s largest port complexes, handling about one-third of the country’s maritime commercial traffic. The port plays a crucial role in cargo transportation from the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Germany. Coal is a major export.

Not everyone knows that Szczecin hides an impressive complex of underground tunnels and bunkers which is a leftover of World War battles. It’s still unknown how long and vast the underground city is, but now only one part is available for viewing.

It consists of 2 thematic tours: World War II and The Cold War. They will give you a disturbing feeling of those hard times. Remember to wear some warmer clothes as it’s a bit colder than outside. Grab a helmet and explore history!

Address	ul. Kolumba 1
Open	12 pm and 13 pm
Tram	3, 6 Dworzec Glowny stop
Bus	61, 81, 75 Dworzec Glowny stop

A castle straight from medieval times, it was the seat of Pomeranian Dukes. It has been rebuilt many times, but it’s pure miracle it survived the bombings of World War II. The Castle needed repairs, but now it impressively looks down on town houses and the river.

It’s a place of many exhibitions and city events especially those connected with medieval and ancient times.

Address	Korsarzy 34,
Open	10 am – 6 pm

One of the most recognizable places in Szczecin. If you buy a postcard from Szczecin it’s very probable it’ll have Waly Chrobrego as a picture. Located next to Odra river it’s an apple of Szczecin inhabitants’ eye.

The whole complex consists of terraces on different heights that overlook Jana z Kolna street, Odra River and Trasa Zamkowa, the main road entering the city center. A renovated fountain attracts attention with color changing lights and clean sandstone walls.

Address	Wały Chrobrego
Open	Always
Bus	70 Teatr Wspolczesny stop

St. Jacob Apostle Cathedral is the second highest building in the city. With a height of over 110 meters it peaks high above city roofs. Inside, the view is rather ascetic, but it’s doesn’t apply to the historic organs. The range of sounds it’s capable of making is astonishing.

The observation deck on the top is open for everyone and the very good news is that there are two elevators installed so you don’t have to climb up thousands of steps.

Address	ul. Św. Jakuba 1, Szczecin, Poland
Open	10 am – 20 pm (observation deck)

The National Museum of Szczecin has locations all around the city, but the main building is part of the Waly Chrobrego complex. It’s a place of many exhibitions, some permanent (such as an African village expo) and others are time restricted.

Also, a very big advantage of the Museum is the observation deck on the top, yet another one in Szczecin. This one is a bit lower than the Cathedral deck, but has one big advantage: its open balcony in the fresh air. There’s no glass between you and the beautiful view.

Address	ul. Wały Chrobrego 3, Szczecin, Poland
Open	Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday 10:00 am – 18:00 pm
Open	Sunday – 10:00 am – 16:00 pm
Closed	Monday, Friday
Tram	6 Waly Chrobrego stop
Bus	Teatr Wspolczesny stop

This is one of the biggest open-air amphitheaters in Poland with capacity of 4,500 people. Usually, when spring comes, the season for events in the Summer Theater begins. The great thing is that it’s open every day, even when no event are on schedule.

People sit and relax, look up at the sky and sunbathe. It’s situated in magical surroundings, next to a big pond named Rusalka, between the trees of Kasprowicza Park.

Address	ul. Falata 2, Szczecin, Poland
Open	all day
Bus	67, 60

During II World War Szczecin (then known by the name of Stettin) was severely bombed during air raids. Many of the destroyed parts of the city never came back in their old form. Thankfully one of the oldest parts of Szczecin, Rynek Sienny wasn’t.

The Market Square gets the most lively after sunset, when locals can enjoy the nightlife. Before getting into eating and drinking you can enjoy the Old Town Hall and the National Museum in it.

Tram6 Waly Chrobrego stop

Address	Plac Sienny, Szczecin
Open	24/7
Bus	2, 7, 8 (from Wyszynskiego stop)

Jasne Blonia, located next to the Town Hall, is a favorite place to spend free time. On sunny and warm days the park is full of people chilling out. You can rest there away from the buzz of the city or exercise. Jasne Blonia is a popular place for locals and visitors with many events to take in.

In the park you can also find two monuments. First, one of the Pope John Paul II and second, called by inhabitants ‘three eagles’. It’s in memory of three generations of polish citizens that initiated and continued converting Szczecin into polish city.

Opening hours: park is open 24/7
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Directions: bus: 67 (Piotra Skargi Stop), 70 (Urzad Miejski stop)

The newest museum in the city, is in an old, unused tram depot. Now it’s not only a place for trams but also many old school cars, buses, bikes, radios and other machines you wouldn’t even think of. For tram fans always dreaming of riding a tram, the museum also organized a professional simulator. Every brave person can sit in the chair of the tram driver and can feel like cruising through the city.

Type: museum
Address: ul. Niemierzyńska 18A
Opening hours: Monday – closed, Tuesday: 10 – 15pm (Free entrance!), Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday – 10am – 18pm, Sunday: 10am – 16pm
Length of visiting: 1,5 h
Price: 10 PLN, reduced: 5 PLN, groups (a least 10 people): 5 PLN/person
Directions: tram: 3 ( Lenartowicza stop)

One of the strongest advantages of Szczecin is water all around the city. The Odra river and Dąbskie lake give all the citizens and tourists the possibility to explore wildlife and water environments within a few kilometers of the city center. The easiest way to taste it is to rent kayaks and let yourself flow with the current.

The area to explore is huge so you can choose to go to Dąbskie lake and see the concrete shipwreck of “Urlich Finsterwalde”, built in 1941 and destroyed in 1945 by bombings and later left in the northern part of the lake. Or, if you have less time, visit Szczecin city center and the industrial atmosphere of the harbor.

Directions: by bus – lines: 79, 56(Camping stop – only on request)

Usually, sadness associates with graveyards and they aren’t visited very often. In Szczecin’s case it’s different because Central Cemetery is 3rd biggest one in Europe. And this may sound weird but it’s great for a walk especially in the autumn when the leaves are yellowish and falling from the trees.

The cemetery offers thematic walks after the footsteps of pre-war citizens of Szczecin. The city is emotionally connected with the sea so one of the most important and worth seeing is the one in the memory of those

Are you tired of big city life, chaos, people running with insanity in their eyes? It’s time to pack your backpack, wear comfortable boots and trek at least a little into the wild. The Bukowe Hills and Forest offer total retreat away from it all.

While wandering around the trails you can bump into some ruins of buildings and bridges built many years ago by Germans. If you have luck you can meet boars and deer (don’t go too close). In the middle of the backwoods there is also a hidden treasure: Emerald Lake. The name comes from green color of the water, which is an effect of the chalk mine that existed there years ago.

Directions: by bus – lines: 55, 64, 66 (Jezioro Szmaragdowe stop)

The soaring white “palace on ice” to which members of the M. Karłowicz Philharmonic orchestra are just moving in, is one of the most awaited investments in Szczecin, proclaimed the city’s new symbol even before the construction began. Estudio Barozzi Veiga, a Spanish architectural studio which has some experience in concert hall design, designed the futuristic white block.

The firm defeated NOW, an architectural office from Lodz, which had presented a project inspired by Szczecin’s pre-war Konzerthaus. The runner-up’s design was the city inhabitants’ favorite. The only thing that today’s philharmonic and the old Konzerthaus have in common is the place at the corner of Matejki and Małopolska streets in the very heart of the city.

Architecture

The building combines two contradictory ideas: tradition and modernity. Tradition resides in the building’s shape, which looks like a historic frontage formed by high buildings that are characteristic for ports. But this tribute to tradition got a very modern form. The building is a white monolith with no windows. The creators tried to make it look immaterial.

The facade is the building’s weakest point.  The purpose of the glass LED-lighted walls with steel razor blade-like blinds was to create a frozen mist illusion. But the last effect is quite heavy, and the building resembles a corrugated steel market stall. At night, it looks kitsch, like a circus or a night club. But it was an ambitious project, a great idea which failed to materialize.

Interior and design

But the philharmonic’s interior design is one of the best in Polish public institutions. The philharmonic’s design is according to international standards. Its concert halls are even more spectacular than its glass facade illuminated with lamps which can arrange into 20,000 different combinations. The hall of 951 seats for orchestral concerts is the fourth biggest concert hall in Poland and one of the most modern when it comes to equipment and sound system. The ceiling hides sound curtains, while the black seats design make sure that they do not creak. Nothing can affect the pureness of sound.

An untrained eye will first notice the building’s sumptuousness – 3,000 gold-colored tiles cover the philharmonic, laid by employees of an antique restoration firm. Dorota Serwa, the philharmonic’s director, says that the symphonic hall symbolizes the Sun, while the smaller chamber-music hall of 192 seats symbolizes the Moon. The latter hall is much more modest, and illuminated by small lamps that look like stars.

Happy Orchestra members

Members of the philharmonic’s orchestra, who used to play concerts in one of the wings of the city hall, can’t understand how they could do without this luxury. Apart from the great concert halls, they can also use sound proof rehearsal halls, as well as dressing rooms with lockers, wash basins, huge mirrors, and screens showing the stage.

The new concert hall’s inauguration lasted from 5 to 12 September 2014. Each day highlighted a different musical genre. Music lovers could enjoy classical music, while amateurs of opera were able to see a concert by renowned singers. Enthusiasts of jazz, dance shows and choral music also found something for themselves.

But the philharmonic has changed not only its concert venue, but also its logo. The letters FS replaced the old logo with the lyre, which are more modern and resemble a spreading sound wave. According to Ms Serwa, this logo is also easier to transform into 3-D forms, gadgets or statues. Atektura, a Szczecin design firm and the author of the logo, has opted for soaring letters in colors that correspond to those of the philharmonic’s concert halls.