This is my personal travel guide to Szczecin. If you'd like to read my story about my time spent there, click here to go to Szczecin Part ii!
Chrobrego by the Oder river // Spend a morning or afternoon, or anytime really, walking around the Chrobrego area. Here you can find the Fontanna Wały Chrobrego, some beautiful old buildings covered in vines along Wały Chrobrego Road as well as many restaurants and cafes. Once you finish walking down the huge stone steps and spent some time by the fountain, make your way down the road by the Oder river for another stroll to see the city by the marina.
Jasne Błonia Park // There are many parks in and around Szczecin, but we personally spent a little bit of time walking around Jasne Błonia which is located just off the Szczecin Municipal Office (this green building). Here you can find an avenue of Plane Trees, planted in rows as well as a statue of Pope John Paul II.
Pomeranian Dukes' Castle // This castle in the heart of the city of Szczecin was built in 1428, damaged in World War II and rebuilt again. You can visit this castle at anytime and wander around the grounds. There are a few restaurants and cafes, and I personally had some amazing Pierogi at Na Kuncu Korytarza! You can also pay a small fee of around 5zł to visit the elevated open-air viewpoint.
Cathedral of St. James the Apostle // This is a large church located in the Szczecin old town. Here you can purchase tickets to take two elevators up to the highest level in the bell tower to see 360 bird’s eye views of Szczecin.
Szczecin Concert Hall // Also known as the Szczecin Philharmonic Hall, this is a must-see in the city if you have half an hour to spare to walk by. The Hall’s architecture stands out to anything else that has been built in Szczecin and is just as stunning inside as it is out. This attraction would be even better if you have tickets to a show so you can see the inside of the theatre. Unfortunately while we were there they were undergoing maintenance construction so we missed out by a few days!
Szczecin Old Town // Like any Polish city, visiting the old town is a must-do for me! Compared to cities such as Gdansk and Krakow, Szczecin has the smallest old town to visit, but it’s still a well-spent afternoon to take a walk around. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes to spend your time having lunch or dinner.
Crooked Forest // The Crooked Forest, known as Krzywy Las in Polish, is located about an hours drive away from the city of Szczecin, right on the border with Germany. You can read more in detail about my trip to the Crooked Forest here.
Emerald Lake // Also known as Jezioro Szmaragdowe, the Emerald Lake gets it’s name from the emerald colour of the water, created by a collapsed mine. Here you can spend your time walking on the various hiking trails around the lake, and also receive a free tour of the mines that were built during World War II that are still largely unexplored to this day. Once again, you can find more detailed information on the Emerald Lake and my personal trip there in my blog post about the Crooked Forest here.
Make a day trip to Germany // Szczecin is located right on the Poland to Germany border, meaning at 30zł you can take a two hour train ride to Berlin. Dan and I decided to go to Berlin for one day, so we could have the chance to visit a new city but ultimately come home at the end of the day. We rose early to catch the first 6am train out of Szczecin to arrive in Berlin at 8am, and we were back at the train station at 8pm and home by 10pm. My blog post about Berlin is coming soon!
all photos edited with my new Gdansk Lightroom Preset.