The writer was hosted.
A marvelous mashup of historic and modern architectural treasures awaits visitors to Szczecin, a busy Baltic Sea port tucked into the northwest corner of Poland. The city’s medieval castle reminded me of a wedding cake frosted with cream cheese. Its futuristic concert hall looks like an ice palace with jagged glass panels that light up the sky.
Szczecin (pronounced shteh-cheen) may not be a well-known tourist destination—yet. However, the city of 400,000 impressed me with its eclectic attractions, close proximity to Baltic beaches and innovative take on traditional Polish dishes.
Some of my favorite discoveries in Szczecin include:
The Waterfront
A seaport since the 800s, Szczecin actually lies about 40 miles south of the Baltic Sea. Its sheltered location on the Oder River made the city a coveted asset of many nations, starting with the Vikings. A German city until the end of World War II, Szczecin reverted to Poland again after Allied powers divided Europe into East and West Blocs.
Despite massive destruction in the war, the waterfront remains the focal point of Szczecin. Two neighborhoods pay homage to its maritime traditions.
Let us inspire your travels! Sign up for our newsletter now.
Lasztownia District
Situated on an island between two branches of the OderRiver, Lasztownia shines as the new entertainment center of Szczecin. Locals and visitors flock to the docks where massive ships once delivered cargo.
What to Do:
- Watch three historic port cranes, nicknamed Cranosauruses, light up the waterfront area at night.
- Ride the Szczecin Ferris Wheel—Poland’s tallest—for thrilling views of the city.
- Walk, run or bike along the waterfront, taking in views of Chrobry Embankment across the river..
- Explore the waterfront in a kayak or take a tour boat.
When to Go:
The summer months draw the most visitors. In August, tall sailing ships fill the harbor for an annual race.
Who Should Go:
Families with children and anyone interested in entertainment and city views.
Chrobry Embankment
The city’s grandest 20th-century buildings, which survived the war, reside on this embankment overlooking the river and Lasztownia.
What to Do:
- Stroll along the embankment to view the ornate buildings dating from the days when the city, called Stettin, was part of Germany.
- Visit the National Museum for its artwork and exhibitions, including those featuring the Baltic Sea and Pomeranian history.
- Walk down the steps to the waterfront, admiring the statue of Hercules fighting a centaur along the way.
When to Go:
Sunset offers beautiful views of Lasztownia across the river, especially in the summer. Try to stay late enough to view the Cranausaruses light up the sky.
Who Should Go:
History lovers and architectural fans will enjoy the historic buildings and the sights from the embankment.
SheBuysTravelTip: Szczecin’s main attractions spread out across the city, but most are walkable. I suggest hiring a guide or taking a tour on your first day to get familiar with the city.
Pomeranian Dukes’ Castle
The sculpted façade of this 14th-century castle reminded me of a fancy wedding cake frosted with cream cheese. The blocky Renaissance-style castle with mint-green turrets casts a pale but prominent shadow over the city. You can’t miss it if you arrive by train, as I did.
What to Do:
- Tour the castle, which was the seat of the dukes of the Griffins dynasty who ruled the region now known as West Pomerania in the 14th-17th centuries.
- Explore the castle’s two large courtyards and climb the stairs to the terrace of the northern wing for panoramic views.
- Visit the castle museum to explore medieval artifacts and maps and visit a witches’ cell. I was surprised to learn that Catherine the Great of Russia was born in the castle in 1729.
When to Go:
Costumed guides lead group tours during the summer months. Visitors can also take a self-guided tour or just walk around the grounds.
Who Should Go:
History buffs and fans of medieval castles.
Castle Burroughs District
Allied bombs destroyed most of the city’s “Old Town.” So, most of the buildings are actually new but faithful reconstructions.
What to Do:
- Stroll through Hay Market Square to see townhouses sporting stair-step roofs and colorful paint jobs reminiscent of the city’s medieval past.
- Grab a beer or dinner on the outdoor patio of the bars and restaurants that line the borough’s cobblestone streets.
- Visit the city’s two remaining Baroque gates, built in the early 1800s. The Royal Gate houses a cafe and jazz club.
When to Go:
Anytime when the weather makes dining outside a pleasant experience.
Who Should Go:
History buffs and foodies interested in sampling traditional and modern Polish dishes.
Mieczysław Karlowicz Philharmonic
The Philharmonic, Szczecin’s award-winning concert hall, looks like a giant white ice palace or iceberg. Pointed translucent glass panels line the exterior. Inside, a stark white, airy interior greets guests.
What to Do:
- Visit the Philharmonic building during the day, when sunlight illuminates the panels, or at night, when lights turn the panels various colors.
- Attend a concert if you have time. Some residents still complain about the ultramodern building, completed in 2014. But no one questions the acoustics.
- Tour the interior even if you can’t get a concert ticket. The wrap-around staircase reminded me of the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
When to Go:
Visitors can tour the interior during the day and attend concerts in the evenings and on weekends.
Who Should Go:
Music lovers and fans of modern architecture.
Marine Science Centre
The city’s new Science Centre resembles a massive ship docked on land in Lasztownia. Interactive exhibits encourage visitors to learn the secrets of the sea by participating in assorted activities. Don’t miss this museum if you are traveling with children. But adults will learn something, too.
What to Do:
- Spend several hours in the museum, exploring exhibits about how to build a boat and how to sail the high seas without getting seasick.
- Learn how wind, water and ice impact sea travel in multiple hands-on activities.
- Experiment with navigational tools used in the past and the present to guide ships through turbulent seas.
- View the canoe used by Alexander Doby to cross the Atlantic Ocean in 2010 and 2013. Doby became a Polish hero after making the longest open-water kayak trips at the time.
When to Go:
On weekend nights, lights illuminate the façade of the building, which is worth seeing day or night even if you don’t venture inside. The museum is open year-round.
Who Should Go:
Families with children and adults interested in science and technology.
The Dialogue Centre
The Dialogue Centre resides partially beneath Solidarity Square, where locals protested communist rule in the 1970s and 1980s. The center explores Szczecin’s and Poland’s harrowing efforts to throw off Soviet control. The center also focuses on the city’s transition from Germany, when it was called Stettin, to Poland after World War II.
What to Do:
- Walk through the partially underground museum, taking time to listen and view eyewitness accounts of police violence and intimidation before Poland gained independence in 1989.
- Visit the memorial angel statue atop the center in Solidarity Square. Stone tablets at her feet list the names of the 12 people killed in the protests.
When to Go:
Open year-round, the museum also hosts meetings and discussions about the city’s history as a melting pot of people from many nations.
Who Should Go:
Students of world history will find the museum’s exhibits educational as well as emotional.
Museum of Technology and Transport
The Museum of Technology and Transport surprised me with its vast collection of antique vehicles, sewing machines, and typewriters. Located in a 1912 tram depot, the museum transports visitors back in time.
What to Do:
- Stroll through displays of the world’s most extensive collection of sewing machines, bicycles, motorbikes, and automobiles made in factories owned by the Stoewer family.
- Hop aboard an old tram to experience what public transportation was like in the 1920s.
- View Poland’s tiniest car, the Smyk, built in 1957.
When to Go:
Open year-round
Who Should Go:
Car lovers and technology geeks will love the museum, as will families with children.
SheBuysTravelTip: As a solo female traveler, I found Szczecin a safe and welcoming city. When I did get lost, people were friendly and helpful. Many spoke English.
Day Trips
Village of Slavs and Vikings
Craftsmen and women dressed in medieval garb demonstrate weaving and welding skills in this fascinating open-air museum. Located in Wolin, a Baltic island about an hour’s drive north of Szczecin, the reconstructed village offers adults and children an authentic glimpse of early Viking and Slavic life in northern Europe.
What to Do:
- Tour the 27 thatched-roof houses and craft buildings in this village from the early Middle Ages.
- Sample tasty flatbread and sausages grilled on a wood fire.
- Participate in activities such as archery contests and learn how our ancestors dyed and wove wool into cloth by hand.
- Visit a Viking boat beached in the village and imagine what sailing the ocean in an open boat was like centuries ago.
When to go:
Open April to October. A lively festival every August showcases battles and other contests typical of the time.
Who Should Go:
Families with children and adults interested in medieval history.
Baltic Beach Towns
Beautiful Baltic beaches north of Szczecin offer white sand, seaside promenades and spa resorts. Waterfront restaurants and summer concerts welcome visitors in warm weather, which is also the best time for hiking, cycling, and kayaking along the coast.
What to Do:
- Visit Międzyzdroje to stroll Poland’s longest pier, stretching 1,300 feet into the Baltic. Food stalls, souvenir shops and bars line the dock. A replica of a Viking ship offers fun sailing adventures from the pier during the summer.
- Walk along the breakwater in Świnoujście for a close-up view of an 1870s lighthouse that looks more like a windmill. The lighthouse still directs vessels from the Baltic into the Szczecin Lagoon toward the city of Szczecin.
- Consider taking a ferry from Swinoujscie to ports in southern Sweden.
When to Go:
Summer days offer endless choices for visitors to Poland’s northwestern Baltic beaches.
Who Should Go:
Sun and beach lovers and adventurers will enjoy exploring the coastal towns and beaches along the Baltic coast.
What to Eat
Szczecin’s version of fast food, pasztecik, delivers a tasty crunch. Meat, vegetables, and spices fill the handheld pastries, which are then deep-fried. I dipped mine in a clear borscht broth. Delicious. Thanks to my knowledgeable guide, Grzegorz, for introducing me to pasztecik.
I also sampled other excellent Polish specialties, such as pierogies, beetroot cream soup and classic Polish sour soup with meat, a fried egg and fermented sourdough or rye flour. I was less impressed with pickled herring and paprikash, a canned fish spread favored by sailors.
Where to Eat
- Spiżarnia Szczecinska’s menu delighted me with specialty dishes like pickled pork chops. This cozy restaurant near the city’s Royal Gate also delivered my favorite dish during my visit–homemade pierogies with potatoes, cottage cheese and bacon.
- Browar Wyszak serves craft beer in the cellar of Szczecin’s 15th-century Old Town Hall. I downed a Pils brew with my dinner of salmon and spinach topped with pureed tomato sauce. But the rhubarb crumble with ice cream was to die for.
- Mala Tumska feeds and entertains guests with traditional dishes and music in this family-owned restaurant and music bar in the Old Town. From a window seat, I savored cod-stuffed cabbage with pearl barley, followed by cheesecake with tart cherry sauce.
SheBuysTravelTip: Most restaurants provide menus in Polish and English. If not, ask for an English version. I found English menus were available at most eateries.
Where to Stay
Szczecin’s hotels range from local boutique properties to international name brands. I stayed at the modern Courtyard by Marriott Szczecin City, which offers 134 spacious rooms, a sumptuous breakfast buffet and sunset views of the Old Town from some rooms. A short taxi ride takes you to the train station.
Getting to Szczecin
I arrived in Szczecin by train from Wroclaw as part of a 10-day tour of Poland. Trains run frequently from most Polish cities and from Berlin, which is about 100 miles southwest of Szczecin. Direct flights to Szczecin Goleniow Airport arrive daily from Krakow and Warsaw as well as from London and other major European cities. If you rent a car, Szczecin makes a convenient base to explore Poland’s Baltic Coast. Good roads connect Szczecin to the rest of Poland.
SheBuysTravelTip: Consider pairing a visit to Szczecin with stops in other well-known Polish cities like Gdansk, Krakow and Warsaw.
Getting Around
Several tour companies offer a variety of city tours, including GetYourGuide and Booking.com. Consider taking a food, vodka, beer or wine-tasting tour. You can also visit most city sites on a self-guided walking tour. City tourist offices provide maps.
With the Szczecin Tourist Card, visitors can ride buses and trams for free and get discounts on most museums, attractions, boat and bike rentals and kayak trips. I also found taxis and Ubers readily available and an inexpensive way to get around the city.
When to Visit
Explore Szczecin during the summer months, when the city holds dozens of popular festivals. To enjoy outdoor and water sports, visit June-September. The city sponsors a festive Christmas Market.
Who Should Visit
Travelers seeking more affordable and less crowded places in Europe should visit Szczecin. Adventurous travelers, history buffs and families with children will find plenty to do in Szczecin for two or three days. Reserve at least a day to visit the nearby Baltic coast. Also, consider touring Berlin before or after Szczecin. Good roads and regular train service connect the Polish city and the German capital.
Leave a Reply