Szczecin in brief
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Szczecin is an energetic city where the River Odra eventually flows into the Szczecin Lagoon. Today, it is the capital of the region of West Pomerania, which has suffered a turbulent history and now looks to an enlightened and cultural revival. A focal point is that it has managed to preserve its unique character and charm since its recent reform. Szczecin is now awakening to its full potential at an ever-increasing pace. You will feel truly inspired as you explore this enthralling city.
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This region begs to be explored, both the city and its surroundings. The area is full of spots for nature getaways with an array of leisure activities for those of you with a taste for the outdoors. If you like hiking, cycling, fishing and canoeing this is a wonderful place for it with forests and huge lakes.
Chrobry Embankment (Haken's Terrace)
The Chrobry Embankment, formerly Haken’s Terraces, one of the most beautiful places in Europe. From here you can watch the vast panorama of the Odra River and the harbour. The viewing terraces are 500 m long and are located 19 m above the Odra river bank. The earliest written history of the area dates back to the sixteenth century. In 1873, a demolition of the eighteenth-century fortifications of Szczecin began. Thanks to the great commitment of Hermann Haken, High Mayor of Szczecin, in the years 1902-1905 a viewing terrace was formed on the site of Fort Leopold. Wide staircases run on both sides from the terrace to the banks of the river, where two pavilions were erected as the entrance to the restaurant, created contemporarily in the remains of the fortifications. At the bottom, there is a fountain decorated with figures of John of Kolno and Wyszak and two tall columns stylized as lighthouses. In the years 1906 to 1912 in the northern part of the terrace an architectural complex was built for the then regency of Szczecin, where now the authorities of the West-Pomeranian province have their headquarters. In addition, in the southern part of the Embankment a building complex of the Maritime Academy is located (from the years 1902-1905 and 1918-1921) and, housed in the same building, Contemporary Theatre and the Maritime Branch of the National Museum. Moreover, a large park is situated near the Chrobry Embankment.
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Baroque Royal Gate
This stylish and cultural café offers a wide selection of drinks and lunches. It is situated right by The Royal Gate that was built between 1725 and 1727. Over the entrance you can see the crest with the Prussian eagle encircled by the chains of the black eagle and the royal crown. This is one of the two former gates to the city, which still exist today. There are (also online) numerous engravings, paintings and photographs showing the Royal Gate (Brama Królewska) in the past. Amazing monument, which together with the buildings in the area (philharmonic, Museum of Upheavals, Church of St. Peter and Paul, st. James' Cathedral ...) creates a unique atmosphere. Now in it you can drink chocolate from polish company Wedel.
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Szczecin Philharmonic
Have you ever seen an iceberg in the city center? If not, you must see the new premises of Szczecin Philharmonic which majestically emerges from urban buildings and pervasive greenery. Its metal and glass facade supplemented with light illuminations catch the eye of each person who comes nearby. The building was designed by catalonian architects from Barozzi Veiga from Barcelona and immediately has become the icon of our city. Modern design combined with inspiration taken from historic building of Konzerthaus creates a coherent whole of past, present and future of Szczecin. It has received numerous awards, including the Mies van der Rohe Award in 2015, the Award of the President of the Republic of Poland for the Best Architectural Structure in Poland in the years 2013-2014 in the “LIFE IN ARCHITECTURE” contest, and the award of the “bryla. pl” website dealing with architecture.
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The City Tourist Route
The City Tourist Route is a 7-km-long loop which connects 42 sites – the most interesting monuments and places worthseeing. The idea behind the route was to commemorate the 750th anniversary of granting town privileges to Szczecin. The route is marked by an easily found red dotted line painted on the pavement, and thus the common name of the trail is the “Red Route”. Numbers in circles act as supplementary signs corresponding to each site on the route. Near to each number an information board with a detailed description of the object is either suspended on the wall of the building or standing alone. A pocket guidebook published in various languages, including a map of the route, can be purchased at the tourist information centres, the local seat of Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society and in bookstores. The route begins and ends in front of the Szczecin Central Railway Station. The following sites are on the City Tourist Route (the numbers correspond to the numbering along the route): 1. The Central Railway Station 2. Post Office No.2 3. Snail Gate Barracks 4. Fragment Of City Walls 5. Gothic Church of St. John the Evangelist 6. Long Bridge 7. Old Town Hall 8. Late-Gothic Loitz House 9. Pomeranian Dukes' Castle 10. Ducal Stable and Manege 11. Maiden Tower or Seven Coats Tower 12. Castle Route 13. Maritime Academy 14. National Museum 15. Voivode's Office 16. Adam Mickiewicz Monument 17. PAZIM Complex 18. The Royal Gate 19. St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Church, Dialogue Centre "Upheavals", Szczecin Philharmonic, Voivodeship Headquarters of Police 20. Professors' Houses 21. St. Mary's Gymnasium 22. Birthplace of the Empress Catherine II of Russia 23. St. James Arch Cathedral 24. Flora Statue 25. Eagle Fountain 26. Palace under the Globe 27. Velthusen's Palace 28. Diets' Palace (Nationalmuseum) 29. Art Gallery of the National Museum and 13 Muses' Club 30. Commemorative Plaque 31. Former seat of the Pomeranian Landowners' Bank 32. Former seat of the Prussian Royal Post 33. St. John Baptist's Church 34. Children's Hospital 35. Gen. Władysław Anders Park 36. Church of the Holliest Heart of Jesus Christ 37. St. Adalbert's Garrison Church 38. Kornel Ujejski Monument 39. Harbour Gate 40. Red Town Hall (New Town Hall) 41. Fountain with the Anchor
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Pomeranian Dukes' Castle
Anyone entering Szczecin by bridges over the Oder River can see the towering red-brick gothic Cathedral and an elegant, pale silhouette of a Renaissance castle with green towers, which used to be the seat of the dukes of the Griffins dynasty who ruled the Duchy of Pomerania. The Pomeranian Dukes’ Castle has five wings and two courtyards. Acting as a cultural institution it organizes an array of cultural events: concerts, theatre performances, exhibitions, conferences and meetings to popularize science, as well as to spread knowledge about the history of West Pomerania. The largest wing houses an Opera. In the wing that housed a mint in the olden days one can find today Cultural and Tourist Information Centre. There is a panoramic terrace on the rooftop of the northern wing from where splendid views can be appreciated. The wing’s basement houses a Vault with sarcophaguses of six princes. The Duke Boguslaw X hall, which used to be a princely chapel, is now a concert hall with a polychromatic ceiling decorated in Renaissance style. A 17th century astronomical clock is the Castle’s special tourist attraction. Also a room dedicated to Eilhard Lubinus and the Witches’ Cell are definitely worth a visit.
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