Szczecin travel guide

Szczecin, Poland

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Szczecin

Introduction

Szczecin, historically known in English as Stettin, is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Set near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major seaport and the largest city of northwestern Poland.

Its position on the Baltic coast and beside Germany shapes the city's character as a port and a borderland, making it a natural starting point for exploring this corner of the country.

Before you go

Before you go, it helps to know that Szczecin's identity has shifted many times over the centuries. It began as a Pomeranian stronghold, was recorded in the 12th century as "Stetin", joined the Hanseatic League, spent time under Swedish, Prussian and French rule, and served for a period as the "port of Berlin". After the Second World War the city was annexed by Poland and its German population expelled, and in the 1980s it was, alongside Gdańsk, one of the birthplaces of the Solidarity movement. Its unusual layout of roundabouts and wide avenues comes from a late 19th-century rebuild based on designs by Georges-Eugene Haussmann, the planner behind Paris, and that style still shapes newly built or modified areas. The city is now considered one of the more liberal in Poland, and its maritime industry remains strong, with a busy port and repair shipyard alongside a service-sector economy. On safety, the organized crime that once gave Szczecin a bad name is a thing of the past, and the city is generally very safe; still, avoid "bad" suburbs such as Gocław, especially after dark. Take care when crossing streets, since jaywalking is a crime and police often wait for tourists who cross on a red pedestrian signal.

Getting there

Szczecin–Goleniów Airport (SZZ) sits almost 50 km from the centre, near Goleniów, and is served by LOT and a few low-cost airlines. From there you can drive (up to an hour depending on traffic), take a taxi, or use a minibus: LOT runs one for its own flights, leaving from its office on al. Wyzwolenia 17 about 90 minutes before departure, and Interglobus covers international flights. A railway service links the terminal directly with Szczecin Główny and with Kołobrzeg. Because of the city's proximity to Berlin, that airport is also a viable option, with minibus companies such as Atlastransfer and Interglobus running regular services, plus car and train connections of 2–3 hours.

Szczecin Główny is the main rail station. PKP connects it with all major Polish cities: several trains daily to and from Warsaw on express or Intercity services, frequent trains to Poznań in about 2½ hours, and frequent trains on to Świnoujście in around 2 hours. Deutsche Bahn runs connections from Berlin, Amsterdam, Prague and many cities in neighbouring Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and one daily train is direct from Vilnius via Kaunas, Białystok, Warsaw and Poznań. Note that track works between Berlin and Szczecin mean no direct trains on that route for some years; from Berlin you change to a replacement bus or a different train in Angermünde. By car, the E28 (German A11, Polish A6) is the main route from Berlin, roughly 2 hours, and motorway links now reach Warsaw, Poznań and Wrocław, while the expressway to Gdańsk is still under construction. Long-distance buses stop at Szczecin bus station, the main Flixbus stop and also where rail replacement buses to Angermünde depart, and at Szczecin DA PKS bus station, used by PKS Szczecin for its daily service to Schwedt and by Sindbad, with an additional Flixbus stop at Warzymice Osiedle Kresy; dozens of minibus operators also run to and from Berlin. Arriving by boat is only possible with your own vessel, as the hydrofoil service to and from Świnoujście was discontinued.

Getting around

Szczecin is split by its rivers into two halves: Lewobrzeże on the left bank of the Oder, where the city centre and most of the attractions sit, and Prawobrzeże on the right bank of the Regalica, with the port in between. Because the centre and its sights are concentrated on the Lewobrzeże side, much of your sightseeing can be done on foot. Look for the red line painted on the pavements — the "red walk" — which starts and ends at the main train station and links nearly all the attractions in the centre, each marked by a number on the pavement with a sign explaining the sight. A map of the route is posted near the start, and the tourist information centre has a similar map. Crossing between the two banks is not a casual stroll, so plan on public transport or a taxi for that.

The city has an extensive network of trams and buses, and you can change freely between lines as long as you stay within your ticket's time limit — the exception is switching from a normal bus or tram to an express bus, which costs twice as much. Buy tickets at newspaper stands or from the driver, and stamp your ticket immediately after boarding; plain-clothed inspectors issue severe fines. Line numbering tells you what you are looking at: ordinary trams and buses, lettered express buses, night buses, free buses serving shopping malls, and replacement buses standing in for trams. In July and August, vintage trams and buses run as tourist lines on Saturdays and Sundays, with the fare paid to the driver. For journeys between the centre (Szczecin Główny) and the districts of Dąbie, Gumieńce, Podjuchy, Zdroje, Zdunowo or Załom, or nearby towns such as Goleniów, Gryfino or Stargard, the train may be the fastest option, though you need a separate flat-fare rail ticket. Taxis are best called rather than hailed from stands, especially the rip-off operators near the railway station and clubs; ask the operator when the car will arrive and look for the company's number on the car, and have cash ready since few drivers take cards. There is also a network of bicycle paths linking the centre with the suburbs, you can take your bike on public transport for free outside rush hours, and city bikes can be rented through the Bike S Szczecin system, with hire and drop-off stations around the centre.

Where to stay

For budget stays, Szczecin offers a youth hostel on Ul. Monte Cassino as well as the Hotel Arbet on Piesza and the Hotel Migrand on Robotnicza. Mid-range options include the Campanile Hotel Szczecin on Ul. Wyszyńskiego and the ibis Styles Szczecin Stare Miasto on Panienska, the latter placing you in the Old Town. If you prefer to splurge, the Hotel Park sits on Ul. Plantowa and the Atrium Hotel on Al. Wojska Polskiego. Larger international-style properties include the Radisson BLU on Plac Rodła, the Novotel on Al. 3 Maja and the Hotel Dana on Aleja Wyzwolenia.

Food & drink

For a distinctive local snack, try paszteciki — deep-fried pastries filled with meat or with cheese and mushrooms. They taste best hot, and the classic pairing is a cup of barszcz czerwony (red beetroot soup). Fast food like hamburgers, hot dogs, kebabs and pizza is easy to find if you want something quick instead.

For a proper meal, the mid-range options cover a range of tastes. Browar Stara Komenda is a brewery and bar popular with young locals for a drink, but it also serves solid Polish food, including żurek (sourdough soup) and pork neck with pickled cucumbers. Public Fontanny offers modern European cooking in a hip, cosy setting, while Amar is a vegan and vegetarian spot where the "danie dnia" (dish of the day) and "zupa dnia" (soup of the day) are good value if you are watching your budget. If you want to push the boat out, you can choose between Indian, Japanese and Polish cooking.

Drinking is concentrated in the old town around Stary Rynek and around ul. Bogusława in the middle town area. Several venues stay open until the last customer. Alter Ego is a night club with live music or DJs on weekend nights, Boston Pub & Club leans on 1970s, 80s and 90s music with karaoke and student nights, and City Hall plays funk, hip-hop and house. Free Blues Club in the Pomorzany district caters to blues and rock fans with live music and jam sessions, Hormon is a student favourite with rock and alternative parties, Piwnica Kany belongs to the Kana alternative theatre and draws students and artists, and Rocker Club offers live rock and karaoke.

If you want to drink locally, Bosman beer is made by a local brewery and comes in red (czerwony) and green (zielony) label lagers, sold at most general stores and some pubs. Taverna pub has its own microbrewery producing lager and porter, and Nowy Browar is a beer hall with good beer, cheap food and sports on the TVs.

What to see and do

Start with the Pomeranian Dukes Castle, which holds a museum, restaurants and cafes, and a tourist information office where you can pick up free maps and pamphlets. From there, head toward the Old Town, jokingly called "Brand New Old Town" by locals because its reconstruction only began in the late 1990s and continues; it has rebuilt houses, shops, restaurants and cafes, plus a museum in the Old Town Hall. On the short walk from the Old Town toward the castle you'll pass the Loitzs Tenement, a flashy orange building you can't miss. Continue to Wały Chrobrego, a promenade with views over the Oder river and port, cafes, and the Maritime Museum with its maritime and African collections. Other sights include St. Jacob's Cathedral, a large Gothic church; the Pałac pod Globusem, where two Russian rulers were born; and the Museum of Technology with its vintage cars, motorcycles, buses and trams. For green space, walk in Park Kasprowicza behind the City Council, Park Żeromskiego between Wały Chrobrego and the Pazim/Galaxy area, or the Central Cemetery. Farther out, the Emerald Lake in the Zdroje district offers an artificial cave, forest trails and views over the city, and railway fans can seek out the suspension bridge on the Regalica in Podjuchy. The Parisienne Sub-Urb area around Plac Grunwaldzki and Jagiellońska and Wielkopolska streets is worth wandering for its historistic and art nouveau boulevards.

Events through the year include Juwenalia, the Baltic Rock Meeting, Dni Morza (Days of the Sea) and the Boogie Brain Festival.

When to go

Szczecin has an oceanic climate, but its winters are colder than those on the nearby Baltic coast. January is the coldest month, and sub-zero temperatures are most frequent in January and February, so expect frosty days and a chill that bites harder than at the seaside. This is the quieter half of the year for visitors.

Summer brings warm weather, with July the hottest month, though the nearby Baltic Sea keeps the heat from becoming extreme and days stay moderate. This is the busiest and most expensive time to visit. Spring and autumn offer milder conditions between the cold winter and warm summer, with lower crowds and prices than in midsummer. Rain falls throughout the year but is most plentiful in the warmer half, so wet days are common whenever you go.

Festivals & events

Szczecin's event calendar picks up in the warmer months. In May the city hosts Juwenalia, a student festival, alongside the Baltic Rock Meeting. June brings Dni Morza, or Days of the Sea, a maritime celebration that suits the city's position on the water.

Three days in Szczecin

Day one: Start in Szczecin, the capital of West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland, a city also known in English as Stettin and historically as Set, Stetin and Pomeranian. Its position near the Baltic Sea and its past under the Hanseatic League, Swedish, Prussian and French rule, plus its links to Berlin, Gdańsk and the Solidarity movement, make it a good place to begin. Before the Second World War it was German; after the war it became Polish. Take a walk around the centre, where the influence of Georges-Eugene Haussmann and Paris is visible in the layout.

Day two: Use the day to explore the neighbourhood of Gocław and the wider city. From Goleniów Airport (SZZ) in Goleniów, LOT flights connect Szczecin with other cities, and Szczecin Główny is the main rail station. You can also reach Kołobrzeg and the Baltic coast from here.

Day three: Spend your last day along the waterfront and in the older parts of the city, thinking about the layers of history from the Hanseatic League through Swedish, Prussian and French times to the present. The Baltic Sea is close, and Germany and Berlin are within reach, so Szczecin works well as a base for the region.

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