How many times have we stared at the difficult-to-spell word ‘Szczecin’ and asked each other if we should take a trip there? Every time, we’ve looked at each other and said… we’ll do it another time. But this year, we decided to explore the city, and the experience did not disappoint us. On the contrary…
It was only a few days before we left that the decision was made. That’s often how it goes for us. We think long and hard about where to go and only set off when we sense we’ve found just the right place. And the right place feels good in the gut, makes little butterflies flutter with excitement and the desire to go.
Everything has to align. Budget, holidays (time off/weekends), energy, desire, and curiosity to see the world. We are remarkably similar when it comes to preferences, but we don’t compromise on our gut feelings. We don’t travel unless it makes sense deep down. And this Christmas holiday, when we had time off work, we couldn’t get things to align. Either the trip was too expensive, took too long – or one thing or another.
When adventure comes into sight
But that fortunately came to an end when we discovered that Szczecin was only a 7-hour drive from Aarhus, was located in a country Sebastian and I had yet to visit (Poland), and offered post-New Year prices that suited us perfectly. Not least, accommodation prices dropped significantly in the days after New Year – and eating out, well, it’s about half the price compared to back home.
Suddenly, everything fell into place, and on a cold January morning at 5 AM, we set off once again to explore the world – Szczecin, the Polish city in Pomerania. A city that gave us 3 full days of wonderful experiences and adventure.
Here’s what Szczecin gave us…
Explore Stare Miasto
One of the first things we experienced was seeing these beautiful old houses. Right in the heart of Szczecin, not far from the harbor, lies the old town with its historic town hall, cobblestone square, and impressive houses all around. We stayed just around the corner, so we spent quite a bit of time in the area.
Step back in time at the majestic Ducal Castle
Right behind the old town hall lies the historic Ducal Castle. In fact, the castle was practically in our backyard, and in the evenings, it stood illuminated in the darkness with its white facades, beautiful windows, towers, and spires.
Ducal Castle was the seat of the Dukes of Pomerania during the years 1121-1637. The castle has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. During World War II, as much as 60% of the castle was destroyed, but it was rebuilt and restored between 1958 and 1980.
Today, the castle serves as the main hub for cultural life in West Pomerania. It houses a gallery, exhibitions, a theater, and hosts concerts.
The castle is beautiful, and when you visit in the evening, the streets are completely empty, inviting peace and historical reflection.
Don’t Miss the Delicious Food in Szczecin
But of course, we hadn’t come just to look at castles. We were also very excited to explore the culinary side of Poland. We imagined Polish food would be a bit heavy and that we’d quickly have our fill, but we were very pleasantly surprised.
The variety of restaurants and cafés in Szczecin far exceeded our expectations, and the quality of the food surprised us every single time we ate out. The restaurants and cafés are scattered all over the city, but especially around Stare Miasto they line up like pearls on a string, tempting us with their diverse offerings of Polish, Ukrainian, Syrian, Thai, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Japanese, and – yes, you name it – food specialties from all over the world.
There were also plenty of cafés, both larger chains like Baristo and Starbucks, and small, cozy cafés, some trendier than others. We highly recommend visiting Café 22, a 360-degree café located at the top of a high-rise building, offering a view over all of Szczecin. The food may not be extraordinary… but the view certainly is!
Where Rivers Flow and Stories Begin: Szczecin’s Harbor Walk
One of the first things we usually explore when visiting a new city for the first time is the harbor area (if the city has one). It’s when we reach the waterfront that we get a sense of the city’s layout and feel connected to it. It’s as if everything begins here and builds outward.
The harbor area in Szczecin was a bit of a mixed experience. Besides the Siberian cold that turned us into icicles, the harbor promenade didn’t quite feel designed to be cozy. There was a walkway along the river, where men fished all day long. But behind the promenade was a large road, which blocked easy access to the area.
Nevertheless, we strolled along here, seeing the city from the bridges and the opposite side of the river. It was here that we got a beautiful view of the National Museum and the lovely red building beside it (which today serves as a public office).
Behind the promenade, up on the embankment leading to the National Museum, there was a small path lined with beautiful, bare trees on both sides. Between the trees, benches were placed, which we imagine would be a lovely spot to sit on a spring day, a summer day, or a warm afternoon.
The National Museum has an impressive descent to the harbor, featuring a wide, grand staircase with a stunning view over the promenade and harbor. Here, you’ll also find the beautiful historic buildings of Chrobry Embankment, which are said to be popular places to relax during the summer.
Szczecin, the Quiet City
We noticed several times that we suddenly seemed to be speaking incredibly loudly. Not because we were shouting— all three of us have calm and not particularly dominant voices— but because everyone else around us in the city was so quiet. When we talked and laughed, our voices carried clearly, even amidst traffic and speeding cars.
But it wasn’t just the people of Szczecin who were quiet… the city itself was quiet. Especially in the evenings. We truly appreciated that.
Sights in Szczecin
Szczecin isn’t a city packed with major landmarks, but it certainly has its small gems scattered throughout for you to discover. In addition to the Old Town Hall, Stare Miasto, Ducal Castle, Café 22, the National Museum, and the promenade, there are also an incredible number of churches spread across the city, each worth exploring.
There is a predominance of Catholic churches, and the largest and most impressive is the enormous Gothic cathedral, the Archdiocese Cathedral Basilica of Saint James, located close to the old town, not far from the harbor.
Szczecin is also home to the spectacular concert hall, Filharmonia. Its modern white architecture stands out beautifully, and it is especially stunning at night when it glows brightly, lighting up the darkness.
How is Shopping in Szczecin?
You can go far in Poland on a small budget. Whether it’s in the many small shops scattered across the city or in the two gigantic shopping malls, Galaxy Centrum and Galeria Kaskada.
In addition to the more typical chains like H&M, Zara, LEGO, Bershka, Mango, Levi’s, Triumph, and many others, there are also plenty of unfamiliar brands and products we had never seen before.
For example, it was fun to discover Russian creams in beautifully designed tins (though I had no idea what they were for) or exciting chocolates and other edible delicacies whose names I couldn’t even pronounce. We had also never seen so many types of vodka as we did in Szczecin. They were lined up row after row, available in all kinds, shapes, sizes, and alcohol strengths—some even reaching up to 90%!
We could easily imagine going Christmas shopping in Szczecin. So yes, there’s plenty to dive into if that’s what you’re after.
Christmas lasts longer in Szczecin
If you love christmas decor and holiday cheer, Szczecin is the place for you. Szczecin goes all out with its Christmas decorations. It’s not necessarily more than what you’d find in other countries, like back home… but it’s still there – even after New Year’s.
We arrived in Szczecin on January 2nd, and the Christmas decorations were still in full bloom. It was truly beautiful, though a bit surprising for us, as we had hoped to shake off the glitter and holiday sparkle by then. Yet, despite it being January, it was hard not to enjoy and be charmed by the many beautiful lights and the cozy atmosphere we found all over the city.
Just take a look at this…
So yes, three days in Szczecin were truly an adventure for us. And yes, we finally learned how to spell the name – if nothing else, at least through writing this article. The pronunciation… well, that will have to wait for another time.
Maybe Szczecin will be your next adventure?
Links
The Pomereian Dukes Castle
Ducal Castle, Szczecin wikipedia
Café 22
Filharmonia
Galaxy Centrum Shoppingmall
Gakerua Kaskada Shoppingmall
