On episode 78, we check out what to do in Szczecin Poland.  This is the first of a multi-part series where we’ll take you to multiple cities in Poland.  We spent 23 days traveling through the western Poland and can’t wait to share our adventures with our listeners.

According to the Census Bureau, more than 9 million Americans claim Polish ancestry. And worldwide: It is estimated that the Polish diaspora numbers 20 million people, which is more than half of Poland's population. People of Polish descent live across the entire globe, sometimes forming a large and influential segment of the population of foreign cities like Chicago or Toronto.

Our first stop in Poland is Szczecin, a city whose population is nearly 400,000.  Today, Szczecin is a cultural center of western Poland with several theaters, a philharmonic orchestra, and a National Museum. It’s also an important shipbuilding center and its proximity to the Baltic Sea makes it possible to get a ferry to Sweden and Denmark from nearby.  The landscape of rivers, lakes, woods, and parks make up half of the city area.

We flew from the United States into the Berlin Airport (BER) in Germany.  The drive to Szczecin is about 90 minutes. We arranged for travel on FlixBus for our journey. If you have time on your itinerary, consider spending a day or two in Berlin before travelling into Poland.

On this episode, we’ll take you through eight things to see and do in Szczecin. We crafted our itinerary in part by consulting TripAdvisor.

We cover some of the best things to do in Szczecin. Here’s a list of stops we discuss from our time in this Polish city:

Waly Chrobrego 

Jasne Błonia Square and Kasprowicz Park

Cathedral Basilica of St. James the Apostle

Szczecin Walking Tour

Szczecin Central Cemetery

The Pomeranian Ducal Castle and Tower of Seven Mantles

Solidarity Square – Memorial to the victims of December 1970 

The Royal Gate

Our accommodation was at the Luksus Apartamenty Mariacka

Here are three more top rated places to stay if you visit Szczecin:

Hotel Zamek Centrum

Hotel Focus Szczecin

Park Hotel

Absolutely. The city offers a wealth of history and culture. It is relatively affordable, especially compared to other popular European destinations.  And did you know Szczecin has been called the Paris of the north?

The heart of the city is a star-shaped square, with diverging avenues.  The gentleman who created the town-planning project for the French capital, also designed Szczecin. 

Like on most trips, we ran out of time for sightseeing while in Szczecin. If we had more time, here are more things we would like to in Szczecin. 

Camino de Santiago – The Pomeranian Way segment

In 2003, the European network of the Camino de Santiago reached the border between Germany and Poland in Zgorzelec.  The next year, the idea to demarcate the first section of the Way of St. James in Poland commenced. The Camino Polaco took several years to complete.  Today, Camino de Santiago enthusiasts can log more footsteps towards their pilgrimage by including Poland as part of their trail.

Szczecin Underground City Trails- Tour the biggest civilian shelter in Poland

Wolin National Park - This is one of Poland’s smaller National Parks . Just about one hour from Szczecin, you’ll find hiking trails, lakes, and this park borders the sea

Be Happy Museum - This museum of happiness promotes a mission of cultivating happiness, sharing good memories and making the world a sweet place. 

Szczecin Philharmonic

You can still eat at the first bar that served pasztecik szczecińsk.  The Bar "Pasztecik" was founded in 1969 and you’ll find it on Wojska Polskiego Avenue in the centre of Szczecin.

The dish is typically served with clear borscht.  And it’s a super affordable dish.

An American type of breakfast is hard to find in Szczecin. But you'll find options for coffee and bakery items to get you started for the day.

DK Eyewitness Poland - This is the book we referenced to help craft our three week Poland itinerary.

The Places Where We Go Travel Resources

TRAVEL BOOKS: And while planning your travels, you can find links to a number of books to get you in the travel mindset on our Amazon Store Page - check out the section: Books That Inspire Travel 

GEAR: We also invite you to visit our Amazon Storefront for more travel resources that we recommend - all of which, we personally use in our travels.

GET YOUR TRAVEL GEAR HERE! - The Places Where We Go Amazon Storefront

Thanks for your support!

We hope this episode inspires you to consider a visit to Szczecin Poland.  

Which activities will you plan on your trip?   Drop us a line if you have an adventure in this Polish city.

Podcast: The Places Where We Go Podcast is released every other week in your favorite podcast app along as well as on our website at www.theplaceswherewego.com

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Julie & Art

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