Szczecin is located in the northwest of Poland, just 130 kilometers from Berlin. You can get there really quickly by train, so a short visit to the Polish city on the Szczecin Lagoon is just perfect.
If you only have a little time, you want to discover as much as possible. A well-signposted walking tour of the city is a natural choice. There is a wonderful tourist route through Szczecin called the “Red Route”.
Szczecin and its “Red Route”
42 stations on a 7-kilometre route – that’s easily manageable even on a short visit. You pass the most important historical buildings and sights and simply follow a red line painted on the ground. This dotted line on the pavement is interrupted by large red circles with a number. Here you will always find an interesting sightseeing point. Each of these 42 stations has its own number, and information boards give all the important data about that station. The boards are usually located directly on the building or free-standing in the immediate vicinity. If you would like to take the exact route with you, you can get the appropriate information flyers from the city’s tourist information offices.
List of the stations
Central Station
Post office building
Former barracks
Fragment of the city wall (the only preserved section of the city wall)
St. John’s Church
Long Bridge (Most Długi)
The Old Town Hall
Loitzenhof
Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes (Szczecin Castle)
Ducal Riding Stable
Seven-mantle tower
Main entrance road
Naval Academy
Building of the National Museum
Building of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship Office
Adam Mickiewicz Monument
PAZIM building
The Baroque King’s Gate
Church of St. Peter and Paul
Ship’s mast of the S/S Captain Maciejewicz.
Professors’ houses
St. Mary’s Collegiate High School
Birthplace of Tsarina Catherine II.
Archbishop’s Basilica (Jokobi Church)
Baroque figure of Flora
Baroque eagle fountain
House with the globe
Velthusen Palace
Pomeranian country house
Museum of contemporary art
Commemorative plaque of the Polish Scouts Organization
Pomeranian State Bank Building
Royal Prussian Post Office Building
Neo-Gothic Church of St. John the Baptist
Children’s Hospital
General Władysław Anders Square
Church of the Sacred Heart
Garrison Church of St. Adalbert
Monument Kornel Ujejski
Baroque Berlin Gate (Brama Portowa)
The New Town Hall
Anchor Fountain
I will now present some of the stations I discovered in Szczecin.
On the road in Szczecin on the “Red Route”
Arriving at the main station, you will find the red 1 directly in front of the station building, which marks the start of the tour. The main station used to be called Berlin Station. As early as 1843, the railroad connected Szczecin with Berlin. With this railroad line began the history of the railroad in Pomerania.
At point 7 on the Haymarket stands the Old Town Hall of Szczecin. Originally, the building was built in the 15th century. During the Second World War the building was destroyed. Fortunately, the building was reconstructed and so you can admire the original Gothic design here. The northern facade shows a beautiful Gothic ornamental gable, while the southern facade is Renaissance. Today the building houses the town museum.
The Heumarkt, where the Old Town Hall can be found, was rebuilt for a long time. In the meantime, there are beautiful colorful houses here, which are based on their historical models.
Next you reach the Loitzenhof. The merchant family Loitz lived in the Gothic building below the castle in Szczecin. Loitz family earned their money from salt trade and was also known as a banking family in Northern Europe. When King Sigismund II. August of Poland and the Elector Joachim II of Brandenburg could not repay their loans to the family, the family’s empire collapsed in 1572. They were now unable to pay off their creditors and had to flee Szczecin. Today, the Loitzenhof is home to the Art Lyceum.
The way to the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes (Szczecin Castle) is not far. Here, too, the building was destroyed during the Second World War. Then in the 1980s it could be rebuilt and today shines in the old style. Today, events are often held in the courtyards of the castle complex. This was also the case on the day I was in Szczecin. But even so you can feel the charm of the complex. And when I then discovered the great astronomical clock, I was quite excited. The castle is now used by various cultural institutions (opera, museum, galleries).
Points 13 – 15 of the “Red Route” tour in Szczecin are located at the Hakenterrasse. The Hakenterrasse was built on the former site of Fort Leopold. The adjacent buildings now house the Naval Academy, the National Museum and the West Pomeranian Voivodeship Office. The terrace complex is one of the main attractions of many tourists. From here you can look into the harbor and enjoy a view of the Odra River. The wide stairs leading from the pavilions to the terrace are impressive.
A little tip on the side: In the PAZIM – building (point 17) there is a panorama café on the 22nd floor. Experience the sunset from there and drink a cocktail is really worth it.
The city walk along the “Red Route” passes the baroque King’s Gate. This was built in 1725-1727 as part of a fortification. The gate originally formed the northern boundary of the city.
And we finally arrive at the point 19 of the route, the church of St.Peter and Paul. The Gothic church is said to be the oldest church in the city and replaced a wooden church.
The church stands on a large square. Here you can admire not only an imposing monument (Angel of Peace), but also the fairly new Philharmonic Hall. The modern building was only opened in 2014 and does not really fit into the cityscape. I think the building looks too modern in contrast to the surrounding buildings.
Szczecin a “Red Route” – a nice idea for a walk around the city.
Closing of the day
Before going back home or to a hotel, you should not forget to eat something typical Polish. My absolute favorite food is pierogi and in Szczecin you can find numerous restaurants that offer them.
Thus strengthened, we took the train back to Berlin.
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