Places with character
Szczecin's largest star-shaped square from the late 19th century, modelled on Parisian solutions
Places with character
a star-shaped square in the centre of Szczecin with 19th-century tenement houses and a monument to Piłsudski
Places with character
a square in central Szczecin, formerly Augustaplatz, with the Colleoni monument in the middle
Places with character
the main transport junction of the city centre, shaped after wartime destruction around 1976
Places with character
a former Prussian parade ground with the Szczecin Meeting Point pavilion on the edge of the Old Town
Places with character
a roundabout square of 1882 with eclectic townhouses and a tram line across the green
Places with character
sculpture of a seated dove from 1982, from a cycle of twelve accents on Lotników Square
Atmospheric places in Szczecin Centrum are mostly star-shaped squares: Grunwaldzki, Szarych Szeregów, Lotników and Odrodzenia Square.
Six addresses in the central Centrum district, from squares of the late 19th century to a sculpture from the 1980s. It is a good base for a walk for two, because everything lies close together and each square has its own character.
Start with Plac Grunwaldzki (Grunwaldzki Square), the largest and most impressive star-shaped square in Szczecin, where roads converge from eight directions. Then walk on to Odrodzenia and Szarych Szeregów Squares, which lie on one axis of Piłsudskiego Street.
The star-shaped layout was planned in the 19th century, and according to the object description the first development plan for this area was drawn up by James Hobrecht.
Each has a different role: one is a roundabout with a green island, another a pedestrian space with a monument, a third a transport junction.
Plac Szarych Szeregów (Szarych Szeregów Square) is the former Arndtplatz. Five streets radiate from it, and the central island is a green space with a few trees and a triangular tram track. Tenement houses from the end of the 19th century dominate the surroundings, and a monument to Józef Piłsudski stands by the square.
Plac Odrodzenia (Odrodzenia Square), until 1945 Friedrich-Karl-Platz, lies between Szarych Szeregów and Grunwaldzki Squares. The design dates from 1882, and the island is planted with trees.
Plac Lotników (Lotników Square), before 1945 Augustaplatz, has a pedestrian middle with a monument to the Italian condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni. The State Archive is located nearby. Close by, on the same square, you will find Akcent rzeźbiarski Ptak (the Ptak sculptural accent), a sculpture of a seated pigeon from 1981-1982, one of ten surviving sculptural accents of the square.
Where the Old Town ends in the north lies Plac Żołnierza Polskiego (Polish Soldier Square), the former parade ground from 1725. The square is an elongated rectangle, and the avenues of John Paul II, Wyzwolenia and Niepodległości meet there, together with Tkacka and Staromłyńska Streets.
It was renovated in 2011-2012 and has a tourist information pavilion, so it is a natural starting point for a walk towards the castle. A two-day car-free plan continues the route: see the weekend itinerary.
Plac Rodła w Szczecinie (Rodła Square) is a different kind of place from the others. It is one of the main transport junctions of the city: Wyzwolenia Avenue and Piłsudskiego Street cross there, and trams and buses pass through.
The area was developed around 1976 on land destroyed during the war. Today the Pazim complex and the ZUS building stand there.
Three squares line up along one axis, so a route needs no transfers. One option: Grunwaldzki Square, Odrodzenia Square, Szarych Szeregów Square, then Lotników Square with the Ptak sculpture and Polish Soldier Square.
From the other categories of the district, try Monuments: Centrum and Cemeteries and monuments: Centrum. Everything in the district is gathered on the Centrum page, and the regional view on Atmospheric places. For a rainy day, the article Museums of Szczecin is the better choice.
The list has seven addresses: six squares and one outdoor sculpture, all in the Centrum district. They are described as places for couples.
The largest and most impressive star-shaped square in Szczecin is Grunwaldzki Square, with eight roads meeting there.
The monument to the Italian condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni stands in the middle of Lotników Square, in the pedestrian part of the square.
A tourist information pavilion stands at Polish Soldier Square, where the Old Town ends in the north.
