Atrakcje: Koszalin

Things to do in Koszalin: the cathedral, Chełm Hill, the amphitheatre, museums and dozens more places for walks, rainy days and children.

Koszalin is the largest town on the central coast of West Pomerania, though it lies a few kilometres from the sea. It has a Gothic cathedral, a modernist town hall, spacious parks in the Dzierżęcinka valley and several museums in historic buildings. It suits a calm one-day plan.

What to see in Koszalin first?

Start in the centre: the Old Town Square, the cathedral and Chełm Hill. The square and cathedral are a few minutes apart, while the hill lies at the edge of town, in the woods. Each place shows a different layer of Koszalin.

Rynek Staromiejski (the Old Town Square) is the main square, with an illuminated fountain and a redesign from 2014. Beside it stands the town hall, a modernist building from 1958-1962, the sixth in the town's history. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at Laskonogiego 4 is a Gothic basilica built in 1300-1333, a former parish church and, since 1972, the seat of a new diocese. More about the centre's history is in the article on the cathedral, town hall and town museum.

Góra Chełmska (Chełm Hill) is an end-moraine ridge within the town limits, whose highest point is Krzyżanka (136.2 m). At the top stands a viewing tower from 1888, 31.5 m high and open to visitors, with a sanctuary next to it. Access to the hill is free. For the old cult on the hill and its sites, read the article on Chełm Hill. On the hill itself is also the Sanctuary of Our Lady Thrice Admirable, a Schoenstatt chapel consecrated by John Paul II in 1991.

Which churches and Orthodox churches in Koszalin are worth a look?

Worship in Koszalin spans several denominations, from 14th-century buildings to churches built in recent decades. Most are in the centre, so they combine well into one route. All are collected under churches and monasteries in Koszalin.

After the cathedral, visit St Joseph's Church at Domina 10, a single-nave neo-Gothic church of red brick from 1869-1870. St Gertrude's Chapel on Modrzejewskiej Street is an octagonal brick cemetery chapel from 1383, now a Lutheran parish church. In Jamno, the town's youngest district, stands the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary: a Gothic church from the 14th century, with a ceiling decorated with polychrome painting in Jamno motifs.

Two Eastern churches show other traditions. The Orthodox Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary at Mickiewicza 22 occupies a former castle church from the 13th-14th century, with an iconostasis from 1955. The Greek Catholic Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God is a modern brick building from 1998-2006 with a contemporary iconostasis, and also the co-cathedral of the Wrocław-Koszalin eparchy. Architecture fans will find more in architecture in Koszalin.

What museums are there in Koszalin?

Koszalin's museums are small and varied, from archaeology to anti-aircraft equipment and waterworks. Several are branches of the Koszalin Museum scattered across town, so check addresses when planning. The whole group is on the list of museums in Koszalin.

Begin with the Koszalin Museum at Młyńska 37/39, which holds archaeological finds, coins, old art and mementos of the town's history. Its branches include the Jamno Culture Open-Air Museum, devoted to the old culture of Jamno and Łabusz, and the Jamno Farmstead in the north of town, with a reconstructed 19th-century farm and workshops. An unusual theme awaits at the Water Museum on Żwirowa Street, in a former filtration plant more than a century old, showing water-network plans, a pipe fragment from 1726 and hydrants.

For those interested in the military there is the Anti-Aircraft Defence Museum at Wojska Polskiego 70, a branch of the Air Force Museum in Dęblin, with an exhibition on anti-aircraft weapons and equipment outdoors. Other military venues in the region are compared in the article on military technology museums. The small Book Art Museum at Szczecińska 1 sits in the historic seat of an art publisher and needs a booked visit.

Where to walk in Koszalin and what is free?

Koszalin has several large parks, and most can be visited free of charge. They lie in the Dzierżęcinka valley and near the centre, so two are easy to combine in one walk. The full list is under free things to do and parks and nature.

Park Książąt Pomorskich (the Pomeranian Dukes Park) by the Dzierżęcinka has the oldest trees in town, a castle pond and a stretch of wall. The Dendrological Park covers 7.74 ha in the same valley, with a historic mill and a tree collection. The Park by the Amphitheatre, from 1887, covers 8.2 ha and has natural monuments and sculptures along its paths. Tadeusz Kościuszko Park, 7.5 ha, was laid out on the site of the Old Cemetery. It holds the Avenue of Memorial Oaks, and a library stands beside it. Another fixture is the monument to General Władysław Sikorski, in granite, unveiled in 2003.

What to see and hear in Koszalin's theatres?

Koszalin has three stages that complement one another: a summer amphitheatre, a private musical theatre and a rhapsodic theatre. Two work under a roof, so they suit an evening whatever the weather. Plan the programme with the events calendar for Koszalin, and find the remaining venues under theatres and opera.

The Ignacy Jan Paderewski Amphitheatre, from 1973, seats 4,206 and has a distinctive rainbow-shaped roof. It hosts choir, cabaret and music festivals. The Adria Musical Theatre at Grunwaldzka 8-10 has worked since 2020 in a former cinema, in a hall of about 300 seats. Teatr Propozycji "Dialog" has played since 1959 in a historic townhouse at Grodzka 3, known as the Executioner's House. Culture also connects to the Joachim Lelewel Public Library, the largest public library in central Pomerania, with exhibitions and author meetings.

What can families do in Koszalin, with or without rain?

For families Koszalin has a water park, a trampoline park, a rope park and a historic railway. Of these, three work indoors or in the water, so they suit days without sun. More ideas are under for families and rainy-day places in Koszalin.

Park Wodny Koszalin at Rekreacyjna 14 is an aquapark with sports and leisure pools, slides and a sauna zone. PlayPark at Bohaterów Warszawy 24-26 has trampolines, snowtubing, a Ninja course and a climbing wall, as well as a pit filled with foam blocks. Na Linie is a rope park in the woods on Chełm Hill, with routes for children and adults up to 12 m high and a Big Swing. For motor fans there is MotoPark with a kart track on Gnieźnieńska Street, and for water lovers the Wakepark with a wakeboard cable on Sybiraków Street. In summer, consider the Koszalin Narrow-Gauge Railway, 750 mm gauge, with seasonal trips from Koszalin through Manowo to Rosnowo.

What memorial sites are there in Koszalin?

Koszalin has three sites linked to the history of the Jewish community: a former synagogue and two cemeteries. They call for a calm, factual approach.

Of the synagogue in Koszalin, built in the 19th century, only a commemorative plaque on a boulder from 1999 remains. The Nazis burned the building on the night of 9-10 November 1938. There were two Jewish cemeteries: the old one, founded in 1750 on Orla Street, where a stone and a gravestone stand today, and the new one, from the early 20th century, marked by a monument from 2006 on Racławicka Street.

Frequently asked questions

What to see in Koszalin in one day?

The Old Town Square with the town hall, the cathedral, one of the museums and Chełm Hill with its viewing tower. The centre takes a few hours, and the evening can go to a park or a theatre.

What to do in Koszalin when it rains?

Museums, the water park, PlayPark, theatres and the library are all under a roof. Churches in the centre also suit a rainy day.

Where is the view from above in Koszalin?

On Chełm Hill, where a viewing tower from 1888 stands, 31.5 m high. The tower is open to visitors.

Which places in Koszalin are free?

Free of charge: Chełm Hill, the parks (among them the Pomeranian Dukes Park and the Dendrological Park) and the Sikorski monument. The full list has its own tab.

Are there things for children in Koszalin?

Yes: a water park, a trampoline park, a rope park, a wakepark and a narrow-gauge railway. Details are in the for-families section.