Places with character

Atmospheric places in West Pomerania: Szczecin's star-shaped squares, Oder bridges, harbours and promenades, made for a walk for two.

This category gathers places where mood matters more than an entrance ticket: squares, lanes, quays, bridges, memorial benches and coastal lakes. Most are in Szczecin, but there are also Świnoujście, Kołobrzeg, Koszalin, Wolin, Wałcz and smaller towns. All of them suit a walk for two, because they rarely need planning beyond choosing the time of day.

Which atmospheric places in West Pomerania should you see first?

Three directions are enough to start: the star-shaped squares of central Szczecin, the Oder waterfront with Wyspa Grodzka and the Dźwigozaury cranes, and the port in Świnoujście with the tunnel under the Świna. Each gives a different kind of walk and fits into one afternoon.

In Szczecin the easiest start is Plac Grunwaldzki, the city's largest star-shaped square, from the late 19th century, with eight roads meeting at it. From there you can walk to Rynek Sienny w Szczecinie (the Hay Market) by the Old Town Hall and on to the river. Before 1945 it was called Heumarkt, a name that comes from medieval hay trading, and part of the houses were rebuilt in the 1990s. In Świnoujście the Tunel pod Świną (Tunnel under the Świna), 1.78 km long and opened on 30 June 2023, links the islands of Uznam and Wolin and replaced the daily ferry queues, while Port Świnoujście lies in the town centre on the Świna strait.

Where to look for atmospheric places in Szczecin?

Most of this list is Szczecin: twenty-nine places gathered on the page Klimatyczne miejsca: Szczecin. The most are in the Centre and the Old Town (seven each), there are five in the New Town, four on Międzyodrze-Wyspa Pucka and three in Pogodno. Full lists by district are at Centrum, Stare Miasto, Nowe Miasto, Międzyodrze-Wyspa Pucka and Pogodno.

A simple rule helps to plan a walk: stay in one district at a time. In the Old Town a square, a lane and a fountain are a few steps apart, while on Międzyodrze-Wyspa Pucka everything revolves around water, bridges and quays.

Which squares of Szczecin are worth seeing?

Szczecin is known for squares laid out in a star pattern modelled on Parisian solutions. Each has its own character, so it is worth visiting several on foot, one after another.

• Plac Grunwaldzki: the city's largest star-shaped square, from the late 19th century, where roads meet from eight sides. Aleja Jana Pawła II, ulica Piłsudskiego and the streets Rayskiego and Śląska cross here, and the geometry of the square became the motif of the logo of "Szczecin European Capital of Culture 2016".
• Plac Szarych Szeregów: the former Arndtplatz, with late 19th-century tenements and a monument to Józef Piłsudski.
• Plac Odrodzenia: a roundabout square with eclectic tenements, designed in 1882.
• Plac Lotników: the former Augustaplatz with a monument to Bartolomeo Colleoni in the middle. On the same square stands Akcent rzeźbiarski Ptak, a sculpture of a seated pigeon from 1982, one of ten surviving sculptural accents.
• Plac Rodła w Szczecinie: a junction developed around 1976, with the Pazim complex and the ZUS building.
• Plac Zwycięstwa: a New Town square with the sculpture "Labirynt" and two churches.

Squares in the Old Town and Pogodno

In the Old Town you will find Plac Orła Białego w Szczecinie, the former Horse Market with the Palace under the Globe, and Plac Żołnierza Polskiego on the northern edge of the Old Town, the former Parade Square, renovated in 2011-2012. In Pogodno lies the round Plac Jakuba Wujka w Szczecinie, surrounded by villas from 1902-1907 and two playgrounds, which makes it a good stop for a walk with children. If you are travelling with children, check the category Dla dzieci (for children).

What lies by the Old Town in Szczecin, and what by the river?

The Old Town and the waterfront hold the densest cluster of atmospheric spots. The oldest surviving Baroque fountain in the city is Fontanna Orła Białego w Szczecinie (White Eagle Fountain) from 1729-1732, the first part of the city waterworks. Targ Rybny w Szczecinie (the Fish Market) is a short, 49-metre street of medieval origin, rebuilt on the pre-war foundations of the tenements.

By the water there are three spots that are easy to join into one walk. Wyspa Grodzka is an uninhabited river island of about 15 ha opposite the Chrobry Embankment, with a marina and the City Summer Zone. Until 1945 it was called Schlächterwiese, and in the Middle Ages it was known as the Butchers' Meadow. Dźwigozaury are three historic port cranes from the 1930s on the Łasztownia quay, lit up every night. Port Szczecin is a working sea and river port in the city centre, with boat trips around the port waters. The port is a working zone, so most quays are closed to visitors, and the easiest way to see it is from the water or from Łasztownia. On this waterfront also stands Posejdon Center, a former department store with the UFA Palast cinema, now an office building with a green wall by the Port Gate.

Which bridges in the region are worth a walk?

Bridges are a separate thread of this category: nine of them carry the tag "Zabytki techniki" (technical heritage) and thirteen the tag "Architektura". Szczecin has three: Most Długi w Szczecinie, which links the centre with Łasztownia and was rebuilt in 1959; Most na Wyspę Jaskółczą w Szczecinie from 1920-1921, the only one in the city that survived the Second World War; and Most Cłowy w Szczecinie over the Regalica, on the site of a medieval toll point.

Outside Szczecin: Most Piastowski w Świnoujściu, opened in 2012 and 407 m long, links Karsibór with Ognica. Most zwodzony w Dziwnowie from 1994 is opened electrically for vessels. Most obrotowy w Wolinie is one of five such bridges in Poland. And in Wałcz Most Kłosowski, a steel suspension bridge from 1978 over Lake Raduń, is for pedestrians only.

What to see in the ports and by the sea?

In this category a port is a place for a walk, not for a beach. In Kołobrzeg Port Kołobrzeg is a trade and fishing port with a marina and a passenger quay at the mouth of the Parsęta, with breakwaters and fishing basins. In Mrzeżyno Port Mrzeżyno lies at the mouth of the Rega, was founded in 1457 and has a fish-sales building. In Świnoujście the port has a ferry terminal, an LNG terminal and a yacht harbour.

In Międzyzdroje Promenada Gwiazd w Międzyzdrojach (Walk of Fame) is a street set apart in 1996, with an avenue of stars and sculptures commemorating artists. South of Międzyzdroje, in Zalesie, are the Wyrzutnie V3, remains of a German Second World War firing range: concrete gun supports and a bunker with an exhibition. This site is serious in character and recalls the war, not entertainment. For more coast see the categories Latarnie i porty (lighthouses and ports) and Plaże i wybrzeże (beaches and coast).

Where do smaller towns have an old-square atmosphere?

In Plac Ratuszowy w Kołobrzegu the rectangular Old Town square was laid out in 1255, with the town hall in the middle. Rynek Staromiejski w Koszalinie is the main square of the city, with a modernist town hall from 1962 and an illuminated fountain. In Goleniów the brick Kolejowa wieża wodna w Goleniowie (railway water tower) from 1912 stands by the station and, after renovation, serves culture.

Where are the memorial benches and city sculptures?

Benches are small local stops on a walk: Ławeczka Aleksandra Doby w Trzebieży commemorates the canoeist who crossed the Atlantic alone. Ławeczka Elizabeth von Arnim w Dobrej shows the writer who lived in nearby Rzędziny in the early 20th century. Ławeczka Floriana Krygiera w Szczecinie stands by the Municipal Stadium. In Świnoujście Ławeczka Stefana Szolca-Rogozińskiego w Świnoujściu shows the traveller and explorer of Cameroon.

Which places by the water and outside the cities to choose?

Miedwie is a large lake on the Pyrzyce Plain, regarded as the largest cryptodepression in Poland, with bathing places, holiday centres and a cycling route around it. It covers 35.27 km², its bed lies 29.8 m below sea level, and its shores are treeless, boggy in the south. Only Dąbie is larger in the voivodeship, and we write about it in the category Jeziora (lakes). Resko Przymorskie is a coastal lake on the Trzebiatów Coast, cut off from the Baltic by a sand spit, a bird refuge and a place for water recreation.

Kłomino in the Borne Sulinowo municipality is a forest settlement, the former site of the Gross-Born prisoner-of-war camps and, after the war, of a Soviet garrison until 1992. It is a place for sober reflection, not entertainment. War-related sites are also gathered in the category Miejsca pamięci (memorial sites).

How do coastal towns differ from Szczecin in atmosphere?

Szczecin is a place of river and squares: the city stands on the Oder, and its street plan with nineteenth-century star-shaped squares is best seen at pavement level. Kołobrzeg, Mrzeżyno and Świnoujście offer port and seaside streets, where breakwaters, quays and river mouths matter more than buildings. Koszalin and Goleniów show how squares and utility buildings look in smaller towns.

It is therefore worth planning a trip around one of these threads rather than looking for everything at once. A weekend in Szczecin means squares and the waterfront, a day in Świnoujście means the port, the bridge and the tunnel, and a coastal trip means Kołobrzeg, Mrzeżyno and Międzyzdroje. If you prefer views from above, also check Punkty widokowe (viewpoints), and for an evening after culture see Kultura and Uzdrowiska (spa towns).

How to plan a walk for two among atmospheric places?

The addresses suggest several ready-made groups of three places close together. In the Old Town: Rynek Sienny, Targ Rybny and Fontanna Orła Białego. Along the waterfront: Wyspa Grodzka, Dźwigozaury and Most Długi. In the Centre: Plac Grunwaldzki, Plac Lotników and Plac Odrodzenia. In Świnoujście: the port, Most Piastowski and the tunnel. When it rains, check Muzea (museums) or Teatry i opera (theatres and opera), and for the next day Zabytki (monuments).

Frequently asked questions

What atmospheric places are there in Szczecin?

Szczecin has twenty-nine such places: star-shaped squares, the Old Town with Rynek Sienny and Targ Rybny, the waterfront with Wyspa Grodzka and the Dźwigozaury cranes, and three historic bridges. They are gathered on the page Klimatyczne miejsca: Szczecin.

Where to take a walk for two in Szczecin?

A good plan is the Old Town and the waterfront: Rynek Sienny, Fontanna Orła Białego, Wyspa Grodzka and the Dźwigozaury. The cranes on Łasztownia are lit up at night.

Where to see historic bridges?

In Szczecin the Most na Wyspę Jaskółczą is the only bridge in the city that survived the Second World War. Wolin has a swing bridge, Dziwnów a lift bridge, and in Wałcz the Most Kłosowski is a suspension bridge for pedestrians only.

Are there atmospheric places in Świnoujście?

Yes, four on this list: the port on the Świna strait, the Tunel pod Świną, Most Piastowski and the Ławeczka Stefana Szolca-Rogozińskiego. They are gathered on the page Klimatyczne miejsca: Świnoujście.

Do these places charge admission?

Most are squares, streets, bridges and quays, so you can see them without a ticket. Boat trips around the port and other services have their own rules, which are worth checking on the spot.