Places of remembrance
ruins of an IG Farben plant from the Second World War, forced labour camps and an educational trail
Parks and nature
a waterfowl and wetland bird reserve on the Ramsar list, at the edge of the Wkrzańska Forest
Churches and monasteries
single-storey walls of a 14th-century Augustinian monastery on the Gunica River, next to the parish church
Museums
community museum in the former shelters of the Hydrierwerke Pölitz synthetic petrol plant
Churches and monasteries
a church from 1894 with a tower over 60 m high, replacing the medieval St Mary's Church
Churches and monasteries
the largest and youngest church in Police, with an organ brought from Switzerland
Churches and monasteries
the oldest church in Police, mentioned from 1299, formerly part of the Augustinian monastery
Churches and monasteries
remnant of St Mary's Church, a former charnel house, today a tourist information point on the Old Town market square
Places with character
Old Town square in Police with a Gothic chapel, the Sedina fountain and the start of a PTTK trail
Things to do in Police: the monastery ruins in Jasienica, a Gothic chapel on the square, three churches and the Świdwie reserve. Nine places.
Police lies right next to Szczecin, at the edge of the Wkrzańska Forest. The town has two historic centres, the old town with its square and old Jasienica on the Gunica, and beyond them a large bird reserve and a memorial site at a former chemical plant.
Begin at Bolesław Chrobry Square, the old town square, then drive to Jasienica. The first is the centre, the second the oldest part of Police, and together they show the town's history.
Bolesław Chrobry Square is the square and main part of the old town. It holds a Gothic chapel, a fountain with the figure of Sedina and a monument to Maria Skłodowska-Curie, and a PTTK trail starts here. The Gothic Chapel at number 2, from the 15th century, is the only remnant of the Church of St Mary pulled down in 1895. Today it houses a tourist information point. Past and present churches are covered in an article on Police and Jasienica.
Police has three churches from different eras and the ruin of a medieval monastery. The set takes a few hours, and the distances call for a car or a bike.
The Augustinian Monastery in Jasienica survives as single-storey walls secured as a permanent ruin on the bank of the Gunica. Beside it stands the Church of Saints Peter and Paul on ul. Kościelna, the oldest in town, mentioned since 1299. The Church of the Immaculate Conception on ul. Mazurska, from 1894, replaced the medieval St Mary parish church and has a tower taller than sixty metres. St Casimir Church is the newest, stands on the Anna Jagiellon estate and has an organ from Switzerland and a chapel of Our Lady of Fatima. All the churches are on the page churches and monasteries in Police, and the buildings under architecture in Police.
Outside town lies the Świdwie reserve, one of the more important bird sites in the area. It is a plan for a longer walk or ride.
The Świdwie Nature Reserve covers 904 ha around an overgrown lake, at the southern end of the Wkrzańska Forest. It matters for breeding and migrating birds, and a junction of walking and cycling trails runs through it. Entry is free. Places easy to visit alone are on the page Police solo.
Police has a museum on the grounds of a former synthetic fuel plant. The site is a place of remembrance, so it is visited with respect and without haste.
The synthetic petrol plant, once the German Hydrierwerke Pölitz, belonged to the IG Farben concern and made fuel from coal. In the war years camps for forced labour were set up beside it. What remains are ruins, along with an educational path of the "Skarb" Historical Museum can be seen here. The history of the site is told in an article on the Hydrierwerke Pölitz works and the Stutthof subcamp. The "Skarb" Historical Museum at Spółdzielcza 31 is run by an association. It has an exhibition on the history of Police, the plant and the camps, and a collection of militaria. Similar institutions are compared in a text on museums of small towns.
The old town and Jasienica take three hours. The Świdwie reserve needs a separate half-day trip.
The "Skarb" Historical Museum and church interiors. Leave the reserve for fine weather.
Yes, the Świdwie reserve is tagged as free. Many monuments can also be seen from outside without a ticket.
In Jasienica: the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, mentioned since 1299, next to the Augustinian monastery ruins.
