Port of Szczecin

The Port of Szczecin is a commercial sea and river port on the Oder and the Międzyodrze canals, in the central part of the city. For visitors it means above all the Oder quays, the island of Łasztownia with the former free port, and boat trips around the port waters, not visits to the cargo-handling terminals. The port is in operation and is a working zone, so most of the quays are closed to the public.

How the port developed

The first port lay in a natural inlet of the Oder, below the suburb of Castle Hill. Szczecin became a member of the Hanseatic League in 1278, and after the mention of the Long Bridge in 1283 cargo handling on Łasztownia was expanded and the city was granted the right of staple for all goods brought into the port.

Major expansion began in the second half of the 19th century. In 1880 the Piast Canal was opened, which shortened the waterway to Świnoujście. In 1894 construction of the free port on Łasztownia began, and it was opened in 1898. The Eastern Basin was handed over first, the Western Basin in 1910.

From the destruction of 1945 to today

Bombing at the end of the Second World War put the port out of action. After the war an inventory showed 80 per cent destruction, and all 152 cranes were destroyed. The whole port was taken over by the Polish authorities on 19 September 1947, and reconstruction took place under the three-year plan in 1947-1949.

Today the port consists of numerous quays and basins, and Wikipedia lists more than a hundred of them by name. Together with the port in Świnoujście it forms a port complex of fundamental importance for the country's economy. The coal terminal with a belt conveyor put into operation in 1951 has not been in use since 2017.

What you can see and how to get here

The port also serves tourist traffic. From the Szczecin Navigation Sea Terminal at Jana z Kolna Street, a white fleet ship sets off on cruises around the port, the lower Oder and Lake Dąbie. Excursion ships, river and seagoing, also call at the port.

Among the port's quays Wikipedia lists Chrobry Boulevard and the Old Town quay, lying on the city-centre bank of the Oder, that is, below the Chrobry Embankment. Near the port stands the Maritime Science Centre. Also linked with the port is the Port Workers' Chapel in St James' Cathedral, which holds the wooden cross from the port on Łasztownia from August 1980.

Practical information

• Location: Szczecin, Śródmieście, on the Oder, from Żurawia Island to the centre.
• The port area is in operation and for the most part closed to visitors. The rules for visits and the cruise timetable are given by the port manager (the Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority) and by Żegluga Szczecińska.
• Cruises around the port and the lower Oder are organised by Żegluga Szczecińska, and the timetable should be checked before your visit.