Historic sites
a medieval castle on the Rega River with the commanders' coats of arms above the gate, now a cultural centre
Viewpoints
a brick and granite tower from 1911 on a hill by the park, seen from outside
Places of remembrance
a necropolis with about 70 gravestones, the best preserved in West Pomerania according to zabytek.pl
Churches and monasteries
a Gothic church of dark brick with an ambulatory around the chancel, rebuilt after the destruction of 1945
Churches and monasteries
a Neo-Gothic church of 1927 with a tower added in 1983
municipal water park with pools, a slide, a sauna and Figloland
Things to do in Świdwin: a castle on the Rega, Gothic churches, Bismarck Tower on its hill and a water park for a rainy day.
Świdwin is a town where the monuments lie close together and a family with children will also find a swimming pool. Here it runs from the castle through the churches and the lookout tower to a cemetery on the outskirts, which needs to be treated differently from the rest.
In the centre, start with the castle and the Gothic church, because both stand on Niedziałkowskiego Street, at numbers 17 and 2. This is the shortest route that shows the medieval character of the town and needs no transport.
The castle in Świdwin is a former knightly stronghold on the left bank of the Rega. The first castle was built at the end of the 13th century, founded by the Brandenburg margraves, and in the 18th century the Knights of St John rebuilt it in a classicising Baroque style. After a fire it was reconstructed in 1962-1968 and it is now used by a cultural centre, so its interiors serve everyday work.
The Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Gothic three-aisled basilica of dark brick, with an ambulatory around the chancel and a tower under a copper helm. According to Wikipedia it was built in 1338, while the register of monuments dates it to around 1400. The side chapels were added in 1475 and the tower about thirty years later.
The second church is younger: the Church of St Michael the Archangel is a neo-Gothic building from 1927, consecrated on Christmas Eve 1945. Two eras show in its form, because the tower was added only in 1983.
For rain and for children the best choice is the RELAX Water Park at Plac Sybiraków 1. It belongs to the Municipal Sports and Recreation Centre and has pools, hydromassage, a sauna, a water slide and a Figloland play zone.
Next door are a bowling alley with a bar and tennis courts, so the complex can fill several hours for different people in a group. The centre also runs swimming lessons and aqua aerobics. For quieter outings with no crowd and no plan, see the page Świdwin solo.
The town's lookout point is Bismarck Tower in Świdwin, on a hill at the edge of the City Park. Its brick and granite shaft rises 22 metres and was finished in 1911. The tower is not open to visitors, so you see it from outside.
A walk to the tower is free and suits an outing for two. It combines well with a stroll through the City Park, and on colder days you can finish in a church or at the castle.
Yes, the Jewish cemetery on Dobra Rycerskie Street, three kilometres from the market square. It is described separately, as a memorial site, and calls for a quiet and respectful visit.
The Jewish cemetery in Świdwin lies on a hill called the Jewish Hill. A small part of the former necropolis has survived: about seventy gravestones, the layout of the plots and paths, and old trees. The description on the zabytek.pl service, prepared by the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, calls it the best-preserved Jewish necropolis in West Pomerania. The cemetery was entered in the heritage register in 1989.
Two texts from the Poznaj Szczecin section deal directly with this town. The article on the castle of the Knights of St John, the Stone Gate and the battle over a cow of 1469 develops the story of the stronghold. The text on legends and hypotheses about town names explains where the name of Świdwin may have come from.
No, the tower is not open to visitors. You can see it from outside, from the hill by the City Park.
To the RELAX Water Park at Plac Sybiraków 1, with pools, a slide and a Figloland zone. A bowling alley with a bar is next door.
The castle at number 17 and the Gothic basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, number 2, so you can see both on one short walk.
About seventy gravestones survive. The cemetery lies roughly three kilometres from the market square, on Dobra Rycerskie Street.
