The Old Town in Stargard is surrounded by a belt of greenery that was laid out on the former ramparts and beside the defensive walls. There are also parks further from the centre, on the sites of former cemeteries and in Zarzecze. All of them are small and can be covered on foot, ideally by combining the walk with a look at the medieval gates and towers.

Along the promenades around the Old Town

According to Wikipedia, the Stargard promenades consist of four neighbouring parks: Chrobry, Piastowski, Popiel and Jagielloński, with the Castle Park adjoining them. Starting from the north and west, the walk begins at Bolesław Chrobry Park. Wikipedia describes it as the oldest and largest area of urban greenery in Stargard. It was created on former earth ramparts developed in the 18th century, and the park's boundary follows the line of the defensive walls. The Gallows Bastion and most of the ramparts were lowered and planted with trees, and only the St John's Bastion kept its original size. The park was revitalised in 1995-2000. Słowicza Avenue, laid out on the former rampart, runs along its entire length. In the park or right beside it stands the Red Sea Tower, and from the Old Town side the Pyrzyce Gate is also visible.

Piastowski Park lies in the western part of the Old Town, by the Pyrzyce Gate. According to Wikipedia it is the smallest of the Stargard parks, at 0.59 ha. It contains a monument marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the PTTK (Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society). Right next to it is the Weavers' Tower, so the park is easy to include in a walk along the fortifications.

In the south, beside the Ina River, lies Popiel Park, with an area of 1.56 ha. Wikipedia states that it has 32 species of trees aged between 100 and 200 years, and that by the Ice Tower there is a group of 15 sycamores. Further east is Jagielloński Park, 4.4 ha, the lowest-lying park in the town, at 19-20 m above sea level. It has two natural monuments, a pedunculate oak and a white willow, as well as water bodies in which, according to Wikipedia, sea trout, bream and pike live, among other fish.

Castle Park on the site of the former stronghold

Castle Park covers 2.61 ha in the north-eastern part of the Old Town, beside the Ina. According to Wikipedia it lies on the site of the former stronghold, that is, the oldest part of the town. It has 27 species of trees and shrubs, most numerously a stand of young Maximowicz's poplars. At the highest point, just behind the Białogłówka Tower, stands a monument erected for the 50th anniversary of the Stargard branch of the PTTK. The Mill Gate is not far from here, so this is a natural end or start of a walk along the promenades.

Parks further from the walls

3 May Park covers 4.64 ha and lies in the central part of the town, between Skarbowa, Bogusława IV, ks. Barnima I and Wyszyńskiego streets. According to Wikipedia it was formerly called 1 May Park, and before that Goethe-Park. It was created on the site of a former cemetery, and oak, lime, elm, ash and beech trees grow in it.

Stefan Batory Park, according to Wikipedia, is the second largest park in the town, at 7 ha, and lies in the fork between Kościuszki and Spokojna streets. It occupies the site of the former Protestant cemetery Neuer Friedhof, founded in the mid-19th century. After the war the cemetery fell into decay, and in 1970 the site was developed as a park. In the 1990s the former layout of the paths was restored, and in 2008 lamps were installed. By the main gate of the neighbouring Old Cemetery the only surviving German gravestone has been preserved, in the form of an erratic boulder.

The youngest of the parks is Panorama Park in Zarzecze, between Grunwaldzka and Na Grobli streets. According to Wikipedia it was developed last: in 1996-2000 paths were laid out, planting was done, a playground was built and benches were installed. It is less than a kilometre from the Old Town, and on the way one passes the Shooters' House and the Mill Gate.

How to link them

The simplest route is to start at the Pyrzyce Gate, walk south along the promenades to Popiel Park, and then along the Ina to Jagielloński Park and Castle Park. Batory Park and 3 May Park require a short walk from the centre. According to the sources, all the parks described are publicly accessible green spaces.