Szczecin - the capital of West Pomerania - a huge port and the major economic, cultural, scholar and tourist centre of West Pomerania.

Guests from Poland and abroad are welcome to visit a variety of old building of historical interest including the castle of the Pomeranian Dukes, the cathedral, the museum, interesting buildings in the city centre, which create a complex of star-shaped squares.

The scenic landscape of the area is perfect for walks and cycling e.g. to the Bukowy (Beech) Forest and the Arkoński Forest and to holiday resorts on numerous lakes.

In the place of today's city there was a stronghold as early as in the 7th century BC. In the years 962-972, this land was incorporated into the state of Duke Mieszko I. In the 10th - 12th centuries Szczecin was an autonomous merchants' republic and in the vicinity of the temple of the Slav pagan god Trygław, pagan cults were still thriving. Eventually, christianity took over in 1124 and in 1237 the settlement was granted civic rights. In the 13th/14th centuries, Germans and Flamands started settling here. At that time, Szczecin had already entertained extensive trade contacts with the members of the Hanza association, which entailed the trade in crops and fish. The rich city was ruled by a dynamic and influential council of patricians. In the 16th century, the protestant religion took over. In 1637, the last Slav monarch Bogusław XIV died without progeny. After the treaty of Westfalia in 1648, the part of Pomerania on the left bank of the Odre River was grabbed by the Swedish, the right-bank Pomerania went to Brandeburgia, and in 1713 the city was conquered by the Prussians. In 1729, Zofia Anhalt-Zerbst, the later Russian Empress Catharine II was born here. The 18th century was a period of the fast development of manufactures, and since 1870 a new city centre was being built with the characteristic star-shaped plan of the city. The port and the industry were on the rise. In 1945, the city's buildings were destroyed in 65%, the industry in 90% and the port in 85%. Following its swift reconstruction, the city is now a major economic and cultural centre and, for the first time since 1972, the seat of a university.

Our excursion should traditionally start at the Port Gate. This is one of the city's communication nodes. This Baroque gate was erected in 1725 and embelished with Damart's and Meyer's sculptures. Walking along Podgórna Street you reach the Franciscan St John's church with an early-Gothic presbytery put up before the 13th century. Walking along Staromiejska Street - a footbridge over the busy Wielka Street - you arrive at St James' church which is visible from afar. The Gothic temple was erected by H. Brunsberg in the years 1375-1387 and the tower dates back to the 16th century. The major part of the building has been reconstructed after its demolishion during World War II. Also, St Mary's chapel with a Gothic groined vault supported by two columns and other precious elements of the church interior are worth seeing. The church can accommodate 10,000 people. Further, you should see the charming Plac Białego Orła (The White Eagle Square) with an old fountain from 1732, founded in the year of establishing the city's water supply system. The square is an ideal place for a rest. Grodzka Street leads to the New Market Square. Here you come across an interesting relic of old town architecture - a richly embellished chapel of the banker's family of Loitz (Łozica) erected in 1547 in the Baroque style.

The City Hall dating back to the 13th century, embellished with ceramics and housing the collections of the Museum of the City's History presents well. In the basement of the City Hall, guests are welcome to the wine and mead cellar “U Wyszaka”. One of the most interesting items on all tourists' itineraries is a visit to the Castle of the the Pomeranian Dukes. The four-sided castle with beautiful inside courtyards consists of four wings, which were erected in different historical epochs. The Gothic wing dates back to the 15th/16th century and the eastern Renaissance wing to the 17th century. The castle was repeatedly rebuilt and extended. Today, it is the seat of many galleries, exhibitions, caffes, the Culture Centre, and the tower offers a magnificent view of the area. At the foot of the castle, the modern architecture of the communication node contrasts with the Gothic Brama Siedmiu Płaszczy (the Seven Coats Tower) dating back to the 13th/14th century. It is reflected in the waters of the Odre River. Further on, there are so called Wały Chrobrego (the Bolesław the Brave's Embankment). It is a huge edifice, which was a gift from the city's merchants for Szczecin and was put up in 1913. The monumental dome is 554 m high. In the façade, there are built-in symbolic pictures of the world's architecture: the Egyptian pyramids, the Sphynx, a Greek temple, a Gothic cathedral, St Peter's Basilica in Rome. Also, visotirs can see here the exhibits of the National Museum. Not so far away, the boats of the inland navigation welcome tourists to enjoy a vist to the port and take part in a longer cruise to Świnoujście. After a rest on the port square, we come back to the city's old town. At Plac Hołdu Pruskiego (the Prussian Homage Square), there is a very interesting St Peter and Paul's Church in the Gothic style. The church boasts a unique Gothic stair gable.

At the square, we come across an interesting palace complex, where the National Museums also displays its collections. Behind the Plac Żołnierza Polskiego (the Polish Soldier's Square), the modern city centre begins, whose communication plan was created in the second half of the 19th century. Picturesque star-shaped squares and alleys surrounded by bushy green trees are unparalleled. Interesinng excursions can also be held outiside the city centre, e.g. to the Jasne Błonia Park and then to the Arkoński Forest for a walk. On the lakes, there are plenty of holiday centres, watering places, restaurants and caffes. Hiking, cycling or skiing to the Bukowy (Beech) Forest are also very popular. A big magnes here is Lake Szmaragdowe (Esmerald) with characteristic esmerald waters. You can also have a rest in one of the leisure cenrtes on Lake Miedwie and later take a stroll to an old Cistercian church and monastery in the village of Kołbacz.