Museum of Technology and Transport

Have you ever seen an iceberg in the city center? If not, you must see the new premises of Szczecin Philharmonic which majestically emerges from urban buildings and pervasive greenery. Its metal and glass facade supplemented with light illuminations catch the eye of each person who comes nearby. The building was designed by catalonian architects from Barozzi Veiga from Barcelona and immediately has become the icon of our city. Modern design combined with inspiration taken from historic building of Konzerthaus creates a coherent whole of past, present and future of Szczecin. It has received numerous awards, including the Mies van der Rohe Award in 2015, the Award of the President of the Republic of Poland for the Best Architectural Structure in Poland in the years 2013-2014 in the “LIFE IN ARCHITECTURE” contest, and the award of the “bryla. pl” website dealing with architecture. During the summer there are regular guided tours. There is also a cafe on the ground floor.

The City Tourist Route is a 7-km-long loop which connects 42 sites – the most interesting monuments and places worthseeing. The idea behind the route was to commemorate the 750th anniversary of granting town privileges to Szczecin. The route is marked by an easily found red dotted line painted on the pavement, and thus the common name of the trail is the “Red Route”. Numbers in circles act as supplementary signs corresponding to each site on the route. Near to each number an information board with a detailed description of the object is either suspended on the wall of the building or standing alone. A pocket guidebook published in various languages, including a map of the route, can be purchased at the tourist information centres, the local seat of Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society and in bookstores. The route begins and ends in front of the Szczecin Central Railway Station. The following sites are on the City Tourist Route (the numbers correspond to the numbering along the route): 1. The Central Railway Station 2. Post Office No.2 3. Snail Gate Barracks 4. Fragment Of City Walls 5. Gothic Church of St. John the Evangelist 6. Long Bridge 7. Old Town Hall 8. Late-Gothic Loitz House 9. Pomeranian Dukes' Castle 10. Ducal Stable and Manege 11. Maiden Tower or Seven Coats Tower 12. Castle Route 13. Maritime Academy 14. National Museum 15. Voivode's Office 16. Adam Mickiewicz Monument 17. PAZIM Complex 18. The Royal Gate 19. St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Church, Dialogue Centre "Upheavals", Szczecin Philharmonic, Voivodeship Headquarters of Police 20. Professors' Houses 21. St. Mary's Gymnasium 22. Birthplace of the Empress Catherine II of Russia 23. St. James Arch Cathedral 24. Flora Statue 25. Eagle Fountain 26. Palace under the Globe 27. Velthusen's Palace 28. Diets' Palace (Nationalmuseum) 29. Art Gallery of the National Museum and 13 Muses' Club 30. Commemorative Plaque 31. Former seat of the Pomeranian Landowners' Bank 32. Former seat of the Prussian Royal Post 33. St. John Baptist's Church 34. Children's Hospital 35. Gen. Władysław Anders Park 36. Church of the Holliest Heart of Jesus Christ 37. St. Adalbert's Garrison Church 38. Kornel Ujejski Monument 39. Harbour Gate 40. Red Town Hall (New Town Hall) 41. Fountain with the Anchor

Anyone entering Szczecin by bridges over the Oder River can see the towering red-brick gothic Cathedral and an elegant, pale silhouette of a Renaissance castle with green towers, which used to be the seat of the dukes of the Griffins dynasty who ruled the Duchy of Pomerania. The Pomeranian Dukes’ Castle has five wings and two courtyards. Acting as a cultural institution it organizes an array of cultural events: concerts, theatre performances, exhibitions, conferences and meetings to popularize science, as well as to spread knowledge about the history of West Pomerania. The largest wing houses an Opera. In the wing that housed a mint in the olden days one can find today Cultural and Tourist Information Centre. There is a panoramic terrace on the rooftop of the northern wing from where splendid views can be appreciated. The wing’s basement houses a Vault with sarcophaguses of six princes. The Duke Boguslaw X hall, which used to be a princely chapel, is now a concert hall with a polychromatic ceiling decorated in Renaissance style. A 17th century astronomical clock is the Castle’s special tourist attraction. Also a room dedicated to Eilhard Lubinus and the Witches’ Cell are definitely worth a visit.

It is on this mystery Island that the new heart of Szczecin is being born. Today’s Łasztownia is a completely different place to the closed port island from a while back. Once an isolated, mysterious space, today it is one of the favourite places for people going for walks, running, biking or fans of good coffee and international cuisine. Gradually renovated buildings of the old butcher’s complex, historic port cranes, new boulevards, cafés, restaurants, a yacht port and big events bring huge crowds to Łasztownia. It is here where you can find Euroregion Culture Center “Stara Rzeźnia”, the growing Marine Science Centre, and every day the Cranosauruses perform their illuminated dance. The number of attractions creating the atmosphere of this unique place is still growing. In the future we will see more investments and projects which will eventually be the implementation of the winning concept of the international competition for the island development vision. Walking on the Łasztownia wharfs, if you’re lucky enough, you will feel the aroma of chocolate, coming from the Gryf chocolate factory. After dark you’ll surely see the illumination of three historic cranes, nicknamed “Cranosauruses”. Don’t forget to take a picture with a marine sign “SZCZECIN”, located on the square at the end of Old Town Quay. This is also the place where you can best see the Old Town panorama, with the monumental buildings of Wały Chrobrego and the Ducal Castle. From Łasztownia, we go directly onto the neighbouring Grodzka Island, which attracts both children and adults with a beach, beach bar and events for families, kings of the dance floor and fans of open-air cinemas.

St. James’ church in Szczecin was founded in 1187 be a wealthy townsman Jakob Beringer from Bamberg and it was constructed outside the city fortifications, on a hill, just like the Benedictine monastery church of St. Archangel Michael in Bamberg. The building was rebuilt several times. In the 13th century, the building had the form of a three-nave Gothic basilica, without buttresses, but later the naves were raised. In 1534, the temple passed into the hands of Protestants. Inside the cathedral there is a chancel with an altar table and decorative brass reliefs. There is also a triptych with reliefs from the 14th century and an elaborate crucifix from the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. The cathedral has 19 chapels, including the Chapel of Our Lady of Częstochowa with a neo-Gothic interior and the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa; the Baptism Chapel with a triptych from the 16th century; and the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament with a beautiful altar from the end of the 14th century. The organs in the cathedral are truly impressive. The first mention of the instrument comes from 1679; unfortunately, they did not survive the turbulent history of the place. In 2008, new, large organs were built. An interesting fact about the instrument is the fact that the main part of the organ, weighing about 30 tons, is suspended above the nave without any support. The counterweight is the construction located at the end of the choir. The instrument is 10 m high, has 66 voices and consists of 4743 pipes, from 11 mm to 10 m high. In 2008 the cathedral’s tower was rebuilt and its original appearance was restored. There is a viewing platform on the tower, available for tourists all year round. After the renovations, the tower is 110.18 m tall and is the second tallest building in Szczecin. The building is currently the second tallest temple in Poland, right after the basilica in Licheń. The temple is part of the European Route of Brick Gothic.

First and original Pasztecik that has been making Paszteciki (Pastry's) since 1969. It is still made by the same recipe since then up to today and it is still one of favorite fast food for Szczecinian's