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.

There are several tour operators offering different types of Gondola tours. You can choose between a more romantic style with serenades sung to you and your beloved partner or a more classical sightseeing tour with a guide telling you the history of all the beautiful buildings around. There are even tours where you can learn how to row the Gondola yourself. Whichever tour you end up choosing, you're sure to have a memorable experience.

The Chrobry Embankment, formerly Haken’s Terrace, one of the most beautiful places in Europe. From here you can watch the vast panorama of the Odra River and the harbour. The viewing terraces are 500 m long and are located 19 m above the Odra river bank. The earliest written history of the area dates back to the sixteenth century. In 1873, a demolition of the eighteenth-century fortifications of Szczecin began. Thanks to the great commitment of Hermann Haken, High Mayor of Szczecin, in the years 1902-1905 a viewing terrace was formed on the site of Fort Leopold. Wide staircases run on both sides from the terrace to the banks of the river, where two pavilions were erected as the entrance to the restaurant, created contemporarily in the remains of the fortifications. At the bottom, there is a fountain decorated with figures of John of Kolno and Wyszak and two tall columns stylized as lighthouses. In the years 1906 to 1912 in the northern part of the terrace an architectural complex was built for the then regency of Szczecin, where now the authorities of the West-Pomeranian province have their headquarters. In addition, in the southern part of the Embankment a building complex of the Maritime Academy is located (from the years 1902-1905 and 1918-1921) and, housed in the same building, Contemporary Theatre and the Maritime Branch of the National Museum. Moreover, a large park is situated near the Chrobry Embankment.