Szczecin
Don’t be put off by the fact that you probably can’t pronounce the city name Szczecin. If you take the trip to the northwest of Poland, just a “stone’s throw” from the border with Germany, most of the time is a very pleasant experience.
Szczecin is a fairly large city with more than 400,000 inhabitants. This is a guarantee that you have access to all imaginable facilities regarding shopping, public communication and cultural life.
The river Oder (Polish: Odra) divides Szczecin in two, and is in many ways the natural lifeblood of the city. In fact, kayaking on the river is a tourist venture in Szczecin.
On the west side of Oder, Szczecin offers a number of attractions, not least many beautiful buildings, palaces and castles. The Old Town, which by witty tongues is called “the world’s youngest old town”, is a favorite place for tourists with all its eateries, pubs and shops.
With a short flight, low price and a variety of activities and sights, we have no trouble recommending a trip to Szczecin. And you have to combine Szczecin with Berlin, a city just 140 kilometers away.
Get to know szczecin
You will find the city of Szczecin in the northwest of Poland, not far from the border with Germany. The city is the capital of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship (region / province). The German name for Szczecin is Stettin. Szczecin is pronounced with a sixth sound in front of a sixth sound. So try to say something similar to “sj-te-zin” so you are close.
Szczecin has about 400,000 inhabitants and is situated on both sides of the river Oder. Szczesin is a very old town, and is known in the scrolls as far back as the first century.
In the late 1000s, Szczecin was included in Poland, but this period was characterized by much turmoil and conquest. Among other things, Szczecin was subject to Denmark at that time. Already in 1133 Szczecin became known as Stettin. In 1181 Stettin became associated with the Roman Empire. And about 100 years later, the city became a Hanseatic city. As a digression, we can mention that the city in the 17th century became subordinate to Sweden and served as the capital of Swedish Pomerania.
City Profile
- Abbreviation: SZZ
- Country: Poland
Recent history for Szczecin
Given his proximity to Berlin, it is no wonder that Szczesin labeled World War II hard and brutal. Szczesin was called “Berlin Gate” and the Red Army bombed the city vigorously at the end of the war. Practically the whole city was smashed.
The fight against Nazism was won, and in 1946 Szczecin was included in Poland. But the problems were not over, a new fight was to be played, this time against the Communists. Already in the 1970s protests against the Communist Party started. In the liberation match, Szczecin played an important role. Among other things, Szczecin was one of the cities in Poland that helped to develop the solidarity movement “Solidarity”.
In 1980, a major strike broke out at the shipyard in Szczecin, marking the start of a process that ended with the first democratic elections in 1990. To this day, Szczecin is considered one of the most liberal cities in Poland.
Get to know the city of Szczecin
Urban archeology was (and is) Szczecin known for its many roundabouts and wide avenues. Not unlike what you find in Paris. And why? Well, the city planner in Szczecin was Georges-Eugene Haussmann, the same man who was involved in the city planning of Paris.
Szczecin is divided into four districts. To the north you will find Północ, to the west you will find Zachód and a center called Śródmieście. On the right bank of the river Oder (Polish: Odra) lies the district of Prawobrzeże. Originally, the different districts were independent cities.
In daily speeches, you talk mostly about the districts of Lewobrzeże and Prawobrzeże. Lewobrzeże and Prawobrzeże mean only left and right, explaining with which side of the river you are on. The so-called Szczecin center is to the left of the river, ie in Lewobrzeze.
Szczecin is a university town and this of course affects the number of night spots and accommodations. And that is a positive influence we will attach. Economically, Szczecin is greatly affected by its proximity to the Baltic Sea. Three shipyards are located in the city and Stocznia Szczecińska is the largest shipyard in Poland. A tip might be that you take the time to look at the huge boats lying by the yards. It can almost be a tourist attraction in itself.
Most of the traditional tourist attractions can be found (naturally enough) on the western bank, ie in the city center. Because it is in the center that the Old Town is located. The old town has been restored and built up to the year 2000, and now appears as beautiful and clean as possible.
Tourist attractions are so close to the Old Town that you can easily reach them by using your legs. Should you get tired so white that there is a large network of buses and trams in Szczecin.
List of Szczecin Acronyms
The most commonly used abbreviations about Szczecin is SZZ which stands for Szczecin. In the following table, you can see all acronyms related to Szczecin, including abbreviations for airport, city, school, port, government, and etc.
Abbreviation | Meanings |
SZZ | Szczecin, Poland – Goleniow |
USZ | University of Szczecin |
US | Uniwersytet Szczecinski |