Does Szczecin really exist? 🇵🇱 Nobody visits this city ... see why you should.
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2024
- I met some huge New Kids on the Block fans on the train from Katowice to Krakow. These moms were all from the German border, residents of the Polish city of Szczecin. Knowing nothing about this city, I wanted to see it for myself. Truly, does the city even exist?
I knew it was on the Oder River, but what did the old town look like? Were there any beautiful churches? Parks? Any decent food?
Join me on this two part tour of one of Poland's major cities. Enjoy the walking tour and travel vlog. Along the way we will explore the streets, assess the architecture, and find some things to do for future visits.
Let me know what you think and if you enjoyed the tour. Will you plan to check out this city on your next visit to Poland?
00:00 Train station - Szczecin Główny
01:35 Looking for hotel
04:52 Urząd Morski w Szczecinie
07:16 Vintage room at Hotel Victoria
07:56 Pomorski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Szczecinie
10:30 Bazylika Archikatedralna pw. św. Jakuba Apostoła
12:50 Memorial
14:17 Outside Bazylika - protest history
15:14 Plac Orła Białego - Rynek Koński
18:04 Pomnik Ofiar Grudnia 1970 and Plac Solidarności
22:10 Teofila Starzyńskiego and Cerkiew św. Mikołaja w Szczecinie
25:30 Walk to Wały Chrobrego
#polska #poland #szczecin #walkingtour #poland #walkingaround #architecture #churches #catholicchurch #lighthearted #storyteller #storytime #travelvlog #travelvlogger #vlog #polandtravel #murals #reallife #realart #history #historylove #exploring #exploringvlog #bestplaces #introverted #rivers #infj #ww2 #germany #polandtravel #expat #expatlife
Thank you for you visit my city. 👍👋
I graduated from Marine School located Waly Chrobrego My wife graduated from Medical School also in Szczecin. 40 years ago Szczecin was different. Thank you
@adamm6066 I imagine it would be. You'll have to watch part 2 and let me know if the streets and buildings are drastically different.
I went to Szczecin in July and it was absolutely beautiful ❤️
It is, there's so much architecture and nature to enjoy and the air is so much cleaner than most cities I've visited.
Szczecin has been a Polish city since the times of the first ruler of Poland, Mieszko I
9th century right?
@user-kt5qk5mb4x I was told many Polish people joke they don't know if the city exists...
It wasn't. It's 100% German city under Polish mess. Imagine Stettin never left Germany. It would look millions of times better. Poland is a mess.
I agree it would look, be, and feel different. Still an interesting city to see. @@Truthtellerhere666
@@Truthtellerhere666 It's like writing that the Auschwitz camp is a Polish camp. If you understand what I'm writing about.
@user-kt5qk5mb4x No, both Stettin and Auschwitz were designed by Germans. Same with Wrocław, Gdańsk, Gliwice. Those cities are clearly German. Either you are delusional or blind not to see it.
Name me a Polish city on the river with walls on its shores... just look at Warszawa and Kraków. The river shores are wild. Now let's have a look at any German city in Germany and in Poland...
What is more... imagine if I start staying that Lviv is a pure Ukrainian city and has nothing to do with Poland...
Rooster xD You truly cracked me up with this one. It's a griffin a mythical creautre - symbol of the city.
@bart7784 I was joking about the rooster… so that’s a griffin and not an eagle? 😆
Szczecin belonged to Poland several times in the Middle Ages, but always for a short time. First in the 10th century. The last time Szczecin belonged to Poland was in the 12th century (to 1185).
@PiotrJaser until I visited, I didn't realize it belonged to Poland in the middle ages, the Slavic connection. So fascinating to me.
@@TravelwithMrJon The Pomeranian Slavs (House of Griffin) ruled this region for much longer, but they were dependent on Denmark and then the German states.
Szczecin is a great city, getting more and more beautiful every year, including growing harbour area and growing offshore energy business within it. One of the greatest locations in the whole Poland - close to the sea, surrounded by 3 huge forests, close to Szczecin Lagoon, close to Germany, located in voivoidship with best cycling tracks. Together with other cities within aglomeration-Stargard, Police, Goleniów, Gryfino (well-conected with Szczecin by SKM) it is a great place to live.
I look forward to visiting the city again in warmer weather to enjoy the beauty. @abc-zz5zf
@@TravelwithMrJon Maybe it is worth to try - Tall ship races during the weekend this year.
@@abc-zz5zf We have those in my area too. I have never been. Sounds worthwhile.
1. Be in Szczecin and not see the boats or ask about the price ? 😔
2. This is the exact same hospital from The Dark Knight. The film crew wanted to blow it up, but the people of Szczecin did not agree. They said - Joker won't heal us 🤕😅
3. It is not a shame to confuse a medical university with a church - medicine heals the body and religion heals the soul
4. Szczecin turned out to be hospitable to you - they let you into the church
5. What ?!! Rooster ? The rooster is a symbol of France, we have a beautiful proud white eagle 😊
6. Szczecin is underrated in terms of tourism and it is a nice city
@nonperson22 1. I only had an afternoon and evening... it was cold. Don't worry we walk around more in part 2.
2. I knew you would agree about the hospital.
3. I feel shame - like I was completely off. Even for me that's bad.
4. They let me into one of the two churches I attempted. In part 2 I get inside more....
5. I know it's an eagle, but that rendition looked a bit off...
6. I enjoyed it. While not Poznan, it was worth visiting. No dziki though.
@@TravelwithMrJon 4. 50% luck is always better than 0% 😉
Byłem tam ponad dwa lata temu. Widzę że remontów nie skończyli.😮 Mieszkałem tam dwa tygodnie w listopadzie. Było paskudnie. Obiecałem sobie przyjadę latem ale widzę że jeszcze nie w tym roku.
@TheGrzes1966 yes the construction continues although maybe not where I was walking. I did notice coming in on the train, lots of streets still torn up. Was there anything you liked while living there?
Za 3 lata powinno byc gotowe, o ile reszta Ukraincow nie wyjedzie. 😀
Only 3? @@mecx7322
@@TravelwithMrJon I liked it in Szczecin... I didn't like anything about it. Especially German architecture from the 19th century. However, I promise to return there sometime in the summer. Maybe when the weather is better I will change my mind about Szczecin. I like Gdańsk and Gdynia. Cities with seaports, working cranes and the sound of seagulls.
Lol... I think it's worth a second trip too from my end.@@TheGrzes1966
Szczecin ( Stettin ) wasn't the 3rd largest city in pre-war Germany ( III Reich ), there were about 12 bigger cities. Now it is 7th in Poland.
@mecz7322 how about third largest port? That’s what I meant to say.
@@TravelwithMrJonI am not sure. Hamburg was no.1, Bremen no.2, but I have no idea if Stettin was no.3. Perhaps Bremerhaven was ahead of Stettin.
At least on wikipedia (I didn't check other sites) but in the inter war period it was third largest, and the largest on the Baltic Sea. Still the fact as you shared in your other comment, it was a major port, period. The population was around 400,000 prior to the war. @@mecx7322
@@TravelwithMrJon Correct ! Thanks for your reply.
Of course! @@mecx7322
Szczecin to bardzo ładne misto ale przez dekady było zaniedbane. Kiedyś to miasto było nazywane Paryżem północy. Dlaczego? Ponieważ Szczecin jest zbudowany tak jak Paryż na planie koła. W Szczecinie teraz też kopią i nie wiadomo kiedy te wykopki się skończą. Jak przychodzi wiosna to wszędzie w Polsce zaczynają się wykopki miejskie. 😂
@worldcitizen181 so that's why there is SO MUCH construction. Spring... that's funny. I didn't know about it being Paris to the north. Thanks for sharing this tidbit.
zgadzam sie z twoja opinia Szczecin byl, jest i bedzie ladniejszym miastem, milego wieczoru
Bro did not hold back when making d title 💀 but srsly tho szczecin is so fun to walk around explore w friends
@Sabebebebe5 a Polish friend suggested the title. :) She told me that many people in Poland always joke that in shows and movies if you want the characters to disappear they go to Szczecin. Then the question continues does the city even exist. It does. I'll be back.
i never been szczecin - thank for show us this part of Poland ( i am from Bieszczady mountains )
@oskarkawulicz3956 you are most welcome. There are obviously more parts to the city and the area. I show more of the city in part 2. Will be on Thursday. I love visiting all of Poland and getting a feel for each city and town.
i had similar feeling in new hampshire, vermont and u.s in general. keep goin my friend. lots of things waiting for you to xplore@@TravelwithMrJon
What's interesting to me though, since I'm back in Maine and from New Hampshire, the cost of everything. Even in Szczecin where things were more expensive than Gdansk, it was still reasonable. Part two is more exploration and Poznan to follow next week.@@oskarkawulicz3956
How I like your amateur theses and interpretations :)
And here's a piece of statistics:
05/10/2022 - In the first half of 2022, 14.7 million tourists stayed at tourist accommodation facilities and provided 37.5 million overnight stays. Compared to the same period in 2021, it was higher by 177.1% and 152.2%, respectively.
That is a huge number for overnight stays. And you are welcome for my amateur interpretations. I should try harder. @jarosawklejnocki6633
@@TravelwithMrJon Good luck. Honestly and without malice.
When will you arrive in Katowice? There is a town near Szczecin called "Police", which means police in English. It's pronounced "politze". I'm going to move to Szczecin and change my job, because I'm fed up with Upper Silesia.
@jarekjaroslaw3307 I know the town "Police" and figured it was the way you say. If I had been in the area longer I wanted to visit. Wow so you are moving... Will it be a big change?
@@TravelwithMrJon Quite a big change. I have never been to Szczecin, but I have always wanted to move to a completely different part of the country, completely different, with a different functioning, clean air, water space and proximity to the German border. My area and Szczecin used to be one German state until 1922, so there is some historical German heritage. Polish authorities took control of Szczecin only from mid-1945, because there was an option that the city and the surrounding area west to the Oder were to belong to Germany. There are historical researchers who claim that Western Pomerania never entered Poland before 1945. it shouldn't have happened before. Polish rulers imposed feudal relations or built short-lived bishoprics there. Local Pomeranian princes quickly became independent and then were subject to equal rulers - Brandenburgers, Danes, Swedes, Prussians - Germans.
It's certainly different - thinking about the clean air and water space that would be an upgrade for sure from where you are. That's exciting. As for the history part, it is fascinating to me how for more recent history it's only been Poland since 1945 as you wrote. I didn't even consider the fact your current region was also part of the German state.@@jarekjaroslaw3307
@@TravelwithMrJon After all, you were in Upper Silesia, in Rybnik and Lubliniec. I explained to you that these were once German territories - the eastern border of the German Empire, up to the Brynica and Przemsza rivers. These two rivers separated Poland from Upper and Lower Silesia, which fell away from Poland in the 14th century. Part of Upper Silesia was returned to Poland only in 1922, including Rybnik, Lubliniec and Katowice. Then, a tiny, pre-war Silesian Voivodeship was created, which was an autonomous unit.
At that time, Szczecin was more or less in the eastern-central part of Germany.
I recall that fact, I just tend to overlook it. I recall being in Opole and reading the signs thinking hmmm this looks like it was part of Germany based on Martin Luther's travels. I wasn't aware of the dates though. @@jarekjaroslaw3307
wow In 967, Mieszko I annexed Pomerania and Szczecin to Poland. The then Szczecin consisted of three parts: the stronghold, the outskirts and the port. Until around 1007, Szczecin was under the authority of Bolesław the Brave[24]. The Polish ruler's military involvement in the Czech Republic and the conflict with the Germans stimulated the Pomeranian nobles to secede. The anti-Christian revolt combined with the rebellion of the local nobility resulted in the independence of Szczecin and other Pomeranian towns.
At the end of 1121, Prince Bolesław Krzywousty re-annexed Szczecin to Poland, and Prince Warcisław I recognized Polish suzerainty and paid tribute to Wrymouth[25], founding the Griffin dynasty, which ruled in Szczecin for over 500 years.
@poland1170 thank you for sharing all of this history. :)
@@TravelwithMrJon and The Griffins were Slavs.
Pojedż do mało znanych Gorlic(tam powstał pierwszy na swiecie szyb naftowy)Do tego Żmigród,Ropa i Mały Kraków-Biecz.Piekne tereny.Zabytki i historia.Naprawdę bardzo mało znane!
Thank you for the tips. The first oil well sounds exciting. Although I believe I searched for the oil well before in Krosno. :) @andrzejsteplewski1304
Pierwszy odwiert był obok Gorlic.Jest muzeum.Popatrz na cmentarze Wojenne z czasów wojen.I jak tam kultura działa!Jak dba się o zabytki!
Ale zasrane ściany bohomazami. Trudno to nazwać grafiti. Mają tam chyba największe zagęszczenie niespełnionych artystów. I nie dziwi mnie, że są niespełnieni.
Fair enough. Didn't think about it that way.
I have lived in Szczecin since I was born and I must admit that it is one of the ugliest and most neglected cities in Poland, I'm glad you decided to visit my city, but I must tell you that you won't find many tourist attractions here, However, you will find more beautiful towns outside Szczecin in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, I recommend visiting Świnoujście and the crooked forest located near Gryfino, Pleasant stay, Regards😊
@mrwr7308 I wish I had a longer trip to see places like the crooked forest, even just exploring more of Szczecin. A simple walk shown over two vlogs is barely a snapshot. Thanks for watching. My friend recommended I visit. I hope the city is less neglected in years to come.
That's totally not true, Szczecin has changed a lot and still does- even on the movie you can see lots of renovation and rebuilding sites. There's so many places to visit, even having a nice walk in searching for beatiful modernized tenement buildings is something worth doing. So many great restaurants, historic sites. I feel sad seeing local people complaining on the city just on priciple
@@ecz4492 Szczecin is a city that has the ugliest city center of all cities in Poland, Of course, you can find some streets where some buildings have been restored, but the vast majority of the center is ugly and, above all, the city is very dirty
@@mrwr7308 I'm not talking about city center, I'm talking about city as a whole- it's definitely not the ugliest city in Poland, I just don't agree with that statement. I was born and raised in Szczecin and always recommend it to visit for my friends visiting Poland- they're all like it. Dirty - yes, that's very true- like 3/4 polish cities.
I would recommend Stargard, only 40 km from Szczecin, with frequent road and rail connections. One of very few Polish cities with complete medieval walls and imposing XIII century gothic cathedral of St. Virgin Mary with tallest columns in Poland.
Stare budynki i kościoły prezentują się dobrze.Ogólnie Szczecin jest zaniedbany, drzewa walą się już na ulicę lub chodnik , chodniki popękane, obrośnięte chwastami a budynki nie tylko mieszkalne zabazgrane farbą przez durniów. Ludzie nie dbają, a to wielka szkoda.W folderach to piękne miasto, lecz dobrze się przyjrzeć to już...wstyd
@grazynar2956 You bring up some great observations. The city has such potential if people invested more time in to making it beautiful.
Szczecin is a big boring village. Not only vegetated with ruins with uncertain future but missed the elites first off all. Most repatriants, middle and upper middle class had already moved to Wrocław after the war. I lived there in 90/00' and visited shortly recently. One flashback hit me: why this city is so dark after the sunset? Why there is so poor and depressing street lighting?
The street lighting is a great point. I couldn't vlog after it got dark for that reason. Even around my hotel going to a Zbaka, it was really dark. @user-eb6id4bi9r
You're right. Szczecin is a city that is very spread out. This is due to the fact that it was practically razed to the ground during World War II. Which resulted in the fact that until now we have visible huge empty spaces all over the city (spaces that, fortunately, in recent years are starting to be managed). And what's worse - the communists were responsible for the reconstruction with their vision of an open city with huge spaces in the center and wide avenues passing through the very center of the city. As a result, Szczecin unfortunately does not have such a center with restaurants and clubs. All the clubs and restaurants are scattered around the city. So if you want to party and go from club to club - you need to have healthy legs. Although now the city has made an effort to create such a center. There are two such places - Bogslaw X promenade and "Podzamcze" (
outer bailey). Slowly something is starting to happen there.
I noticed that for sure when I was walking. In part that will be out in Thursday, I saw the contrast in housing from the communist vision. I wish I had been able to stay longer and explore. It is certainly a contrast to other Polish cities. @mateuszzdrenka3403
@@TravelwithMrJon Yes I agree 100% Szczecin is different from all Polish cities. For years it was forgotten by the rest of Poland and until now it is marginalised. The Polish internet is full of memes about Szczecin and whether it even exists, that there is a black hole on the map of Poland, that everyone has heard of it once, but no one has been there, that even people from Szczecin are people from another planet. Even in Polish series, when producers want to get rid of a character for a while (but without putting him to death in the series), they send him to Szczecin. In the series they explain that this character got a job in Szczecin or helps his ailing aunt there.
As for the architecture and appearance of the city, it is very important that until Khrushchev's visit to Stettin in 1959 - during which in front of 100k of people he assured that Szczecin is Polish and the Soviet Union guaranteed it - there was a great fear in society that Szczecin would revert to Germany. After this visit that investment in the city began and the mass of ruins were cleaned up (15 years after the war the city was still full of war ruins). But in the first years after the war, more was taken from Szczecin than invested - anything that could be, such as bricks from ruins and demolition. I heard a stories that entire tenements practically undamaged during the war - e.g., with some kind of hole in the roof were cataloged as ruins for demolition.Those bricks and anything else what has some value were taken for the reconstruction of Warsaw. When you look at the buildings rebuilt in Warsaw after the war (of which people of Warsaw are so proud), you are largely looking at Szczecin and Wroclaw bricks obtained from those cities. Millions of bricks were taken from Szczecin and Wroclaw - whole trains of bricks. After the war, a term was even coined for Szczecin, "Szczecin mine" - which clearly defines the approach of the authorities and people after the war to the city.
Wow! Thank you for sharing all this. It adds a fuller picture. So that's where the bricks came from... And that's funny about characters being sent there.@@mateuszzdrenka3403
Is Szczecin a depopulated city?🤔
@waldemar9974 I don't know the answer to that. I know where I was walking around, it wasn't very crowded. But then it was a Wednesday at the end of February and there was ample amount of construction.
@@TravelwithMrJon Well, that explains a lot. Thanks for the video with nice architecture
30 years ago, Szczecin had a population of 420,000, but like many cities in Poland, it currently has a negative demographic growth and now has only 390,000.
30 years ago, so before Poland joined the EU. Would that be a reason for the depopulation? @@witoldwasowski638
In 1994, Szczecin had 420,000 inhabitants and currently in 2024 it has 390,000 inhabitants, while the reason for the decline in the number of inhabitants is the economic transformation, i.e. the liquidation of many jobs in industry such as shipyards, which turned out to be unprofitable in the new system, and the decline in the fertility rate caused by the adoption by Poles Western lifestyle focused on self-fulfillment and personal career.
Hallo, übrigens Katharina die Große wurde 1729 in Stettin als Tochter eines preußischen Generals geboren...außerdem bin ich oft von Tczew/Dirschau nach Stettin gereist, daher kenne ich diese Stadt und ihre Geschichte, herzliche Grüße aus Köln und alles Gute. Czesc, a propos Katarzyna Wielka urodzila sie w Szczecinie/Stettin w roku 1729 corka pruskiego generala..., poza tym czesto jezdzilem z Tczewa/Dirschau do Szczecina/Stettin, wiec znam te miasto i historie, serdeczne pozdrowienia z Kolonii/Koeln i wszystkiego dobrego
That was the one fact I knew about Catherine the Great. @thaddausgriech4542
W Stettin urodzila sie tez zona cara Pawla II - Maria Fiodorowna, synowa Katarzyny Wielkiej, zwana tez matka carow.
Well, to call Szczecin " old German town " is like calling LA or SF old Mexican town.....
I would call SF an old Russian outpost. To each their own. Last time I checked though Szczecin's Polish history was separated by what 700 years? Or maybe I'm wrong.
@aliciagarstka8865
If you came to the Sea Days, you would see crowds
@user-kt5qk5mb4x I should have gone then.
Its not germany CITY !
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Szczecin
@adamw1225 did you read any of the other comments? Did you watch the vlog and actually listen to what I said about the history?