24 Hours in Szczecin
Why this western Polish city deserves a visit, even if just for a day.
If I’m like most of my American-student-abroad peers, (and I’m pretty sure I am) Poland exists in our biased imaginations as a littoral concoction of Eastern-Bloc memory, historic geographical misfortune, and modern misunderstanding. I read about the extremist Polish politic and simultaneously know the Polish people aren’t generalizable to projected narratives about their central European state.
What I’m trying to convey is that Poland is a mystery to me, I feel detached from any real understanding of Polish day-to-day reality. While I’ve been to Krakow, visiting (however briefly) Szczecin was an ever surprising delight.
1 pm arrival at Szczecin’s central train station had me walking to the hotel in the pouring rain. Which should be expected of an average February day, but it dampened spirits as well as clothes. Nothing a reset in the hotel couldn’t fix, and two hours later we’re back at the station, this time going underground to tour Europe’s largest civilian wartime bunker. If you’re tall enough, they’ll ask you to put on a hard hat and hand you a hair net with it, and you get to start your tour with a self-directed laugh and quick giggle in the self-facing camera. Despite the historic location and knowledgable tour guides, the bunker itself was the strangest touristic activity I’ve ever had the ability to participate in.
It wasn’t the weighty cold of underground air, nor the imaginations of thousands of civilians fleeing from frequent attacks as bombers flew overhead for years on end. It was — stay with me here — the curation. Mannequins, taken right out of their homes in storefront windows, with poorly painted eyes, frazzled wigs, and period-appropriate costumes lined every room and turn in the bunker. Original signs, written in German for the civilians allowed into the shelter, remained in their place next to new additions of truly odd decorations and exhibitions. Some rooms were untouched, but others boasted 80’s themed paraphernalia and atrocious quantities of packaging (yes, cardboard boxes and candy wrappers) preserved from Eastern-European life behind the iron curtain. A main tunnel displayed modern anti-war art by a Belarusian artist while a giant paper mache paint bucket spilled a collage of propaganda newspapers onto the floor, and around the corner speakers emitted the imitated sounds of children crying and war-time civilians cowering in fear. More than a tour of the bunker, it was a home-made walking tour from the years 1939 through the fall of the wall in 1989. There’s no true way to overstate the absurdity of the bunker’s contents, or its success in portraying the eery atmosphere of a concrete survival shelter shielding more than 2,500 people from death during repeated air raids.
Because we should be realistic for short trips — nothings going to be as jam-packed as you think, I’d allocate some time for restorative activities. Like a glass of wine in the shower, you know, those kinds of things.
Dinner at 7 took us to the comfortingly familiar Browar Pod Zamkiem, because there’s something easy about European breweries even if you’re not a local. The modern detailing, two floors, and Polish starters hit the spot while the weather disappointed. After you’ve dined and drank, Szczecin gets a chance to show off its (surprisingly to me) joyous and welcoming party scene. Travelers training over from Berlin will know, a good club night is energy and crowd just as much as good music. The City Hall Club in central Szczecin surpassed all expectations.
A six Euro entry fee (borderline gag-worthy to those of us used to shelling out upwards of 15) gives you access to the underground dance floor and bar catering to pop-loving crowds knocking elbows and sharing moves in a traditional cellar-style room. When you’re in need of fresh air the upstairs courtyard has a few disco balls and a freindly crowd — but no roof — so you can socialize, breathe, or look up and enjoy whatever starts might be visible. Onto the next room, a loft overlooks the dance floor that shook speakers with the best house set I’ve ever heard. A great night in Szczecin doesn’t demand a pilgrimage, multi-hour lines, or drinks that rival the cost of American ambulances (disgracefully overpriced but you pay for it anyway).
A good night’s sleep might reward you with better weather the following day. If it does, the Ducal Castle’s piped frosting like decor and its nearby streets are a lovely place to start, soak up the atmosphere of the town, and admire all the quaint streets of the city before heading towards the main roads. That is, after grabbing a cardamom bun at Kardamom Cafe nearby, maker of the best traditional and non-traditional cardamom buns I’ve found outside of Scandinavia. Their classic is sprinkled with the perfect amount of lavender to make your day, and the pistachio bun twists classic cardamom and cinnamon with surprisingly savory chartreuse. Please, trust me on this one.
The city’s layout is reminiscent of anatomical nodes, with roundabout centers splaying off in multiple directions to offer beautiful flats on either side of the streets. Walk around and take in the multi-colored buildings and quaint shops, grab a local jelly-donut treat typical of the area, and keep walking. Just don’t forget to look up! City Hall won’t disappoint as the greenest building I’ve ever seen — an apt feature of the city that surprisingly sneaks its way into your conscience with pastel buildings and pleasant pedestrian paths. A final stroll along the river — that used to funnel ships into Berlin, might make your mind yearn for summer when the wooden waterside terraces and shoreline cafe’s are full of people and sun-rays.
With so little time, getting distracted is an easy and worthwhile past-time, for Szczecin’s best experiences are happened upon and taken with gratitude.