The history of Szczecin It is impossible to briefly describe the history of Szczecin, because it has been going on for over a thousand years. Szczecin passed from hand to hand, recording its glory in the 12th-17th centuries. These are the times when the city was a powerful port and one of the largest trade centers in Pomerania. To this day, the city has a unique character, historic architecture and is famous for a large number of green parks, its buildings and streets built on a star plan, reminiscent of Paris. The most important monuments of Szczecin The Pomeranian Dukes' Castle in Szczecin is the former seat of the Gryfit dynasty. The castle was erected on a high escarpment, near the Oder, as a strongly fortified stronghold. The beginnings of today's castle, however, date back to the 14th century, when Barnim III ordered the construction of the chapel of St. Otto and the stone house. Unfortunately, in 1944 the castle was badly damaged during air raids, and its reconstruction was reminiscent of the style of the Renaissance. Today, the castle is the center of culture in Szczecin. It houses an opera house, a museum, the Lubinus 'Cabinet, the Witches' Cell, galleries, a small theater and a cinema, and concerts are held in the courtyard. When visiting historic Szczecin, it is also worth visiting the Cathedral of St. Jakub and see two towers: Gocławska and Bismarck. A walk around the historic town of Wały Chrobrego was formerly called Tarasów Hakena. They are 500 meters long and 19 meters on the banks of the Oder. You can see a beautiful panorama of the port from here. The oldest history of this place dates back to the 16th century, and the terraces themselves were built at the beginning of the 20th century as the remains of Fort Leopold. There are restaurants, a fountain with figures of Jan z Kolna and Wyszak and two columns resembling lighthouses. In the part of Wały Chrobrego there is a complex of buildings of the Maritime Academy, the Współczesny Theater and the Maritime Department of the National Museum, and there is a large park nearby. The Central Cemetery is considered the largest and most beautiful cemetery in Poland. However, it is not only a place of eternal rest, but above all a path for walking and reflection. The design of the cemetery was created at the beginning of the 20th century and from the beginning it was supposed to be a park necropolis with many landscape values, water, diverse, often exotic flora, fountains, wells and elements of small architecture. Of course, there are single tombstones from pre-war times, but also colonnades and stonework. The Underground Routes of Szczecin are, in turn, a reconstruction of an anti-aircraft bunker from the Second World War and an anti-nuclear bunker from the Cold War period. It is the largest bunker of this type in Poland, and during its construction also old corridors from the end of the 19th century were used. The bunker is about 5 floors deep, and the longest corridor is about 100 meters. The underground route can be visited together with a guide. Cinema with an extraordinary atmosphere The oldest cinema in the world was established at the beginning of the 20th century, and the first screening at the Pionier Cinema took place in September 1909. The cinema is primarily famous for its amazing charm, also thanks to the Kiniarnia, where you can watch a movie while sitting at a table and drinking coffee. In August 2005, Pionier was awarded the title of the oldest continuously operating cinema in the world.