About Szczecin
© Mateusz War. / Wikimedia Commons
Welcome to Szczecin, the city of contrasts and contradictions, where the beautiful gothic cathedral rises above post-Soviet apartment blocks. If you look close enough (but not too close) you just might fall in love.
Szczecin (pronounced https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Pl-Szczecin-2.ogg ) is a medium-sized city and the capital of Poland’s West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Its diverse and complicated history is reflected in its architecture – a unique mix of gothic and renaissance buildings of the Griffin dynasty era, the 19th century Art Noveau left over by the Germans and the post-war social realism dominating the cityscape.
Szczecin is often thought to be a sea-side town. It’s not, but have no fear – for all you swimmers, sunbathers and slackers, we’ve got beaches at Dąbie Lake and Głębokie Lake. You can also chill out on the banks of the Odra River, or in one of the city’s many parks. Can’t sit still? How about a ride around Wkrzanska Forest or Bukowa Forest – there’s a bunch of great MTB and CX trails to choose from. Or better yet, check out Cmentarz Centralny – Europe’s biggest cemetary. Don’t worry, it’s not as grim as you might think, with its lush flora and picturesque trails. If you’re more into industrial landscapes, you might enjoy visiting one of the islands scattered along the branching Odra River, where the massive cranes loom over the spatious shipyards and hangars. Last but not least, while we’re no San Francisco, we do have our fair share of steep hills that make cycling around Szczecin fun and challenging. Which is probably why the local bike messenger community has been going strong since the early nineties. Szczecin couriers are a hardworking, funloving bunch. Even when we’re not busy planning for the next alleycat, we manage to find new and exciting ways to embrace the #messlife. Szczecin was the host of the Polish Cycle Messenger Championships in 2010 and we also held two editions of Turbo Bike Fest – a small but fun event featuring a mainrace, uphill sprints, goldsprints and tall-bike duels.
