Pomeranian Dukes' Castle in Szczecin

For centuries the Griffin dynasty, the dukes of Pomerania, held court on this hill above the Oder; later Swedish governors ruled from here, and the future Empress Catherine the Great grew up within its walls. The Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes, wrecked by air raids in 1944, was rebuilt in 1958–1980 in the Renaissance form shown in a 17th-century engraving by Matthäus Merian. Today it is one of Szczecin's main cultural venues, with a ducal crypt, an opera, a cinema and terraces above the river.

History: from a stone house to a Renaissance residence

Before 1124 a Slavic stronghold with the wooden manor of Duke Warcisław I stood here. The masonry castle dates back to 1346, when Barnim III — overriding the townspeople's privileges — began building a so-called stone house on the hill. After a fire in 1530 the castle was remodelled in Renaissance style, and in 1573–1582 Duke John Frederick gave it its essential shape: the stone house and St Otto's Church were demolished, the north and west wings were added to close the courtyard, and running water was brought in. In the early 17th century a fifth wing was added — the Museum Wing, the first building in the region designed as a museum.

Swedes, Prussians and Catherine II

After the Griffin line died out, the castle became the seat of Swedish governors and, from 1720, of a Prussian garrison. In 1709–1711 the family of the exiled Polish king Stanisław Leszczyński took refuge here, including his daughter Marie, later Queen of France. In 1729 Sophie Friederike Auguste, daughter of the garrison commander Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst, was born in Stettin, as Szczecin was then called — the future Empress Catherine II of Russia, who was raised in the castle. In the 19th century the Prussian garrison destroyed much of the interior, tearing down vaults and arcades.

Rebuilding and a collapsed ceiling

Work to secure the ruins began in 1946, and it was then, under Helena Kurcyusz, that the crypt with the dukes' sarcophagi was discovered. Reconstruction, based on designs by Professor Stanisław Latour, was completed in 1980. On 11 May 2017 a floor in the north wing collapsed all the way down to the cellars. Nobody was hurt, because the wing had been closed two weeks earlier after cracks were spotted. After rebuilding, the north wing and the North Terrace reopened on 25 October 2025.

What to see

• The 14th-century Ducal Crypt, the oldest surviving part of the castle, where the Griffin sarcophagi once again stand. The dukes' remains themselves lie in St James's Cathedral, while their clothes and jewellery are displayed at the National Museum in Szczecin.
• The Bogislaw X Hall in the former castle church, with its recreated painted vaults.
• The "Secret of the Griffins" exhibition in the north wing, together with the Armoury and Lubinus's Study.
• The Witches' Cell in the Gothic Gallery, telling the story of Sidonia von Borcke, a noblewoman condemned for witchcraft in 1620.
• Krzysztof Schreiber's 16th-century wall paintings in the Prison Tower and the Gothic vaults in the south wing.

Tripto tip

According to the castle website, individual visits are possible daily from 10:00 to 18:00, with tickets sold through bilety.zamek.szczecin.pl. Guided tours last about an hour and include the newly reopened north wing. Allow 1.5–2 hours for the courtyards and exhibitions, and finish on the castle terraces above the Oder. The castle is at ul. Korsarzy 34, a few minutes' walk from the Wały Chrobrego riverside terraces and St James's Cathedral.