Hi everybody I'm also a foreigner here,i moved here 2yrs ago and i have nothing against the country it's nothing personal but i want to say think twice before moving to Szczecin i guess Warsaw or Cracow is much more better,I'm also seeking for foreigners living here to make friends so lonely,boring grrr.Problem to have some friends mostly men will want to be friend if you are a girl,and if you are a men so girls will want to be friend with you it's like that,by the way I'm a girl :p.Not too much foreigners here,mostly students.Well i will really appreciate to meet some friends.
sorry for my english I'm learning Polish and haven't speak english quite long :D
I think its an OK city to live in for some time, nice places to go out; restaurants, bars etc. I wouldn't live here for the rest of my life, but its ok for a few years.
Apparently there are not many expats here, only very rarely do I meet someone in supermarkets etc., that is non Polish. You could probably feel quite lonely if you are a foreigner and don't know anyone at all. I always love it when I meet some foreigners once in a while.
It's a big advantage if you can speak Polish, unfortunately I don't speak any polish, but you always manage somehow. I can see that the first thread is quite old and meanwhile kaskade is now opened, I think its quite nice :)
Hello, I'm planning to move to Szczecin in December.
Please tell me how is life in the city? What i can expect if i am black girl who doesn't speak Polish? If it will be hard for me? How would people treat me ?
I wont be alone there since i will live with my BF who is from Szczecin.
Chilled out. It's not metropolis, it's medium sized and its economy was hit hard recently (but it slowly rebuilds itself). There are things to do, it's a great place for sports (well, in summer at least, especially if you are into kayaking and sailing), there is quite lively art scene, there are some gigs and some parties and it's stone throw from Berlin. It depends what are you into.
What i can expect if i am black girl who doesn't speak Polish?
Szczecin is a port city so we are quite used to people of different skin colours here. There aren't many foreigners who live here by permanent basis because our economy is still mostly crap but from the other hand there aren't many racist ********.
If it will be hard for me?
You'll have hard time in your daily life if you don't speak Polish at all. Learn at least some basics so you can do stuff like shopping etc. by yourself. You'll have very hard time finding a job outside teaching English/engineering/IT (if you can code, more power to you).
How would people treat me ?
They'll treat you right.
I wont be alone there since i will live with my BF who is from Szczecin.
Im about to move to Szczecin, an my Company just started to look for an apartment, and They asked where i Want to live..
Which area Will Suit me Best.. Im a guy, 25 years, Will live alone, in centrum, close to shopping, bars and restaurants, i Will eat out almost everyday so its important there is some Nice places too eat at. Close to a good fitness centre.. And a "safe area" im Danish but org. From middle east, and i have heard some stories about racisme:/
Which sites are good for finding apartments for rent? I have used everbest so far are there any Else?
I was born there and lived there on the outskirts on a large property. So there is someone from there but my info is totally old and irrelevant. So no help at all.
Which area Will Suit me Best.. Im a guy, 25 years, Will live alone, in centrum, close to shopping, bars and restaurants
I'll put it simply: most of Centrum isn't nice place to live. It's noisy, many of the old tenements are full of drunks, etc., the only nice neighbourhood in Centrum I can think of is the area near Zamek, it's safe and quiet most of the time.
If you really have to live in Centrum try some new apartment block; the idea is that you want something built after 2000.
You don't want to live in any right bank neighbourhood because you'll spend a lot of time commuting. You don't want to live in any northern neighbourhood (Gocław, Golęcino, Stołczyn, Skolwin) as they are the bad neighbourhoods with crap public transport.
Niebuszewo has great access to public transport and facilities but is infamous for being bad neighbourhood (I think it's infamy is overblown, but...) Pomorzany has great public transport but most of it is grim commie block concrete jungle.
So if I were you I would look for apartment in Pogodno or Gumieńce. Both are quiet, safe, have many green areas and have good public transport to Centrum (15-20 min. tram ride). Especially Pogodno is nice.
Other nice neighbourhoods are Warszewo, Krzekowo, Bezrzecze, Głębokie and Osów, but they are more remote.
Which sites are good for finding apartments for rent? I have used everbest so far are there any Else?
Try otodom.pl. Basic real property Polish: mieszkanie = apartment, dom = house, na sprzedaż = for sale, na wynajem = for rent.
Merged: Moving to Szczecin, what would people recommend for family activities?
Hi, we are a Scottish family moving to Szczecin. We haven't had much notice do don't know too much about the city. We have two children (b11,g9).
What would people recommend for family activities? Are there any other Scots in Szczecin? Daughter likes Highland dancing. Don't expect there will be anything there but are there other dancing classes? Son likes to ski. Mum likes to socialise (!)
I use to live in one if the northern suburbs they told you above that isn't good. Didn't have any real neighbours on property well 500m away. At your sons age I use to play in the forest and by the river and so on. All I ever remember is nature, warm summers bitter cold winter. Use to ski there too because there are hills and use to have 2 german shepherd dogs pull me on a sled. It was kids paradise. But I am Polish and it was 100% safe I have no idea how this would be for your kids now who are Scots. If you told me at that time I would be typing this on a forum to a Scot I would have thought you are mad. The world changes so quickly. All I can say is that they had to drag me to the train, at the airport they had to drag me up the stairs into the plane to make me leave. Not much help, i know. I gotta go this is making me upset.
Moving to Szczecin, what would people recommend for family activities?
Palac Mlodzierzy in Szczecin has several dancing groups your daughter might enjoy (not sure how she'd handle it linguistically) - it's a youth center with all kind of other activities like painting, ceramics, musical instruments etc
palac.szczecin.pl/pracownia-tanca-etnicznego
Szczecin is good if you like hiking or being on bike - lots of green areas inside and outside of town google perhaps and have a look at: Puszcza Bukowa , Jezioro Szmaragdowe , Lasek Arkonski, Park Kasprowicza, Jezioro Głebokie
If you like sport entertainment Szczecin has basketball, handball and volleyball league games in safe environment, on AZOTY ARENA where lots of families would come with kids
For swimming: ARKONKA KAPIELISKO or some 40 km away aqua park GRYFINO LAGUNA Hope this helps
Thanks for responding. Sorry to make you upset. It all sounds great- maybe I can finally persuade my husband to agree to getting a dog!
We will be living in Wolczkowo.
We are living in a hotel for 3 weeks until our house is ready. I've been trying to find a laundrette but can't. All laundry places charge per item and a bag of washing (one washing machine load) is going to cost me over 500 zlotys.
We are living in a hotel for 3 weeks until our house is ready.
Why not rent a short-term furnished apartment? It will be cheaper than a hotel and more convenient too (you'll have a kitchen and a washing machine). This place on airbnb is 216zl a night and has two bedrooms and a washing machine:
airbnb.com/rooms/3215308?checkin=04%2F25%2F2015&checkout=05%2F17%2F2015&guests=3&s=QqN I'd expect Booking. and skyscanner. can also offer a few short-term furnished apartments in Szczecin.
@Scotgirl: what we call 'laundrymats", like in the US does not exist in Poland. Like you said, the only services are shops chargeing per item and since it's normally minium 14 ZL a piece, the laundry comes up very very expensive. since it is obviously impossible to wash by hand (except for small items and only for a short period of time as things are not washed properly), why don't you ask at your hotel? This laundry thing is really a problem for visitors in Poland.
Thanks for the responses regarding washing facilities. My husband's employer is paying for the hotel which means we can't choose. I would have far preferred to be in an apartment, especially with children.
I will go and find that place, Kowalski - thank you. Otherwise, I will try to find student accommodation. We are in the Radisson - I've asked the staff there if someone could even take it home do it for me, for a price, but the answer was no.
It's very frustrating. There's a business opportunity for someone!
Sorry, me again! A few weeks ago I was trawling online and found a family pool, with slides etc. From memory it was south of the river in Szczecin.
I can't for the life of me find it again! Did I dream it? Is there a family pool in or near Szczecin?
@Scot Girl Perhaps you have meant Laguna aquapark in Gryfino? cwlaguna.pl/en By the way, if you got a car (or just some bicycles) there is a lot of places to take a bath in summer in Szczecin and around it. Check lakes Dąbie, Miedwie, Glinne, Wełtyń and beaches in Trzebież and Nowe Warpno. Bathing places in city proper get totally overcrowded, Arkonka included.
Brilliant, thanks. Love this website. We found Laguna yesterday. Was very good although would appear to be struggling for business. It wasn't at all busy and the restaurant wasn't open. Such a shame; the staff were very helpful and my kids loved it. We will be going back!
Kowalski, we found the laundrette you suggested. 60 zlotys for 2 loads of washing to be washed and dried. I'm very happy!
Just in case anyone is interested. I've only just created a Facebook group called "expats in Szczecin". I'm a Facebook addict so for me that's another good way to share information. Hopefully admin on this site won't mind me posting this. Please join as the group is only as good as the people in it.
About that Laguna Gryfino Aqua park: quite scenic, with less traffic and a bit shorter (!) road from Szczecin to Gryfino would be when driving through Germany - crossing to Germany via Rosowek and back to Poland via Gryfino - Mescherin bridge.
Only weekends there are crowded and midweek occasionally you'd have a bus of school kids
Indeed, no one besides locals uses this route. It is also a nice route for a bicycle trip - there is separated bike path from Szczecin to Kołbaskowo (and Oder-Neisse Radweg beginning in Staffelde). Than ride through Moczyły - Pargowo - Staffelde - Mescherin - Gryfino. There are some great views of Oder valley and neolithic tumulus in Staffelde.
@scotgirl My partner is from Szczecin and I honestly love it there. We travel to Szczecin 2-3 times a year and I always enjoy the town, shops and activities. We are actually coming over in May. Although I don't live in Szczecin, I tried to find your group at facebook because it could be fun to connect with someone when over, but i couldn't find it.. I hope you like the city :) cheers!
I have been living for almost one year in this city and though I may not have visited many inspiring places (because I am basically a sloth), I must say that I was lucky enough to find a few awesome people and also my best friend here. So far it has been a pleasant experience and I am looking forward for the upcoming experiences.
In my general experience, if you are a hard working person who likes being challenged on many levels, it is impossible to not enjoy it here.
Making friends was by far the most difficult part, because of the language barrier. People are people and because of its diverse nature, a place cannot be judged by its citizens - which after-all, will make the experience a nice one.
I have always been curious about Szczecin and the potential to do business there. I will be visiting the city in just a few weeks time. Looking forward to it very much.
