City

Szczecin is the capital city of West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of the 2005 census the city had a total population of 420,638. In June 2009 its population was 406,427.

Szczecin is located on the Oder River, south of the Lagoon of Szczecin and the Bay of Pomerania. The city is situated along the southwestern shore of Dąbie Lake, on both sides of Oder and on several large islands between western and eastern branch of the river. Szczecin borders with town of Police, seat of the Police County, situated at an estuary of the Oder River.

Transportation
There is a popular public transit system operating throughout Szczecin, including a bus network and electric trams, that is run by ZDiTM.

The A6 motorway (recently upgraded) serves as the southern bypass of the city, and connects to the German A11 autobahn (portions of which are currently undergoing upgrade), from where one can reach Berlin in about 90 minutes (about 150 km). Road connections with the rest of Poland are of lower quality (no motorways), though the Express Road S3 that is currently under construction will begin to improve the situation after its stretch from Szczecin to Gorzów Wielkopolski is opened around 2010. Construction of Express Roads S6 and S10 which are to run east from Szczecin has also started, though these roads will not be fully completed until about 2015.

Szczecin has good railway connections with the rest of Poland, but it is connected by only two single track, non-electrified lines with Germany to the west (high quality double-track lines were degraded after 1945). Because of this, the rail connection between Berlin and Szczecin is much slower and less convenient than one would expect between two European cities of that size and proximity.

Szczecin is served by Szczecin-Goleniów "Solidarność" Airport which is 45 km northeast of the city.

Culture
Szczecin is a candidate for The European Capital of Culture 2016.

Major cultural events in Szczecin are:

Days of the Sea (Polish Dni Morza) held every June.
Street Artists' Festival (Polish Festiwal Artystów Ulicy) held every July.
Days of The Ukrainian Culture (Polish Dni Kultury Ukraińskiej) held every May.
Air show on Dabie airport held every May.