Szczecin is the most west forward city of Poland. For the citizens, as well as, for the growing number of guests visiting the city it is obvious that from Szczecin it is closer to Berlin, Copenhagen or Stockholm than to... Warsaw.
Szczecin is a capital of new West Pomeranian Province and with an area of 303 km2 it is, just after Warsaw, the most extensive city of Poland. It is the important seaport, despite the fact that from Baltic seashore to Szczecin is about 65 km in a straight line (by road it is approximately 100 km); it is an industrial, economic, and culture center; what is more, it is a seat of 11 universities with the approximate number of students reaching 40 thousand. There are four national roads running across the city. The city's streets are 748 km long altogether.
Szczecin is located on Oder River in the lowland area that spreads to more than 10 km of between river valley. Oder flows through Szczecin by two riverbeds - its east branch's name Regalica, which flows into Dąbskie Lake; and the second branch - it is West Oder, which flows along numerous districts of Szczecin into Oder brook at the level of Police. The river divides city into two - Prawobrzeże - that in the city functions as a synonym of Dąbie district together with all new and old housing estates located on the right of Regalica (East Oder).
From the total area of the city, the woods, parks, and waters constitute the considerable part. Within the borders of Szczecin, there are 16 lakes and ponds. In the city itself there are 15 parks, which are of 142, 51 ha. The biggest ones are Kasprowicz Park and Zeromski Park. The biggest and the most interesting greenery concentration is the Central Cemetery that spreads within the area of 160 ha. Szczecin is surrounded by forest parks from which Arkoński Forest Park is the closest to the center. Just before it there is Głębokie Forest Park with Głębokie Lake. The unique natural area on European scale is Szczecin Międzyodrze located between Odra branches, where approximately 300 species of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are living.
The landscape of Szczecin neighboring area has been shaped under the influence of glaciers, which flowed several times from Scandinavia. The most specific element of the landscape is moraine hills that surround the city. On the left side of the river the hills surrounding Szczecin are up to 131 meters (Wielecka Góra, Wzgórza Warszewskie); while, on the right side of the river up to 147 meters above sea level (Bukowiec, Góry Bukowe).
The climate of the city and surrounding area is specified as humid and moderately warm. It is mostly shaped by Baltic influence and nearness of Atlantic Sea, and the average summer temperature is lower of 1-2°C than in the central Poland; while winters are respectively milder of approximately 2°C.