ATTRACTIONS IN THE AREA
NATURE
ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN
There are zoological gardens in many cities in Poland, but… it turns out that Szczecin is the largest city in Poland without a zoo. Interestingly, a zoological garden has never existed in Szczecin, except for a small menagerie at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The zoos closest to Szczecin are located in our western neighbour’s territory. Zoo Ueckermünde is 55 kilometres from Manowce Palace and 60 kilometres from Szczecin. It covers 16 hectares and is home to 400 animals of 100 species. The one-way trip takes 50 minutes. It takes an hour and a half from Manowce Palace and an hour from Szczecin to reach Zoo Eberswalde. Here, on 15 hectares, there are as many as 1,500 animals of 150 species. Only true enthusiasts should consider a trip to Zoo Berlin. Although Berlin Zoo is enormous and magnificent, visiting it requires dedicating an entire day.
Przelewice
BOTANICAL GARDENS
Unlike zoological gardens, botanical gardens are more enjoyable for adults than for children. The West Pomeranian Voivodeship has four such sites. Unfortunately, none of them are in Szczecin. Therefore, we recommend the gardens located around Szczecin.
The closest one to Manowce Palace is the small but magical botanical garden in the village of Christiansberg in Germany. It takes just 50 minutes to get there from Manowce and Szczecin.
The most significant type of botanical gardens in our region are arboretums. The West Pomeranian Voivodeship boasts two such places. The most beautiful is the Przelewice Arboretum, located 1.5 hours' drive from Manowce and 50 minutes from Szczecin. The second is the Glinna Arboretum, an hour’s drive from Manowce and half an hour from Szczecin. This arboretum is situated near the road from Szczecin to Przelewice, so both can be visited in one trip.
Although Szczecin does not have a fully-fledged botanical garden, it does have a beautiful rose garden. Szczecin is one of the few cities in Poland that can boast such a unique rosarium. The roses bloom here from April to autumn. The residents of Szczecin call this garden Różanka. Its current design was created by the same landscape architect who designed the garden at Manowce, Małgorzata Haas-Nogal.
CROOKED FOREST
The most famous natural attraction of Western Pomerania is the Crooked Forest near the town Gryfino, not far from Szczecin. It is difficult to describe its appearance – you simply have to see it. The most intriguing mystery for visitors to the Crooked Forest: how did such an unusual forest come to be? This puzzle remains unsolved.
SURVIVAL AND BUSHCRAFT
On the land side, Manowce Palace is surrounded by the vast Wkrzańska Heath. While staying at Manowce Palace, one can take the opportunity to spend one or several nights in the forest. This would be an extraordinary adventure, especially for older children and teenagers. The best option is to use the services of companies that organize survival experiences. It seems that there is no such company in Szczecin, so one could consider the company Biwak i Wędka, which operates in various regions of Poland, including around Szczecin.
A variation of survival is bushcraft. Simply put, it is survival in the forest. The idea is to learn how to survive in the woods while living in harmony with nature. Szczecin has fantastic forests nearby for bushcraft activities. It is worth finding a company that organizes such experiences.
BIRDWATCHING
The Szczecin Lagoon is the largest body of water in Poland, six times bigger than Śniardwy, the largest Polish lake. Although it is formally a sea, the lagoon resembles a lake. In addition to its rich fish population, it is also home to a great variety of birds. The lagoon hosts the largest white-tailed eagle habitat in Poland and one of the largest in the world. Currently, about a hundred pairs of these birds reside here. Two companies organize boat trips near these habitats to observe and photograph these magnificent birds: Oder Delta Safaris and Fotołowy. Those going birdwatching do not need a camera – keen eyesight or binoculars will suffice.