Szczecinek

Szczecinek
Panorama of Szczecinek
Town Hall and Market Square
Bohaterów Warszawy - promenade dedicated to the war heroes of Warsaw
Szczecinek
Coordinates: 53°43′N 16°41′E / 53.717°N 16.683°E / 53.717; 16.683
Country Poland
VoivodeshipWest Pomeranian
CountySzczecinek
GminaSzczecinek (urban gmina)
Established1310
City rights1310
Government
  MayorJerzy Hardie-Douglas
Area
  Total
48.63 km2 (18.78 sq mi)
Population
 (2010)
  Total
40,211
  Density830/km2 (2,100/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal codes
78-400, 78-401, 78-402, 78-403, 78-404, 78-410
Area code+48 94
Car platesZSZ
Highway
National roads
Voivodeship road
Websitehttp://www.szczecinek.pl

Szczecinek (Polish: [ʂt͡ʂɛˈt͡ɕinɛk] ; German: Neustettin) is a historic city in Middle Pomerania, northwestern Poland, capital of Szczecinek County in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, with a population of more than 40,000 (2011). The town's total area is 48.63 square kilometres (18.78 square miles).

The turbulent history of Szczecinek reaches back to the High Middle Ages, when the area was ruled by Pomeranian dukes and princes. The majority of the city's architecture survived World War II and, subsequently, its entire Old Town was proclaimed a national heritage monument of Poland. Szczecinek is the location of one of the oldest museums and one of the oldest high schools in Pomerania and northern Poland, and one of the places of production of krówki. It is an important railroad junction, located along the main Poznań - Kołobrzeg line, which crosses less important lines to Chojnice and Słupsk.