Discover Police: Lapidarium, Churches and the Łarpia

Police brings together historic sites in the old town, a waterfront area on the Łarpia, and routes that lead from the market square or out of the town into the municipality. This gives your stay several different themes to explore: you can delve into the town’s history, set aside some time by the water, or consider longer routes.

Lapidarium and Churches: History in the Townscape

In Park Staromiejski, in the southern part of the old town, the Polickie Lapidarium sits on a small rise on the grounds of a former cemetery. It preserves and displays fragments of gravestones from former German cemeteries that once stood within the area of today’s Police municipality. The surviving stones are therefore not detached from their historical context: their origins point to cemeteries that once belonged to the municipality.

The lapidarium was established in 1998 at the initiative of local authorities and historian Jan Matura. The collection comprises around 125 gravestone elements, including steles with well-preserved inscriptions and stylised tree trunks. Their varied shapes and inscriptions make the gravestones themselves a focus of the visit; the number of elements should be understood as approximate.

The Gothic chapel stands in the centre of the market square at Plac Bolesława Chrobrego. It is the only surviving remnant of the 13th-century Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Kościół Najświętszej Marii Panny), which was demolished towards the end of the 19th century. The chapel can therefore be viewed both as a building in its own right and as a surviving testament to an older church.

Another striking building is the 19th-century neo-Gothic Kościół Mariacki (St Mary’s Church). Its tower is over 60 metres high and can be seen from afar in Police’s skyline. While the chapel and lapidarium are connected to older layers of the town’s history, the church tower shapes the present-day townscape as a landmark visible from a distance.

The Łarpia and Routes for Different Plans

A waterfront area with landing stages for kayaks has been created on the Łarpia, right next to the old town. There are also opportunities for fishing and relaxation. The river adds another way to spend time in Police alongside its historical attractions. The old town on the Łarpia is also home to a marina used by sailing associations and clubs.

If you’re looking for a named hiking route, try the yellow trail “Szlak Policki”. It starts at the Rynek in Police and runs via Trzeszczyn, Stare Leśno and the Szczecin–Tanowo road to Bartoszewo. The route is 11.6 kilometres long. Check current route conditions before setting out.

Two longer circular routes also start and finish in Police. “Dookoła gminy Police” is about 48 kilometres long; the described route passes through the municipality. “Nad brzegi śródleśnych jezior” is about 58 kilometres long. The approximate distances help distinguish these tours from the 11.6-kilometre hike, without combining them into a single outing. It is also advisable to check current conditions before setting out on either circular route.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Police, the kind of holiday you want may be the deciding factor: would you like the town’s history and the Łarpia to shape your stay, or would you prefer to make longer routes a separate part of your plans? The attractions described offer different things to focus on, from gravestone fragments and churches to waterfront activities and routes through the municipality.

Discover more destinations: Nowe Warpno, Dołuje, Kurów, Dobra, Tanowo, Trzebież, Kołbaskowo, Przęsocin.

For the main travel overview: Pölitz.