There are some archeological eidences that clues of human presence on the territory of the nowdays Kołobrzeg appeared shortly after the withdrawal of the last glaciation Age. As the time gone by, extention of the existing settlement took place. It was characteristic to Preslavic tribes of Łużyce culture and typical for Bronze Age and an early stage of Iron Age. Those tribes were busy with developing agricultural and stock breeding activities and mantaining handicraft production. They also kept contacts with Roman Empire. On the basis of excavations, numerous settlements dating back from VI to VII centuries AD were localised in Bardy, Kędrzyno, Piotrowice and on the Salt Island on the territory of the present Kołobrzeg. In the 9th century a castle was errected at the estuary of the Parsęta river, which in the opinion of Polish rulers an important role had to play. This was confirmed by setting up a bishopric in 1000. At the convention in Gniezno, the Polish King Bolesław Chrobry (the Brave) together with Otton III took a common decision to estabilish church administration, bringing into existence the Gniezno Archbishopric to which Kołobrzeg Bishopric was also subjected. Thus Kołobrzeg had appeared as the major center of the power represented by the Polish Piast dynasty in Pommerania, which was equal in signifcance to such Polish cities like Cracow and Wrocław.
The basis for economical significance of Kołobrzeg at that time were local salines, that were famous even in Germany. After the death the first bishop, Reinbern, no other names of his followers have been known until now. In the 12th century, Kołobrzeg had become an important local administrative center after the example of a castellanship. Archeological studies and historical records demonstrate that the first settlement called the Old City took place on the territory of the contemporary Budzistowo and covered an area of about 25 hectares. It then give rise to the city of Kołobrzeg, which obtained the city rights in 1255. Since the 16th century Kołobrzeg had become a member of Hanzeatic Union and mantained trade bonds reaching to England, Spain and even to Kiev Rus. In the 18th century Kołobrzeg became a therapeutic center (due to the sea baths) and then at the beginning of the 19th century a spa.