Poznan is a large city in Greater Poland, in west Poland. Poznań is a town steeped in history, as it was the first capital (with Gniezno) of Poland and seen by many as the birthplace of the Polish nation. Today it is a diverse and vibrant town, with much to divert the traveller. It has a stunningly rejuvenated central square, thriving night-life, fascinating museums and many attractions in the surrounding area. For train buffs, Poznań is the home of Europe's last surviving steam-hauled passenger service. With a strategic position on the Berlin – Moscow train line, Poznań will be for many their first experience of Poland.
PLACE TO VISIT
Ostrów Tumski (Cathedral Island), famed as the spot on which Poznań was founded, is a quiet island, with a permanent population consisting mostly of bishops, priests and monks. It was supposedly here that the town was founded, after three brothers Rus, Lech and Czech met here after not seeing each other for years (poznać being Polish for 'to meet'). It is also the spot where Poland adopted Chistian baptism in 966 and where the first church (still existing Poznan Cathedral) of polish territories was built (968). The island is accessible from the centre / Old Town by trams 4, 8 and 17 and bus 63 (other lines, not really useful for tourist are 67 and 83). The cathedral is open for visitors every day from 8AM to 4PM-7PM (depending on the day), but is closed for sightseeing during services (esp. Sundays). Admission : €0.70.
St. Peter's and Paul's Cathedral - the first polish cathedral and the only one between years 968 and 1000. Burial place of 8 polish dukes and kings from the Piast dynasty - original graves from Xth and XIth cent. of Mesko I and his son Boleslaus the Brave preserced in the cellar; as well as the baptism bowl - a probabel baptism place of Duke Mesko I. In today used space of the cathedral pay attention to the chain of chapels around the main aisle, not touched by bombings in 1945 - the most precious ones are : the Golden Chapel (which a present memorial place of Mesko I and Boleslaus the Brave - in the sarcophagus on the right-hand side) and the Holy Cross Chapel.
The Our Lady Church - built in late gothic style (appr. 1430), not very significant for its present shape and values, but important for its role in Xth cent, when in the place the duke's palace and a small chapel were built. The chapel was probably erected appr. one year before the official baptism of Poland. The interior (due to archeological excavations) is closed for visitors.
The archbishop's Palace - originally built in the same epoque, as the cathedral, but its present shape comes from the 2nd half of XVIIIth cent. For obvious reasons : closed for vivitors.
The bishop Lubranski University - the second oldest high school in Poland, founded by bishop John Lubranski in 1518. At the present - the Archdieacesional Museum
Psalter House erected in the beginnings of XVIth cent (as well by bishop Lubranski) as a rehearsal-place for psalter singers. They were due to sing the David's Psalms in the Cathedral the whole day round. Nowadays the building is used by christian associations.
canonries - mostly from XVIIIth and XIXth cent, built for noble priest working for the Poznan Cathedral and Archbishop.
Stary Rynek, the old town square, one of the finest in Europe. This is the centre of old, medieval Poznań, and has been superbly rebuilt after severe destruction in World War 2. Cafés and bars line the square and it is a superb spot for ordering a drink and watching the world go by.
Town Hall is the centrepiece of the Rynek. Originally a gothic construction, erected in the first years of XIVth cent, later rebuilt in renessaince style by Giovanni Battista di Quadro from Lugano. It is said to be the most beautiful non-church renessaince building north of the Alps. The building houses the Historical Museum of Poznań (originally the the headquarters of municipal powers and the city court), displaying exhibitions about the history of the city from the 10th century to the present day. Two things to watch out for here are the ornately decorated Great Entrance Hall and the mechanical goats which appear from the roof of the building each day at noon to butt their heads together a dozen times. The museum is open M,Tu,F 10AM-4PM, W noon-6PM and Su 10AM-3PM. Admission is €1.50.
The City Church of St. Stanislaus and Our Lady - opened in 2007 after total refuirbishment, one of the mostt beautiful baroque churches in Poland. Originnaly - a Jesuits' church, nowadayd : a parish one (the parish church for the Old Town). Many tourist come here not for the beauty of the bulding, but for the sounds of its organs, built here in the 1870s by one of the most famous organmasters of that time : Friedrich Ladegast from Wesenfels (Germany). The organs can be heard during services (regular on Sundays and on weekdays : 3 or 4 in the morning and 1 in the evening) and during organ concerts (each Saturday, 12:15, entrance free). From spring 2009 an entrance fee will be introduced : €1,10.
The former Jesuits' College - an old jesuits' school build by the monk in the same period, as the neighbouring church, now houses the City Office - so it's possible to get in to see the interiors, but anly halls and corridors. In the early XIXth cent is was the welcoming place and hotel for emperor Napoleon I during his marsh toward Moscow. Few years later - the concert place for Frederic Chopin (his original instrument is still exhibited in Poznan in the Museum of Musical Instruments - see below). In front of the City Office - the monument of two goats - the symbol of the city.
King's Castle - rebuilt by king Przemysl II in 1290s (the first king for more than 200 years), but erected by is father, duke Przemysl I as a duke's residencde for POznan county. The only remnants of the origin building are the fundaments, and - what tourists mostly look is the newer part of the building dated fot the second half of XVIIIth cent. Nowadays is house the Museum of Applied Art and from the walls one can watch the panorama of the Old Town. Poznan KIng's Castle was the place of the Fist Prussian Homage in 1492 (however more famous is the second one prezesnted on famous picture by painter Jan Matejko). The hill was also the place, where the arms of Polish first dynasty (Piasts) - the White Eagle - became the official national symbol.
The Franciscan Church - it's arather typical church fro the turn of XVIIth and XVIIIth cent, but is't really worth coming here at least for a few minutes from its beautiful paintings on the vaulting and wood carvings created by two ingenious monk - btohers Adam and Antony Swach from the Czech territories. More religious visitors come here for the Sanktuary of Our Lady of Incessant Help - the Lady of Poznan (the pictore in left side-aisle). The undergrounds of the church house two Models of Old Poznan, which is the only one in Poland.
The Gorka Palace - the Gorkas were a famous late-medieval noble family in Poznan and erected their palace in mid XVth cent, later rebuit in XVIth cent in renessaince style (a marvelous portal from the eastern side). At the present the Palace Houses the Archeological Museum (see below).
The Holliest Blood Church - located in Zydowska (Jewish) street and its erection is connected with a legend about desecration of the host done by a group of Jews. An interesting thing may be, that during services a priest stands backward to the people, and the church is used both by Roman Catholics and Greek Catholics (service each Sunday at 12:00 in Ukrainian).
Srodka district - located just few minutes from the Cathedral Island, originally a merchants' and craftmen's district working for the duke or king court, located here in first half of XIIIth centrury, as the first place : the Cathedral Island -was overpopulated. The name come from the polish name "Środa" (wednesday), as weekly markets took place excactly on Wednesdays.
St. Margaret Church - late-romanesque church (with some gothic features) in the middle of Srodka Market Square, nowadays a side-church for the cathedral parish. It's pretty hard to get inside, unless you come aprr. a quarter before or after services.
The church of St. John of Jerusalem - the first building on polish teritorries built of bricks (before only wooden or stone building had been erected) arround the year 1188. The church was erected for the Johnnites order, who were running a hospital for the poor people nearby. The entrance is free, but as well limited to moments before or after services. This is also the only place in the city, where holy masses for death people take place.
The Emperor's district. The main building here is the Emperor's Castle, erected 1905-1910 by Franz Schwechten, the Berlin court architect of German emperor Wilhelm II. The huge neo-romanesque building, which alludes to medieval constructions, was officially opened by the Emperor personally. It was the seat of Polish President in the inter-war period and Hitler's residence during WWII, when it was remodelled under the Albrecht Speer. The dominating element of the building is the Tower, originally 74-m high, after WWII was lowered (due to the damage in the lat period of the war) by approx. 20 metres. In the Rose Courtyard (opposite site to the main entrance) one can find a fountain modelled on the XIIIth-century lions fountain in Allhambra (Spain). At present the castle is the seat of the Castle Cultere Centre, the Animation Theatre and many other institutions. It's also a place of many exhibitions, meetings, concerts and festivals.
Archaeological Museum, . 10AM-4PM Tuesday – Friday, 10am-6pm Saturdays, 10am-3pm Sundays, admission: €1.10 (free Saturdays), photography permit €0.70, guide €3. With 42,432 artefacts, this is a large and fascinating museum. It specialises in the archaeology of Wielkopolska and Egypt.
The Museum of Poznan Placed in the interiors of Emperor's Castle show exhibits connecting with the Poznan workers' protest against the communist system in June 1956. On the exhibition the are photos of attendants and their personal belongings, as well as historical sources about the anticommunist opposition 1945-1989. An interesting thing can be a reconstructed tram, used by protestants as a barricade. The museum is open : Tue-Fri 10-18, Sat-Sun 10-16, admission €1.10 (free Saturdays), for childred €0,55.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - The airport is situated only 7 km from the city centre and in easily accessible by public bus : #59 (from nearby Sheraton Hotel - appr. every 25 minutes - travel time appr. 22-24 min.) and fast line #L (from the Main Railway Station - appr. every 45 minutes - travel time aprr. 18-20 min).
By train - Poznań is a crucial railway junction and all trains going between Moscow and Western Europe stop here. Trains to Berlin or Warsaw take approximately 3 hours in either direction and cost around €20 one-way. Trains to Kraków (appr. 8 daily) take around 6 hours and costs €15 one-way, Wroclaw (more than 15 daily) will take around 2 hours and costs in the area of €8. The journey to Gdansk (6 trains daily) will take 4,5 hours and cost €12 and to Torun (6 trains per day) : 2,5 hours and €7.
Frequent and convenient train connection from Warsaw. Journey time about 3 hours. Cost from €12 (fast trains) to as much as €30 (Inter City Plus).
By bus - Poznań is served by the Eurolines coach network. Count on fares of around €90 one-way to London or Amsterdam. Every day more than 200 local buses leave for town and even small villages everywhere in Wielkopolska region.
The Poznan coach station is situated nearby the train station (5-min walk) and as well few-minutes-walk from the mail entrance to the Fair Ground. Other places in the centre are also accessible on foot. Just next to the coach station one can find several city tram and bus lines :
