Poznań, with a population of 600,000, is conveniently located furniture and fittings have survived in nearby Kórnik, which and accessible by rail or air from any corner of Europe. Poznań houses a collection of national mementos and is surrounded is also situated on the Paris-Moscow route, which crosses half by a marvellous arboretum with an abundance of exotic spe- the continent. After Warsaw, it is Poland’s fastest developing cies of trees and shrubs. city. Many multinational corporations have set up subsidiaries Poznań has its own original local cuisine. The primary and factories in the city, and the number of university-level dishes are made from potatoes, which Poznań residents schools continues to grow. truly love, so much so that they even have their own local As all visitors are welcome in Poznań, they will have no name for them – pyry. Delicacies include plendze – potato problem getting a delicious meal, using an Internet cafe, tak- pancakes, usually served with sugar or jam, and pyry with ing out cash from an ATM or communicating in a foreign lan- gzik – potatoes cooked in their skins and served hot on plat- guage with the local inhabitants. Poznań is a large university ters. The essential addition is gzik – cottage cheese mixed city, full of young people, with more than 120,000 students with cream, onion, salt and spices. When butter is added to attending over a dozen universities. a potato with gzik, it melts on the hot potato, creating an unforgettable taste. THE CRADLE OF POLAND’S HISTORY Poznań has also a very special local sweet delicacy - it AND COMMERCE is called Martin’s Cakes - pastry stuffed with almonds and It’s best to start a sightseeing trip round Poznań from the poppy seed paste. oldest part of the city – Ostrów Tumski, where the cathedral sive Baroque old parish church, which captivates visitors not CALENDAR OF CULTURAL EVENTS stands today. At one time the castle of Prince Mieszko I and only with its beautiful interior but also its historic organ. The GIFTS AND SOUVENIRS • January is the month of Christmas carol concerts performed his son Bolesław the Brave, crowned the first king of Poland city is famous for organ music and its boys’ choirs, including Popular gifts include small figurines of the Poznań billy by Poznań choirs. The famous Poznań Nightingales choir in 1025, stood in this part of the city. Their tombs are in the the Poznań Nightingales. goats from the Town Hall clock or Bamberka. The memora- performs carols in early January in the main hall of Adam Golden Chapel of the cathedral. The first church in the area ble statue of Bamberka, symbolizing the settlers who moved Mickiewicz University. was built in 968, two years after the symbolic baptism of A CITY LIVING AT THE RHYTHM from Bamberg to a village near Poznań in the 18th century • The Poznań Musical Spring concerts are organized every Poland, through which Mieszko I led Poland into the sphere OF TRADE SHOWS after an epidemic that decimated the city, can be seen behind year in March. of Western Christianity. The Archdiocese Museum is worth Poznań has long been known for trade fairs and exhibitions the Town Hall. • World Press Photo: the Polish edition of the international visiting and houses gold cups and monstrances from Wielko- – Poland’s largest trade fairs were held here before World War photo exhibition is held in Poznań in May, three weeks after the polska churches as well as paintings by Leon Wyczółkowski, II. Every year, the Poznań International Fair organizes about 40 MUNICIPAL TRANSPORTATION presentation of the contest prize-winners in Amsterdam. Poland’s only painting by Anthony van Dyck and a gallery of specialist trade fairs, both international and national. Business Municipal transportation in Poznań is quite comfortable. • The Malta International Theatre Festival held in late June medieval sculpture. people from all over the world come in droves to the largest The city centre is serviced by tramways and the rest of the is attended by performers from all over the world, staging Poznań’s city centre is occupied by the Old Town Square in specialist trade fairs in Poland, such as Polagra, featuring food city by tramways and buses. Tramway fares depend on the their productions all over the city. The traditional St. John the middle of which stands a Renaissance town hall. It houses products, Budma for the construction industry, or Tour Salon distance, and the bus fares differ according to the time of day Fair takes place near the end of the month. the Historical Museum of Poznań with rich collection of old - Poland’s largest travel show. They are among the largest sec- and distance. There are plenty of taxis waiting at taxi stands, • Every Saturday at 12:15 pm, and daily between July to Sep- documents and everyday life artefacts. Every day at noon the tor events in Europe. These are one of Europe’s major industry but it is most convenient to order them by phone – pickup is tember (except on Sundays), the organ concerts are held in doors of the town hall clock tower open and two metal goats shows. Practically all year round many business tourists come free (telephone numbers for registered taxi services are: 96 22, the baroque Old Parish Church. appear, butting their horns at every strike of the clock. That’s here for these events, attracted by Poznań’s reputation of a 821 62 16, 822 23 33, 821 92 19, 851 55 15). Taxis may be • The Biennale & Workshop of Modern Dance are held in the highlight of every organised trip to Poznań. bustling business venue. also ordered free of charge at news stands at Poznań main August. The Royal Castle was the seat of Przemysł II, the last Polish There are several lakes within the city limits. Lake Malta has railway station by dialling the toll free number 91 91. • On St Martin’s Day (November 11), celebrations are staged king to rule from Poznań. The building was subsequently one of Europe’s most modern regatta courses. Around the lake in Św. Marcin Street, named after this saint. A parade is held reshaped many times. Now it houses the Museum of Applied are excellent areas for recreation: people ride bicycles, roller there, and many open-air events take place near the Royal Arts. Not far from the Old Market Square stand the impres- blades, and can even ski down the artificial Malta ski slope, Castle. The dish of the day is a special Martin’s crescent roll open all year round. with delicious almond and poppy-seed stuffing. The leading shows of the Malta International Theatre Festi- Other events - www.pot.gov.pl/kal val are held in this area every year. In late June, the city is alive with performers; more than 100 shows are staged during the MUSEUMS few days of the festival. 1 • Poznań City History Museum, Stary Rynek 1, tel. 852 56 13 There are many clean lakes in Poznań’s environs. Several 2 • Museum of Musical Instruments, Stary Rynek 45, tel. 852 08 57 dozen kilometres to the north is the wild Notecka Forest, while 3 • Archeological Museum, ul. Wodna 27, tel. 852 82 51 to the south stretches the marvellous Wielkopolski National 4 • M useum of Applied Arts, Wzgórze Przemysła 1, tel. 852 20 35 Park with post-glacial landscapes. 5 • National Museum, Al. Marcinkowskiego 9, tel. 856 81 38 6 • Archdiocese Museum, ul. ks. Posadzego 2, 852 61 95 THE LAND OF CASTLES AND PALACES Wielkopolska province, of which Poznań is capital, has no FREE TIME shortage of historic castles and palaces. South of Poznań is the 7 • New Zoo, ul. Krańcowa 53, tel. 877 35 17 classicist palace in Rogalin, surrounded by a beautiful park. It 8 • Old Zoo, ul. Zwierzyniecka 19, tel. 848 08 63 includes a museum of home interiors and a painting gallery. Old 9 • Malta Ski Center, ul. Wiankowa 2, tel. 879 20 91 POZNAŃ O Wo B O U j R c m St i N e u rz ch I 2 l e C t s o K o zy w w T A a PIŁ ńska sk s c k z i e a a A Ogr. CZ go k Z a działk. a k a Oczyszcz. s a k GOS ń k c i D c y NIKI i Ścieków Koziegłowy n w d o BY n G e m a K i LECHICKA a k o LEC OBOR k H s s ICKA r s ń z a a u a N n liń r z s D o ka Ju P S ra z sz JEŻYCE cz ów w a n - P i o o c ł B g ka E30 a d b TA a 2 s R n KA k WA ka C a TY POZNAŃ LU Cm. a KAROLIN k s 11 a w o w k a t r ą u Ogr. i P M P działk. od Elektrociepłownia G o o lańs WINIARY Poznań II lę c L iń E s k C k a 6 a Serb H ska IC Stomil Lasy a K sk 19 A Serb icka A CK Komunalne Ogr. ka Y F ow ws E30 . o T LU działk. 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