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Wielkopolska

If you want to experience the essence of Poland’s eventful history, head for Wielkopolska. The region’s name means Greater Poland, and this is where the Polish state was founded in the Middle Ages. Centuries later, the local population has an understandable pride in its long history.

Poznań is a lively and attractive city with plenty of interesting sights and good restaurants. Beyond, the Wielkopolska countryside offers a selection of charming towns and rural scenery. Among the region’s attractions are castles, steam trains, palaces, churches, nature reserves and a memorable Iron Age settlement in Biskupin. And at the heart of it all is the great cathedral of Gniezno, the birthplace of Catholic Poland.

It’s an impressive menu, but Wielkopolska is also a great place to strike out on your own. Wherever you end up, you’ll be sure to find something of historic interest; it’s that kind of place.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Wielkopolska.

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Śródka Mural
Just east of Ostrów Tumski in the centre of the Śródka district you will find a sensational trompe-l'œil mural by artist Arleta Kolasińska. It covers the entire side of a building to make the wall appear three-dimensional and depicts Śródka in the 1920s, with amusing details like the trumpeter on the roof, the cat even higher up, a woman at the window, and a fat-bellied butcher posing at the doorway. Its true beauty though is its overall visual effect. Too late for a spoiler alert, but not for a tip: if you approach the mural from the east (tram stop Rondo Śródka), then it rises up suddenly as a colourful mirage in the village atmosphere of Śródka.
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Porta Posnania Interactive Heritage Centre
This cutting-edge multimedia museum provides an entertaining and insightful history of the birth of the Polish nation. It tells the tale through Ostrów Tumski's eventful history using imaginatively arranged interactive displays, as well as maps, movies and models. It’s located opposite the island’s eastern shore and is linked to the cathedral area by footbridge. The multilingual audio guide brings it all together from the time of first settlement on the island to the present day.
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Poznań Cathedral
Ostrów Tumski is dominated by this monumental double-towered cathedral. Essentially Gothic with additions from later periods, notably the baroque upper towers, the cathedral was damaged in 1945 and took 11 years to rebuild. Early Polish kings were buried in the crypt – apart from fragments of their tombs, you can see the relics of the original church dating from 968, and of the Romanesque building from the second half of the 11th century. The aisles and the ambulatory are ringed by a dozen chapels containing numerous tombstones. The most famous is the Golden Chapel behind the high altar, which houses the remains of the first two kings of Poland: Mieszko I and Bolesław Chrobry.
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Parish Church
Two blocks south of the Rynek, this church was originally built for the Jesuits by architects from Italy, and completed only after more than 80 years of work (1651–1732). The impressive baroque structure has an ornamented facade, and a lofty interior supported on massive columns which is crammed with monumental altars.
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Ostrów Tumski
To the east of the Old Town, over the Warta River, is the island of Ostrów Tumski (Cathedral Island). You’re walking through deep history here, the place where Poznań was founded, and with it the Polish state. The original 9th-century settlement was gradually transformed into an oval stronghold surrounded by wood-and-earth ramparts, with an early stone palace. Mieszko I added a cathedral and further fortifications, and by the end of the 10th century Poznań was the most powerful stronghold in the country. In the 13th century, when Poznań had spread beyond the island and the newly designed town was laid out, Ostrów Tumski lost its trade and administrative importance, but remained the residence of the Church authorities. This river island is dominated by the monumental, double-towered Poznań Cathedral, originally built in 968. The Byzantine-style Golden Chapel (1841) and the mausoleums of Mieszko I and Bolesław Chrobry (known as Bolesław the Brave) are behind the high altar. Opposite the cathedral is the 15th-century Gothic Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The island is 1km east of the Old Town. The island has a rather unique village atmosphere and rewards an aimless stroll. At ul Śródka 3 (in the Śródka district as you approach the island from the east) you'll find an enormous trompe-l'œil mural depicting Śródka in the 1920s.
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Town Hall
Poznań’s Renaissance town hall, topped with a 61m-high tower, instantly attracts attention. Its graceful form replaced a 13th-century Gothic structure, which burned down in the early 16th century. Every day at noon two metal goats appear through a pair of small doors above the clock and butt their horns together 12 times, in deference to an old legend. These days, the town hall is home to the city's Historical Museum. The building was designed by Italian architect Giovanni Battista Quadro and built from 1550 to 1560; only the tower is a later addition, built in the 1780s after its predecessor collapsed. The crowned eagle on top of the spire, with an impressive wingspan of 2m, adds some Polish symbolism. Concerning the legend of the goats: apparently two goats intended for a celebratory banquet escaped and ended up clashing horns above the about-to-be-unveiled clock, much to the amusement of the assembled dignitaries. The clockmaker was duly ordered to add the errant animals’ images to his piece.
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Historical Museum of Poznań
This museum in Poznań's town hall displays an interesting exhibition on the city's history in splendid interiors. The richly ornamented Renaissance Hall on the 1st floor is a real gem, with its original stucco work and paintings from 1555. The 2nd floor contains artefacts from the Prussian/German period, documents illustrating city life in the 1920s and '30s, and a collection of interesting memorabilia from the past two centuries. In front of the building, near the main entrance, is the pręgierz (whipping post), once the site of public floggings – and of more serious penalties. The original miniature model executioner which accompanied the post, dating from 1535, is on display in the museum.
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Wolsztyn Roundhouse
This museum, 100km from Poznań in the town of Wolsztyn, exhibits steam locomotives within a working depot and roundhouse. It can be easily reached daily by regular trains from Poznań (17zl, 1½ hours), but each Saturday morning at 10.23am year round (sometimes more frequently in summer) a steam train (17zl, 2¼ hours) sets out from Poznań's main train station, arriving in Wolsztyn at 12.36pm, returning just after 2pm. This gives you plenty of time to check out the museum. On the first Saturday in May, Wolsztyn is also home to the Steam Parade, a festival featuring steam locomotives from across Europe.
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Citadel Park
This large park is laid out on what was once a massive Prussian fortress. The fortress was involved in one major battle, when the Germans defended themselves for four weeks in 1945; as a result it was destroyed, apart from a few fragments. Today Citadel Park incorporates two museums: the Museum of Armaments and the Poznań Army Museum. There are also cemeteries for Polish, Soviet, British and Commonwealth soldiers, all on the southern slopes of the hill. Buses 176 and 603 are useful for reaching the park as they run the length of Garbary.