Wielkopolska

Church

Gniezno’s history and character are inextricably intertwined with its cathedral, an imposing, double-towered brick Gothic structure. The present church was constructed after the Teutonic Knights destroyed the previous Romanesque cathedral in 1331. Chapels sprouted up around it, and the interior was redecorated in successive styles. After considerable damage in WWII, it was rebuilt according to the original Gothic structure. You can climb the tower for city views. The audio guide takes in the cathedral, tower, crypt and Romanesque bronze doors.

Museum

Rogalin, situated some 30km south of Poznań, has an impressive, two-storey baroque palace that was home to Polish aristocratic clan, the Raczyński family. The central structure and two modest symmetrical wings are linked to the main body by curving galleries, forming a giant horseshoe around a vast forecourt. Tours are with multilingual audio guides. Combined tickets also give admission to the London Study, Portrait Gallery, Coach House and Painting Gallery.

Museum

Gołuchów’s castle began life around 1560 as a small fortified mansion with octagonal towers at its corners, built by the Leszczyński family. Some 50 years later it was enlarged and reshaped into a palatial residence in the late Renaissance style. Abandoned at the end of the 17th century, it gradually fell into ruins until the Działyński family, the owners of Kórnik castle, bought it in 1856. It was completely rebuilt between 1872 and 1885, when it acquired its French appearance.

Museum

On the western side of Lake Jelonek, this museum illustrates Gniezno's pivotal role in Polish history. The permanent collection contains archaeological finds and works of art related to the development of the Polish nation, from pre-Slavic times to the end of the Piast dynasty. Admission includes a multilingual 3D film about Poland under the Piasts. An interesting feature of the museum is how it tells a narrative over time through clever use of its exhibits.

Public Art

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.

Museum

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.

Historic Site

Biskupin’s re-created Iron Age town site, with its wooden palisades, thatched roofs and costumed historical re-enactors, is a stimulating way to learn about the distant past. The fortified lake town was built about 2700 years ago by a tribe of the Lusatian culture, then rediscovered in 1933 by a school teacher who noticed wooden stakes poking out of the lake. You can either wander through the grounds on your own or organise an English-speaking guide in advance for 150zł.

Museum

Kórnik Castle's present-day appearance dates from the mid-19th century, when its owner, Tytus Działyński, gave the castle an outlandish mock-Gothic character, partly based on a design by German architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The building now looks as though two halves of completely different castles were spliced together, perhaps by force, and provides interesting photos from varying angles. Part of the castle is open as a museum. You can wander through its 19th-century interiors, dotted with items collected by the family.

Historic Site

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.