History lovers who visit Poznań should not omit the Piast Route, which runs through places where 1,000 years ago, the history of Poland began.

 

The Piast Route starts in Poznań, at the foot of the cathedral in Ostrów Lednicki. A few years ago, archaeologists found relics of a palace which dates back to when the first sovereign of Poland, prince Mieszko I, lived in this area.

 

Photo 1 – The cathedral in Poznań

The route then runs northeast towards Gniezno. However, before you enter Gniezno, it’s a good idea to stay for a while in Lednogóra (about 35 km from Poznań). Here, a few kilometers north of the main road, is a small island on a lake – Ostrów Lednicki. Archaeologists also recently found here a palatium (palace), a baptistery chapel, a church, and bridges along with defensive emplacements dating back to the second half of the 10th century. The exposure of two baptismal pools makes the archaeologists speculate that it was here that Mieszko I, along with his closest people, accepted Christianity. The date of the baptism is commonly acknowledged as the very beginning of the statehood of Poland. According to certain sources, in 1000 Lednica hosted the German Emperor Otton III during his pilgrimage to Gniezno, a city where the tomb of Saint Adalbert of Prague is located.

 

Photo 2 – A fragment of the excavations at Ostrów Lednicki

From Lednica it is only few kilometers to Gniezno. Gniezno is a 1,000 year old city with a tradition lasting even longer. The most magnificent witness to the city’s history is the cathedral, which towers over the city centre. The Roman vaults, gothic construction, baroque chapels and elements from all possible architecture styles make this building a treasury of Polish culture in a truly European dimension. However, the most precious relics are the 12th century Gniezno Bronze Doors – the most important Roman masterpiece in Poland. They illustrate the life and the death of Saint Adalbert and the placement of his holy relics in a silver sarcophagus.

 

Photo 3 – The cathedral in Gniezno

From Gniezno the route runs to nearby Trzemieszno, where you can find a church which dates back to the Norbertine times at the beginning of the12th century, when the Norbertine order came to Poland. Going further, in Mogilno you can contemplate the sacral Roman architecture erected in the 11th century by Benedictine monks. Then, in Strzelno, 30 kilometers east from Gniezno, there are two must-see points on every visitor’ destination list. The first is the Roman rotunda of Saint Prokop, and the other is the Holy Trinity church with its famous columns. While on the Piast route, you should not omit Kruszwica (about 100 km from Poznań). There stands also the famous Mysia Wieża (Mice Tower), where according to legend, one thousand years ago a wave of mice bit the evil king Popiel to death.

The earliest traces of settlement on Polish soil can then be admired in the small village of Biskupin (situated around 30 km from Gniezno) where, in the 1930s, a hamlet dating back to the 8th century was found.

 

Photo 4 – Settlement in Biskupin

 

On your way back to Poznań you can stay for a while in Giecz, which is situated few kilometers on south from the Gniezno – Września – Poznań road. Giecz, along with Poznań, Gniezno and Ostrów Lednocki belonged to the most powerful early-Piast fortications in Poland. To this day the ruins of the fortified town impress viewers and raise questions about the mysterious and fascinating times when the Polish statehood was born.

It’s best to visit the Piast Route by car. In one day you can see, for example, the cathedrals in Poznań, Ostrów Lednicki and Gniezno. However, if you wish to take a longer trip, you may need accommodation.