A little bit of history

Poznań is one of the oldest cities in Poland. It is Poznań where 1000 years ago, the first brick seat of the Polish monarch, was built in Ostrów Tumski, next to the gothic cathedral. The walls of the Palacium of Mieszko I were discovered few years ago by a group of Poznań archeologists whose head is Prof. Anna Kočka-Krenz. It follows from the research that the seat of Mieszko was a huge, storied building which had not been erected in Poland before. The first monarch of Poland adopted Catholicism and got married with the Czech princess – Dobrawa, which is why the first Polish catholic temple was built within the premises of the castle. Near the temple, in the basement of Poznań cathedral, a stone bowl can be seen, probably a font, in which Mieszko was christened. In the oldest part of Poznań, the cathedral itself and the Archdiocesan Museum are worth visiting.
Historic monuments which must not be omitted in Poznań include also the old town with a renaissance market square and city hall built more than 750 years ago. In the newly renovated city hall, the Renaissance Room is worth seeing. Ceremonial sessions of the City Council are held there. Interesting collections can be found in the Museum of History of the city of Poznań. (Picture 1)
In the neighborhood of the Old Market Square, the oldest Poznań churches are situated. Among them, there are two "pearls" of Polish baroque – the Parish Church and the Franciscan church at the Przemysł Hill.

A little bit of art

At the outskirts of the Old Market Square, there is the Poznań Department of the National Museum including very interesting collection of Polish art of the end of 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. The pictures by Jacek Malczewski, Witkacy or Tadeusz Makowski can be seen there. The collection of sculptures of the outstanding Polish artist – Magdalena Abakanowicz is worth seeing as well. One of her biggest sculptures' groups – "The Unrecognized" ("Nierozpoznani") can be admired within the Poznań Cytadela Park. More than 100 cast iron figures without heads greatly match to the surrounding green areas.
As there is a summer break in theatres and philharmonic hall, music lovers can visit Poznań music clubs. The most interesting music events (rock and jazz) are organized at the courtyard of the Centrum Kultury Zamek (Castle Culture Center), in the Pod Pretekstem Restaurant (Under the pretext Restaurant) or at the Art Courtyard of Stary Browar (Old Brewery).

A few words about the neighborhood

In the surrounding of Poznań, there are many interesting palaces, courts and little castles. Wielkopolska little courts, rebuilt for the purposes of hotels are most often located among forests and lakes, and suit excellently the weekend trips beyond the city.
When it comes to the neighborhood of Poznań, Kórnik is worth visiting as well. There is a little English style neo-roman castle which is the seat of the Polish Działyński family. At the back of the castle, one can relax in a beautiful park – arboretum, with many exotic trees imported more than 150 years ago by Tytus Działyński.
Apart from Kórnik, Rogalin is also worth visiting. It is the castle of another Poznań aristocratic family – the Raczyńskis. In one of the castle's parts, the room of the count Edward Raczyński, the president of the Republic of Poland in exile can be seen.

Something for the body

Poznań is famous also for its cuisine. Traditional Poznań specialties can be eaten in many restaurants in the Poznań Old Town. However, the "bamberska" cuisine with its numerous potato, cabbage and meat dishes is worth recommending. It is being serviced, among others, in "Bamberka" in the Old Market Square and in "Zagroda bamberska" in Jeżyce. Tasty Polish cuisine is also offered by "Bażanciarnia" in the Old Market Square.