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 The Old Market Square - laid out in 1253, it is still one of the largest city markets in Europe. The central part includes the City Hall, cloth hall, weighing house, arsenal, and the former butcher’s shops. Once the communication heart of the city, today the market is a favourite meeting place, both for tourists and Poznanians. The City Hall - built at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, the City Hall got current shape after the great fire in 1536. The major attraction is the Billy Goats – the symbol of the city - appearing everyday at noon on the tower. The City Hall houses a museum, with the Great Hall especially worth seeing due to its lavishly decorated vault. Booth houses - unique remnants of the former commercial infrastructure. In the 13th century, there were wooden booths in the location of today's tenement houses, in which peddlers sold herrings, salt and candles. At the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, narrow, often single-windowed houses were built to replace the booths. Nowadays, these colourful houses are a real ornament for the city, and their arcades have been occupied by local artists selling their works. |
The Działyński Palace - built in the 18th century in the baroque style, the palace is one of the most beautiful buildings situated in the market. Originally owned by the Działyński family, it was then acquired by the Zamoyskis. Today the palace houses a branch of the Kórnik Library. |
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 Ostrów Tumski and the Cathedral - Ostrów Tumski is a place of great historical importance both on the municipal and national scale, since it was here that the Baptism of Poland took place in 966. It is also the resting place of the original creators of the Polish national state, Mieszko and Bolesław Chrobry. The most famous places in the gothic cathedral are the Royal Chapel, also called the Golden Chapel, and the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament. The Royal Castle - in order to get to the 13th-century castle, you can go up Franciszkańska St. Once the castle served as the seat of the Great Poland Dukes, as well as the residence for kings when they stayed in Poznań. Today, the castle interiors house a museum in which you can see everyday objects and ornaments whose history spans from Middle Ages up to the modern times. |
The Kaiser’s Castle - a former residence of the German Kaiser, built at the beginning of the 20th century. It used to be the most important building of the former castle district of the city. In the interwar period it was the residence of the Polish President and the University of Poznań. During the Second World War, the castle was rebuilt to become Adolf Hitler’s residence. Nowadays, the castle provides the venue for numerous cultural events. The National Museum - built at the beginning of the 20th century, it houses a lavish collection of European and Polish paintings, including works of such luminaries as Wyspiański, Matejko, Boznańska, Malczewski, Bellini, and Ribera. The Raczyński Library - this classicist building was erected at the beginning of the 19th century. The façade, made of a row of Corinthian columns, was modelled on the Eastern wall of the Louvre. The Jesuit College - a huge, four-story building with a decorative facade, formerly inhabited by monks dealing with education of young people. The today's building dates back to 1703. After the dissolution of the college, the building housed various offices. In addition, it used to serve as an occasional residence for Napoleon Bonaparte and prince Antoni Radziwiłł. The former college, now the City Office, also saw the concerts of Fryderyk Chopin. The Malta - this slightly exotic name refers to a sports and recreation complex including an artificial lake with a regatta route, year-round ski resort and a zoo. In winter visitors may use the skating rink or take the Maltanka mini railroad to the park. Poznań International Fair - the area of Poznań International Fair stretches West off the city centre. The Fair is one of the oldest exhibition events in Europe. Apart from a comprehensive commercial offer, the actual exhibition hall buildings may be of interest, for instance the so-called Steeple, a remnant after the Górnośląska Tower was erected in 1911. The Botanical Garden - established in 1925 in the Jeżyce district, the garden has about 8 thousand species of plants from all climatic zones. The Zoo - there are two zoological gardens in Poznań: the so-called Old Zoo situated in ul. Zwierzyniecka, which is worth seeing not for its permanent residents, but the unique architecture of the old pavilions. The New Zoo is located nearby Malta. |
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| In the area around Poznań: |
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Kórnik - a town situated 20 km South-East off Poznań, primarily known for its castle complex and the arboretum. The castle used to be the private residence of renowned art collectors, whose free spirit is reflected in its character. Today, it houses a museum and the Kórnik Library. The arboretum is a huge English-style park where a number of alien tree species have been acclimated. |
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