Poznan city guide
Poznan – by many considered just a stop between Berlin and Warsaw, by others recognised as a great place for doing business. However, this city has definitely much more to offer than what it seems at first glance. There are so many things to do and see in Poznan that you will need to be very careful to not miss out on some attractions, especially if you have only a couple of days to explore Poznan. Those of you interested in history and culture will be in awe of great monuments of history and museums with exceptional exhibitions. For those who prefer to move a lot and to be active there are plenty of green areas with lakes, forests and parks where all kind of sports can be done. Here is the ultimate list of things to do and see in Poznan.
Things to do and see in Poznan by category
For those more goal-oriented here is the list of different attractions and activities available in Poznan grouped in four categories.
Active exploring in Poznan
Length of visiting: depending on how much you want to see
Price: depending on the restaurant/cafe
Explore the City Center of Poznan
In addition to the charming houses, you should take a closer look at the Old Town Hall (it’s famous because of the display of mechanical fighting goats, that fight each other every day at noon), weigh house (a place where all the goods were weighed), guardhouse, Mielzynskis’ and Dzialynskis’ palace – both built in the 18th century, merchant houses with arcades (also from 18th century) and the Museum of the Greater Poland Uprising. There’s even more! While you’re there don’t forget to see the Bamberka monument and four fountains – Proserpine, Mars, Apollo, and Neptune. Poznan old market square has a lot to offer.
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: free of charge
Walk along the riverbank
Poznań’s biggest river can be entertaining! Mostly during hotter spring-summer months, during your walk along the river-bank you can run into lots of young people chilling and having fun. Various things to do are within your reach – barbecue with friends, jogging, visiting KontenerArt with its attractions and even fishing (and it isn’t fishy at all)! Poznań’s biggest bridges like Św. Roch’s bridge or Lover’s bridge (officially called Jordan’s or Cybina’s bridge) are great places for those of you who wish to see a sunset worth photographing. Also, the Lover’s bridge is a place unlike any other in whole city – here couples leave, in imitation of bridges in Paris, Venice or Prague, padlocks with their names on it, wishing their love to be solid and full of happiness.
Address: ul. Bułgarska 17
Length of visiting: football match takes about 90 minutes
Price: depends on an event
Watch a game of football
Opened in 2010 with a Sting concert, Poznan’s stadium was created for the UEFA Euro 2012 Championships. Home of club Lech Poznan, it holds over 43 thousand visitors and during the Euros, it became a hot spot, not only for city residents but also for foreigners all over the world, who visited Poland at that time. Lots of women lost their men (for a few days, don’t be scared, after the match they came home safe ;)), lots of men sacrificed themselves to cheer their favorite teams – and that’s the Poznan’s spirit at its best!
Address: between ul. Baraniaka and ul. Warszawska
Opening hours: 24/7
Length of visiting: depends on you
Price: free of charge
Chill out at the Malta
If you’re more of ‘all-in-one’ type of person you should definitely spend your time at Malta. You will find there everything you need. Looking for a place to ride, run or skate? It’s there. Want to do skiing, snowboarding or tree climbing? It’s also there. If that’s not enough you can visit a professional gym and swim in the lake or in the biggest aquapark in Poznan afterwards. As we said – you can do everything there.
Address: ul. Krańcowa 1 (at the Malta Lake)
Opening hours: from 6 am to 11 pm
Length of visiting: depending on a ticket
Price: from 19 PLN per hour; discount: from 15 PLN per hour
Internet: www.termymaltanskie.com.pl
Have fun and rest in the Poznan’s Therms
If you are looking for the perfect place to relax you should definitely visit that largest sport and recreation centre in Poznań. The entire complex is divided into sports section where you can find Olympic swimming pool and diving pool so it’s a great place to improve your swimming endurance. However, the second part is more than tempting with all its attractions: among which are 2 outdoor geothermal pools, brine pool, double wave pool and slides…a lot of slides. If that’s not enough you might be interested in sauna world. It has over 10 different sauna zones so we’re sure you will find the best one for you.
Explore Morasko
Address: north part of Poznań
Opening hours: these terrains are always open
Explore Morasko
Morasko has a great landscape and recreational facilities. So the decision how to make the best use of all of them is up to you. You can, for example, use one of the several marked hiking trails and get into the wild for a couple of hours. You can also enjoy cycling through the large green areas (there’s free bike rental located at the final tram stop at Piatkowo). Morasko is also often visited by students because of the Adam Mickiewicz University campus and by horse riders (you can find a few stables there). Have we mentioned numerous ponds and lakes you can try to swim in? This area has really a lot to offer!
Culture hotspots in Poznan
Address: Old Town
Opening hours: 24/7
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: you decide 🙂
Sightsee the Old Market Square
You should take a closer look at the Old Town Hall (it’s famous because of the display of mechanical fighting goats, that fight each other every day at noon), weigh house, guardhouse, Mielzynskis’ and Dzialynskis’ palace – both built in 18th century, merchant houses with arcades (also from 18th century) and the Museum of the Greater Poland uprising. While you’re there don’t forget to see the Bamberka monument and four fountains – Proserpine, Mars, Apollo and Neptune.
Address: ul. Pólwiejska 32,
Opening hours: Monday – Saturday at 9 – 21 & Sundays at 10 – 20
Length of visiting: depends on you
Price: free of charge (…not so sure about it if you’ll spend all your money on some wicked shopping spree
Shop at the Old Brewery
It’s Polish for an old brewery – and that’s what the building of Shopping, Arts and Business Centre “Stary Browar” was in the past. Built in the 19th century, now it is one of the most recognized symbols of Poznan. Beautiful, well-renovated and full of possibilities for every visitor – no matter what their goals are. Located on Pólwiejska street, it’s the most trendy spot to be. A small park, which is near Stary Browar, allows you to relax in green and not-so-city-like surroundings.
Address: Zamkowa (Old Town)
Opening hours: 24/7
Length of visiting: as long as you want
Walk on Przemysl’s Hill
On the top of Przemysl’s Hill there’s a recently reconstructed Royal Castle which was destroyed during World War II.The hill itself is famous because of the baroque church of St. Anthony of Padua (built in 17th century) and the monument the 15th Poznań Cavalry Regiment that fought in both world wars. The monument is one of the most important places in Poznan, where all kinds of patriotic celebrations are carried out.
Address: Sw. Marcin, Poznan
Opening hours: depends on what part of the castle you want to see
Price: depends on what part of the castle you want to see
Internet: www.zamek.poznan.pl
Get the feel for Polish royalty
The castle was constructed in 1910 for the German Emperor William II when Poznan was under Prussian Partition. During World War II the chapel of the castle was changed into the private base of Hitler, with a characteristic balcony with an electric-heated floor. Nowadays, the Imperial Castle is one of the most important cultural centres of Poznan. Inside the castle you can find a cinema (in the former throne room), art galleries, museum of June ’56, a puppet theatre, music clubs, restaurants and pubs.
Address: ul. Aleksandra Fredry 9
Opening hours: park is open 24/7
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Rest at the front of the Grand Theatre
This one is not precisely about this beautiful neoclassical opera house located in the centre of Poznan but about the large park located opposite the Grand Theatre. Among citizens of Poznan it’s famous because of the fountain that chills the surroundings during the hot summer days. Because of its location, the park is a popular meeting point for students between classes or a great place to have a break during work. Whatever your reasons are, it’s always good to lie down on the grass and do absolutely nothing – if you haven’t done this before – it’s about time to try.
Museums & monuments in Poznan
Address: Golebia 1 (Old Town)
Opening hours: open 24/7
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: free
Visit Fara
This baroque parish church is famous in Poland because of its unique facade. The building you can see today is a mixture of very old and relatively modern as the construction works started in the middle of 16th century and ended in the first years of 20th century. Its richly decorated pink facade with double white pilasters is limited on both sides by the two church towers topped with copper. The absolute highlight of the church is the organ designed and built by a famous organmaster in Europe – Friedrich Ladegast of Weissenfels in Saxony.
Address: Imperial Castle (ul. Św. Marcin)
Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday: 10 – 18; Saturday – Sunday: 10 – 16
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: 4 PLN, discounted: 2 PLN
Visit June ’56 Museum
In 1956 the first general strike and street demonstrations in the People’s Republic of Poland took place at the end of June in Poznan. The protests were brutally suppressed by the army and militia. Museum collects not only memorabilia of June ’56 but also artefacts to do with the fight against communism itself. The exhibition is organized in a way that should interest younger visitors (multimedia presentations, played out scenes) which make the museum a special and interesting place for all the people, not only those who are interested in the history of Poland.
Address: on the east of the Old Market (between Chwaliszewo and Srodka)
Opening hours: open 24/7
Length of visiting: depending on you
Price: free
Internet: www.trakt.poznan.pl/
See the Cathedral Island
The Cathedral Island presents many valuable relics of Polish history. The first cathedral’s church was built in the second half of the tenth century and the cathedral itself is a great example of Gothic architecture with its tall and slender structure. The catacombs are the resting place of the rulers of the Piast dynasty (including Mieszko I and Boleslaw the Brave). Another very important place is St. Mary’s Church, dating back to the year 965 when Dobrawa’s castle chapel was built here.
Chilling out in Poznan
Address: Old City Center
Opening hours: 24/7
Length of visiting: depends on your spot
Price: free entry, but then you spend as much as you want
Chill out at the Old Market Square
Almost every major city in Poland has its own Old Market Square – and Poznań is no exception. It gives you a great opportunity to take a short break from exploring the city and the old market square itself and to enjoy your time by sitting in one of the many beer gardens. Besides the wide choice of beer and other drinks they also offer a great variety of regional and international cuisine from all around the world. Is there anything better than enjoying a cold drink, great food and the unique atmosphere in the heart of the city? Probably not.
Address: al. Armii Poznań/ul. Szelągowska
Opening hours: 24/7
Length of visiting: it takes a while as it’s huge!
Relax in Cytadela
Park Cytadela (Citadel Park) is the largest park in Poznań with an area of about 100 acres. It was built in the years 1963-1970 on the site of a former fort, Fort Winiary, which was the largest artillery fort in Europe. Apart from the vast amount of green areas, Citadel offers many interesting places to visit such as the Museum of Armaments and the Museum of Army Poznań. However, mainly Citadel Park is a perfect place to spend time lying on the grass, having a barbecue with friends, doing sports or walking along the pathways. It’s also a great spot for fans of cycling or skating. Just go out and see it for yourself.
Address: ul. Matejki 18
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Recuperate in Wilson’s Park
One of the most recognizable parks in Poznań was founded in 1901 and it covers an area of 7.2 ha. Located in the Łazarz district near the well-known International Trade Fairs is the biggest oasis of green in this part of the city. Once you’re there you shouldn’t forget to see the bust of President Wilson or the monument of Perseus and Andromeda. In the park there are also two trees which are monuments of nature: plane-tree with a trunk circumference of 410 cm and a willow tree with a circumference of 430 cm.
Address: ul. Matejki 18 (in Wilson’s Park)
Opening hours: 9am – 5pm
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: 7 PLN; discounted ticket: 5 PLN
Get closer to nature in the Palm House
Prepare for the unforgettable journey through continents, different climate zones and a variety of exotic places. You might be surprised but all the pavilions of the palm house extend to over 4,900 square metres which is great for you in terms of spending time close to nature. Unquestionably, the main attraction is the aquarium consisting of 37 tanks featuring 170 species of fish from all over the world, and about 40 species of aquatic plants. It take some time to see all the things that can be seen in the Poznan Palm House so make sure you have some spare time up your sleeve.
Address: Golecin, Poznan
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: free of charge
Chill out at Rusałka Lake
On the west of Poznań you can find lake called “Rusałka” (the Polish word for water nymph). Created in the first half of the 20th century, soon it became a popular resort with public beach for the tired townsmen. And its role hasn’t changed even after all these years! Rusalka is surrounded by forest, giving you a chance to do various things and choose from many given options. Fishing or riding a bike, taking a long walk or sunbathing and swimming during hot summer days – it’s all there for you!
Address: between ul. Baraniaka and ul. Warszawska
Opening hours: all the time
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Rejuvenate in Malta
Malta is not only a big, artificial (it was created in 1952) lake surrounded by trees and lawns but it’s also a place where you can feel like you are actually outside the city. On the southern side of Malta you will find a big forest which is perfect for long walks while the eastern part of the area is occupied by the New Zoo at White Mountain. You can get to the New Zoo by foot or by taking a ride with the Maltanka Park Railway. Did we also mention the highest fountain in Poznań located in the middle of the lake?