Poznan, Poland
According to cachedhealth, Poznań is a city drowned in history. She was the first capital of Poland and saw many dramatic events in the formation of the nation. Today it is a diverse and lively large city in the west of the country, which can offer the traveler a huge amount of activities and entertainment. Cheerful nightlife, very good museums, many interesting places in the vicinity – even the central square of Poznan alone is already worth it to come here. In addition, it is also convenient: Poznan lies on the Moscow – Berlin railway line and on many similar routes of bus companies. By the way, fanatics of railway romance will definitely like it here: Poznan is one of the last cities in Europe, where passenger trains with steam locomotives have been preserved.
Almost all modern high-tech industrial exhibitions and fairs in Poland are held in Poznań. The very first such event, held in 1925, attracted many business people from all over the world to this city.
How to get to Poznan
The city airport is located 7 kilometers from the center of Poznan. From there, planes fly daily to different countries and cities in Poland: to Warsaw, Krakow and Gdansk. From the airport to the city center by bus number 159 (night route number 222). You can also use the express buses running on the L line (the first letter of the word airport in Polish). The final stop of this route is the railway station, where all trains going to Poznań arrive.
The train from Warsaw goes to “Poznań Glavna” (this is the name of the city’s railway station) for about 4 hours and costs – from 49 PLN. The journey from Krakow will be long, about 6 hours on the way, and will cost – from 60 PLN, but from Wroclaw the train will take you 2 hours and 38 PLN. Schedule and prices are subject to change. Prices on the page are for July 2021.
At the railway station “Poznań Glavna” you can call a taxi to the main entrance free of charge. This service can be used at press kiosks.
The bus station is located seven hundred meters from the railway station. From it, by Eurolines buses, you can go to any point in Europe. The trip from Warsaw will take you about 4 hours, and from Wroclaw – 2.5.
Transport in the city
From the railway station, located near the center of Poznań, the city can be reached by public transport, tram (No. 5, 8, 18) and bus (No. 100). But the main thing you need to know about the local public transport is the price. The cost of a train ticket here depends on the number of stops (one stop will cost – 0.72 PLN) or on the travel time (15 minutes will cost 4 PLN). In addition, it is possible to buy a day ticket (one day or seven days): a daily ticket costs 15 PLN or a little more, depending on how many routes it covers.
The Tourist Information Center is located on the south side of the Old Market Square. They will always help you with advice on what to see or where to stay, as well as provide free maps of the city. On the days of festivals, fairs and the holiday season, the center is open until 21:00, and in winter and autumn – until 19:00.
Poznan Hotels
If you did not take care of booking a hotel in advance, and when you arrived, you got on the days of the International Poznań Fair or some other festival, then there may be problems with places in hotels. In this case, hostels (an ideal overnight stay for group travelers) can become a way out.
By The Way Hostel is ready to provide travelers with an overnight stay for 130 PLN.
In addition to hostels and hostels, there are enough other hotels in the city. But in them, too, when booking places, pay attention to the date: on the days of fairs, the price is higher. A three-star hotel will shelter a tired traveler and feed him breakfast for about 160 PLN. And carefully follow the dates of cultural events – the specifics of the city. Only the famous Sheraton Poznan does not adhere to such a pricing policy, rooms in which cost about 308 PLN per day.
Cuisine and restaurants in Poznań
A network of so-called milk bars has been preserved in Poznań from Soviet times. They serve simple and cheap food, so young people still appreciate these establishments. Tourists should also not miss the opportunity to eat there, tired of excursions and impressions, because dinner in a restaurant will cost them an average of about 45 PLN, while in a milk bar you can eat a sweet dessert for 18 PLN.
As for the more solid cafes, bars, restaurants and pastry shops, the city clearly does not lack them. But when choosing a place, don’t pass by the coffee shop at 28 St. Marcin Street. Just keep in mind that people go to Kociak to drink delicious coffee or hot chocolate with ice cream or other no less delicious desserts. For a solid and satisfying meal, you need to go to restaurants of national cuisine, in order to definitely try Poznańk style potatoes with cottage cheese and cream (“piry with gzik”). Here, for example, in the artistic and musical cafeteria-restaurant (as they call themselves) Pod Pretekstem or in the restaurant Wiejskie Jadlo, decorated in a classic folk style.
Shopping and stores
There are many wonderful shops in Poznań selling unique items that cannot be found anywhere else. For example, goats, exact copies of those that daily at noon butt heads on the tower of the Town Hall above the clock. Or “bambers” – copies of the figure of a girl with buckets, standing over a well. Why “bamberka”? This was the name of the inhabitants of the German city of Bamberg, who moved to Poznan and assimilated with the locals. A lot of hand-made goods and vintage toys are sold at the Old Market Square. Not far from it is a small mall Kupiec Poznański, where you can find more than 50 shops and currency exchange offices. Also good shopping centers are Stary Browar, Gallery Malta and Poznan Plaza.
Entertainment and attractions in Poznan
The historical center of Poznań is the Old Town with its Market Square, the Town Hall building, crowned with a proud eagle, under which there is a clock tower, and the Proserpina Fountain opposite. There is also the Royal Palace and the Gorki Palace, the Franciscan Church and the Church of St. Stanislaus and the Virgin Mary, where organ music concerts are held (the entrance is paid, but the pleasure costs no more than one and a half euros).
Poznań hosts not only industrial exhibitions, but also cultural events. For example, the spring concerts “Poznań Musical Spring”, the theater festival “Malta” and the modern dance festival.
Museums
In addition to the beautiful architecture, the city has many interesting museums. There is a museum of archeology, a museum of musical instruments, a museum of the Poznan uprising, a museum of Henryk Sinkevich and many others.
