TAKE A BREAK IN POZNAN

The old town of Poznań dates from the Renaissance. And it kept all its charm after all these years. It is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in Poland. Although I really liked the old town of Warsaw, this one is very charming. The old town is very animated, there are many bars and restaurants. The facades of the houses are beautifully decorated. It is very pleasant to walk around and get lost in the streets. It is not very big, so 1 to 2 hours will be enough to visit it. Numerous information boards are available in the city. This is quite helpful to look for activities to do. There are a few museums to visit if you want. Like for example the Royal Castle (Zamek Królewski w Poznaniu), which dates from the 13th century. Today it is a museum with objects from various eras. If you have the time, do it, it’s worth it.

Entrance fee: free on Tuesdays when I was there.

The Poznań Imperial Castle (Zamek Cesarski w Poznaniu) was built in 1910 and had several functions. It was the home of several emperors, then of the Nazis, and a faculty of mathematics. Today it is a cultural center. With all the functionalities that the building could have had, you can imagine, the rooms have undergone many changes of decor and some modifications. The interior is quite pretty, and you can see that it has lived through several eras with the mixture of styles in the different rooms, between wood and marble. Besides, there are few objects, many empty rooms but with information on what happened in most rooms. It’s quite interesting. The museum is not very big, 1h30 will be enough to visit it.

Entrance fee: PLN 5 / € 1 without audioguide

The Ostrow Tumski district is an old district, close to the old town. The Archicathedral Basilica of St. Peter and Paul(bazylika archikatedralna Świętych Apostołów Piotra i Pawła w Poznaniu) is located there. It dates from the second half of the 10th century, and it is one of the oldest cathedrals in Poland. It looks impressive on the outside, but the inside looks a bit smaller. The architecture and the decor are simple.
Not far away, you have the Srodka district. It’s a nice and peaceful little neighborhood. Don’t miss the city’s most famous street art on a building facade. The painting tells the story of the neighborhood and it is really well done. It really looks like it’s in 3D.
I came across the Stary Brower Mall by chance on a travel blog. While preparing my trip, I had noted it among the things to do in Poznań, but I honestly couldn’t remember why. As I had some time to spare before taking the bus to Gdansk, I went for a walk. And no regrets! It’s such a beautiful mall. An incredible and unique architecture. It is a former Huggerów brewery that has been transformed into a shopping center. They kept the architecture as much as they could, and the result is just magnificent. Go take a look, really! In an hour you would have been around, and it is not very far from the center.
To end your city tour, go for a walk in the Citadel Park (Park Cytadela). It is one of the largest parks in the city. This park was formerly a military fort. That’s why there is a cemetery for the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs in 1945. There is also an army museum (closed when I was there). It is a very nice park to go for a walk. There is a mixture of landscaped garden and traces of war, but the whole is strangely well harmonized.
Half a day will be enough to visit everything outside the city.

Poznań is a very cute little town, but not very big, as are the museums. Activities around town are nearby. A good day is enough to visit the city.

The Folk Hostel is a self-service hostel, just like the hostel where I stayed in Wroclaw. But this time there was someone who was at the front desk sometimes, which I find more reassuring in case of problem. To get the information and the codes, you just have to wait around 30 minutes after receiving the booking confirmation. The hostel is nice, few showers / toilets for the number of beds there are. And on the top floor, I couldn’t get the wifi. However, the location is just perfect. It is one block from the main square! It’s great.