Poznan
Why go to Poznan ? Well, there are many reasons for that. Firstly, this is not a secluded little town in Poland. We are talking about a city with more than half a million inhabitants and which has been a candidate for ‘European cultural city’. And it is here in Poznan central Kyoto protocols have been signed by the UN and, not least, the city is an important center of education, trade and industry.
And Poznan has more attractions and sights than you can take with you during a vacation. With its large theater, magnificent cathedral and exciting markets, the city attracts visitors from all over Europe. The Old Town has a number of historic buildings and cultural events and festivals there are always many of in Poznan.
Good and cheap restaurants, pubs and bars attract the most people. And, indeed, Poznan offers perhaps Europe’s finest and best shopping center as well.
Adding a short flight with low cost airlines, and a generally low price level, you understand that the city of Poznan will be an excellent destination for a weekend.
Get to know Poznan
It would not be entirely wrong to say that Poznan is the cradle of Poland. Here political power was gathered in the early beginnings of the Polish state. Poznan is an old town and it has been documented settlement in Poznan since before the 9th century. At that time the town was known by the name of Posnania (Latin).
During World War II, Poznan was incorporated into Hitler’s Third Reich as the headquarters of the Reichsgau Wartheland. A number of residents were arrested and executed. The Jewish settlement was not particularly large until World War II, but the fate of the Jews living in Poznan was tragic, and the vast majority of the approximately 2000 people were killed by the Nazis.
An important year in the modern history of Poznan is 1956. It was the year when workers from the locomotive factory started a series of strikes in protest of the country’s rule and communism in general. After a protest march on June 28, 1956, the protesters stormed the headquarters of the Secret Police and the Communist Party. 67 workers were killed according to official figures.
Today Poznan has a population of just over 550,000 people and is with the 5th largest in Poland. And the city is still important to Poland in terms of industry, trade, politics and education.
City Profile
- Abbreviation: POZ
- Country: Poland
Location Poznan
Poznan is located fairly centrally in Poland, but is closer to the west than the east. It is actually possible to take a day trip to eg. Berlin and Germany should that need arise. In Germany, Poznan is known by the name of Posen.
The most important river in Poznan is called Warta and flows through the city from south to north. There is also another river called Cybina which carries the water from east to west in relation to the city. There are several lakes near Poznan. The biggest one is Jezioro Kierskie (Kiekrz) and it is located well to the northwest of the center of Poznan. This lake is popular for sailing. However, the artificial lakes of Malta and Rusalka are more well-known and popular among tourists. Rusalka, and another lake called Bogdanka, are frequently used bathing places on hot summer days. On the “lake” Malta are often organized regattas and canoe trips.
The town of Poznan itself has the Old Town as its foremost draw. The main street is called Swiety Marcin. We are now on the west side of the River Warta, and this area has a number of beautiful buildings.
Stare Miasto is the Polish name of the Old Town and it covers a large area of the city center. This is where you will find the vast majority of attractions and sights.
Northeast of the Old Town and east of the River Warta you have the “new town” Nowe Miasto. It is in the Nybyen you find the cathedral, more specifically on the island of Ostrów Tumski. A strange fact is that Ostrów Tumski is in fact Poznan’s oldest district even though it belongs to the “new town”. An old and quaint district that also belongs to the “new town” is Srodka, just above Ostrów Tumski. The name Srodka comes from the Polish word for Wednesday and refers to the fact that there was an early market on this day.
Let’s also mention the district of Wilda which is just west of the Old Town. This is where the main train station and the Rynek Wildecki market are located.
Tourist in Poznan
Poznan has made major investments in infrastructure and it is not difficult to find public transport that for a very reasonable sum of money will take you where you want. The tram frequents the city center and there are modern buses that have a number of routes throughout the Poznan region.
You will find tourist information on the main square of Old Town, Stary Rynek 59/60. The tourist information is open from 1000 – 1800 on weekdays and 1000 – 1700 on weekends.
List of Poznan Acronyms
The most commonly used abbreviations about Poznan is POZ which stands for Poznan. In the following table, you can see all acronyms related to Poznan, including abbreviations for airport, city, school, port, government, and etc.
