Poznan Guide: Culture and Entertainment in Poland

Today Poznań presents itself as a youthful urban center with a vibrant nightlife and numerous cultural opportunities, ranging from art galleries to various nearby attractions. The Polish city also plays the role of a cosmopolitan tourist center, benefiting from twinning with many foreign cities, near and far, such as Brno (Czech Republic) and Toledo (United States).
Upon arriving in Poznań, one cannot help but admire Ostrów Tumski, or the Cathedral Island, known as the place where the city originated and mainly inhabited by bishops, priests, and monks. It is possible to reach the Cathedral Island from the center via trams (lines 4, 8, and 17) and buses (63). Here begins the tour with the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, which was the first and only one to be built in Poland between 968 and 1000.
The tour continues with the Church of Our Lady, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Lubrański Academy (founded in 1518), the Psalter House, and various canonries mostly dating from the 17th and 19th centuries.
If you go to Stary Rynek, the old town square, you can admire the town hall, the church of Saint Stanislaus and Our Lady, the former Jesuit college, the King’s Castle, the Franciscan Church, and the Gorka Palace.
A few minutes from the Cathedral Island is the so-called ‘Srodka‘ district, from the Polish ‘Środa’, meaning ‘Wednesday’, the day weekly markets were held.
In the Emperor’s district you can admire the Emperor’s castle, while to discover how beer is made you can join the tour held at the brewery on Szwajcarska str. History lovers can learn about the origins of Poznań by visiting Ludgardy str. and observing one of the only two interactive exhibitions possible in Europe, while train enthusiasts can experience a fantastic journey by steam train to the Wielkopolska National Park.
In Poznań it is possible to shop at various shopping centers, supermarkets, and open-air markets and have fun in the nightclubs mainly located at Stary Rynek.
In 2012 Poznań was the host of some matches of the European Football Championship, including those of the Italian national team.