Poznan, Poland
Candidate city for European Capital of Culture in 2016.
Information
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral.
Poznań is one of eleven Polish candidate cities for European Capital of Culture 2016 and is one of four Polish cities; which will host football during the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament.
Poznań is an important centre of trade, industry, and education, and hosts regular international trade fairs. It was the host city for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2008, a key stage in the creation of a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Poznan is a candidate city for European Capital of Culture in 2016.
Poznań's largest lake is Jezioro Kierskie (Kiekrz Lake) in the extreme north-west of the city. Other large lakes include Malta, Jezioro Strzeszyńskie (Strzeszyn Lake) on the Bogdanka, and Rusałka, an artificial lake further down the Bogdanka, formed in 1943. The latter two are popular bathing places. Kiekrz Lake is much used for sailing, while Malta is a competitive rowing and canoeing venue.
The city centre (including the Old Town, the former islands of Grobla and Chwaliszewo, the main street Święty Marcin and many other important buildings and districts) lies on the west side of the Warta. Opposite it between the two branches of the Warta is Ostrów Tumski, containing Poznań Cathedral and other ecclesiatical buildings, as well as housing and industrial facilities. Facing the cathedral on the east bank of the river is the historic district of Śródka. Large areas of apartment blocks, built from the 1960s onwards, include Rataje in the east, and Winogrady and Piątkowo north of the centre. Older residential and commercial districts include those of Wilda, Łazarz and Górczyn to the south, and Jeżyce to the west. There are also significant areas of forest within the city boundaries, particularly in the east adjoining Swarzędz, and around the lakes in the north-west.
Culture & Sights
Poznań has many historic buildings and sights, mostly concentrated around the Old Town and other parts of the city centre. Many of these lie on the Royal-Imperial Route – a tourist walk leading through the most important parts of the city showing its history, culture and identity.
Perhaps the most important cultural event in Poznań is the annual Malta theatre festival, which takes place at many city venues usually in late June and early July. It hosts mainly modern experimental off-theatre performances, often taking place on squares and other public spaces. It also includes cinema, visual, music and dancing events.
Classical music events include the Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition (held every 5 years), and classical music concerts by the city's Philharmonic Orchestra held each month in the University Aula, and concerts by the Poznań Nightingales.
Poznań hosted the 2009 European Young Adults Meeting of the ecumenical Christian Taizé Community.
Poznań also stages the "Ale Kino!" International Young Audience Film Festival in December and the "Off Cinema" festival of independent films. Poznań has several cinemas, including both multiplexes and smaller cinemas, an opera house and several other theatres, as well as museums.
The "Rozbrat" squat serves not only as a home for squatters, but also as a centre of independent and open-minded culture. It hosts frequent gigs, as well as an anarchistic library, vernissages, exhibitions, annual birthday festival (each October), poetry evenings, graffiti festivals and so on.
The city centre has many clubs, pubs and coffee houses, mainly in the area of the Old Town.
Poznań is easy to reach by various modes of transportation. It is a railway hub where numerous regional, national and international lines converge. It offers coach services to Europe's and Poland's main cities and has its own international airport - Poznań Ławica.
Poznań-Ławica Airport - Live Flight Arrivals Information
Poznań-Ławica Airport - Live Flight Departures Information
Map of Poznan