Things to Do in Poznan: A Complete Guide

Poznan was one of my favorite discoveries the first time I visited. It was my very first trip to Poland and this city won my heart immediately. Poznan is as cool as Berlin and as pretty as Tübingen. A city perfect to discover by foot and with surprises at every corner.

TL;DR: Wander the colorful Old Market and watch the noon (or 3pm) goat-clock show, then cross the river to the quieter, historic Śródka and Ostrów Tumski. Jeżyce is the hipster neighborhood for cafés and street art, Malta Lake is the summer hangout, and Cytadela Park mixes green space with heavy WWII history. Poznan’s food scene now has its own Michelin Guide selection — don’t miss Vine Bridge or Nowa TOGA. If you’re visiting in June, time it around Kupala Night’s lantern festival, and consider a day trip to Kornik Castle.

Old Town

You can’t miss the Old Market, the beautiful medieval heart of the city. If you want to know how many tourists are visiting Poznan on a certain day just go to the city hall in the old town at noon. There you’ll find everyone staring at the town hall clock, as every day at noon two mechanical goats appear to fight for a few minutes. Rumors say the legend has something to do with a feast and a burned roast venison, but the most fun here is actually watching the other tourists. The city added a second, less crowded showing at 3pm too, if you miss the noon rush.

Besides this, the old town is incredibly pretty with its colorful medieval houses in which you’ll find cozy cafés, yummy restaurants and fancy bars. It must look like a fairy tale during winter time when everything is powdered with snow. It reminds me of the market and old center of Valencia.

Śródka & Ostrów Tumski

Across the river from the Old Town, Śródka is Poznan’s oldest district and genuinely worth the walk — it’s where you’ll find Vine Bridge (more on that below) and the cobblestone lanes leading to Ostrów Tumski, “Cathedral Island.” This is the actual birthplace of the Polish state — Poznan Cathedral here is where Poland’s first rulers were baptized and are buried. It’s a quieter, more historic counterpart to the Old Market’s buzz.

Jeżyce

The neighbourhood of Jeżyce is a little bit off the city centre but easy to reach by tram. It’s one of the coolest areas in Poznan with street art, Berlin-like cafés, hipster students and last but not least the best ice-cream shop in town.

Very close by you’ll find Sołacki Park, perfect for a little time-travelling trip into the early 20th century.

Malta Lake

During summer, Malta Lake is one of the hotspots in town. Some of the top things to do there are chilling by the water, going rowing, or trying the summer toboggan run. You can also ski here in winter. Close to Malta Lake you’ll find one of the two zoos in town.

At the Warta river you’ll find another summer hotspot: KontenerART, an independent artists’ initiative with art, concerts, an artificial beach, and a cool bar. It runs seasonally, roughly May through October, so time your visit accordingly.

Poznan Citadel (Cytadela)

A genuine gap in most casual guides: Cytadela Park, north of the center, is both a huge green space and the site of a real, heavy piece of history. Fort VII within the park was used by the Nazis as one of the first concentration camps in occupied Poland — you can visit the preserved site. The wider park also has striking modern sculptures by Magdalena Abakanowicz and a military museum. It’s a heavier stop than the rest of this list, but a meaningful one.

Food in Poznan

Poznan’s food scene has come a long way — it now has its own Michelin Guide selection, with 11 recommended restaurants as of the most recent edition, so this is no longer a hidden secret.

If you like fancy restaurants you definitely should check out Vine Bridge in Śródka — once known as the smallest restaurant in Poland, it has since expanded, and you can try Polish cuisine done in a modern style.

More traditional is Toga (now operating as “Nowa TOGA” after a change in ownership), which belongs among the best restaurants in Poznan, if not in all of Poland. Come hungry and bring plenty of time — the menu changes daily depending on the guests, the fresh food from the market, and the season.

For something more casual, Śródka has become a real pierogi destination too — Na Winklu is consistently named among the best in the city for classic Polish dumplings.

Kupala Night — Best Festival Thing to Do in Poznan

Although I really want to see Poznan at least once during winter (imagine how beautiful the old town must look then!), I also have to go back in June. On Midsummer night they celebrate Kupala. If you’ve always dreamed about the Yee Peng Festival but Thailand was too far to travel, Poznan is your place to go. Every June on Midsummer night thousands of lanterns are raised into the night sky here too — in 2013 they even broke a world record with 25,000 at once. Definitely one of the coolest things to do in Poznan; check current dates before you go, since they shift slightly year to year.

Photo: City of Poznan

Kornik Castle

30 kilometers south of Poznan you’ll find Kornik Castle, best reached by car. And like every good castle, they have a good ghost story too. Here it’s the “White Lady,” who steps out of her portrait every night to check that everything is in order in the garden and the castle. If you look very closely you can even see tiny holes in the floor — from her jumping in high heels out of the picture.

How to Get to Poznan

From Berlin it’s super easy to get there by car — it only takes about 3 hours. There are also many direct flights from different European cities, or you can travel there by train.

Accommodation in Poznan

We stayed at City Solei Boutique Hotel, a cozy boutique hotel close to the old town — each room is individually themed after a different world city. It’s since been recognized in the Michelin Guide’s hotel selection too.