Why you should visit Poznan if you are a young traveler.

Hi guys,

I just got back from Poznan, Poland and it definitely made its way up to the top of my list for travel destinations! In this post I will share with you where to stay, activities to do, restaurants to check out, and general observations I think are important to know before you travel to Poznan!

Where to Stay

In Poznan, I stayed in Retro Hostel in a 6 person, mixed dorm with a guy friend of mine. The hostel was very clean, warm, and the staff were incredibly helpful. The staff shared activities for us to do, gave us free towels to use, called a taxi and gave us discount cards for one restaurant and taxi ride the last day of our trip. The one thing I will note however, is because Retro Hostel is very central to Old Market Square and around a lot of bars, that is in turn very close to a local university, it can be quite loud at night. Otherwise, I would rate this hostel a 9/10 and definitely book with them again. Another hostel you could check out is called Trey Hostel. While it is located across the market from Retro Hostel, there is an amazing bistro inside where you can get chicken, burgers, polish food and milkshakes. The hostel appears clean and people are also very friendly.

Must do activities

Cytadela Park (free)

Cytadela Park is a great park for families or active young travelers to exercise or unwind after a long day. The park is spread out over several acres, but has easy to follow maps and plenty of benches to rest. What brought me into the park was Cytadela's massive display of WWII tanks, airplanes, jeeps, and other WWII artifacts. This park is definitely worth checking out and only a 20-25 minute walk from the Old Market Square! Another thing to check out on the way to the park is Cmentarz Zasluzonych Wielkopolan, it is a graveyard. The cemetery is rather small, but there are green plants that surround the graves and neat architecture on the few buildings located within the cemetery gate. When you enter the cemetery you feel like you are removed from the city of Poznan. I only spent about 15 minutes here, but it was interesting to see how a small city like Poznan cares for their cemeteries and older gravestones. I would recommend stopping by on your way to the park!

Parish Church of Stanislaus (Fara Church FREE)

Fara Church was definitely one of my favorite spots while in Poznan. The church was only a 5-10 minute walk from our hostel and a must see by anyone traveling to Poznan! The church was built by Jesuits who had no money, so while the church is extremely beautiful inside and out, all the marble columns and gold within the church are fake. The only real element to the church are the organs that sit near the top of the ceilings on both ends of the church. While there I spent about 20 minutes inside taking photos and videos like the images seen below, but I walked past the church almost everyday and it did not disappoint!

Old Market Square

Old Market Square is the center of town for the people of Poznan. Not only is the square itself beautiful, but there is a lot to do and other tourists and Poznan locals are very welcoming. One activity you shouldn't miss is the FREE walking tour everyday in front of the town hall at 11:45am. The tour lasts 1.5 hours, but shows you Fara Church, the observation tower/muesum, a bakery to get St. Martin Croissants and other sites specific to Poznan and their history. In addition to the free walking tour, everyday at noon people crowd around the town hall to watch 2 mechanical goats fight on the clocktower. (Goats are very important to the people and it was neat to see an event I haven't seen anywhere else.) Finally, If you walk away from the square for about 15-20 minutes you will come across Poznan's main shopping strip with big chain stores and local shops. One local shop you should check out is called LUCA. It has a lot of quality, yet very reasonably items for sale. Keep walking and you will find the Old Brewery with unique architecture that was made into a shopping center.

Termy Maltanskie (Hot Spring Swimming)

Another great attraction worth the visit is Termy Maltanskie, a hot springs indoor swimming place. Termy is easily accessible by tram, but you will need to purchase 2 ten minute tickets (there and a return) before you get on the tram unless you have contactless credit cards. Some important information to note: The facility charges by the HOUR and bring your own towel or pay 8 polish dollars when you check out. When I went I paid to have access to the pools AND sauna rooms (steam and cold). I had a great time and the cafe upstairs had some great food for 21 polish dollars.

Croissant Museum

Lastly is the Croissant Museum which costs 18 polish dollars. This museum has shows in English and Polish where they show you how they make St. Martin's croissants. After they show you how to make the famous croissants you watch a short movie to learn more about the history and then they give you a croissant to eat before you leave. The show is interactive and entertaining.

Restaurants/Bars to Try

PYSNA- bar that offers 3 pints of special Poznan beer and food

Pijalnia S wedel Czekolady- a chocolate restaurant that serves amazing deserts and breakfast

Italian fast food- small restaurant that offers pasta, a drink and fries for 18 polish dollars.

Pizza places also serve good tomato soup and bruschetta for lunches.

Shot bar- right across from Retro Hostel this bar only sells a vast variety of shots for 5 polish dollars each.

General Observations

1 US dollar is worth $0.28 polish dollars so visitors have a lot of buying power.

If you need help go to the information center or ask a restaurant worker as they all speak English.

Emergency number in Poland is 112

If you pay by credit card always chose polish dollars NOT your currency or you will be charged.

All photos taken by Brittany Welch