Things to Do in Poznań
Join us for the best introduction to Poznan, the city where Poland was born. Hear the legend of the city’s iconic billygoats, discover the most important places – from old architectural marvels to the city’s biggest squat today, and find out tips on how to make the most of you time in Poznan: what to eat, where to party and what to visit. Come meet Poznan’s most popular figures that made it throughout time: the city’s fearless pranger – the guy with the worst job description ever, the hardworking Bamber lady carrying wine to the Old Market Square or the controversial story of a local hero, who said NO to the system when nobody would have dared to do so. And if you’re really lucky you might even meet the ghost of the lady in white, roaming the streets looking for revenge from her murderer husband
ℹ️ ⚠️ ATTENTION - booking rules
Please note that our free tours are designed for individual travelers and small private groups only. Hence, we do not accept parties of 8 or more people on regular free tours and guides have the right to deny participation to such groups. If you travel in a party of 8 or more please book a private tour in advance.
If you show up at the meeting point with the bigger group our guide will ask you for the payment (10 eur/person) before the tour or cancel your reservation on the spot. To confirm your reservation please arrive 10 minutes before starting. We can not guarantee participation when you will be late.
Please note that multiply bookings (under different names) for 7 people who belong to one group will still be treated as one organized group and the guide has the right to deny participation to such parties.
This policy is implied in the best interest of our individual visitors.
Please respect our rules.
As a result of the fall and partitions of the First Republic of Poland in the 18th century, Poznań became a border city of German Prussia. Transformed into a Fortress City and surrounded by mighty walls around which no new buildings were allowed to be erected, it could not develop. There was only one purpose of the city's existence back then - to stop the Russian Empire. Only the liquidation of Festung Posen and the liberation of the areas occupied before by the forts allowed the city to bloom like a flower or... explode like a powder keg!
The monumental Imperial District, built in a post-fortified area at the beginning of the 20th century, is a phenomenon on a Polish scale. It was designed to raise the prestige of the city and make it one of the seats of the Prussian emperor. Wide and modern for those times, the streets are full of sumptuous public buildings, operas and theaters. The newly created district was to introduce Poznań to the 20th century as a modern city and be an impulse for further development. It also had its own political task - to overshadow the Polish Old Town with historicising and monumental German architecture. Therefore, in the heart of the District, there is a gigantic Imperial Castle, which is perhaps the most modern castle in Europe.
During the tour we will focus not only on monumental buildings, but we will also wander into charming, hidden courtyards. We will talk about Poznań's struggle to keep its Polish identity at a time when Poland did not exist. We will also see the place where brilliant pre-war Polish cryptologists who decoded Enigma - the legendary German coding machine - worked, an achievement that significantly helped the Allies win the war. We will also talk about the tragic history of Poznań June 1956, when the whole city fought against the communist government for decent jobs and a better life. Of course, there will also be the central point of the district, i.e. the Imperial Castle itself, which is now an enormous cultural center. After all, we all know that being in Poznań and not seeing the Castle is like visiting Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower. Or visit Poznań without watching the billy goats… 😊
On a tour around the Imperial Quarter, you'll see, among others:
- Imperial Castle
- Monument to the cryptologists
- Monument to the Victims of June 1956
- "Bałtyk" - a showcase of Poznań's modern architecture
- New Theater
- Opera
and a lot more!
ℹ️ ⚠️ ATTENTION - booking rules
Please note that our free tours are designed for individual travelers and small private groups only. Hence, we do not accept parties of 8 or more people on regular free tours and guides have the right to deny participation to such groups. If you travel in a party of 8 or more please book a private tour in advance.
If you show up at the meeting point with the bigger group our guide will ask you for the payment (10 eur/person) before the tour or cancel your reservation on the spot. To confirm your reservation please arrive 10 minutes before starting. We can not guarantee participation when you will be late.
Please note that multiply bookings (under different names) for 7 people who belong to one group will still be treated as one organized group and the guide has the right to deny participation to such parties.
This policy is implied in the best interest of our individual visitors.
Please respect our rules.
If there is no space to book the tour - come anyway, you are welcomed 🙂
Don't hesitate to ask me questions during the tour, I love it! This way I can improve my understanding of what interests you the most and do my best to turn each tour into an unforgettable experience for each member of the group.
Places we'll visit:
Old Market Square with the Renaissance Town Hall, Merchant townhouses, and Whipping Post
- Statue of Bamberg Woman
- Parish Church and Jesuit College
- Royal Castle
- and much more 🙂
Don't worry if you can't book the tour because of the participant's limit - you are welcomed 🙂
Looking forward to meeting you all!
