You’re going to travel along the Great Waterway Loop of Wielkopolska? That’s awesome! Remember, this is not only a chance for a great adventure and some leisure, but also a perfect opportunity to visit some more parts of Poland and discover how incredible the region of Wielkopolska is. So,anchor in one of the marinas, get ashore and go for a walk. Or maybe you have a bike with you? That would be great. Don’t be afraid to catch local buses or regional trains to go even further. We can assure you that a new adventure and incredible sights await behind every corner and every tree!
Great history, great adventure
Wielkopolska has many faces and offers unique experience for everyone. We present you with a region, where great history meets great adventure. You may discover it in every season, however autumn and winter require some more indepth planning. Bike paths and kayaking are definitelly a thing for the warm seasens, however traveling by boat and visiting some Christmas markets or ice sculpture festivals might be a tempting idea for the winter. You can choose Wielkoposka for a weekend and combine a kayak trip with a city break or take it slow and enjoy two or three weeks visiting different marinas ang exploring the countryside.
Where Poland began
We often say that Wielkopolska is the cradle of the Polish statehood. Indeed, this is the place where the first historical rulers came from. For over a century the centre of power stayed in Wielkopolska. From cities and strongholds like Poznań, Gniezno and Kalisz those kings and dukes spread their reign to neighbouring lands and principalities. They founded castles, abbeys and magnifficent cathedrals. Most of them can be still visited on our main tourist trail know as the Piast Route (FYI the Piast is the name of the first Polish rulling dynasty).
Two soaring cathedrals are the eye witnesses of those times: one in Gniezno – the crowning place of many kings of Poland and another one in Poznań – where their decased bodies were put in rest. You could also visit the remnants of the once powerfull strongholds in Giecz, Ostrów Lednicki and Grzybowo. The history lives there for a moment, during incredible open-air festivals and historical reenactments.
Good old retro trains
What makes Wielkopolska so unique is the rare opportunity to take a ride on an old steam train. To the south-west from Poznań lays Wolsztyn, famous for its steam train depot – the last one in Europe which still operates steam trains on daily basis and on regullar routes. Every weekday you can catch a train from Leszno to Wolsztyn and from Poznań to Wolsztyn on weekend. Don’t forget to visit the train depot, where time has literally stopped long ago. See how the steam engines are being fixed and prepared for departure and meet the old craftsmen, who are responsible for running the place smoothly.
However, that’s not all! We also have some narrow-gauge railways, still operating in the countryside. Those are now purely tourist attractions, but the owners make their best efforts to make everything look just like it used to be some 60 or 70 years ago. We recommend you to see the Środa Narrow-Gauge Railway and Wyrzyska Narrow-Gauge Railway. The first can be found just on the outskirts of Poznań, while the second one rides through the green hills nearby Piła. For children (and those who are a child at heart) there is a narrow-gauge park railway on the shores of Lake Malta in Poznań – taking you straight to the Zoo!
Weekend city break
Prague, Berlin, Lisbon… Or maybe a weekend in Poznań or Kalisz? Wielkopolska is not only beautiful nature, but also an ideal place for urban tourism. Poznań, the capital of Wielkopolska, bustling with life 24 hours a day, is an attractive place at any time of the year, regardless of whether you are passionate about art and architecture or just want to feel the atmosphere of the city. For those visiting Poznań for the first time, we can confidently recommend the Royal-Imperial Route, which leads through 1,000 years of the city’s history. The route leads through the magical Ostrów Tumski, the phenomenal Old Town with the most beautiful town hall in Poland, to the Castle District. This is a proposition for a whole day of sightseeing.
The second historical capital of the region is Kalisz. The showpiece is the captivating Old Town, dominated by soaring church towers. This panorama is best admired from the viewing point on the town hall tower. From the town hall, you must take a walk through the charming corners to the almost two-hundred-year-old Stone Bridge, to the Gothic Tower, called „Dorotka”, and to the Municipal Theater located among the greenery. Don’t forget to try the original Kalisz wafers (PL: andruty kaliskie, ask in stores or at the tourist information centre).
The taste of Wielkopolska
You can discover Greater Poland, not only admiring the views, but also tasting regional products and traditional dishes. The classics are roast duck with dumplings and red cabbage, gzik z pyrami (cottage cheese with chives and potatoes) or the St. Martin’s croissant (PL: rogal świętomarciński). Just to mention those top of the top.
In addition to the above-mentioned croissants, these include Kalisz wafers, saffron oil, Greater Poland fried cheese and Greater Poland white sausage. However, the list of amazing products is much longer. When visiting Greater Poland, be sure to try local honey, fruit preserves, liqueurs and cheeses.
