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Poznań, the ancient capital of Poland

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Poznan is a city in west-central part of Poland with over 578,900 inhabitants. Located by the Warta River, it is one of the oldest cities in Poland, making it an important historical center. Today the city is a vibrant center for trade, industry, and education. Poznan is Poland's 5th largest city and 4th biggest industrial center. It is also the administrative capital of the Greater Poland Voivodship.

it was here that the first Polish state was created a thousand years ago. Poznan and Gniezno (50 km away) were the first Polish capitals. Both cities are connected by the tourist trail known as the Piast Route, along which we can bear witness to the distant past of the region, e.g. Lake Lednica with the remains of a settlement dating from the 9th and 10th centuries, where, according to the legend, the first Polish King to be crowned, Boleslaw The Brave, was born. The tombs of Boleslaw and his father, Duke Mieszko, are situated in the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Poznan. The first cathedral was romanesque in style but nowadays this imposing building's outline and walls are gothic.

Apart from the cathedral, the most precious building in Poznan is the 16th century renaissance Town Hall in the Old Square. It is surrounded by old merchant houses which were carefully restored after World War II. From there, you are a stone's throw away from Golebia Street and Poznan's parish church, one of the most splendid examples of baroque churches in Poland.

The first school of higher education in Poznan, the Lubranski Academy, was founded in 1518..There are now over 10 schools of higher education. In a city of 600,000 inhabitants there are over 50,000 students. The main sources of wealth for Poznan's citizens were craft and trade. For ages, Poznan has been famous for its trade fairs and markets. The largest one was St. John's Market (24th June) during which people traded primarily in wool and cereals.

The St. John's Market of today is a place where art collectors, master craftsmen, and those whose hobby is art and collecting flock to during Poznan's biggest trade fair, the Poznan International Fair in June.Poznan International Fair The Poznan International Fair (MTP), situated in the city centre, is the biggest centre of international trade in Poland, where trade fairs, exhibitions and shows take place. The MTP calendar includes over 25 specialised events each year and attracts thousands of manufacturers, trading companies, scientific and research institutions from all the continents of the world.

Poznan International Fair is the capital of the so-called "bread-basket" of the Polish state. It is the home of the only Agricultural Horticultural Exchange of this kind in Poland, a joint Poznan-Swiss initiative. The Swiss maintain that flowers, fruit and vegetables are traded "just as in Zurich".

On the other hand, the Poznan Exchange, which matches western standards, specialises in cereals, meat and fertilisers. The presence of over 30 banks in Poznan, including a few foreign ones, all help promote business. A good business climate is why many foreign investors choose Poznan to base their activities.

Poznan is home to the world-famous boys' and men's male voice choirs, and the Polish Theatre of Dance - Poznan Ballet, the only one of its kind in Poland. Music lovers regularly come to Poznan for the Contemporary Music Festivals and for the Henryk Wieniawski violin and violin making competitions, held every five years here in Poznan. The Philharmonic Orchestra, the Opera, the theatres, a great number of museums, among which is the Museum of Musical Instruments, which has one of the richest collections in Europe.

Poznań is the host city for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, taking place in December 2008. The conference is a key event in the creation of a successor to the Kyoto Protocol.

[parts courtesy of the Poznan Site, http://www.cs.put.poznan.pl/]

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