Mysterious Castles / Poznan - Kornik - Gniezno - Torun /

4 day Mysterious castle Tour: Poznan - Gniezno - Torun

Day 1
Arrival in Poznań, an evening stroll along the Old Town. Welcome dinner in a regional restaurant, overnight stay at a hotel in Poznań.

Day 2
Breakfast, guided tour of Poznań Cathedral, the Renaissance Town Hall, the Baroque Church of St. Mary Magdalene, and the Museum of Musical Instruments. A transfer to Poznań’s Malta park and a stroll along large water sports centre. Dinner in a restaurant, overnight at hotel in Poznań.

Day 3
Breakfast, transfer to Kórnik and guided tour of Palace in Kórnik, which includes a collection of national mementos and preserves old furniture and fittings. The castle is surrounded by a beautiful arboretum- English style garden. Transfer to Gniezno and a visit to Gniezno Cathedral where first Polish kings were crowned. Transfer to Toruń, dinner in a local restaurant, overnight in a hotel in Toruń.

Day 4
Breakfast, guided tour of Toruń - the city tour includes House of Nicolaus Copernicus, the Town Hall, St. Mary’s and St. John’s Church and the ruins of the Teutonic Knights Castle. Dinner in a local restaurant, departure.

The final price depends on standard of accommodation, number of visiting persons and date of your visit.
Let us know these details to get the best price grzegorz.b@excitingpoland.com  

Poznan one of the oldest cities in Poland by the Warta River.
Poznan's impressive cathedral is the earliest church in the country, containing the tombs of the first Polish rulers: duke Mieszko I, king Boleslaw the Brave, king Mieszko II, dupe Casimir I the Restorel, duke Przemyslaw I and king Przemyslaw II. Today the city is a vibrant center for trade, industry, and education. Poznań is Poland's 5th largest city and 4th biggest industrial center.

Poznań is known around the world as an important international trade-fair centre. Every year about 30 international and national events are held here. Specialist trade fairs, such as the Polagra Fair, featuring food products, and the Budma Fair, featuring building materials, are among the largest sectoral events in Europe.

The historical landmarks in this city are also well worth seeing. The observation terrace of the Economics Academy skyscraper, 80 m above ground, offers an excellent view of the city's old quarter, Ostrów Tumski, where the cathedral stands today and where once stood the castle of Prince Mieszko I and his son Bolesław the Brave, crowned in 1025 the first king of Poland. Their sarcophaguses can be viewed in the Golden Chapel of the cathedral. Besides gold cups and monstrances from the churches of Wielkopolska, the Archdiocese Museum houses Poland's only painting by Anthony van Dyck.

Poznań's most beautiful church is the huge Baroque Parish Church of St. Stanisław. This is one of Poznań's most mysterious buildings, since parts of the crypts have not yet been investigated. Rumors say that crates of sketches by great Polish painters Jan Matejko and Wojciech Gerson, purchased for the Poznań City Museum just before World War II, were hidden here. Organ concerts are held in the church every day in the summer, with proceeds going to the renovation of the historic organ. Billy goats on the Town Hall The city authorities were housed in the Renaissance Town Hall until 1939, and today the building is home to the Poznań History Museum. At noon two mechanical billy goats clash horns on the Town Hall tower in the middle of the Old Market Square. The fasade of the houses surrounding the square, once the homes of the wealthiest residents, feature Renaissance and Baroque motifs.

address:
Poznań, Stary Rynek 45-47
www.mnp.art.pl

Description:
The only Polish museum of professional and folk instruments, with over 2000 items from Poland and around the world. The ground and first floors are given over to harmoniums and brass and wooden wind instruments. The stringed instruments inlcude a selection of lutes dating back to the 15th century. A collectin of 160 pianos illustrates the development of the instrument from 1750 to the early 20th century. A seperate room holds the relics of Frederic Chopin such as documents and personal effects. The second floor rooms contain Polish and European folk instruments as well as fascinating instruments from all other continents. Rounding off the exhibit is a collection of mechanical instruments: music boxes, barrel organs, juke boxes, player pianos and gramophones.

Kornik, located in the vicinity of Poznan, is a small town situated 20 km south-east from Poznan. A 14th century castle built by the Gorka family owns its present English Neo-Gothic shape (arch. Karol Schinkel) to Tytus Dzialynski, a great patriot fighting for the independence of Poland in the 18th-19th centuries. He was the one who much enlarged the collection of art known as the Kornik collections. In 1924 Wladyslaw Zamoyski, descendent of the Dzialynski family, donated the Kornik lands to the Polish state, thus creating the so-called Kornik Foundation. At present the Kornik castle is considered to be a very interesting museum with valuable collections of historical and national mementoes, Polish and foreign arms and armour, precious paintings by Grottger, Norblin, Bacciarelli, copies of Rubens' works, period furniture representing different epochs and styles. The famous Kornik library contains over 350,000 volumes, books, old prints, manuscripts, among them one by Napoleon Bonaparte. The castle's large park-arboretum comprises over 2,500 species and varieties of trees and shrubs, the largest collection of that kind in Poland.

The first capital of Poland and also the old sea of Polish Archbishops. the most important monument in the town is the Cathedral with the shrine of Saint Adalbert and the bronze doors a fine example of Romanesque decorative arts. 

All who want to acquaint with the beginning of our State and the beginning of the Christian faith in Poland are cordialy invited to Gniezno, the First Capital of Poland and the City of St. Adalbert. It was here that legendary Lech bade his brothers Czech and Rus farewell, and stayed here to found on a hill the first city.

There are numerous hotels, motels and restaurants and many new project under development. Tourism still remains one off the most important income sources for Gniezno citizens.

Gniezno is a town open for investors. The authorities and citizens welcome all new prospects and ideas for those who are willing to invest in this marvelous city and see the great venues and opportunities.

Toruń (200,000 inhabitants) is proud of its Old Town, which has been added to UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. Founded in 1233 by the Teutonic Knights, the city is home to many splendid examples of historical architecture. The Old Town Hall combines the elements of Gothic with late Renaissance. Opposite, there is a monument commemorating Nicolaus Copernicus. In the house of his birth, a collection of documents and instruments from the epoch can be viewed. His name was given to the Toruń University. The sumptuous church of St Mary is famous for its stellar vault.

Nicolaus Copernicus
The famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was born and lived in the medieval town of Toruń, which is now on the UNESCO World’s Cultural Heritage List. Copernicus was the first astronomer who said that the earth is not the centre of the universe, but rather the planets revolve around the Sun. Maybe this is what makes our sky so attractive for aviators. Polish air clubs have training courses for aircraft and glider pilots. Hang-gliding and increasingly popular motor-gliding can also be enjoyed in Poland. Enthusiasts of hot-air ballooning and parachuting are also catered for.