Population: 566 thousand inhabitants
Location: A city in the mid - west of Poland on the Warta river. 180km from the German border, halfway between Warsaw and Berlin.
History of the city:
Poznan is known as the birthplace of Poland. According to legend the fathers of the three Slavic nations (Lech, Czech and Rus) met here. Through time, the settlement they founded has grown. In 1253 Poznan was legally established as a city. Now Poznan is the capital of the Wielkopolska province, one of the economically strongest regions in Poland.
Monuments and Architecture:
Poznan Cathedral is built on foundations from the 10th century, the tombs of the first Polish kings lie beneath it. In the Old Market area there are many renaissance buildings including the old City Hall and beautiful tenement houses, some of which have been turned into cafes or galleries. Poznan also has some examples of late 19th and early 20th century German architecture such as the imperial castle, the university and the opera house.
Economic Activity:
Poznan and the area around it is famed for it's strong economy - it has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Poland. The main industries in Poznan are food - processing, chemicals and electromechanics. Beiersdorf - Lechia, GlaxoWellcome Poznan, Volkswagen Poznan, Wrigley and Zaklady H. Cegielskiego all have their regional headquarters here which gives an example of just how much foreign capital is invested in Poznan. The city is a major financial centre with most important Polish and many European banks and insurers located here. From 1921 Poznan has been home to the Poznan International Fair.
Science, Culture, Sport & Recreation:
Poznan is an important centre of science, culture and sport. It has 23 scientific colleges with 127,000 students. In Poznan you can also find 20 museums, 50 galleries, 9 theatres and music institutions. One of the main sporting attractions is Lake Malta where you can ski all year or go canoeing. There are also facilities for tennis and golf. Some of the major events that take place in Poznan include: the H. Wieniawski memorial violin competition, the Świętojański fair, The Malta international theatre festival and the Polish Open tennis competition.