Poland - Eastern Europe - page 469

This food is more stick-to-your-ribs, than stick-in-your-mind as a great meal, but if
you're looking for something easy and relatively cheap, this is one of the best spots on
the square. Not a bad choice too if you're only in for drinks; the bar is so large there's
always room for a few more people.
Stary Rynek 87. & 061/853-11-15. Lunch and dinner items 15 zl-21 zl ($5-$7/£2.70-£3.75). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily
11:30am-11pm.
Exploring
Naturally, any exploration of Pozna ^ must start at the Stary Rynek, the city's cultural
and commercial center for centuries. It's hard to find a livelier and sunnier town
square than Pozna ^ 's—filled with color, people, and a range of performance art from
early morning to late at night. At night, it's particularly beguiling. Most of the square
is kept dark, with only the statues and some of the buildings lit up. Much of the
square, and indeed much of the city proper, was destroyed in World War II, so many
of the buildings here are faithful reconstructions of the originals.
West of the Stary Rynek, at the Warta River, is the small holy island of Ostrów
Tumski. Legend has it this was the birthplace of the Polish nation. This is where
Poland first accepted Catholic baptism in the 10th century; and one of the country's
most celebrated cathedrals still stands here. You can walk to the island from the Stary
Rynek or take tram no. 1, 4, or 8 over the bridge.
Pozna ^ 's unofficial nickname could well be the “Museum City.” In addition to the
major museums noted below, the city has smaller museums dedicated to musical
instruments, vintage cars, the Pozna ^ army, and the work of Polish writer Henryk
Sienkiewicz, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1905, among others.
Old Town Hall (Ratusz) Originally dates from the 14th century but extensively
renovated in the 16th century in Renaissance style by the Italian architect Giovanni
Quadro. Unfortunately, much of the building was destroyed in World War II, and lit-
tle of the original structure remains. The best example of what remains is the early
Gothic cellars, which today house the Historical Museum of Pozna ^ . The museum is
worth a look if you're interested in Pozna ^ 's development from the 10th century on.
Entry to the museum also allows you to see the rich interior of the building itself.
Outside the Town Hall, at noon, take a look at the clock to the see two mechanical
goats butt heads. The goats apparently refer to a town myth that two animals once
locked horns and drew the townspeople's attention to a fire that might have burned
down the city.
Stary Rynek 1. & 061/856-81-91. Sun-Tues and Fri 9am-4pm; Wed 11am-5pm
Zamek This fascinating building will appeal to World War II buffs. The “castle”
actually only dates from the beginning of the 20th century, and was built by the Ger-
mans to serve as a residence for the kaiser on trips to the area (when Pozna ^ , as Posen,
was a German city). Between the two world wars, it was used by Pozna ^ University,
but after the Nazi invasion of 1939, work quickly began to refashion the building into
an office for Adolf Hitler and a residence for the Nazi governor of this part of occu-
pied Poland. The architect for the project was none other than Albert Speer. Work was
completed in 1944, just shortly before the Germans were driven out of Pozna ^ . For
years, there was talk of tearing down the “castle” but today it's used as a cultural cen-
ter. Visitors are free to walk the corridors during open hours.
Sw. Marcin 80/82. Daily 9am-5pm.