Gniezno is one of the most important cities in the history of Poland. It is in its vicinity that the history of the state began and the baptism of Mieszko I. The most important monument is the Gniezno Cathedral with the famous Gniezno Doors, considered one of the most valuable monuments of Romanesque art in Poland.
The castle on the Lech Hill in Gniezno was built in the middle of the 10th century. According to known documents from that period, it was the formal capital of the Polan state and one of the duke's castles where there were palaces. Mieszko I built his castle here with a chapel, on the site of which now stands the Church of St. George.
The most important tourist attraction of Gniezno is the Gothic Gniezno Cathedral with the bronze Gniezno Doors depicting scenes from the life of St. Wojciech and a gilded, baroque confession with the remains of the martyr and patron of Poland. In the crypt under the cathedral are the remains of the first Romanesque temple that stood in this place.
In the vicinity of the Cathedral, there is the Gniezno Archdiocese Museum, which houses valuable collections of liturgical art, including chalices and accessories from the first centuries of Christianity in Poland. The Museum of the Origins of the Polish State, with exhibitions devoted to the rule of Mieszko I and Bolesław the Brave and their importance for the development of the state, is of great importance for the Polish historical and national consciousness.
The central part of Gniezno is the Old Town Square, around which historic tenement houses are concentrated, and in the streets you can find valuable churches, such as the Church of St. John the Baptist, Church of St. Trinity or the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. An attraction of a completely different nature is the Gniezno Narrow Gauge Railway, the route of which leads to the town of Ostrowo.
