The capital of Wielkopolska is strongly associated with the beginnings of the Polish State and its earliest history. The heart of the old state of Poland was Ostrów Tumski where the cathedral with the grave of Przemysł II is located. In the past Ostrów Tumski hosted also the Palatium of Mieszko I and other buildings of the prince's castle. Nearby there is the medieval Old Town with the famous town hall, on which tower at noon appear two goats butting heads - the are symbols of the city.
The most important monuments of Poznań are concentrated in the area of Ostrów Tumski and the Old Town. In 2014, the modern Interactive History Center of the Ostrów Tumski, also known as the Poznań Gate, was opened on the island. The Center using multimedia, tells us about the earliest history of the area. The Poznań Gate gives a good head start to visiting Ostrów and the monuments of early statehood in Poland. In the basement of the cathedral you can see the remains of the church from the times of Mieszko I and Bolesław Chrobry, in which, according to scientists, both rulers were buried.
While in Ostrów you will learn primarily about the Polish rulers and the church, the Old Town is about merchants and middle-class bustle. On the market you can see narrow, colorful tenements in which Bambrzy, descendants of German settlers, brought to accelerate the development of the city, lived in the Middle Ages, and Renaissance town hall counted among the symbols of the city.
Away from the historic center, there are two Poznań castles: imperial, neo-gothic erected at the beginning of the 20th century and the royal castle rebuilt in the early 21st century. Nowadays in both cultural institutions are located. Poznań is also one of the largest Polish exhibition centers and hosts several dozen trade fairs each year at the Poznań International Fair complex.
