Wolsztyn is a city known for the annual steam locomotive parade held at the turn of April and May. The local historic Engine House is open to the public and you can see several dozen locomotives from the end of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century.
The beginnings of Wolsztyn are connected with the nearby Cistercian abbey in Obra. In the 13th century, the monks established a settlement on their property, which with time grew to the size of a city. It was granted city rights in the 15th century and until the partitions it was a center of milling, brewing and a local trade center.
An important moment in the history of Wolsztyn was the opening of the railway line to Leszno and Zbąszyń at the end of the 19th century. In 1907, a steam locomotive was opened here, which is still operating today. The Wolsztyn steam locomotive shed, the city's biggest attraction, is the only one in Europe still used for regular journeys. Steam locomotives run along the route downstream of Leszno, but retro journeys are also organized, and the Steam locomotive attracts thousands of railway enthusiasts to Wolsztyn every year.
In the years 1872-1880, Robert Koch, the discoverer of tuberculosis mycobacteria and anthrax germs, worked at the hospital in Wolsztyn. Today, in the former hospital, the Robert Koch Museum presents mementoes of the scientist. The town also has the Marcin Rożek Museum, a sculptor and artist, creators of, among others of the Bolesław I the Brave monument in Gniezno. On the outskirts of the city, you can visit the Open-Air Museum of Folk Architecture of Western Wielkopolska.
