About Poznan
Poznań is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland. It was here that the Polish state was born in the 10th century. Today, the capital of Wielkopolska is inhabited by approximately half a million people and is one of the most important trade fair and congress centres in Central and Eastern Europe.
- Poznan – a reliable brand
Poznan’s location between Warsaw and Berlin and its development path connected with trade and business make it a popular choice for investors from all over the world. The city’ s distinctive feature is its strong economy, high working culture, academic background and the innovation that goes with it. These features also significantly shape the meetings sector and business tourism in Poznan.
- Business City
According to the Meetings and Events Industry Report 2019, several thousand business meetings are held in Poznań every year. The city is perfectly prepared in terms of infrastructure and has the largest exhibition and congress facility in Poland. Poznań International Fair is the leader of the meetings industry in Central and Eastern Europe. The fairgrounds are located in the very centre of the city (10-15 minutes walk from the Old Town, 5-10 minutes from the railway station and about 20-25 minutes by public transport from the airport).
In 2019 the city was ranked fifth in the esteemed European Best Destinations competition and ranking.
Hotels
Poznan’s hotel infrastructure is well prepared to serve business. About 140 hotels and accommodation facilities offer a total of up to 12,000 beds. Its distinguishing features include convenient location, conference facilities (up to 1,000 people) and a comprehensive offer tailored to guests’ needs and possibilities.
In Poznan you can find both facilities run by local hoteliers and those which are part of renowned chains. Among them are:
- Sheraton Poznań Hotel 5*****
- City Park Hotel & Residence 5*****
- IBB Andersia Hotel 4****
- PURO Poznań Stare Miasto ****
- DeSilva Premium 4****
- Park Inn by Radisson 4****
- Mercure Poznań Centrum 4****
- Novotel Poznań Centrum 4****
- NH Poznań 4****
- Hampton by Hilton 3***
City Soleil Boutique Hotel ****; Platinum Palace Residence 4****, Garden Boutique Residence **** are further examples of elegant boutique hotels. In Poznan there is no shortage of hotels for those seeking a more intimate, picturesque location further from the city center.
An important feature of Poznan is its compactness. It is simply close to everywhere. From the hotel to the Old Town, the train station, the airport or the congress center.
It is also worth taking a look at the wide range of accommodation on offer in Poznan’s surroundings, which are full of historic manor houses, palaces and farmsteads, often set amidst a picturesque landscape of lakes and forests.
Conference venues
Since its beginnings, Poznan has been located at the intersection of important trade routes. Therefore, merchant traditions, openness and entrepreneurship have been characteristics of its inhabitants for centuries. Thanks to this Poznan has a reputation as a city of business and trade fairs.
In the city center there is the oldest and one of the biggest conference and exhibition facilities in Poland, Poznan International Fair (Międzynarodowe Targi Poznańskie, MTP), offering 15 pavilions for all kinds of events. Within MPT there is Poznan Congress Center, a modern facility perfectly prepared for the organization of congresses and conferences, the space of which enables the preparation of events for up to several thousand people. Another facility attracting events to the city is the Poznan stadium, offering space for various types of meetings.
In the near future the Arena Performance Hall will be opened after renovation.
Poznan offers many interesting, original spaces for organizing events and meetings. Among them are unique historical buildings:
- Zamek Cultural Centre – located in the former seat of Emperor William II, which is considered to be Europe’s youngest castle built for a crowned monarch,
- The Poznan bazaar with ” Sala Biała” (the White Hall), one of the most beautiful ballrooms in Poland – The history of this building is connected with Poznan’s struggle for independence and the Wielkopolska Uprising,
- Concordia Design – an innovation and conference center in a former printing house from the early 20th century,
- Stary Browar (Old Brewery) – the post-industrial space which is part of the commerce, art and business center which was voted the best medium-sized shopping center in the world in 2005.
This short selection does not exhaust Poznan’s rich offer. Also worth mentioning are theatres and universities which organize many congresses and scientific conferences.
Due to the congress and business character of Poznan, most of the hotels, especially the chain hotels mentioned above, are well prepared in terms of conference facilities.
A neutral source of information about Poznan’s offer and substantive support is the Poznan Convention Bureau.
Local cuisine and restaurants
The quality and diversity of Poznan’s gastronomic offer has made a name for itself in Poland and abroad. Cafés, bars, restaurants and a wide range of establishments offering dishes from all over the world will satisfy any appetite and take you on an interesting culinary journey.
- Welcome to Pyrlandia!
“Pyry”, or potatoes, are part of Wielkopolska’s culinary tradition and identity. Dishes made from potatoes served in many different ways are considered to be specialties of regional home cooking, and the locals themselves are jokingly referred to as ‘pyry‘. The inhabitants of Poznań are fond of this term, just as they are fond of potato pancakes (plendze), ‘szagówka‘ (a type of gnocchi) or grey dumplings prepared from potatoes. When you get to Wielkopolska, or “Pyrlandia”, you have to try them. There is also an interactive, humorous exhibition located in the city center dedicated to “pyry“.
- St. Martin’s Croissants
The Saint Martin’s croissant is a symbol of greatness, wealth and good luck. The traditional croissant baked from rough puff pastry stuffed with a filling of white poppy seeds, marzipan and nuts is a real delicacy and a high-calorie bomb. You can buy croissants in many certified pastry shops, and their tradition is closely linked to the name-day celebrations of the patron saint of St Martin Street (Ul. Św. Marcina), which falls on 11 November. The colorful parade organized for this reason coincides with celebrations of the national Independence Day, which in Poznan take the form of a joyful family party. Find out more about the croissant, its legend and customs in Poznan in the ” Poznan Croissant Museum“, which tells the story of the sweet symbol of the city in a funny, interactive show.
Top attractions
- Ostrow Tumski
Poznan is one of the oldest cities in Poland, associated with the Polan tribe, the beginnings of shaping the Piast state. The first rulers of Poland, Mieszko I and Boleslaw the Brave, are buried in the cathedral in Ostrow Tumski. The city, associated with business and modernity, has many historical attractions to offer, they are presented in a very interesting way in the modern multimedia center “Poznan’s Gate” located near the cathedral.
- Imperial Castle
Imperial Castle is the last and youngest monarchical residence in Europe, created at the beginning of the 20th century for German Emperor Wilhelm II. After WW1, the Zamek (Castle) housed among others the Mathematical Department of the Poznan University, whose alumni broke the code of the German ciphering machine- Enigma. During the war, the castle served as one of Hitler’s official quarters. Currently, there is a Cultural Center in the interiors, which has rooms for conferences and meetings.
- The market and the billy goats
The Poznan Market Square is primarily a beautiful Renaissance town hall, on the tower of which from the mid-16th century there is a clock with goats. Every day, when the town hall clock strikes 12 noon, the door in the tower above the clock opens and two billy goats appear. Controlled by the clock’s mechanism, they butt their horned heads 12 times.
- Monet painting (in National Museum)
In the National Museum in Poznan we can admire the painting “Beach in Pourville” by a French impressionist Claude Monet, the painting was stolen and found after 10 years, happily returned to the Museum.
- The Old brewery 50 50
The 19th century brewery has been revitalized into a center for art and trade. Red brick finished with glass and steel, inside the floor in the form of a checkerboard and the whole in vivid lighting. “Stary Browar” ( Old Brewery) also serves as a space for artists. It includes works by Igor Mitoraj and a performer from Japan, Henyo-Penyo Myomyonmyo, among others. In 2005, “Stary Browar” was awarded by the International Council of Shopping Centers for the best shopping center in the world in the category of medium-sized shopping centers.
Incentive Travel Ideas
- Active & sport
Sport is an indispensable part of business tourism. In Poznan and its vicinity you can offer many physical activities: kayaking, paintball, tennis, squash, climbing on a climbing wall, flight simulator, ropes course. When looking for more original activities, you can suggest a trebuchet shot, a ride on a draisine train or a parachute jump.
- Culinary
The aforementioned St Martin’s croissants, “pyry” and related with them interactive museums are an interesting proposition for spending time on local culinary topics. In addition, you can organize workshops or cooking lessons.
- Urban games
Poznan was one of the first places in Poland with a developed city game based on the history and attractions of the city. We offer an interactive walk around the old town, which will always be a great option for practicing cooperation in a team or integration.
- Activities on Lake Malta
In the charming scenery of Lake Malta and the adjacent greenery, you will certainly be able to organize entertainment and recreation event. The perfect location of the facility, combined with the picturesque landscape and rich infrastructure, allows you to enrich the events held with numerous, and sometimes unique attractions available only on Malta: RIB motorboats, dragon boat regattas, canoe regattas, UP paddle stand.
- Maltese Baths
Due to its size and diversity, the “Termy Maltanskie” ( Maltese Baths) complex allows for the creation and implementation of individual event scenarios for guests, business partners or company employees.
The most modern water sports and recreation complex in Poland uses natural thermal waters in the very center of Poznan. In the thermal baths, we can use sports swimming pools with a 50-meter Olympic swimming pool, an Aquapark with numerous slides, a Jacuzzi and an outdoor beach with deckchairs and seaside sand, one of the largest sauna zones in Poland with as many as 14 rooms with varying degrees of temperature and humidity, professional SPA 1306 with 17 offices.
- Bednary Driving Center
Bednary Driving City is the largest Driving Technique Improvement Center in Poland, located in Bednary near Poznań. Under the watchful eye of the most experienced instructors, you can take part in driving techniques improvement courses and training of correct reactions behind the wheel in extreme situations. The wide offer includes the organization of various types of events for companies and individual clients: presentations, shows as well as integration and sports events.