Poznań and Poland
Poznań is inhabited by over 550 000 people. It is an exciting city with many faces – a major business and academic centre as well as a place rich in historical heritage, varied cultural life and leisure opportunities. |  |
Poznań is located in Western Poland and lies halfway between Warsaw and Berlin. It is the capital of the region of Wielkopolska - the historical cradle of polish nationality and a major region of Poland today. Poznań has its own international airport. It can be also easily reached by train from Berlin or Warsaw in 3 hours.
Poznań with the surrounding area is one of the most economically developed regions in Poland. It is home to many local companies and local branches of international concerns such as Nivea, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, Unilever, Kimball Electronics, Bridgestone, SABMiller, Volkswagen and Wrigley. The city is well-known for Poznań International Fair which 50 international fair events in a variety of fields and industries every year. Poznań has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Poland.
| Poznań is a truly academic city. There are 25 higher education institutions (8 public Universities and 17 private school). The largest of them is Adam Mickiewicz University. Poznan University of Economics is one of the most important schools in the city. They altogether educate 140 000 students – (including one thousand foreign students). Apart from the Universities, there are nearly 50 other institutions dedicated to scientific reaserch. |
Poznań has a lively cultural scene with many theatres, clubs, museums, galleries, an opera house and The State Philharmonic Hall. All over the year there is a number of unique events held here including Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competitions, Contemporary Dance Workshops, Contemporary Music Festival and The Malta International Theatre Festival - the second largest theatre festival in Europe.
One can find a number of interesting historical sites in Poznań. In the centre of Poznań there is the Old Market Square with a picturesque Town Hall surrounded by old merchant houses. Near the Squre there is the Parish Church with one of the most splendid baroque interiors in Poland. On Ostrów Tumbski – an island between Warta and Cybina river – there is the Cathedral which was first built in 10th century and holds the tomb of Bolesław Chrobry, the first Polish king. | |
Poznań can be called a “green city” since forests and parks cover 18% of its total area. There are 40 parks in the city, beautiful botanic gardens, two zoos and the largest Polish Palm House (Conservatory). There are also four lakes in the city, which are used for water sports and leisure activities. Not far from the city centre there is a dry sky slope.
The Republic of Poland is situated in Central Europe. In terms of area Poland ranks 9 place in Europe. It shares land borders with Germany, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast). The Baltic Sea coast line streches for 440 km as Polish northern border.
Basic facts about Poland
Language: Polish
Population: 38 million
Capital city: Warsaw (1.7 million citizens)
Currency: 1 zloty (PLN) = 100 groszy
Weights and measures: metric
Time: GMT plus one hour
Electricity: 220 volts, 50 Hz AC
Political system: multi-political republic with two-house parliament (Lower Chamber Sejm with 460 seats and Upper Chamber Senat with 100 seats) elected to a four-year term of office; the President is elected once every five years
State structure: 16 voivodships (provinces) województwo, which are subdivided into 315 districts powiat and districs into 2500 municipalities (primary level units) gmina; additionally the 65 largest cities, which are separated from districts, hold the rights of both municipalities and districts
Useful links
Internet portals about Poland in English:
www.poland.pl
www.poland.gov.pl
www.msz.gov.pl – website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, consular information
http://rozklad.pkp.pl - Polish trains timetable