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city in central-western Poland
Europe > Central Europe > Poland > Wielkopolskie > Gniezno

Porta Regia: the royal gate of Gniezno's cathedral

Gniezno is a city in Greater Poland in Poland. It is traditionally regarded as having been the first capital of Poland, and has been witness to many important events in early Polish history. Gniezno has become the seat of the second Polish diocese (after Poznań) and the first archbishopric. The coronations of several kings of Poland took place in the Gniezno cathedral.

Gniezno is situated in the northeastern part of the Greater Poland, between three lakes: Jelonek, Swietokrzyskie and Winiary, in what is called the Gniezno Lake District. It is only 50 kilometres away from Poznań and relatively close to Kujawsko-Pomorskie.

Get in

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By plane

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The nearest airports with scheduled passenger service are in Poznań (50 km) and Bydgoszcz (90 km).

By train

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Gniezno is an important railroad junction, so there are many options to travel to and from the city by rail. The main rail line through Gniezno is Poznań-Gniezno-Inowrocław, where it is forks out to Gdańsk through Bydgoszcz and to Olsztyn through Toruń, with numerous connections:

  • to Poznań up to 17 daily regional trains and 6-10 (depending on season) fast ones. The travel time to Poznań varies from 40-45 for fast trains to 55 for the local ones (stopping at every station).
  • to Bydgoszcz and Gdańsk: 4 regional trains and 4-7 fast ones
  • to Toruń and Olsztyn 2 local trains and 3 fast ones.

Another line runs from Gniezno to Września and Jarocin, with 4 local trains daily (including two coordinated in Jarocin with trains to Wrocław).

An interesting alternative for those traveling to Gniezno from the South-East is a journey by a local narrow-gauge railway. It runs over a 38 km route during spring and summer weekends, and on other days by special request. Details (Polish only) - .

  • 1 Gniezno railway station. Gniezno (Q2304534) on Wikidata Gniezno railway station on Wikipedia (updated Dec 2020)

By bus

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Gniezno is a big bus travel junction, as well. Most coaches go not - as you might think - to Poznań (trains are dominating on this route), but to other places in the region (only routes to tourist places are mentioned):

  • Bydgoszcz: 7 buses daily
  • Czerniejewo (a beautiful historic palace): more than 30 daily
  • Imiolki (the Dominican Fish-Gate): 11 daily
  • Konin: 14 buses daily
  • Kruszwica through Strzelno: 8 daily
  • Skorzecin (a lake resort): 12 daily
  • Wenecja through Biskupin: 9 buses daily
  • Wągrowiec: 9 daily
  • Września: 18 daily
  • Żnin: 10 buses daily

By car

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The main road passing through Gniezno is the country road nr 5, linking the town with Poznań and Wrocław in the south and with Bydgoszcz and Gdańsk in the north and passing through such attractions like Biskupin, Wenecja or Znin. The other roads passing through Gniezno are: country road nr 15 - enabling you to get to Kruszwica, Strzelno or Toruń; local road nr 260 - for those travelling in the Lake District nearby Powidz, 190 - to Wągrowiec and 197 to Slawa through the northern parts of Lednicki Landscape Park.

Get around

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On foot

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Most tourists will find it unnecessary to use public transport in Gniezno, as all main tourist attractions are situated in the very centre (6-8 minute walk from both rail and bus station).

By bus

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The network consists of 16 city bus lines and 1 suburban line. Some lines run only few times a day (e.g. in peak hours).

The fee structure is simple - single ride will cost you 2 zloty (€0.45), the fee doubles at night (23-5). If you travel more, you can use 11-ride ticket for 21 zloty. Unfortunately, there're no multiple-day tickets, the only option for those staying in the city for longer are monthly tickets - for one line: 50 zlotys (€12), for two lines: 60, for the whole network: 100 zlotys.

More information: free phone number: 9285 or .

Tourist information

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Church of the Holy Trinity in Gniezno.
Gniezno Cathedral, where six kings of Poland were crowned between the 11th and 14th centuries
Central post office
  • 1 Assumption and St. Adalbert's Cathedral, Wzgórze Lecha, ☏ +48 602 708 231. M-Sa 09:00-17:00 May-Oct; M-Sa 09:00-16:00 Nov-Apr; Su closed. Landmark cathedral with the reliquaries of St. Adalbert (Czech: Wojtiech; Polish: Wojciech), famous Romanesque bronze door from c. 1170, the most precious monument of romanesque art in Poland, the tombs of St. Adalbert and numerous Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque monuments and tombs of Gniezno bishops and archbishops and some Polish primates. free, but certain parts are paid. (updated Sep 2024)
  • Archbishopric Archives. The archives contain numerous documents including papal bulls from the early Middle Ages, the most precious of which are the Golden Gniezno Codex, the bulla od pope Innocent II from 1136 and the pergamine Gospel book - a manuscript from France from c. 800. (updated Apr 2020)
  • 2 Church of St. John the Baptist (Kościół św. Jana Chrzciciela), Świętego Jana 2. Gothic church from the mid 13th century, with unique polichromy in the presbytery. (updated Sep 2024)
  • Parish church of the Holy Trinity. Gothic church from the 15th century. (updated Apr 2020)
  • 3 Franciscan Assumption and St. Anthony's Church (Kościół Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny i św. Antoniego), Franciszkańska 12, ☏ +48 61 424 19 27. Gothic-Baroque church with the miraculous icon of Our Lady, the Mistress of Gniezno; next door is the Baroque Franciscan Monastery from the 18th century. Franciscan church and monastery in Gniezno (Q11745842) on Wikidata (updated Sep 2024)
  • Church of St. Michael Archangel. Gothic church from the 15th century, rebuilt in 1815 with a neo-Baroque rower from 1900. (updated Apr 2020)
  • Primates' Palace. (updated Apr 2020)

Visits to the Bronze Door and the cathedral's crypt are permitted only with a guide.

Museums

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  • 4 The Gniezno Archbishopric Museum (Muzeum Archidiecezji Gnieźnieńskiej), Kolegiaty 2, ☏ +48 61 426 37 78. 9:00-17:00 May-Oct; 9:00-16:00 Nov-Apr M-Sa, closed on Su and holidays. The museum contains precious liturgical vessels, including the chalice of St. Adalbert, chalice of Dobrava (the wife of first polish Dukre, buried in Poznań) or the Royal Chalice. 15 zł, 11 zł reduced. (updated Sep 2024)
  • 5 Museum of Beginnings of The Polish State (Muzeum Początków Państwa Polskiego), Kostrzewskiego 1, ☏ +48 61 426 46 41, . 09:00-18:00 daily. Museum containing exhibits from earliest Polish history, Romanesque art, and ceramic tiles from Gniezno. 20 zł, 16 zł reduced, Su free. (updated Sep 2024)
  • International Jazz Festival (Jazz Pod Piątką) (Jazz in the building number 5). In June. (updated Apr 2020)
  • International Organ Festival (Musik in the Gniezno Cathedral walls). Concerts on Sundays in June and July. (updated Apr 2020)
  • Polish Amateur Film Festival "Offeliada'. In October. (updated Apr 2020)
  • Juwenalia (The festival of students of the Collegium Europaeum University, the Gniezno State Professional High School). In May. (updated Apr 2020)
  • Nameday of Gniezno. April 23 (Saint Adalbert's day). (updated Apr 2020)
  • Gniezno Days. Late April. (updated Apr 2020)
  • The Long-Distance International Run of the United Europe. Late April. (updated Apr 2020)
  • The Flea Markets. Several times a year. (updated Apr 2020)
  • The Days of St. John. Around June 24. (updated Apr 2020)
  • Polish Piast Bike Rally. In June. (updated Apr 2020)
  • Meetings with poetry. In the undergrounds of the Gniezno Cathedral, irregularly (updated Apr 2020)

Budget

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Mid-range and splurge

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In the vicinity

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Drink

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Sleep

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Budget

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Mid-range

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Splurge

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In the vicinity

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As Gniezno is in the Lake District, many accommodation options are well out of the city:

Go next

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The large cities of Poznań, Bydgoszcz and Toruń are within 60-90 minutes from Gniezno by road or rail.

The area around Gniezno is rich in historic monuments and places of interest:

  • Ostrów Lednicki - an island on Lednica Lake with preserved remnants of a medieval fortress from 10th century; one of the most important places on the Piast Route.
  • Dziekanowice - located next to Ostrów Lednicki, with an open-air museum of Greater Poland architecture
  • The Fish-Gate (a large girder construction shaped after the early Christian symbol) in Imiołki. Every year in May or June, the Dominican Order holds a large Catholic youth gathering there.
  • Timber churches in Weglewo and Lubowo
  • Czerniejewo with a beautiful classicist palace, stables and carriage house
  • Żnin, Biskupin and Wenecja with settlements of so-called Lusitian culture from 2700 years ago all connected via narrow gauge railway
  • Trzemeszno with one of polish oldest churches
  • Strzelno - a romanesque rotunda and the Trinity Church with famous columns presenting human virtues and sins
  • Mogilno with a romanesque church of St. John
This city travel guide to Gniezno is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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