The Ultimate Quick Guide of a Day to Poznan

It takes less than two hours to reach Poland from Berlin by car or by train, but I haven't used that often this opportunity to visit too often this country. Since now, I have been only to Szczecin - twice - and to Wroclaw - also twice. I have a long list of places I would love to visit, among which Gdansk, Sopot, Warsaw and Krakow, but as the country is as huge as Germany, I might need some extra available time to make it really happen. Getting the taste of a future Polish travel adventure, I decided to visit a destination that can be covered - although aproximatively - in just one day: Poznan/Posen. 

We arrived three hours after we started the journey from Berlin in some old and moderately clean Polish train. The train station is under construction therefore it was a mess to go out of it, especially if you are there for the first time, and another batch of mess to find the right direction to the central area, as there are not easily identifiable direction signs. Maybe I got too much used to travel only within my comfort zone. Once I have my eyes on an Art Nouveau post office - Poszta - building I know that there are hidden gem waiting to be seen and discovered and I am ready to discover the city with an open heart.

It is Sunday morning, and contrary to the situation in Germany, the shops - including huge shopping malls built in the country after the fall of communism, as everywhere in this part of Europe - are open and buzzing with customers. As for now, I prefer to have a look at the interesting architectural shapes which made me forget the unpleasant struggle of getting out of the train station.

In Poland, the more or less recent history is generously represented through public monuments and many inscriptions - unfortunatelly only in the local language - reminding events and offering the contemporary interpretation of them. At Polwiecja, for instance, we stop in the front of a monument dedicated to the WWI.

We pass by buildings that used to be pretty many decades ago probably, if not historical events and financial restrictions brought them to an early retirement from the architectural beauty contest. 

Somehow, as in the case of any real beauty, even the times were hard, at least they offer you a guess about how shining they used to be when they were princesses.

Once we are closer to the central area, the paints are fresh and everything looks like inaugurated yesterday. As in the case of many communist cities, it seems that most of the financial and branding efforts were focused on historical centers, where tourists are mostly concentrated.

On Wroclawska street, for instance, the more appealing architectural views do make justice to the architectural treasure.

Poland was one of the fiercest anti-communist countries from the block, but for the generation born during those times, the references are different, therefore, probably faced with the ups and downs of the local capitalism and democracy, nostalgia caught the soul of some. However, every time when I see comrade Lenin raising his brows to the people, I am not sure if I have to smile or be worried.

But there is more to life than worrying and once we are in the Old Market Square - Stary Rynek -, the main square, buzzing with people making their way through the food stalls of the open market, all I see are colourful houses.

There are many rows of them, with monochromous facades or painted in shapes and patterns usually used for interior rooms.

The town hall - Ratusz - which looks in between a cathedral and an Italian palace - the architect was Italian actually -, is surrended by masses like no other public institution I've seen before, not only for admiring the details of the historical scenes which deserve probably history books to go through all of them, but for the famous fighting goats. Every day, at noon, two mechanical goats do play for the public a butt heads game, an appearance considered one of the main town's attractions. If you missed the moment, there is still a chance to meet some goats, in natural size and smell, as two such animals rest on the pavement in the front of the entrance, ready to be petted and tipped too.

The untold histories of the houses in the main square are more interesting for me though and most of them are worth the effort of practically swimming through the masses of people chilling with a beer or some local food to see them from close. For the literary buffs there is also a museum available in the area, dedicated to the celebrated Polish writer Henryk Sienkiewicz, recipient of the Nobel prize for literature in 1905.

As for me, I wish there is a book simple enough to explain me every single building in the area, as the visual show is not only visually challenging, but very intriguing, with influences from all over the architectural style ranges.

With only a couple of hours in my travel pocket, it is time to move on faster. A couple of minutes ago I am in Wilhelmiego, centuries later, in the time of the Romans. The well maintained wall remains are surrounded by green patches and some very modern buildings, a good example of historical coexistence. Buildings can do it perfectly.

Poznan is branded in many ways, among which as being one of the oldest and the largest cities in Poland, but my favorite one refers to it as the third largest university city, with over 125,000 students enrolled here. I love university cities because they always bring some fresh and optimistic mood into local life and buildings like that one, hosting the Art University.

As many big Polish cities, Poznan also used to have a considerable Jewish heritage - rabbi Akiva Eger, a personality of the 19th century Europe is burried in the cemetery here, where he spent the last years of life. This lost heritage is celebrated with a Golem sculpture, on Marcinkowskiego, by the controversial Czech artist David Černý. 

Nearby, the National Museum - Museum Narodowe - is an invitation to discover the local culture and histories. Architecture-wise, I loved the golden mosaique inserts in the frontal part, which confers an unique note of elegance and distinction to the black stone.

On the opposite side of the street, a spectacular geometric construction covered by water offers a welcomed contrast to the quiet Art Nouveau buildings, mostly former and current bank institutions.

Intellectual life was always appreciated in this part of Europe and during the 18th and 19th century, times coinciding with the national revival, cultural institutions were built regardless the expenses. The former municipal theatre, for instance, was the place where Paganini and Listz used to play, and later on, the first local Polish radio station was established.

Nowadays, the cultural hunger of the people in Poznan is treated at the theatre on 27 Grudnia, where in-between and before and after performances, cocktails can be sipped on comfy chaise-longues.

As much as I would love to sip a cocktail too, I am, as usual, out of time, therefore, I can only offer myself the pleasure of some local pierogi, a national version of dumpling, at Pierozak, on Wroclawska. The pierogi are both savory and sweet, with less than one euro the piece, and although the waiting time is considerable - 30 minutes at least during which you can spy some preparation methods, but also chat with the locals - the outcome is unforgettable and a bit addicting. No wonder that the next day I was checking where I can find homemade pierogi in Berlin...

The more I stay around, I am revealing little local secrets. For instance, the quiet island of Cafe Misja, where minutes away from the busy central square one can sit and read while having a refreshing lemonade.

You know you are in Poland when instead of street-art - there is a quarter dedicated to this modern form of art, but unfortunately, it was out-of-sight for my one-day trip - you can read poetry written on the walls in the parking spaces. In such moments, whish I know Polish to understand it what it is talking about.

The next leg of the trip is a bit far away from the central area, and I am passing near industrial areas converted into start-up places or at least getting some hipster blue doors when entering red-bricked Prussian looking buildings.

My next stop is Park Citadel, recommended by the tourist guides for Poznan, which I personally found at least grotesque. I know, my sense of humour is sometimes dry, but I've seen too much to be impressed by a brave Soviet soldier surrounded by delicate flowers.

Or the kids playing near the tanks, although I am not a hippy pacifist.

As for the forest of half-bodies, maybe I better keep the impressions to myself. At least the walk through Poznan's biggest park was refreshing and brought me closer to the local people, which was an interesting experience, as always in such cases.

When on the way back I could spot some elegant pink classical building, I become more tolerant towards post-communist art.

When they are not going to the Park Citadel, locals also prefer to sit near Warta river, which looks more quiet and inviting, also for foreigners in a big rush.

Street art is not so visible in the parts of the city I visited, but I am rewarded only with a small black-and-white sample, on Miedzymoscie.

But art is on the streets, and more often, you only need to be careful to not stumble upon some real-size guy with a bike which is actually made of metal, not flesh.

Long life to the consummerist culture allowing me on a Sunday morning to enter shopping centers which might be more than what they advertise. The old brewery of Stary Browar, inaugurated in 2003 as a cultural and shopping avenue, offers some monumental examples of local art installations which make you think beyond the purchases-list. A visit at the bookstore there, showed how important recent history remains for the local mentality, with the books of the respected scholar Anne Appelbaum on Soviet era - strongly recommended to anyone looking for reliable historical sources for this time - displayed gloriously among the few English books on the shelves.

On the way to catch the train back home, I stop for another historical memento, just in the front of the door separating the train station from Avenida shopping mall: a note and a special sculpture in the memory of the Polish workers who raise their voices on behalf of their brethern from Hungary who dreamt to topple the communist regime in 1956. As usual, a journey to the Eastern parts of the European continent is more than a simple leisure trip and I might like such intellectuals adventures, once in a while at least.

For more inspiration, check the dedicated Pinterest board

With a lot of love, from Prague

When I was introduced to Prague, ten years ago, I instantly fell in love with, not only because I had enough time to know it and the best accompanying Czech humour to understand it, but because is something in the air that inspires you to do it. Not surprisingly, ten years after, we are still in love. My only question to myself is why I did not visit the city more often, with only 4 hours away by car from Berlin?

When we arrived, on a Sunday afternoon, it was cold, but not cold enough to deter us from a long walk through the city. After checking-in our accommodation in a relatively communist looking area, we started the (re)discovery, first by an old looking tram, and for the next 5-6 hours, by foot.

We couldn't resist the curiosity to enter the imposing Opera, with the national composer Smetana a popular choice on the program, but also with a very elegant restaurant for exquisite music lovers.

We continued without a plan on the streets from Nove Mesto, never having enough of the mythical architectural apparitions.

The next hours were wisely spent in the Jewish quarter, the former Josefov ghetto, learning more about what used to be once a very interesting and well learned community. Nowadays, most of the synagogues are museums that can be visited with a common ticket covering all the main buildings displaying the local history. At the Pinkas synagogue, the walls are covered with the names of the Jews from Moravia murdered during WWII. At the first floor, an impressive exhibition of drawings of former inmates, many of them children, from Theresienstadt, situated close from Prague.

The last stop, before a rich lunch at the King Solomon Kosher Restaurant, the Jewish cemetery, where many European Jewish personalities rest, among them the famous Maharal of Prague and the poet and kabbalist Avidgor Kara.

Trying to avoid the busy streets with tourists from all over the world, we walked our way to the castle looking for small corners, without too much light, but with beautiful buildings telling their stories. Not necessarily because in the middle of a sociopath crisis, but because such a city requests to be listen in silence from time to time.

But it did not last too long, our vow of silence. On the way back in the center, we got back the mood for society, and even made some jokes with the guys disguised as huge plush whales inviting us for a Thai massage. Instead of an Asian adventure, we wanted to see more local authenticity and entered one of the many Manufaktura shops, with puppet toys and hand made wooden products or natural cosmetics. With the temperature dropping, we made another stop at the colourful Blue Praha.

Some iconic places should not be avoided, but photographed with interest. The astronomical clock is a mystery in itself and the picture can be an inspiration for more stories later. I wanted to have my own story of a famous Pavlova cake, but the Golden Deer, our last stop for the day, offered me instead an Algerian coffee, eggnog and whipped cream. As usual, I am ready for surprises and decreed that the taste is wonderful. With the taste of novelty back, I feel a mixed message of the black-and-white cobblestones: encouraging me to go to a new trip while waiting for me soon. 

This time, I left Prague only for less than 24 hours, for a little travel adventure to Bratislava. The morning after, and the last in Prague for a while, we were early on the streets, practising my old time passion: discovering how a city is getting ready early in the morning. A very sunny Tuesday morning, this time.

In less than 30 minutes, we tried tram and metro, using the cheap tickets that can be bought usually from the yellow machines at the metro stations. The controls are quite frequent, as we noticed ourselves, so better respect the laws of the place.

From Namesti Republic square, we walked direction Wenceslas Square.

Paying respect to my childhood, I insisted to stop in the front of the Koh-I-Noor shop, explaining how much I loved this name at a time when I didn't know it's in fact the name of a rare diamond. At the time, there were the best pencils in the word I was ready to pay a fortune for.

The architecture on the way to the famous square - synonymous with the anti-communist Prague Spring - deserves an extensive bibliography. When I was not taking pictures, I preferred to stop to the many bookstores on the way, many with rich English sections.

When you don't speak the language, walking only doesn't bring always too much insights about the places you visit. As usual, I was craving for some cultural and historical stories. After more than 24 hours without a museum, I decided to visit the Narodni Museum, for an exhibition about money, whose main attraction was a gold ingot that was touchable. Besides, a lot of interesting information about the sociological paths of money and various snapshots from the pre- and post-war local economical challenges. Another interesting exhibition was dedicated to 'scandals' featuring various media coverage of the rich repertoire of bribes and corruption local stories. No wonder that Karel Capek's wrote so interesting sci-fiction stories after years spent on the journalistic front.

A visit to the Tower of Prague can be (mis)judged as a stereotypical tourist attraction and usually rejected with elitist despise. My excuse is that a panoramic view of the city explains a lot about how it developed and grew, shows it's histories and architectural development. Especially in the 19th century, Paris was a reference point, and even a small scale Eiffel Tower was built that can be seen and visited today, with a funicular.

Back on the ground, I entered one of the many crystal and glass shops, another local branded product and instead of an exhibition that I was supposed to visit, I arrived in a glass workshop where I was explained how the small souvenir glass birds or cats are made. Fascinated, I watched how the glass was malleable enough to be shaped easily, but only if used the right seconds when it was still hot enough.

We returned on the Charles bridge, this time under the daylights. 10 years ago, in the early summer, the bridge was full of various presences, among them some orange dancing Hare Krishna, moving slowly in the sound of their tambourine among tourists and bouquinistes. The local artists were there now, with their unique pieces of jewellery or charcoal portraits, plus so many people franticly taking pictures. We rather prefer to have a stop and observe the small universe from a corner of the bridge.

Lunch time is not always easy, especially when our time is limited. This time, I follow the opinion of the group and we stop at Gopal vegetarian restaurant. The sabjee - veggie ragout - and the pakora - very spicy balls are acceptable, cheap - as almost every meals here, offered for less than 20 euro for 3-course meals - but nothing special, despite a colourful and bohemian ambiance and a very fast service.

I am more hungry for culture, and two days ago we were too late for the exhibition at trompe l'oeil painted Schwarzenberger Palace. The history of baroque in the Czech lands introduce us to the world of local painters, many of them strongly influenced by the German, Italian or French colleagues, yet adapting their techniques to the richness of the local traditions and landscape. At the neighbouring Salm Palace, the first extensive exhibition since 1968 of Ludvik Kuba, who was not only an Impressionist landscape painter, but also a dedicated traveller and anthropologist.

At the castle nearby, time for a change of the guards, not an easy task with so many tourists ready for at least a photographic memory of the event.

Since my trip to Luxembourg, two months ago, the crème brûlée - does it sound too brutal in English 'burnt cream' ? - is insidiously entering my usual travel menu. At the eclectic restaurant Pod Vezi, where I hear 'A wonderful world' at least the fifth time in the last 48 hours - I taste my pistachio variant. The crust was tasty, even delicious, but the cream a such a little bit too watery.

As I watch the time, we realize that it's about time to go close to the bus station for the sad 'return to Berlin' moment. On the corner of my notebook, I scribble where I should go the next time: Special Effects Museum - dedicated to the passionate movie making Czech history (think about Milos Forman, for instance) - and the Museum of Czech literature.

At the Gallery Zlata Libi I discover some well priced design works, a domain often presented as part of the local branding of the Czech republic in Germany.

I don't like - 'hate', actually is the right tough word - to say 'good bye', and in our last 30 minutes in Prague and shortly before the closing time, I visit the Museum of the city of Prague, trying to learn more about my guest city. One of the historical observations is that 'Prague basin used to be a crossroad of trade routes and cultures'. It continues to be today, in the most charming way. It's a wonderful world, isn't it?

For more insights from Prague, check my dedicated Pinterest board: http://www.pinterest.com/ilanaontheroad/prague/