Visit Gniezno – the First Capital of Poland

One of the most important places to visit in Poland is Gniezno, located in the western part of the country. This is the first historical capital of Poland, where the country was established. Besides its historical significance, the city is actually a very pleasant place to explore.

I was there for the first time back in the 1990s so I was more than happy to visit Gniezno again recently. I enjoyed the place so much more than I expected, and now I can definitely recommend a trip there to see all the best Gniezno attractions.

Here’s a guide to Gniezno and what to see and do there so you can plan your trip to the first capital of Poland.

Where is Gniezno

Gniezno, a city of around 65.000 inhabitants, is located in the western part of Poland, not too far from Poznan, which is 50 km away. Warsaw, the capital of Poland, is 300 km east of Gniezno.

A brief history of Gniezno

Gniezno is one of the most important cities in Poland, a place of great historical significance. The first settlements in this area date back to prehistoric times, but in the early 10th century, this site became important to Slavic tribes for its religious beliefs.

That’s why, in 940, the stronghold was founded on Lech Hill, right in the heart of present-day Gniezno. It was one of the most important Piast dynasty fortresses where, in 966, Mieszko I – the Duke of Poland – was baptized. This event is known as the beginning of Christianity in Poland and is considered a starting point of the Polish statehood.

Not long after, in 1000, the Congress of Gniezno took place here, during which the Holy Royal Emperor Otto III established an archbishopric in Gniezno (the oldest Latin Catholic archdiocese in Poland), strengthening the importance of Poland in the region. In 1025, Boleslaw I was crowned in the Gniezno Cathedral as the first king of Poland.

After the destruction of Gniezno by the Bohemian duke Bretislav I in 1038, the place lost its capital title to Krakow, which became a new administrative center in Poland. But even after that, more kings were crowned in the Gniezno Cathedral (altogether five), showing the importance of the place in Polish statehood.

Even if Gniezno lost its position over the centuries, it was still a bustling town that developed steadily despite its unfavorable history. During the Partition of Poland in the 18th century, Gniezno was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia but didn’t forget its origins. Over the years, it was the center of numerous uprisings.

The city returned to Poland in 1919 only to be a site of even more devastating events during World War II, when the majority of Polish inhabitants were resettled into other parts of the country. All the bad events are behind now. Today, Gniezno is a peaceful and charming city with plenty of attractions that make it worth putting on your Poland itinerary.

How to get to Gniezno

Gniezno is well-connected by train with numerous Polish cities. You can easily get here from Poznan, Gdansk, Torun, or Warsaw. There are even direct trains from Berlin or Prague that stop in Gniezno.

How to get around Gniezno

The city is rather compact, and its attractions aren’t too far away from each other, so you can easily walk everywhere. From the train station, it’s around a 20-minute walk to the Cathedral. There are also city buses available.

Day trip from Poznan to Gniezno

If you are staying in Poznan but would like to see more than just the main city in the Greater Poland region, Gniezno is a perfect option for a day trip. There are numerous direct trains between the cities throughout the day, with the travel time between 25 and 50 minutes (depending on the connection).

In one day, you can easily see all the main attractions in Gniezno and get a feel for the place. I would just recommend starting your day early so you can beat the crowds visiting the Cathedral – try to be there at the opening time to get the best experience.

Where to stay in Gniezno

During my last trip to Gniezno, I stayed overnight there. This way, I could fully enjoy the city and have a better starting position for hassle-free sightseeing. There are some fine accommodation options if you are looking for a place to stay in Gniezno. Here are the recommended ones:

• Hotel Awo (9.2/10)
• Ibis Styles Gniezno Stare Miasto (8.7/10)
• Hotel City (8.6/10)
• and more!

What to see in Gniezno

The most important place to visit in Gniezno, where you should start your sightseeing, is Lech Hill. This is where Poland began, and still today, you can find some remnants back from the early times. The highlights of Lech Hill are the Cathedral and the beautiful Gniezno Door from the 12th century (probably the most valuable example of Romanesque Art in Poland).

Visiting the Cathedral is free of charge, but you need a ticket for all the other attractions. You can buy a separate one for each or get a combined ticket that includes the Gniezno Door, the Cathedral Underground, a Viewing Terrace on the Cathedral Tower, and the Museum of the Archdiocese of Gniezno. I recommend seeing everything as each of these places is important, interesting, and worth visiting. You need around two hours to visit all the attractions on Lech Hill.

The Cathedral you can visit today is actually the third church built in this very place (the first one dates to the times of Mieszko I). It was built in the 14th century after the destruction made by the Teutonic Order. Over the centuries, the Cathedral was rebuilt a few times, hence it is a mix of the Gothic architecture with Baroque decor.

It’s worth taking your time in the Cathedral and seeing all the chapels and altars as some are really beautiful. Inside the Cathedral, you will also find the relics of Saint Adalbert, the patron saint of Poland. They are put in the small decorated silver coffin, with the figure of the Saint sitting on top of it.

The famous Gniezno Door is located inside the Cathedral, too, but you can get to it through a separate entrance from the outside. This Romanesque masterpiece shows eighteen scenes from the life of Saint Adalbert, from his birth to his death. It’s incredible how detailed the doors are and how precisely they were made, especially when you think they date back to 1175.

It’s not possible to go very near the door to admire its details closely, but you can still learn a lot about it from the audio guide you get when buying the ticket.

The underground of the Cathedral hides remnants of earlier places of worship that were built here in the 10th and 11th centuries. Some of the most important and valuable things you can see here are the floor of a Romanesque church, the place of coronation of the first Polish kings, and the oldest tombstone inscription in Poland, probably dating back to 1006.

To get the best view of Gniezno and its surroundings, you can climb the 239 stairs of one of the Cathedral’s towers. The panorama is definitely worth the effort. You will see the central part of the city as well as lakes and green spaces all around Gniezno.

Most people visiting Lech Hill skip the Museum of the Archdiocese of Gniezno, but for me, it was one of the highlights of the city. You can see here some of the most valuable objects from the Cathedral’s Treasury, dating back even to the 10th century.

The most important one is the original chalice of St. Adalbert, with the bowl made of beautiful agate. Inside the museum, you can also find a copy of the Gniezno Door – there is no restriction on how close you can get to it, so you can inspect each scene thoroughly. Here, you can fully realize what a masterpiece this really is.

Only a few steps away from the Cathedral and Lech Hill, you will find the lovely pedestrian center with the main square in the heart of it. It’s such a nice, well-kept area, with beautiful houses along winding streets and numerous cafes and restaurants where you can sit down to relax and watch the world around you.

When wandering around, you will also find sculptures of five kings who were crowned in Gniezno. The first one, showing Przemysl II, is in the park right in front of the train station, while others are located all over the city.

You will also notice smaller sculptures of rabbits. There are 15 of them in Gniezno, each telling a different story about the city. There is the Chauffeur Rabbit, which is a symbol of the Gniezno factory of wagons, carriages, and horse-drawn carriages, or the Medic Rabbit, which is a reminder of the great plague that hit the city in 1708. You might wonder why rabbits and not any other animal. It’s a funny word-play in the Polish language, where “król” means “king” and “królik” means “rabbit”.

Across Lech Hill, on the other side of Jelonek Lake, you can visit the Museum of the Origins of the Polish State. If you are interested in history, you can’t miss this place.

Not only can you learn more about the beginning of Poland, but you will also see beautiful ceramics, paintings showing Piasts (the first ruling dynasty of Poland), and examples of Romanesque art in Poland, including another copy of Gniezno Door and a copy of even more beautiful Plock Door (the original was stolen from the country and currently can be seen in Veliky Novgorod in Russia). You can also learn here more about Gniezno and its history, not only the oldest one.

A slightly different attraction of Gniezno is the old locomotive depot located on the other side of the train station. It is possible to visit the site on a guided tour (you can find current opening times here), and even with the language barrier, it’s a fascinating place to explore. The depot feels kind of abandoned, which gives it a more alternative, industrial feel, but seeing all the old machines and dedicated buildings is a truly amazing experience.

Once you are done with Gniezno sightseeing, you can simply wander around the city and enjoy its laid-back vibe. There are some nice green spaces (such as along the shore of Jelonek Lake or Valley of Reconciliation Park) where you can relax a bit in a calming surrounding. If you get hungry, there are some good cafes and restaurants around, too!

Further reading

I published many articles about Poland that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:

• 37 Amazing Things to Do in Krakow, Poland
• 20 Great Places to Visit As Day Trips from Warsaw, Poland
• Visiting Auschwitz – How to Plan the Auschwitz Tour
• 17 Amazing Things to Do in Lublin, Poland
• The Complete Guide to Visiting Slownski National Park, Poland
• Visit Grudziadz – One of the Hidden Gems of Poland
• 19 Amazing Things to Do in Gdansk, Poland
• Visit Sandomierz, Poland – One of the Prettiest Towns in the Country
• Visiting Malbork Castle, Poland – the Largest Castle in the World
• 25 Amazing Things to do in Wroclaw, Poland
• and many more!

If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in Central Europe and ask your questions there.

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