Route 5: Area of the old channel of the Warta River

Leaving Stary Rynek (the Old Market Square), going down Woźna Street and crossing Garbary, one of Poznań's main streets, brings you to Grobla Street with the classical-style All Saints' Church. Designed by Antoni Höhne, it was originally an evangelical church, whose construction started in the second half of the eighteenth century. However, because of prolonged work on façade and interior decoration, the church was not completed until the beginning of the nineteenth century. Over the entrance to the rectangular tower are the statues of St Peter and St Paul. The late-Baroque altar, which depicts the Lord's Supper, has statues of four evangelists on the sides. Because of its excellent acoustics, the church is a venue for music concerts.


Now go down Mostowa Street until you reach the Museum of Ethnography situated at No. 7, the former lodge of freemasons. Erected at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the building was one of the most magnificent lodges in Europe. It is an example of late-classical architecture dating from the first half of the nineteenth century. In 1936, after the dissolution of the Masonic lodge, the building was acquired by the city. In 1986, the Museum of Ethnography finally opened its rooms to the public. The museum houses pieces of Wielkopolska's folk art. The permanent exhibition, entitled Folk Art in the Region of Wielkopolska, features sculpture, painting, traditional dress, embroidery, decorative art (ceramics, iron, wood), ritual objects and musical instruments of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The exhibits are divided into four sections: the Folk Textiles and Dress Section (dress, textiles and embroidery representative of the whole territory of Poland), the Folk Art Section (sculpture, painting, folk ritual art, musical instruments, toys made in Wielkopolska), the Technical Culture Section (artefacts illustrating rural life and work on a farm, traditional tools used by craftsmen: potter's wheels, looms, spinning wheels) and the Non-European Cultures Section (exhibits from Central America, South America, the Far East and Africa: a rich collection of pre-Columbian ceramics, sculptures, vessels, figural urns, figurines connected with the Olmec civilisation of 1250-150 BC, fabrics, ornaments).


Continuing along Mostowa Street and turning right into Dowbora Muśnickiego Street brings you to the Observants Church in Bernardyński Square. This Baroque building was originally erected in the Gothic style in 1473. Its two towers are topped with characteristic tall openwork cupolas dating from the early eighteenth century. This is when the church underwent renovation and acquired its present shape. Its façade was designed by Jan Adam Stier. Many times in its history the church suffered extensive damage. During the last war, nearly all of its old furnishings were destroyed; what survived were the white statues of twelve apostles situated on the pillars along the nave and the Passion scene on the rood-screen arch. Adjacent to the church is a monastery with a small mission museum.

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