Getting to Poznań
Poznań lies exactly half-way between Berlin and Warsaw at the intersection of national and international roads. You can reach Poznań by the A2 motorway, the 92 (East-West) trunk road and the 11 (North-South). Poznań is a large railway hub for trains from all over Poland and abroad. The journey from to Poznań Berlin takes 3 hours. All trains stop at Poznań Główny station, located in the very centre of the city, providing easy access to every district. Poznąń has direct flights connections with the following cities: Warsaw, Barcelona, Bristol, Cork, Dortmund, Sheffield, Dublin, Edinburgh, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Krakow, London, Liverpool, Munich, Oslo, Rome, Szczecin, Stockholm. The airport is located 5 km from the city centre and is serviced by 3 public transport bus lines during the day and one at night
City transport
Poznań offers an elaborate public transit network of trams and buses. Schedules located at stops provide standard travel times. The city's trams and buses carry onboard electronic information displays backed up with a voice address system.
Taxi
Taxi stands can be found throughout the city, including locations near PIF grounds, major intersections, public transit transfer points, the Old Market Square and shopping malls. Alternatively, you may call any of the following taxi company numbers: (when calling from a mobile phone, use the country and area code +48 61)
Zrzesz. Transp. Prywatnego 196 22
RMI 196 68 / 8219 219
9191 191 91
HALLO 196 23 / 8216 216
Passat ACI 196 67
M1 196 69 / 8222 222
P.S.T. 196 28 / 8519 519
Promix Sp. z o.o. 196 25 / 8515 515
Central Taxi 196 61 / 877 33 44
Stop Sp. z o.o. 196 27 / 8222 333
Club 196 26
EXPRESS 196 24 / 8480 480
Koziołki 196 29 / 8629 629
Multi-Taxi 196 66
LUX 196 62
EUROTAXI 8 111 111
GOLD TAXI 196 60
Accommodation
Poznań's hotels offer accommodation in all price ranges. One may choose a large recognized chain hotel in the city center or a cozier facility in a picturesque suburban location. Also available are numerous pensions, manors and recreation centers by nearby lakes.
Climate
Poland lies in the intermediate moderate climate zone characterized by a wide range of changeable weather conditions. Wielkopolska's climate is predominantly temperate maritime with mild and humid winters and rather cool summers with a fair amount of precipitation. Winter commonly begins in early December and continues for approximately 100 days. It is characterized by frequent snow and sleetfalls. Daytime winter temperatures remain at around 0° falling below zero at nighttime. Strong winds often produce an aggravating wind-chill effect. During such weather, one is advised to seek the comfort and thermal protection of closed footwear, insulated outer coats, gloves, scarves and proper headgear.
Currency
Poland's legal tender is the Polish zloty (PLN), which is divided into 100 groszes. The Polish zloty banknotes are issued in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 zloties; the coins are 1, 2, 5 zloties and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 groszes. The currency may be converted at exchange points, in banks and hotels. Travelers' checks are redeemable in banks.
(The National Bank of Poland rate: http://www.nbp.pl/Homen.aspx?f=/srodeken.htm)
Language
Poland's official language is Polish. English can be spoken inmost service points, hotels, restaurants and at city information desks. Postal services Most post offices open from 8am to 7pm Monday through Friday. The post office at ul. Głogowska 17, near the central train station operates 24/7. Electrical appliances and plugs Electrical appliances in Poland run on 230 V 50Hz current and plugs are two-pronged. Adapters are available at most hotels.
Time zone
Poznań, Poland lies in the Continental European time zone (GTM + 1).
Rest and Entertainment
Poznań offers a wealth of entertainment and leisure activities, ranging from visits to theatres, opera, philharmonics, cinemas and museums to active recreation in indoor sports facilities and outdoors. You may spend your time in a nature setting, such as the unique Morasko Meteorite Reserve featuring seven meteor craters which bear witness to a cosmic collision millions of years ago. Other options include the Poznań Palm House, the Zoological Gardens and the Lake Malta area near Poznań's centre.
Shopping and prices
Poznań prides itself on its extensive and diverse shopping facilities, ranging from small shops to large department stores. Stores in the city centre open Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm and from 10am to 2pm on Saturdays. The opening hours of large shopping malls are 9am to 9pm Monday through Saturday and 9am to 7pm on Sundays. The cost of eating out varies greatly. While you will be able to find a warm meal for as little as PLN 20, a more up-market restaurant may charge more than PLN 100 per person. List of restaurants: www.poznan.pl/turystyka.
Culinary attractions
While Poznań's chefs are able to conjure up delicious dishes for visitors, and our confectioners are spoil them with sweet goodies. The culinary landscape of the city is unusually rich and varied, though with something in common: everywhere they go, visitors may find delicious dishes, beautiful surroundings, friendly people and an unforgettable atmosphere. If well-known dishes and drinks from all four corners of the world are to our liking, including even the most exotic, finding them here in Poznań is not a problem. The choice is always difficult, for Poznań's chefs always know how to satisfy their clients. We can savour what they prepare for us in cosy bars, pubs and cafes, restaurants and inns, in self-service canteens and milk bars, and even at the city's fast food stands. There's no doubt that everyone will find what they are looking for, something to suit every taste and every wallet. When in Poznań one simply has to try local Wielkopolska dishes. Among the most well-known are roast duck with apples, served with red cabbage and traditional Poznań pyzy - steamed yeast dumplings, all prepared in the traditional way and served in Wielkopolska for generations. For those with less of an appetite, there are ribs with szagówki (potato dumplings) and pickled cabbage, potatoes with curd cheese, plyndze (potato pancakes) and Poznań soups such as polewka, kartoflanka (potato soup) and parzybroda (cabbage, potato and bacon soup). And for dessert you simply have to try a St Martin's croissant. As the fame of this delicacy spreads across Europe, it is now available not only on St Martin's (November 11th). The tradition of this croissant goes back to the 19th century. The parish priest of st Martin's called on the faithful to share with the poor. Legend has it that St Martin's horse lost one of its horseshoes, which is why the pastry is crescent in shape. Today the St. Martin's croissant is a regional product protected by European Union law.
On November 11th a colourful procession sets off down St Martin's Street, led by the saint on his white horse. The traditional celebrations of St Martin's feast day attract guests from all over the country and abroad. Together with Poznanians they savour the taste of croissants from morning to night. Poznań's confectioners bake hundreds of tons of this delicacy, strictly adhering to the traditional, tried and tested recipe.We can buy original croissants wherever we see the official certificate confirming the baker's right to produce this regional product. An authentic St Martin's croissant consists of yeast dough filled with mixture of white poppy seeds, almond essence, sugar, eggs, raisins, nuts, and dried fruit, whether candied or in syrup. At one of Poznań's famousmarkets, Jeżycki, Łazarski,Wielkopolski Square, or on Bernadyński Square, fresh fruit and vegetables, forest fruits, wildmushrooms, honey and preserves can be bought at any time of year,
weather-permitting.When spending time in Poznań, it's worth stocking up on these specialties to take away as amemory of the delights for the palate found here.
Postal services
Most post offices open from 8am to 7pm Monday through Friday. The post office at ul. Głogowska 17, near the central train station operates 24/7.
Electrical appliances and plugs
Electrical appliances in Poland run on 230 V 50Hz current and plugs are two-pronged. Adapters are available atmost hotels.
Emeregency telephone numbers
In case of an emergency, use the following toll-free emergency telephone numbers:
European emergency number 112
999 ambulance
997 police
998 fire brigade