Euro 2012 Host Cities – Poznan, Poland
The city of Poznan is a large Polish city, located in the west of the country, a place that is very steeped in history but that also hums with a particular type of energy, an energy that you’ll encounter if you simply take a stroll into its central market during an evening.
Actually the ‘Old Town’ part of the city is abuzz pretty much any time of the day and once the sun goes down that buzz sees a noticeable spike in loudness thanks to the many people who are heading to its many restaurants, pubs and clubs.
The tourism vibe in the city is also something a bit unique because it is very much visited by a lot of international business travellers who attend its plethora of trade fairs which mingle with the rather large student population, to create a very specific type of atmosphere.
Besides this great and unique personality Poznan offers quite a few historical attractions as well, quite a few museums and great experiences for those who wish to explore the countryside.
The old town square is one of the finest that you’ll see on the entire continent. This is where you’ll find the centre of old, medieval Poznan, and similarly to Warsaw, is has been wonderfully rebuilt after the major destruction that it saw during World War 2.
This is where you can see the Town Hall which is the centerpiece of the square. It started life as a Gothic construction back in the 14th century, but it was then rebuilt in Renaissance style – actually it is considered by many to be the most beautiful non-religious Renaissance building north of the Alps. Nowadays you can find it hosting the Museum of Poznan, and for a bit of a strange accent, there are some mechanical goats which will appear from the roof each day at noon to butt their heads together twelve times.
There are several more medieval and even slightly older buildings or remnants to visit while in Poznan as well as many churches and quite a few museums.
