Most of the parents fear trips with their children – they’re small, they might get ill, it’s risky, better at home, in a garden or maybe (the edge of madness!) by the Polish seaside. However, anyone who travelled with an infant knows that an infant is much less challenging than a few year old toddler. He eats (often milk from his mom’s breast), sleeps and enjoys being close to his parents. A few year old toddler on the other hand wants various types of entertainment and attractions for himself. He won’t be happy just because his mother is holding him in her arms while she’s sitting in a restaurant for 2 hours or if someone rocks him in the pram while we’re seeing Reina Sofia museum for 3 hours. Since Maks is one year old, on our trips, we always try to provide entertainment both for him and for us. Find the golden mean between forgetting about child’s needs (for him a playground is much more fun than another museum!) and whole days spent on the beach/by the pool because the kid likes it this way.
When we were in Poznań, we also looked for child attractions and it turned out that it’s a perfect city for a trip with your child! In 3 days, we visited 3 places with which most of the kids will fall in love! Write it down in case you find yourselves anywhere near. Or maybe you’re already planning on going to Poznan knowing about all the culinary and child attractions?
3PLACES IN POAZNAŃ EVERY KID WILL LOVE:
1) PORTA POSNANIA ICHOT
Porta Posnania ICHOT (Interactive Centre for the History of Ostrów Tumski) was definitely the biggest surprise of our stay. When we heard that it is an interactive centre devoted to the history of Ostrów Tumski mixed with Polish history we were afraid it might be a bit dull… Just the opposite – it turned out to be one the best things we saw on the trip! Not only for us, but for Maks too!
Porta Posnania is located in the oldest part of town, right by Cybina river, a few steps from the cathedral on Ostrów Tumski, the last island on Warta that’s still intact. The Archcathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul is the oldest cathedral in Poland (built in 968 AD!) so the area seems like a perfect place to get to know with some history! One or two tramstops from the city centre, a few-minutes walk through the streets of Śródka and we’re in. Plenty of cafes and restaurants on the way which makes it easy to have lunch right after sightseeing – in Vine Bridge for instance. Don’t worry, we’ll write about the place soon.
Porta Posnania consists of two buildings – on one hand a modern rectangular structure with plenty of rooms with even more attractions inside, designed in a way which allows seeing the oldest cathedral in Poland while you walk within it. The second part which can be reached through a glass bridge, is a restored, atmospheric Cathedral Lock left of the Prussian reign. If the weather is good, you can grab a folding bed and enjoy the sun by Cybina river or on the building’s roof.
Inside ICHOT you can grab an audio guide – first nod to the kids here – in many places, apart from the usual headphones button, you will find a special button with a smiley face which plays a message dedicated to the kids of certain age and interests. And that’s just the start of attractions for kids!
Porta Posnania tells the story of Ostrów Tumski as a place in Poznań where Polish statehood was born – it’s here, where the biggest stronghold of Mieszko I used to be back in the day. Adults can learn some history by watching multimedia presentations, reading descriptions and walking among some original exhibitions. Kids can see Mieszko I castle-town from very close by entering glass domes located in several places of the mock-up. They can lean how the castle-town looked like in different seasons by moving giant brick-puzzle. They can play a board game with huge pieces or see what sort of means of transportation were used at the time and see which of those were the fastest by spinning a little crank. On black boards, they can draw shapes of seals of old rulers or see what monsters reportedly leaving in the wild nearby used to look like. They can read interactive books and see Ostrów Tumski nowadays and centuries ago.
The possibility to try costumes from the age standing before a multimedia screen was one of the biggest attractions. Porta Posnania is the only ‘museum’ to date that Maks didn’t want to leave! If you’re in Poznań with a child then it’s an absolute essential! Also, my friends who don’t have any children consider it great fun as well! 🙂 You can read more about Porta Posnania ICHOT on their website – HERE.
2) NEW ZOO
Zoo is always a great idea! 🙂 New Zoo in Poznań covers a huge area and is home to lots of animals some which you can see not behind bars or fences but moving in the trees like on a safari. There are kangaroos, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, zebras and more and I don’t know any kids that don’t like animals. But you know what? Maks was mainly preoccupied with a micro ropes course in which we spent most of the time! The course operates from May to September from 10 to 6 – children’s ticket costs PLN 12. In April and October it’s open on weekends.
Zoo’s attractions also include a train trip around the place on which you can reach the animals situated the furthest.
3) POZNAN CROISSANT MUSEUM
St Martin’s croissants are a total must eat in Poznań! And in the museum you can learn about their history and preparation nice and easy way! I already wrote about it – check it HERE.
So, who’s not sure about spending a weekend in Poznań anymore?? 🙂
You can read more about Poznań here, and if you go, you have to eat deliciously in Yeżyce Kuchnia and Toga.
* We searched for children’s attractions in Poznań thanks to City of Poznań invitation.
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