Fort Winiary

Citadel Park (Park Cytadela, "tsi-tah-DEH-lah") in Poznań is the city's largest park — about 100 hectares of green hilltop just north of the center, built on the ruins of Fort Winiary, a huge 19th-century Prussian fortress. It's where locals jog and picnic, but also one of Poznań's most moving historic sites, with military museums, war cemeteries of several nations and Magdalena Abakanowicz's haunting sculpture group "The Unrecognized."

Where it is and why it matters

Poznań sits in western Poland, about halfway between Berlin and Warsaw (2.5–3 hours by train from either). Before 1918 it was the Prussian fortress city of Posen, and Fort Winiary — begun on June 23, 1828 and completed in 1842 — was the core of its ring of fortifications. It is often described as the largest artillery fort in Europe. Today the fort is part of the "Poznań – historic city complex," one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments.

History in brief

In late December 1918, during the Greater Poland Uprising, Polish insurgents seized the fort and its radio station. Between the wars, Polish Radio broadcast from here, and cryptology courses were held for mathematics students — part of the story that led Poznań-trained mathematicians to break the German Enigma cipher. In 1945 the Citadel was the last German stronghold in the city, falling on February 23, 1945. On July 21, 1946, Arthur Greiser, the Nazi governor of the annexed region, was publicly hanged on its slopes — the last public execution in Poland.

From the 1960s the ruined fort was turned into a park; much of it was dismantled and the bricks were reused to rebuild Warsaw and Poznań. The name Citadel Park dates from 1992.

Things to do in Citadel Park

• "The Unrecognized" (Nierozpoznani) — 112 headless cast-iron figures, each over 2 m tall, by sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz, installed in 2002 for the city's 750th anniversary.
• Poznań Old Garrison Cemetery (CWGC) — 448 identified Commonwealth casualties, including 48 of the 50 airmen executed after the "Great Escape" from Stalag Luft III in 1944. A must for British visitors.
• Museum of Armaments — exhibits inside the old fort plus an outdoor park of tanks, aircraft, helicopters and artillery.
• Poznań Army Museum — next door, devoted to the army that defended the region in 1939.
• Other memorials — Polish, Soviet and Orthodox military cemeteries and the Bell of Peace and Friendship Among Nations (1986).

Opening hours and tickets (as of October 2026)

The park itself is free and always open. The Museum of Armaments (Armii Poznań Avenue, +48 61 820 45 03, cytadela@wmn.poznan.pl) opens:

• March–October: Tue–Sat 10:00–17:00, Sun 10:00–16:00
• November–February (winter): Tue–Sun 10:00–16:00
• Closed Mondays. Tickets 15 PLN, reduced 10 PLN; children under 7 free; free admission on Tuesdays. Guided tours in English can be booked in advance (90 PLN per group).

Check the Poznań Army Museum's hours separately on the Wielkopolska Museum of Independence website.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes — especially if you're interested in WWII history. Allow 1.5–2 hours for a walk, half a day with the museums. Kids love the outdoor military vehicle park, and there's a playground, café and dog area. The terrain is hilly, but the main paths are wide. Please be respectful at the cemeteries.

How to get there

According to the city, trams 3, 4, 10 and 19 and several bus lines (stops Garbary PKM and Winogrady) serve the park. It's about a 30-minute walk from the Old Market Square.