Miniature Open-Air Museum of the Piast Trail in Pobiedziska

The Piast Trail Miniature Park in Pobiedziska (say "poh-byeh-JEE-skah") lets you walk past Greater Poland's greatest landmarks in under an hour. Its 37 outdoor models at 1:20 scale range from Gniezno Cathedral and Poznań's Old Market Square to the Iron Age settlement of Biskupin. It sits halfway between Poznań and Gniezno, about 100 m from the Pobiedziska Stronghold, so the two make an easy family day out on the Piast Trail.

What is the Piast Trail?

The Piast Trail (Szlak Piastowski) is a tourist route linking places connected with the Piast dynasty, Poland's first ruling house, and the birth of the Polish state around the year 1000. Highlights include Gniezno, Poland's first capital, the island of Ostrów Lednicki and Poznań Cathedral, burial place of the first Polish rulers. The miniature park was created to show the layout of the route and how settlement and statehood developed in the region.

History

The park opened in May 1998, the year Pobiedziska celebrated its 950th anniversary. The first models were built in 1994, and the idea came from the town's then mayor, Krzysztof Wojdanowicz. The models are made of durable materials, but they still need care: in 2023 three were restored and the pillory from Poznań's Old Market Square was rebuilt.

What to see

Look out for:

• Poznań's Old Market Square with its town hall, Poznań Cathedral and the Raczyński Library,
• Gniezno Cathedral and the palatium on Ostrów Lednicki,
• the palaces of Rogalin, Czerniejewo, Lubostroń and Antonin,
• the Romanesque Rotunda of St. Procopius in Strzelno and the Mouse Tower in Kruszwica,
• the reconstructed settlement of Biskupin.

There are also wooden carvings of Slavic gods, an archaeology sandpit where kids dig for hidden "finds," and large educational games. Allow 45–60 minutes.

Good for families?

Yes. The park is flat and compact, the models are viewed from paths, and children can dig in the sandpit or play the oversized games. Groups can book a guided walk of about an hour that also covers local myths and legends. It is also a smart first stop before visiting the real Gniezno or Poznań, since you see the buildings from above first.

Opening hours and tickets

As of October 2026, according to the official website, the park opens 9 am–4 pm in winter and 10 am–6 pm in summer. The Polish page starts the winter season in October, the English page in November, so call ahead in October (+48 579 665 665). Tickets cost 12 PLN (adults) and 10 PLN (students, seniors, teachers, visitors with disabilities); children under 3 enter free. Cards and cash are accepted. The on-site tourist information point holds the top four-star rating in Poland's national tourist information system, and its criteria include service in at least three foreign languages.

Getting there

The park is at Fabryczna 68 in Pobiedziska, beside regional road 194, the old Poznań–Gniezno road, about 25 km (15 miles) from each city. The nearest train stop is Pobiedziska Letnisko. Poznań has the nearest international airport. Your ticket does not cover the neighboring stronghold with its full-size siege engines, which charges its own admission and opens to individual visitors from May to September.