Stary Browar (Old Brewery), Poznań

Stary Browar ("STAH-ri BRO-var," the Old Brewery) in Poznań is a shopping, arts and business center at Półwiejska 42, built inside the red-brick halls of the 19th-century Hugger brewery. Its "50:50" concept, half business and half art, turned a post-industrial ruin into one of the most celebrated retail regenerations in Europe. Today it's primarily a mall, but the architecture and the large-scale sculptures make it worth a look even if you're not shopping. Entry is free.

From brewery to award-winning mall

• 1844 – brewer Ambrosius Hugger from Württemberg opens his first brewery in Poznań (then the Prussian city of Posen).
• 1876 – the Hugger brothers buy the Półwiejska site; brewhouse, malting house and kiln follow around 1890.
• 1918 – output reaches almost 72,000 hectoliters of beer a year.
• 1944–1945 – the cellars become bunkers and the brewery is badly damaged in the battle for Poznań.
• 1980 – brewing ends and the buildings decay.
• 1998 – entrepreneur Grażyna Kulczyk's company Fortis buys the site; architects Studio ADS and stage designer Ryszard Kaja shape the project.
• November 5, 2003 – the first wing opens; the Passage wing follows on March 11, 2007.
• 2005 – the International Council of Shopping Centers names it the world's best medium-sized shopping center.

What to see besides the shops

• Igor Mitoraj's sculptures, including the monumental face fragment Moonlight and the winged Eros alato.
• Choe U-Ram's kinetic sculpture Hidden Shadow of the Moon, nicknamed "the Shrimp," hanging above the courtyard known as the Chessboard.
• A giant bronze beer mug by Wojciech Kujawski, a nod to the brewing past.
• The brick towers and facades of the old brewery set against undulating modern cladding, plus a small historic park.

Fairs and exhibitions are held in the Chessboard and the Art Courtyard; check the events calendar.

Opening hours (as of October 2026)

• Mall: Mon–Sat 9:00–21:00, Sun 10:00–20:00. On Poland's "non-trading Sundays" only some outlets open.
• Food Hall: Mon–Sat 12:00–22:00, Sun 12:00–20:00.
• Admission: free. No separate winter schedule is published.

Getting there and parking

The address is Półwiejska 42. From the Old Market Square, walk 10–15 minutes down the pedestrian Półwiejska Street; from Poznań Główny station it's about 15 minutes. There's an underground car park with a free-space guidance system (about 1,200 spaces in the newer wing); rates are not published online. Poznań is roughly 2.5–3 hours by direct train from Berlin or Warsaw.

Is it worth visiting?

For architecture and public art, yes: allow 45–90 minutes for a walk, longer if you eat at the Food Hall or shop. It's an easy rainy-day option and stroller-friendly. Prices are in Polish złoty (PLN), and card payment is standard. Pair it with the Old Market Square and the Town Hall goats at noon, or with the Imperial District and the June 1956 Monument a short walk west.