Piast Trail

The Piast Trail is a tourist route through Greater Poland and Kuyavia that retraces the journeys of Poland's first rulers and their courts between the strongholds that served as their capitals. It runs from Poznań via Ostrów Lednicki and Gniezno to Kruszwica and Włocławek, while a second branch links Biskupin, Giecz and Kalisz. In 2012 the trail received the Polish Tourist Organisation's certificate for the best tourism product.

History of the trail

Trips along the Piast Trail were already being organised in the early 1960s, mainly for workplaces and school groups, and they became popular with the celebrations of the Millennium of the Polish State in 1966. In 1976 the Poznań provincial authorities launched a programme to restore monuments along the Poznań–Gniezno section: historic windmills, bus shelters, wooden sculptures and Piast-style signposts were set up along the old E261 road. Since 2016 the trail has been developed by a tourism cluster of 19 local authorities in Greater Poland.

Two routes

The first route runs from Poznań via Pobiedziska, Ostrów Lednicki, Gniezno, Trzemeszno, Mogilno, Strzelno, Kruszwica, Inowrocław, Płowce and Brześć Kujawski to Włocławek. According to the route description it covers 15 towns and villages and 30 sites. The second route runs north to south: Wągrowiec, Łekno, Żnin, Wenecja, Biskupin, Gniezno, Grzybowo, Giecz, Ląd, Konin and Kalisz. The trail works mainly as a route for cars and coaches, and the Piast Cycle Route runs alongside it.

What to see

• Ostrów Tumski in Poznań with the cathedral and the Interactive Centre for the History of Ostrów Tumski.
• Ostrów Lednicki – an island with an early medieval stronghold in Lake Lednica.
• Gniezno with its cathedral and the Museum of the Origins of the Polish State.
• Biskupin – an archaeological reserve with a museum and an experimental archaeology centre.
• Strzelno with the churches of St Procopius and the Holy Trinity.
• Kruszwica – the octagonal, 32-metre Mouse Tower above Lake Gopło and a Romanesque collegiate church from the mid-11th century.

Eight national Monuments of History lie on the trail, including Ostrów Lednicki, Gniezno Cathedral, Biskupin, the Strzelno monastery and Włocławek Cathedral.

Kruszwica and the legend of Popiel

Kruszwica is called Poland's legendary capital. The Mouse Tower is all that remains of a Gothic castle from the time of Casimir the Great, destroyed during the Swedish Deluge and demolished at the end of the 18th century. It is linked to the legend of the wicked Prince Popiel, eaten by mice, and of Piast, father of Siemowit, founder of the dynasty. Gallus Anonymus set these events in Gniezno; only the later Greater Poland Chronicle tied them to Kruszwica. Lake Gopło covers 2,154 ha and is about 25 km long; it was once much larger and was called "Mare Polonorum".

Tripto tips

The trail is extensive, so it is best split into several day trips based in Poznań, Gniezno or Inowrocław. Before you set off, download the trail's augmented-reality app, which brings the monuments to life with 50 3D objects and 18 animated scenes. Just before the end of the school year the "Weekend on the Piast Trail" brings historical parades, early-music concerts and tastings of Piast-era food. Check the opening hours of museums and reserves on their websites, as many operate seasonally.