Poznań, one of Polands oldest and largest cities, is the historical capital of the Wielkopolska region where the Polish state was born 1000 years ago. Today, Poznań has around 600 thousand inhabitants and is an important industrial, trade, cultural, educational and scientific centre and one of the leading Polish cities in terms of economic potential. Poznań and the whole Wielkopolska region are known in Poland for their tradition of prudent management and good work discipline. Poznań has been making effective use of the favourable economic conditions which emerged thanks to the political and economic transformation in Poland. Institutions of the business community have been developing dynamically and they comprise a network of financial institutions, consultancy companies, business associations, and further and higher education establishments with a business teaching profile.

Academic and cultural center
Poznań is a strong academic and scientific centre, fourth after Warsaw, Krakow and the Silesian agglomeration. There are 20 schools of higher education (9 state and 11 non-state) with over 110,000 students, and 48 scientific and R&D institutes which employ 3300 people.
Poznań is also the cultural heart of central-western Poland with 9 theatres and musical institutions including the philharmonic, a number of choirs and orchestras, 21 museums, and dozens of art galleries and exhibition halls. It is the venue of well-known festivals and musical competitions, the most important being the Henryk Wieniawski International Violin and Violin Making Competitions, the Malta International Theatre Festival, the Contemporary Art Festivals the Poznań Musical Spring and the International Jazz Festival.

Tourist center
The city of Poznań is an important tourist center with 23 hotels, 2 motels, 4 youth hostels, 2 campsites and other accommodation facilities offering over 6000 beds in total. Tourists are attracted by numerous examples of secular and church architecture representing all styles and historic periods. The most valuable architectural treasure is the Renaissance Old Market complex with the City Hall, unique on a European scale.
Other tourist attractions include the green areas such as the Morasko nature reserve and the Poznań Palm House, one of the largest in Europe, which is located in the historic Woodrow Wilson Park. The city has four lakes, used for water sports and recreation. The Malta lake features one of the most modern regatta courses in Europe and next to the lake there is an artificial ski slope, open all year, and a toboggan run. Poznań also has 12 sport stadiums, 4 bathing beaches, a hippodrome, a speedway track, 2 archery courses and a modern sports and performance hall.

Useful information
More information about Poznań may be obtained at the Tourist Information Centre located at Stary Rynek 59 or the City Information Centre (CIM) at ul. Ratajczaka 44; www.cim.poznan.pl . The latter can provide detailed information on the local economy, business services, scientific institutions, tourist facilities, culture, sport and public transport as well as general information about the city. The service is available in six languages: Polish, English, German; French, Spanish and Italian. Furthermore, publications about Poznań and its surroundings, as well as local souvenirs, may be purchased at the CIM.

Information about Poznań is also available on the following websites:
www.city.poznan.pl (Poznań City Guide Polish and English version);
www.poznan4u.com.pl