Located just 15km south of Poznan, Wielkopolski is easily reached by bus or train (the Poznan to Wroclaw line), or you could even cycle there for more of a work out.
There are two look out points which are worth the climb. The first is in a wooden church that dates back to the 17th century. Unfortunately it was closed when I was there, but I did climb the second look out tower (pictured below). You get a bird’s-eye view over the entire park (the first photo in this post) and on a clear day can see Poznan!
It’s worth the climb of the look out tower for great views over Wielkopolski National Park, stretching to Poznan.
Wielkopolski is popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists and something that not even all the locals know yet is that there’s a small beach by the lake of the look out tower! It was too cold for swimming during my visit, so instead I cycled the mainly flat terrain so that I could cover more territory and make the most of the few hours I had there. It was a great way to see the park. There are five tourist tracks, each marked with a different color of sign that total 85km. In general though, the park is not well signed, so it’s worth picking up a map from the Museum and Ecological Educational Center in Jeziory.
Cycling around one of the lakes found in Wielkopolski National Park.
There are a whopping 40 species of mammals found in the park, including numerous bats! I didn’t see any of them, but I did hear a lot of birds.
In summary, I enjoyed my visit to Wielkopolski National Park. While it doesn’t have the “wow” factor, that some other national parks do, it is a nice easy getaway from Poznan where you can be active, or relax along the lake with a picnic. I left feeling very relaxed and full, after stopping for lunch at TASTE_it Restaurant in the HOT_elarnia Hotel and Spa.
For further information, visit the City of Poznan’s official site, which describes a few of the trails.
Note: My visit to Wielkopolski National Park was made possible by the City of Poznan. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
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