ABOUT RPC > OUR REGION > WIELKOPOLSKA REGION

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Area: 29 826 sq. kms (9.5% of Polands total area)
• Capital of the region: Poznań
• Population: 3362 tys. (8,7% of Polands entire population)

The region is located in the western part of Poland and borders on the provinces (voivodships) of Lubuskie, Zachodniopomorskie, Pomorskie, Kujawsko-pomorskie, Łódzkie, Opolskie and Dolnosląskie. It is Polands second largest province (voivodship) in terms of size (with the area totalling 29 826 km2). The population is over 3 million people (third largest in Poland, and accounting for 9% of the entire population of Poland). At 113 people per sq. kilometre the density of population is lower compared to Polands average. Also the urbanization rate is lower than the countrys average. The regions capital is Poznań, the city with rich history, but also a vibrant centre for business and industry and home to a large number of universities, colleges and cultural establishments.

Other major cities and towns which are also business and cultural centres of their respective regions include Kalisz (Polands oldest town with documented history dating back to the 2nd century), Konin, Piła, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Gniezno and Leszno. The Wielkopolskie province is located at a junction of Europes important travel and transport routes crossroads, with the east-west router from Berlin, via Poznań, Konin, Warsaw and Moscow, and north-south from Prague, via Wrocław, Leszno, Poznań to the Baltic Coast. For air travel, Poznan is served by Henryk Wieniawski International Airport at Ławica.

During the 2004/2005 academic year a total of 33 university-type of schools were in operation (12 state universities and 21 private). The majority of universities and colleges are located in Poznań, but self-governing schools and colleges operate also in Leszno, Piła, Jarocin, Konin, Gniezno and Kalisz. In terms of a number of students (totalling 161,000) the region ranks fifth in Poland. Almost every one in ten of the regions residents boasts a university or college degree.

One of the highest growing types of business activity in rural areas is agritourism. Rural communities actively and successfully search for the ways of utilizing EU structural funds. One of the major problems in the rural areas, just like elsewhere in Poland, is unemployment with nearly one-third of all unemployed still under the age of 24. However, the overall unemployment rate in the Wielkopolska region is still among the lowest in Poland. According to the data released by GUS, the main Polish Statistical Office, at the end of June 2006, the total number of the unemployed registered in the province was over 1,865,000 which corresponds to 12.9% of the professionally active population (compared to Polands average of 16%).

In the Wielkopolska region small and medium-sizes enterprises prevail. Such businesses generally tend to be mobile and very flexible in adjusting to a fluctuating situation on the market. At the end of 2005 there were over 341,000 registered businesses, with companies employing up to 9 staff accounting for 94.45% of the number (over 322,000 micro-scale businesses).

The percentage of businesses employing between 10 and 49 staff was 4.54% (an equivalent of over 15,500 SMEs), while companies with the number of employees between 50 and 249 accounted for 0.88% of the total number of registered businesses (totalling over 3,000 medium-sized businesses). The number of large companies employing over 250 of staff reached 429 at the end of December 2005 which accounted for 0.13% of all businesses and companies registered in the Wielkopolskie province. However, it is the SME sector which has the most essential role as the employer. From the total number of 1,209,900 people employed in the Wielkopolska region at the close of 2004, the percentage of jobs in the SME sector was around 77.1%, compared to 74,2% overall in Poland.

Wielkopolska abounds in combustible fossil fuels such as brown coal, natural gas, peat, but also other valuable resources as salt or peat used for medicine and balneology. Wielkopolska is also a highly attractive tourist region, with nearly one-forth of its area covered by forests and woodlands. The regions main river is Warta, the largest tributary of the Odra, Polands second longest river. Warta is a 1st class waterway which is navigable over more than a 300 km stretch. Wielkopolska also abounds in picturesque lakes, with the largest Powidz Lake measuring over 1000 hectares.

Protected areas occupy nearly one-third of the regions area. Also, part of the Drawa National Park is in Wielkopolska. The region boasts a remarkable number of various tourist tracks and trails, including bicycle trails, walks, bridleways as well as river and lake trails. The cultural tracks lead here: Piasts, Cisterians and Romanian. There are lots precius monuments of material culture: churches, pala ces, castles. The pilgrimage tourism take place here (The Milenium Gate nearby Lednica Lake and sanctuary In Lichen). Poznan also boasts the Malta sports and recreation complex with a rowing course, which meets international competition standards, and an artificial ski slope open throughout the year.

Strong sides of the voivodship:

•   Diversified structure of the regions economy with high enterprise growth rates
•   High levels of foreign investment
•   Considerable natural resources of raw materials
•   Highly developed farming with high production output
•   Good education infrastructure and a large number of universities and colleges;
    great research and development potential
•   Very favourable geographical location
•   Good road and transport infrastructure, including roads and waterways
•   Poznań International Fair
•   High level of activity shown by local communities
•   Rich natural and cultural heritage

Counties:

•   metropolitan 4
•   rural 31

Districts:

•   metropolitan 19
•   rural and metropolitan 90
•   rural 117

Subregions:

•   The Kalisz sub-region
•   The Konin sub-region
•   The Piła sub-region
•   The Poznań sub-region

MAJOR CITIES AND TOWNS

•   Poznań 545 500
•   Kalisz 106 500
•   Konin 79 400
•   Piła 74 500
•   Ostrów Wielkopolski 72 600
•   Gniezno 69 500
•   Leszno 69 500
•   Śrem 29 800
•   Swarzędz 30 200
•   Turek 28 800

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Poznań:
It is one of the oldest cities in Poland, with its origins going back to the 9th century. Today, Poznań is a large industrial, trade, research and cultural centre. However, relics of the past are still the main tourist attractions of the city. Apart from architectural monuments, it is worthwhile to have a look at museum collections: painting and art collections, and unique exhibitions of musical instruments. Poznań is a city of greenery, with green areas covering 20% of its total area. It is also a city where you can find lakes and bathing beaches, a zoological garden, a palm house and a botanical garden.

MAIN MONUMENTS

in Poznań:

- Old Market Square: the third largest one in the country, next to the squares in Cracow and Wrocław, with historic tenement houses and palaces;

- Town Hall, a Renaissance monument from the 16th c., where at 12.00 you may see two moving figures of goats, the symbol of the city;

- Parish Church from the 18th c. where organ concerts are held every day at 12.15 in summer;

- St. Adalbert Hill: St. Adalbert’s Church from the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, with a wooden bell tower from the 17th c.; and the Carmelite Church and Monastery from the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries;

- Ostrów Tumski: a complex of historic sacred temples (with first parts built as early as the 10th c.), and a cathedral from the 15th century.

near Poznań:

- Kórnik: the Palace from the 19th c., a library and an arboretum;

- Rogalin: the Palace from the 18th c.; a painting gallery; a park with „Rogalin Oaks”, the largest cluster of old oaks in Europe;

- Gniezno: the Cathedral which was first mentioned in historic documents in the 10th c., and later rebuilt in its present Gothic style;

- Biskupin: a reconstructed ancient Slavonic settlement from 550 B.C.;

- Ostrów Lednicki: an archaeological reserve with fragments of stone buildings from the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries; and a skansen with wood historic items from the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries;

- Licheń (near Konin): a Marian sanctuary, the largest church in Poland;

- Wolsztyn: the Engine House, the only steam engine skansen still open in Europe.

SCENERY AND CLIMATE

The Wielkopolska Voivodship is situated in lowland Poland. You will see here extensive open fields, meadows, large stretches of forest, and plains with meandering river valleys and moraine hills. Green areas cover ca 25% of the total area of the region. Wielkopolska has numerous landscape parks and natural reserves, and a part of its area is covered by a national park.  Unique riches of the region are natural postglacial lakes.

Main natural attractions:

- Wielkopolska National Park
- Noteć Forest
- Drawsko Forest
- Zielonka Forest
- Landscape Reserve „ Morasko Meteorite”.

ANNUAL EVENTS

Poznań:
- International Poznań Fair: the fair has been divided into thematic events and is thus held more than a dozen times each year; http://www.mtp.pl/en/

- H. Wieniawski International Violin Concert: held every 5 years; http://www.wieniawski.com

- Midsummer Day Fair: held in June in the Old Market Square where market stalls with regional products are put up and artists give performances on a stage;

- International Theatre Festival „Malta”: July; http://www.malta-festival.pl

- Archaeological Festival in Biskupin: September; http://www.biskupin.pl

TOURIST INFORMATION

Tourist information is free. You may also obtain some free information materials.

Poznań:

- Municipal Information Centre (Centrum Informacji Miejskiej)
ul. Ratajczaka 44; phone: 61 851 96 45
http://www.cim.poznan.pl

- Tourist Information Office (Biuro Informacji Turystycznej)
Stary Rynek 59/60; phone: 61 852 61 56

- Glob-Tour
Railway Station, Main Hall (Dworzec PKP, Hala Główna); phone: 61 866 06 67