If you are interested in Poland and you want to know about its history, then you must visit Gniezno. Located on five hills among lakes, this town was the original capital of Poland.

The legend has it that there were three brothers: Lech, Czech and Rus. They were exploring the wilderness to find a place to settle. Suddenly they saw a hill with an old oak and an eagle on top. Lech said: “This white eagle I will adopt as an emblem of my people, and around this oak I will build my stronghold, and because of the eagle nest (Gniazdo in Polish) I will call it Gniezno”. The other brothers went further on to find a place for their people. Czech went to the South (to found the Czech Lands) and Rus went to the East.

There was some kind of a military parade when we arrived and many people came to watch it.

After the throngs departed, we could finally enjoy the town’s main square (Rynek).

We saw some beautiful buildings along the Old Town’s cobblestone streets…

We also visited the 14th-century Gothic Cathedral, which is known for its relics and the tomb of Saint Adalbert that draws Catholics from all over Europe. The Cathedral witnessed the coronation of the first five Polish kings. You can also visit the archive containing several of Poland’s earliest manuscripts.

A wedding Saturday in June..

Churches in Poland are always neat and inviting…

After visiting the Old Town, we went to the Jelonek Lake from where we could have a great view on the cathedral. The weather was simply perfect for the photos!

Published by natalyadrian

I am a writer, a teacher, a translator and a digital nomad. View all posts by natalyadrian