After Szczecin (pronounced Cheech-in), Marc and I traveled to Poznan.  Unlike Szczecin which was located on the German-Polish border, the trip to Poznan took a lot longer given that the city was more inland.  The long train trip in the morning was definitely offset by the beauty of the city.  It was definitely worth it.  I know I often say that I would like to return to each and every city we visit but that is the plain and honest truth.

Back at the Berlin Bahnhof on the way to the platform to catch our train for Poznan, Poland.  I really love being in Europe. What I truly miss living in this continent is the travel and how easy it is to travel from one country to another.  Unlike in the US where one often needs to drive long distances or travel by plane to reach a desired destination, one only need to take the train or even the bus for a very cheap price to visit another country.

The train we took to go to Poznan from Berlin

This train went on to Warsaw after we disembarked in Poznan

Banners welcoming visitors to Poznan.  Poland hosted the World Soccer Cup early this summer and Poznan was one of the venues for the games.  This was taken inside the yet to be completed and finished new Poznan Train Station a few steps from the old one.

The board inside the new Poznan Train Station displaying the train arrivals and departures for the day

This is the old train station in Poznan.  This was the place we arrived at early in the morning. It was small with a number of restaurants, convenience stores, a currency exchange center, newspaper and magazine stands, and souvenir shops.  It was really nothing to photograph much given its very utilitarian and drab features.  The city had a tourist information center in the new swank station where English speaking employees helped guide visitors and travelers to the city  It was also very close to the city center.  For us, it was walking distance.

The Hugger's Brewery turned shopping mall was the first of the attractions we saw and visited in Poznan.  It was the landmark the guide from the tourist office in the train station told us to look out for as it was very close to the old town square.

By this time, Hugger's Brewery was the second mall we had visited in Poland in two days and I must say, Polish malls have a very upscale look to them.  They all looked very clean, quiet, safe, and rich.  I loved walking through them.   I really, really did.

Artwork inside Hugger's Brewery Mall

The plaque at the base of the comic statue inside the mall

A bridge in between the two buildings of Hugger's Brewery Mall

The rear part of the mall

A sculpture at Hugger's Brewery now a mall

Downtown Poznan

This street took us closer to the old town square.  I loved walking through this part of town.  It was pretty old looking but beautiful. 

How I would love to walk through these streets once again and be in the midst of such old architecture.

St. Francis Church and Franciscan Monastery

The statue of St. Francis in the courtyard of the church named after him

A huge bell in the courtyard of the St. Francis Church and Franciscan Monastery

The Stanislav Parish Church looming in the horizon as we wander through a park in downtown Poznan

The rear view of the St. Stanislav Parish Church taken from a public park

Getting closer to the St. Stanislav Parish Church

Closer...

The main facade of the St. Stanislav Parish Church in all its splendor

The main entrance

St. Stanislav Parish Church and the Gorka Palace

Inside St. Stanislav Parish Church

A closer look at the main altar inside St. Stanislav Parish Church

The sign on the church giving more helpful info about St. Stanislav Parish Church

An old, old house in downtown Poznan with the statue of the Blessed Virgin and child on one of its corners

In all my traveling years, I have found the people of Ireland and Poland to be the most devout Catholics besides Filipinos.

The Municipal House formerly a Jesuit College

Informative plaque on the Municipal House formerly a Jesuit College

Scenes from the Old Town Square

Marc in the Old Town Square of Poznan

A very old fountain and statue in front of Old Town Hall now fenced off from visitors

The Old Town Hall

In Poznan's Old Town Square a feet steps away from the Old Town Hall

The Old Town Hall from another angle

I found the square to be very colorful.  I think that's where its charm was besides its old architecture of course.

There were a number of buildings painted intricately like this one in the Old Town Square

Here's another one

and another one...

That's the tower of the Old Town Hall from another location in the Old Town Square

Source of good, free, clean, and cold water in the Old Town Square

One travel writer mentioned that Poznan's Old Town Square was "peanuts" compared to Krakow's.  I assume he is right.  Be that the case,  I still think Poznan's Old Town Square is very pretty.  It is definitely worthy of a visit.  I for one would like to return NOW!

From the impressive Old Town Square, Marc and I proceeded to explore other parts of the city.  We got hungry mid afternoon and instead of going any place new for a sit down lunch or dinner, we went to the golden arches on the way to the city's swank shopping street.  Given that we were pressed for time sightseeing, we had to get something quick so we could go.

I thing I noticed in Central and Eastern Europe, use of the bathroom is not free even in the McDonald's and KFCs.  It was good that we purchased some food, the McDonald's in Poznan didn't charge us any to use their bathroom facilities.  One caveat though was that we typed in the code on the receipt they gave us for the food we ordered so we could get access and use their facilities for free.  Stuffed and recharged, we went looking for the Castle of Przemysl.  Luckily it wasn't so far.  In fact, most of the sights in Poznan were within walking distance from each other, well, at least for us.

Marc and I do a lot of walking whenever we travel in Europe.  Of course, we use also the subway especially if the attraction is far.  However, walking has given us a good idea of the lay of the land everywhere we go.

The Castle of Przemysl

Another view of the Castle of Przemysl currently under renovation

I believe it is now the site of the Museum of Applied Arts in the city.

The Franciscan Church

A partial view of the Castle of Przemysl and the Franciscan Church

The views of the Castle of Przemysl and the Franciscan Church getting smaller as we walked down the hill

The city was a tad hilly in some parts but certainly nowhere near as hilly as my adopted city of San Francisco.  I love this particular scene most of all.  It is so old world.  I just don't see places like this in the United States.

The Museum Narodowe

A closer view of the art on the facade of the Museum Narodowe

Me in front of the Museum Narodowe

Raczynski Library

The former Bazar Hotel now the site of a Burberry Boutique

The Teatr Polski or Polski Theater

The locals in Poznan refer to this building as the example of Modernism in their city.

This building was like many other building we saw in the city.  Its interior was undergoing major renovations.  If my memory serves me right, this building was just right across the McDonald's we ate in.

The Holy Savior Church formerly St. Paul's Church

Info on the Holy Savior Church

The nave of the Holy Savior Church formerly St. Paul's Church

Inside the Holy Savior Church

Looks like the statue of Jesus Christ in front of the Holy Savior Church in downtown Poznan

The Adam Mickievics University

The Grand Theater, side view

The Grand Theater, frontal view

In front of the Grand Theater of Poznan

Right across the Grand Theater was a park where locals and visitors hung out.  It was a very hot day during our visit and many children played with the water in the nearby fountain.  There were sunbathers and others reading a book.  It was a nice afternoon.

Biblioteka.  I assume this was a public library since the Polish word for library is so similar to the word in Spanish which is Biblioteca.

While walking back to the train station to board our train back to Berlin, we passed a tiny plaza named yet again after Adam Mickievics. These two crosses commemorate the events in Poznan last 1956 when protests by factory workers for better wages and lower food prices were crushed by the Soviets killing around 100 people.  This monument was actually unveiled last 1981, during the protests 25th anniversary.

The monument of Adam Mickiewicz

This grand building bordered the Adam Mickiewics Square.

I think it is a building for cultural events and concerts.

Back at the train station.  This digital board showed the schedule of our train back to Berlin, Germany departing at 5:30 pm.  The train did leave on time but our arrival was delayed by three very long hours.  What was supposed to be a quick three hour train ride took forever as the German Railways train we took yet again encountered problems along the way.  We actually arrived at a very deserted and nearly empty Berlin Bahnhof around 11:00 to 11:30 pm.