Wielkopolska is the perfect destination for a family getaway and exciting trips with your little ones! You will find plenty of attractions here designed exclusively for children, as well as spots where the whole family can join in on the fun. Amazing adventures and fascinating stories await around every corner. So, where are the best places in Wielkopolska for a weekend with the kids?
The Piast Trail for Everyone
The best way to start your family exploration of the Piast Trail is at the Piast Trail Miniature Open-Air Museum in Pobiedziska. Here, you can admire 1:20 scale models of historical buildings from bygone eras while listening to fascinating legends from the Piast period.
Right next door is Pobiedziska Stronghold (Gród Pobiedziska). Under the watchful eye of the stronghold’s governor (Komes), you can try your hand at archery, fire a catapult, or try on the full armor of a medieval warrior.
Other must-see stops along the route include:
- Porta Posnania (Brama Poznania) in Poznań’s Śródka district, which offers a specially designed program for families with children.
- The Museum of the Origins of the Polish State in Gniezno, where you won’t just learn historical facts, but above all, have a fantastic time discovering how our ancestors used to live.
While in Gniezno, the kids will absolutely love the Royal Trail. Cute rabbit figurines scattered throughout the city act as historical guides, and you can track them down using a dedicated app called Królika Goń! (Chase the Rabbit!).
When spending a weekend on the Piast Trail, you cannot miss the mysterious island of Ostrów Lednicki. Part of the adventure involves taking a ferry across to the island, where 1,000 years ago, Mieszko I and Bolesław the Brave built a mighty stronghold. Finally, at the other end of the Trail-in Kalisz-you will be transported into a world of legends and mystery with a visit to Dorothy’s Tower (Baszta Dorotka), home to the Kalisz Center of Fairy Tales and Legends.
Family-Friendly Poznań
Make sure to book at least three days for your trip to Poznań!
It is best to start your adventure with the city’s ultimate symbol-the mechanical billy goats butting heads on the Town Hall tower right at noon. From there, it is just a few steps to the Poznań Croissant Museum (Rogalowe Muzeum Poznania), where kids can learn the history of the famous St. Martin’s croissant and even try making one themselves.
And from there, it’s just a “potato’s throw” to the… Potato Museum (Muzeum Pyry)! After all, how can you visit Poznań without learning a thing or two about its iconic local tuber?
Prefer to stay active? You certainly won’t be bored at Lake Malta (Jezioro Maltańskie), which features a year-round ski slope, a toboggan run, a rope park, a winter ice rink, and Malta Thermal Baths (Termy Maltańskie)-one of the largest water parks in Poland.
Poznań is also the only city in Poland boasting two zoological gardens: the Old Zoo and the New Zoo. You can arrive at the New Zoo in style by taking the historic tourist bus Line 100 throughout the summer, or by riding the charming Maltanka Park Railway.
If the weather behaves, a trip to Mount Morasko-the highest point within the city limits-is an excellent idea. Nearby, you will find a nature reserve featuring Poland’s only meteorite craters. Closer to the city center lies Citadel Park (Park Cytadela). Once a massive fortress, it is now a lovely spot for family strolls and feeding friendly squirrels.
One of Wielkopolska’s newest highlights is the Enigma Cipher Center in Poznań. Located on Święty Marcin Street, it tells the story of the brilliant Polish cryptologists who cracked the code of the German Enigma cipher machine before World War II. Far from being a somber wartime tale, this fully interactive center shows how encryption methods evolved over the centuries, allowing visitors to test out every single cipher themselves.
All Aboard! Train and Railway Adventures
Vintage trains are a joy for both little and big kids (including the grown-up ones), and the region offers plenty of choices!
- Maltanka Park Railway: The youngest travelers will love this Poznań train, which runs along the shores of Lake Malta and takes you straight to the New Zoo.
- Środa District Railway (Średzka Kolej Powiatowa): For a longer journey, jump on this narrow-gauge railway in Środa Wielkopolska, running regularly on summer weekends. The experience includes a century-old steam locomotive, retro carriages, conductors in period uniforms, and vintage cardboard tickets. The route is about 14 km long, and it’s a great idea to stay longer at the final station in Zaniemyśl to enjoy the lake and its beautiful beach.
- Wyrzysk County Railway in Białośliwie: Heading north in Wielkopolska, you will find this seasonal summer line. Though short, the route winds beautifully through forests and along a woodland stream. You can take a leisurely tour of the old locomotive depot and chat with the passionate volunteers who keep the place alive. Be sure to check the dates for the annual narrow-gauge railway rally in Białośliwie!
- Wolsztyn Roundhouse (Parowozownia Wolsztyn): A total must-see and the last working depot of its kind in Europe. You can arrive here under full steam on trains from Poznań or Zbąszynek. The century-old roundhouse can be explored with a guide or an audio guide. It is especially worth waiting around for the locomotive servicing, when the engines are topped up with coal and water.
A Fairytale Weekend
Every little princess dreams of her own castle. The fairytale-like Gołuchów Castle is surrounded by a magnificent park where you can admire real European bison. You might already recognize its silhouette, as it has starred in several movies, most recently in both parts of the Polish film Academy of Mr. Kleks (Pan Kleks). Meanwhile, at the romantic, Neo-Gothic Kórnik Castle, you might come face-to-face with the ghost of the White Lady (Biała Dama), who according to legend, wanders the rooms at night.
If looking around isn’t enough, you can actually spend the night in some of these historic places! The fairytale castles in Rydzyna and Wąsowo have been transformed into hotels, so anyone can feel like a prince or princess for a few days. You can also stop by the newly restored Wielkopolska Castle in Rokosowo for a coffee and a slice of cake.
For total relaxation and getting close to nature, check into one of Wielkopolska’s many agritourism farms. It is hard to list all the fun they offer-ranging from hanging out with farm animals and joining bread-baking workshops to taking horse-drawn carriage rides.
A few unique highlights include:
- Cichowo: Home to a recreation of the Soplicowo manor from the famous movie Pan Tadeusz.
- Arendel: A charming Norwegian village near Zagórów where a herd of real reindeer lives.
- Miłkowska Chata: Invites you for walks with cute goats along the scenic edges of the Noteć Forest (Puszcza Notecka).
- Ranczo w Dolinie (Ranch in the Valley): Offers a taste of a classic Wild West western.
Active Family Adventures
Wielkopolska is a largely lowland region, gently interwoven with rolling hills and sparkling lakes. This makes it the ideal setting for a family cycling or hiking trip, with no need to worry about grueling trails or dangerous steep drops.
For family bike rides, we highly recommend the Land of 100 Lakes (Kraina 100 Jezior), which is perfect for short, one-day cycling trips. If you prefer hiking, the best trails wind through the ravines near Chalin, around Lake Lutomskie, and along the Kamionka Valley.
While you are there, pop into the Center for Regional and Nature Education in Mniszki or Chalin. Here, you will find a trail of vanishing trades. You might have seen something similar before, but it is rare to find a place that showcases professions that were completely commonplace just two decades ago, such as analog cinema operators, tailors, old-school TV repairmen, or a classic vinyl record shop.
You will also find fantastic trails around the Noteć River. For those looking for a slightly bigger challenge, the hills of Czarnków Switzerland (Szwajcaria Czarnkowska) and a hike up Gontyniec hill near Chodzież will hit the spot. Though this hill peaks at “just” 192 meters, its numerous climbs and descents will make you feel like you are trekking through low-altitude mountains. For longer stays, it is well worth exploring the areas around the Drawa (Puszcza Drawska) and Noteć (Puszcza Notecka) Forests. Why not treat the kids to a real adventure and bring your tents along?
Two of Poznań’s “green lungs” are also spectacular for family bike outings: the Wielkopolska National Park and Zielonka Forest (Puszcza Zielonka). Both boast well-marked cycling paths and plenty of parking areas where you can unload your bikes, completely avoiding the need to cycle through city traffic. And if you get hungry, the surrounding areas are packed with cozy spots for lunch or ice cream. (For ice cream, you absolutely must stop by the legendary ice cream parlor by the Puszczykówko train station!)
Family Kayaking Trips
Kayaking is another fantastic way to spend quality time together. Even with younger kids, it is incredibly easy to set up a mixed crew, pairing one parent with one child in a single kayak. Best of all, most of Wielkopolska’s kayaking routes run along calm, lazy rivers, making them significantly safer than mountain waters. While you might occasionally need to carry your kayak around an obstacle (przenoski), these portages are never long or exhausting.
Here are a few tried-and-tested trails for beginners:
- The Cistercian Loop (Pętla Cysterska) and the Lily of the Valley Trail (Szlak Konwaliowy) in the Przemęt Landscape Park offer wonderful, recreational paddling, especially on the sections crossing the lakes, where you can easily pull up to the shore in many places.
- The Rurzyca and Wełna trails are well-maintained and perfect for a short trip, though they can get a bit crowded on weekends.
- The Obra River offers a very peaceful current, especially on the stretch from Kopanica to Międzyrzecz.
- The Barycz River is a brilliant spot for birdwatching; it’s best to launch near Odolanów and paddle down towards Milicz.
In recent years, the stretch of the Warta River from Radzewice to Puszczykowo has exploded in popularity. Even though the Warta is the largest river in Wielkopolska, it flows exceptionally gently along this section and does not feel overwhelmingly wide at all. The huge advantage here is the complete lack of obstacles in the water, and the fact that the entire route intersects with a car road only once.
Wielkopolska with kids is simply the ultimate recipe for a perfect holiday!
