Wielkopolska National Park is the only park located entirely within the Wielkopolska region. However, this is not the sole reason why it has this unique name. It’s a miniature version of Wielkopolska. Here, you’ll find all the elements of a typical landscape of this voivodeship: gentle hills, lakes, mixed forests, and here and there giant boulders. Wielkopolska National Park is made up of numerous excellent hiking and biking trails, observation towers, and even… the mysterious ruins of a castle on an island.
To the summit of Osowa Góra!
Start your trip to the Wielkopolska National Park in Puszczykowo or Mosina. You can reach both towns by train and follow the hiking trail towards the park. You can also park your car or camper at one of the several forest parking lots. We recommend a trip from Mosina to the settlement of Jeziory (where the park management office and museum are located), and then on to Puszczykowo. Most of the route you will make your way along the red hiking trail.
In the northern part of Mosina, there is Osowa Góra (Osowa Hill). While its height of 131 meters isn’t exactly breathtaking, the hill offers a superb panoramic view of the entire park. This is possible thanks to the observation tower at its top. From the summit, you can admire not only the vast expanse of forest but also the magnificent Poznań skyline with all its tallest buildings.
From here, we enter the wooded part of the park. A red hiking trail leads from the nearby parking lot and takes you to the most interesting spots. Along the way, a stop at a peculiar landmark is a must. It’s Napoleon’s Well, from which the Emperor of France himself supposedly drank water. According to the legend, the water was said to taste like champagne. It would turn into champagne one night a year, but unfortunately, no one remembers which.
From Lake to Lake
The red trail will lead you seamlessly between three lakes, each one is different. Start with Lake Kociołek – almost ideally round, with perfectly clear water, nestled in a hollow and picturesquely surrounded by forest. Look closely along the shore, and you’ll surely see signs of gnawing by the numerous beavers here.
Lake Skrzynka is a whole nother story. It takes 30-minutes walking to get there, but it’s worth a closer look. Here, the water is murky, often fuscous, and the shores are covered with peat bog. There’s also a legend associated with the lake – according to it, the sunken treasure of the Pożegowski family is believed to rest at its bottom.
Another 30 minutes separates you from one of the biggest attractions of the Wielkopolska National Park – Lake Góreckie. It’s beautifully situated, with high banks offering stunning views and several pleasant beaches. First, make sure to descend to the viewing platform, from which you can see the ruins of a romantic castle situated on the Castle Island. The building was a wedding gift from Count Tytus Działyński to his sister Klaudyna Potocka. Next, the red trail rings around the lake, leading to the Wielkopolska National Park Museum.
The museum
From a distance, the building housing the Wielkopolska National Park Museum looks rather peculiar. No surprise, it was built during the war as the villa of Nazi dignitary Arthur Greiser. Instead of demolishing it, however, the pragmatic citizens of Poznań decided to adapt it for other purposes. Nowadays, it houses classrooms and a quite interesting exhibition devoted to the nature of the Wielkopolska National Park and its history.
To Puszczykowo
From here, the red hiking trail leads mainly through the forest, occasionally between gentle hills. After about an hour of walking, you’ll come across the first houses in Puszczykowo. Once a favorite holiday destination for Poznań residents, the town is now an elegant residential area. Many buildings, including both train stations, were built in the then-fashionable Tyrolean and Swiss styles.
Apart from its interesting architecture, you’ll find several good restaurants here. A must-visit is the Kostusiak ice cream parlor, located right next to the Puszczykówko train station. It’s been in operation continuously for 75 years.
Kayaking on the Warta River
The Warta River is an interesting and not especially difficult kayaking route, and a part of the Great Waterway Loop of Wielkopolska. The section running through the Wielkopolska National Park and the neighboring Rogalin Landscape Park is particularly attractive. The trip begins at the marina in Radzewice, east of Mosina, and ends in Puszczykowo. Along the way, you’ll navigate through the Warta’s floodplains and meadows. Civilization is left far behind, and along this entire section there is just one bridge.
Of course, you don’t need your own kayak, there are many companies in the area that can organize kayaking trips and provide the necessary equipment.
