You might hear of the fairy tale city of Krakow, the former capital of Poland, and its famous dragon legend.?
Do you know that the establishment of the first capital of Poland also came with its own legend❓
Gniezno is only 50 km from Poznań, beautifully located on five hills among lakes. Considered as the cradle of the Polish state, Gniezno was the birthplace of its Royalty and Christianity and served as the capital of Piast Poland. It was here that Bolesław the Brave was crowned as the first Polish king in the year of 1025.
It is said that the name ‘Gniezno’ relates back to a legend. Once up a time, there were three brothers who went hunting together but each of them followed a different prey and eventually they all traveled in different directions. Among the three brothers, Lech decided to travel northward and he eventually stopped in a large valley where he noticed that there was a nest of a white eagle on the highest hill. Taking this as an omen, he chose to settle in this area and named his settlement Gniezno, meaning ‘nest’, and adopted the White Eagle as his coat-of-arms.
Known as one of the oldest towns in Poland, Ginezno is packed with historic buildings that most of them can stem from the 10th century and early 11th century. Its Old Town is a charming collection of winding streets and colorful, slope-roofed buildings centred on a pleasant cobblestone square and the city’s famous cathedral. The highlight of the town’s attraction is the 14th-century Gothic Cathedral, which dates back to the end of the ninth century, served as the coronation place for several Polish monarchs and the seat of Polish church officials continuously for nearly 1000 years. The Gniezno Cathedral is famous for the Gniezno Doors and the coffin containing the relics of St Adalbert. The Gniezno Doors fitted in the Gothic portal of the south entrance representing one of the outstanding examples of Romanesque metalwork in Europe. It contains two massive winged bronze doors decorated with 18 bronze panels, and each of them was engraved with scenes from the life of St. Adalbert of Prague. There are also several Gothic churches, the Archdiocesan Museum and the Museum of the Origins of the Polish State that are well worth a visit.
If you are tire of visiting museums and churches, wandering along the tranquil Jelonek Lake is another fun way to enjoy the splendor view of the old town of Gniezno.?
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