Kalisz

Kalisz (pop. 110,000) is the main city of south-eastern Greater Poland and the region's second city (after Poznań ). It is probably the oldest town in Poland. Ptolemy mentions a city named 'Calisia' in his Geographia , written circa AD 142–174, then part of the Amber Road . Archaeological excavations after the Second World War found remains of a settlement from that time.

Kalisz got its municipal rights from duke Boleslaus the Pious in appr. 1260. After the location it developed rapidly, thanks to its central location in Kingdom of Poland and influx of Jewish refugees who wanted to escape religious persecution. During the Partition Time (1793-1918) it remained mostly under Russian control, and the border with the Prussia (later-on: Germany) was just next to the city westwards. Being disconnected from its historical lands, Kalisz aligned more closely with Łódź and became a relatively important textile manufacturing centre. At the beginning of the World War I defenseless Kalisz was nearly completely razed to the ground by attacking German forces. Act which was widely condemned. City managed to rebuild after the war, however it lost its role due to many changes in economy and geography, as it was no longer a central location and its Russian markets were gone after October Revolution. Now Kalisz is a secondary industrial centre along with nearby Ostrów Wielkopolski . There are two theatres in the city, one local university and several branches of higher schools.

Tourist Information Centre ,

Zamkowa ,

+48 62 598 27 31 ,

[email protected] .

M-Fr: 9:00—17:00, Sa: 10:00—14:00, Su closed .

By plane

Kalisz is almost equally distant (120   km) from 3 airports: Poznań -Ławica, Wrocław and Łódź , travel time to each of them is appr. 2 hours. But - taking into account a very small number of connections from Łódź, use airport in Poznań or in Wrocław.

By train

Kalisz is not a railway hub. One line passes through: from Ostrów Wielkopolski to Łódź . Trains regularly run from Kalisz via Ostrów Wielkopolski to Poznań , Wrocław and Leszno. From Kalisz, several trains head to Łódź and some continue as far as Warsaw .

Kalisz railway station ,

Dworcowa 1 .

  ( updated Jun 2020 )

By bus

Because of few train connections, buses are the most important mean of travel for some destinations:

Jelenia Góra

• 2 daily

Konin

• 10 daily

Kraków

• 1 daily

Łódź

• 2 daily

Poznań

• 12 daily

Przemyśl

• 1 daily

Sieradz - 6 daily

Wrocław

• 9 daily

Zakopane

• 1 daily

By car

Kalisz is located on the crossing of two main roads:

number 12 from the western border (crossing to Germany : Łęknica - Bad Muskau) to the eastern one (crossing to Ukraine Dorohusk - Jahodyn). The road enters Greater Poland from Głogów , then passes through Wschowa and Leszno and further

The lines in Kalisz and surroundings are served by Kaliskie Linie Autobusowe ( Kalisz Bus Lines )

St. Nicolaus Cathedral

( Katedra pw św Mikołaja Biskupa ),

Kanonicka 5 .

The temple was built in 13th century thanks to financial support from the local duke Boleslaus the Pious and the presbytery still has Gothic form (with a star-style vaulting); the side-aisles are late-Gothic, but the main aisle is already Renaissance - which is the result of the reconstruction in 16th and 17th centuries. Up to 1973 church possessed a picture by Rubens "Taking down from the cross"; unfortunately the masterpiece has disappeared after the fire in the church (now you can admire only a copy). In the interiors you can find a wonderful picture presenting the old Kalisz, epiphanies and the greatest treasure of the temple

: baptistery from 13th cent. In so called Polish Chapel (called as well the Chapel of Our Lady of Consolation) – interesting polichromies and stained-glass windows according to the project by Polish writer and artist Władysław Tetmajer from 1907. Next to the church - a parish house, which in 14 and 15th centuries played the role of canonry from Roman Lateran.

Free .

Old Market Square .

A rectangle (100 x 120 metres), was the heart of the medieval city located here appr. 1257. In the middle of the square you'll find the Town hall from the 1920s, which up to now has been the seat of municipal office. There's a viewing point on the top of the town hall tower. Tenement houses, surrounding the Square were (as well) built in the period between the wars, as the previous ones had been destroyed by Germans at the end of WWI.

Franciscan Church and Monastery ,

Sukiennicza 7 .

Erected thanks to the foundation of Duke Boleslaus the Pious. There're still few remnants from the original construction

: 13th-century presbitery and 100 years younger aisles, later on rebuilt after fires in 16th cent. In the main altar you can find a late-baroque picture by Franciszek Smuglewicz "The resurrection of peasant Peter" (it's a copy of the picture by Szymon Czechowicz from the Parish Church in Poznań ). The neighbouring monastery was built in 17th century on the foundations of a previous one. In its wall you can still find parts of ancient Gothic city wall.

Church: Free. Monastery: Closed for visitors .

St. Joseph's Church ,

plac Świętego Józefa 7 ,

+48 62 757 58 22 .

The building dates back to the first half of 13th century. Originally it as built of wood, in 1353 reerected using bricks and founded by the Gniezno bishop Jarosław Skotnicki. There are some remnants from the original construction: the presbitery with star vaulting, but the most precious part of the temple is the treasury, with e.g. patene from 12th cent, cup from 1363 (a gift of the king Casimir the Great). The temple owns as well - modernly equipped - underground chapel, which is the main Polish place of commemorations of all priests and monks died in Nazi concentration camp in Dachau.

On the square, in front of the church - the monument of Pope John Paul II, erected in 1999, who had prayed in the temple two years before.

Archeological Reserve in Zawodzie

( Rezerwat Archeologiczny ),

Bolesława Pobożnego ,

+48 691 996 528 .

Spring to mid-autumn, usually 1 May - 30 Sept: Tu, Th, F 10:00—15:00, W, Sa-Su 10:00—18:00 .

The Zawodzie district is the oldest district of the city, a small fortress in the Piast dynasty times. During the archeological excavations the entrance gate with a bridge and rampart were recreated, as well

: the defence tower was built. The fundaments and by-ground parts of the old collegiate Romanesque church were reconstructed, too. The shape of the original timber building, the oldest temple in Kalisz, was shown on the floor. Inside you'll find 7 houses, a grave from tribal times and replicas of boats used then. There're as well too exhibitions: a multimedia one devoted to the history of the fortress and ethnographic one, organised in the housing building from the end of 18th century.

5 zł regular, 3 zł reduced, family ticket (max 2 adults and 3 children) 10 zł .

( updated Apr 2018 )

Museum of the Kalisz Grounds

( Muzeum Okręgowe Ziemi Kaliskiej ),

ul. Kościuszki 12 ,

+48 62 757 16 08 ,

[email protected] .

This museum has archaeological, ethnographic and historical departments as well as with an interesting numismatic collection. The most precious exhibit is the sandstone grave plaque, found in the Zawodzie-reservation (look above), treated as the grave of Duke Mesko III the Old (died in 1202) from the collegiate church of St. Paul. The Museum owns as well the copy of the patane, foundation by the Duke for the Cistercian Monastery in Lad.

4 zł regular ticket, 2 zł reduced ticket. There are family tickets. Su for free .

Wojciech Bogusławski Theatre ,

plac Bogusławskiego 1 ,

+48 62 760 53 00 .

The first theatre building was constructed here in 1835. The present - third - comes from 1936. The theatre organises yearly "Kalisz Theatre Meetings". It's interesting to know, that first performances were organised in Kalisz by Jesuits, already in 16th century, and - at the beginnings of 19th - Wojciech Bogusławski (called sometimes "the father of Polish theatre") played here personally.

Events

Many cultural events in Kalisz take place in the archeological reservation in Zawodzie.

The Archeological Market - in June

The Kupala Night - as well in June (Kupala was one of the Gods in the old Slavonic religion; the night is now called: St.John's night)

The Piast Feast - in August

The Prince's Meed production - in September

Budget

Bar Mleczny (Milk Bar) Targowa 2/12, phone: +48 62 757 53 61

Bar Mleczny - Maleńki, Parczewskiego 2/3, phone: +48 62 501 93 03

Osteria, Konopnickiej 2–4, phone: +48 62 501 20 02

Mid-range

Antonio Restaurant-House, Śródmiejska 21, phone: +48 62 757 46 90

Bacówka, Aleja Wolności 12, phone: +48 62 503 10 35

Bambus, Śródmiejska 31, phone: +48 62 764 29 85

Karafka, Górnośląska 10, phone: +48 62 767 86 60,

KTW, Park Ludowy 2, phone: +48 62 767 42 95,

Marrone, Aleja Wolności 2, phone: +48 62 757 07 07

Maguro - Sushi Bar, Śródmiejska 20, phone: +48 62 757 00 73,

Roma, Chopina 9, phone: +48 62 766 43 74

Rendes-Vous, Słowiańska 3, phone: +48 515 333 614,

Szaława, Rzymska 36, phone: +48 62 766 11 77

Splurge

Calisia, Nowy Świat 1–3, phone: +48 62 767 91 00,

Emilia, Nowy Świat 46, phone: +48 62 757 58 15

Europa, Wolności 5, phone: +48 62 757 04 33,

Wanatówka, Łazienna 6, phone: +48 62 764 10 40

Pięterko (old-polish cuisine) Zamkowa 12, phone: +48 62 757 53 02

Piwnica Ratuszowa, Główny Rynek 20 (town hall cellar), phone: +48 62 757 05 03

Cafes

Belle Epoque, Piskorzewska 1, tel: 062 757 43 75

Delicje, Rzeźnicza 2, tel: 062 501 90 16

Marysieńka, Górnośląska 32, tel: 062 757 66 21

Gastro, Babina 19, phone: +48 62 501 88 22, +48 62 757 29 49

Kuźnia "U Stacha" (Stanley's Smithy), Łazienna 1, phone: +48 62 501 81 70,

Pod Muzami - Klub Studencki UAM (The Poznań UAM-University students' Club), Aleja Wolności 27, (entrance from Bankowa street), phone: +48 62 757 67 19,

Budget

Guest Rooms Rendez Vous, Słowiańska 3, phone: +48 62 768 01 10

Mid-range

SEVEN Hotel, Częstochowska 77, tel/fax: +48 62 764 43 43,

ROMA Hotel, Chopina 9, phone: +48 62 501 75 55 mailto:[email protected]

Hotel Bursztyn, Łódzka 29, phone: +48 62 757 97 03,

Splurge

Hotel CALISIA***, Nowy Swiat 1–3, phone: +48 62 767 91 00 or +48 62 767 91 14, , mailto:rezerwacja@h

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A typical must-buy in Kalisz are local traditional wafers called andruty (pronounced: androotyh) - thin, sweetish wafers, baked for over 200 years. Since 2005 they've been inscribed the list of regional products of the Polish Ministry of Agriculture, and 4 years later, in 2009, the joined the official prestige list of regional product of the European Union.

Galeria Tęcza ,

3 Maja 1 ,

+48 62 598 01 01 .

A shopping mall near the center.

• Warsaw — Poland's capital city, with world-class museums and historic Old Town
• Kraków — the medieval royal capital and Poland's top tourist destination
• Gdańsk — beautiful Baltic port city with a stunning Old Town