Poland - Colourful city of Poznan

Poznan is the 5th largest city in Poland best known for the Renaissance style building in the Old Market Square.  The square was originally built in 1253. The Old Market Square or Stary Rynek is the main trading venue and it is surrounded by colourful old tenement houses. These days they are mainly used by restaurants and cafes.

The buildings around the square were originally low, timber framed structures. From the 15th century, taller, Gothic building took their place. In the 16th century, the facade took on Renaissance and later Baroque forms.

During WWII, a lot of the buildings in the square were damaged.

Faithfully reconstructed after the war, many of the facades of the tenement houses have been restored to how they looked before 1850.

The Town Hall which is now the Historical Museum of Poznan. When the clock strikes 12, a pair of goats would walk out of one of the towers and butt heads for 12 times. We missed the fighting goats but still had a good time walking around time.

The Weighing house and the Town Hall in the background. The Fountain of Mars is in the front. The Weighing House was originally constructed in 1534 and stored hardware used for weighing goods. These days, it is a civil registry issuing marriage certificates.

Since the 16th century, a fountain stood at each of the four corners of the Old Market Square and the fountains were later decorated with sculptures of ancient gods. The four are Proserpina, Apollo, Mars and Neptune
This particular fountain depicts Proserpina, the Goddess of grain and agriculture, being abducted by Pluto, God of the Underworld. Of the four sculptures, the Proserpina is the only original, dating back to 1766.

Craftsmen/Merchant houses, located to the left of the Town Hall. In the middle ages, these were wooden stalls. The present form dates back to the 16th century. The super narrow facade are due to the fact that homeowners back then paid tax according to the width of their facade and number of windows. 

Monument to commemorate farmers brought in from Bramberg region of Bavaria in the early 18th century to settle in the village and help rebuild it after the city was devastated by Swedish invaders and the plaque.

Jon of Nepomuk Monument. This statue of the Saint of Virtue dates back to 1724. Jon of Nepomuk was a saint that was tortured and drowned after refusing to divulge the secrets of Queen of Bohemia's confessional to her jealous husband.

Saint Martin Croissant or known locally as Rogale, Poznan's famed dessert. This croissant is packed with almond paste, nuts and poppy seeds. The making of this dessert is protected and the baker is required to have a special license and follow strict instructions.