Ostrów Tumski

This island is where the city originated and ‘where Poland began’ according to Pope John Paul II. Legend has it that three Slav brothers called Lech, Czech and Rus met at this island having not seen each other for years. The city was named to commemorate their reunion, poznać being Polish for ‘to meet'. A castle was built on the island in the 9th century, and by the 10th century it had become a major centre of the Piast state. This is the spot where Poland adopted Catholic baptism and where the first bishopric was established in 968. Mieszko I and Bolesław Chrobry, the founders of the Polish state, are buried in the cathedral. Remains of 19th century Prussian fortifications are still visible on the Cybina riverside.