Kalisz travel guide

Kalisz, Poland

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Kalisz

Introduction

Kalisz is a city in central Poland, situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship. It serves as the capital of the Kalisz Land and forms a conurbation with the nearby towns of Ostrów Wielkopolski and Nowe Skalmierzyce.

Before you go

Kalisz sits in south-eastern Greater Poland and is the region's second city after Poznań. It lays claim to being the oldest town in Poland: Ptolemy mentions a place called 'Calisia' in his Geographia, and post-war excavations turned up remains of a settlement from around that time, when the spot lay on the Amber Road. Keep that deep history in mind as you plan, because the city's later story is just as eventful — municipal rights came from duke Boleslaus the Pious around 1260, and growth followed from a central position in the Kingdom of Poland and an influx of Jewish refugees fleeing persecution.

Before you set out, it helps to know how much was lost and rebuilt. During the Partitions Kalisz stayed mostly under Russian control, with the Prussian border running just to the west, and the city turned toward Łódź and textile manufacturing. At the start of the First World War it was nearly razed by attacking German forces, and although it was rebuilt afterwards it never regained its old central role, its Russian markets gone after the October Revolution. Today it is a secondary industrial centre alongside nearby Ostrów Wielkopolski, with two theatres and a local university. For practical questions, the Tourist Information Centre on Zamkowa is your point of contact; note it is closed on Sundays.

Getting there

Kalisz has no airport of its own, but three international airports lie roughly the same distance away: Poznań-Ławica, Wrocław and Łódź, each about a two-hour journey from the city. Given the very limited number of connections from Łódź, plan on flying into Poznań or Wrocław instead.

By rail, Kalisz is not a hub: a single line passes through, running from Ostrów Wielkopolski to Łódź. Regular trains connect the city via Ostrów Wielkopolski with Poznań, Wrocław and Leszno, while several services head to Łódź and some continue as far as Warsaw. The railway station sits on Dworcowa street. Because train connections are few, buses are the most important means of travel for some destinations, with frequent daily services to Poznań, Konin and Wrocław, several to Sieradz, and a smaller number to Łódź, Kraków, Jelenia Góra, Przemyśl and Zakopane.

By car, Kalisz lies at the crossing of two main roads. Road number 12 runs from the western border with Germany to the eastern border with Ukraine, entering Greater Poland from Głogów and passing through Wschowa, Leszno, Gostyń, Jarocin and Pleszew before reaching Kalisz, then continuing east to Sieradz, Piotrków Trybunalski and on through Lublin. Road number 25 comes from Strzelno on the Kujawy–Greater Poland border, leading through Konin to Kalisz and on to Ostrów Wielkopolski and Oleśnica, where it links with road number 8 towards Wrocław and the Sudety Mountains. Regional roads also criss-cross the area: number 442 from Września through Pyzdry gives good access to Gniezno and to the A2 motorway at Września; number 470 runs to Turek and Koło, offering another link to the A2; and number 450 heads south to Wieruszów and Opatów, from where you can continue towards Katowice or Częstochowa.

Getting around

Kalisz has no metro or tram system, so getting around relies on buses, taxis and your own two feet. Local public transport is provided by Kaliskie Linie Autobusowe (Kalisz Bus Lines), which runs the lines within the city and the surrounding area and is the main form of public transport for getting around town. Because rail connections to and from Kalisz are limited, buses also serve as the most important means of travel for some destinations beyond the city. The compact, historic centre makes walking a natural way to explore the core of the city.

For longer trips, the main railway station sits at Dworcowa 1. A single line passes through the city, running from Ostrów Wielkopolski to Łódź, with regular trains onward via Ostrów Wielkopolski to Poznań, Wrocław and Leszno, and services to Łódź, some continuing as far as Warsaw. Where rail is thin, long-distance buses are often the practical choice, connecting Kalisz with cities including Poznań, Wrocław, Konin, Sieradz, Łódź, Jelenia Góra, Kraków, Przemyśl and Zakopane. Taxis are available, but rely on clearly marked taxis or established operators and confirm the fare or meter before setting off.

Where to stay

Kalisz keeps its accommodation simple, with a handful of options spread across the budget, mid-range and splurge brackets. For a cheap bed, Guest Rooms Rendez Vous on Słowiańska is the budget pick listed here.

Mid-range choices include SEVEN Hotel on Częstochowska, ROMA Hotel on Chopina and Hotel Bursztyn on Łódzka. At the top end, Hotel CALISIA sits on Nowy Świat, while Hotel EUROPA occupies a spot on Aleja Wolności.

Food & drink

Kalisz has a solid spread of places to eat, from milk bars to more polished restaurants. For a cheap, filling meal, head to one of the Bar Mleczny milk bars, such as the one on Targowa or Bar Mleczny Maleńki on Parczewskiego. Osteria on Konopnickiej is another budget-friendly option. Mid-range choices cluster around the centre: Antonio Restaurant-House and Bambus on Śródmiejska, Marrone and Bacówka on Aleja Wolności, Karafka on Górnośląska, Maguro sushi bar on Śródmiejska, and KTW in Park Ludowy. For something more special, try Pięterko on Zamkowa for old-Polish cuisine, Piwnica Ratuszowa in the town hall cellar on Główny Rynek, or Calisia on Nowy Świat.

When you want a coffee and a sit-down, the cafés Belle Epoque on Piskorzewska, Delicje on Rzeźnicza and Marysieńka on Górnośląska are all central. In the evening, Kuźnia "U Stacha" on Łazienna and Gastro on Babina are good for a drink, while Pod Muzami, the Poznań UAM students' club on Aleja Wolności with its entrance on Bankowa, draws a student crowd.

What to see and do

Start at the Old Market Square, the rectangular heart of the medieval city, where the 1920s town hall still houses the municipal office and a viewing point sits atop its tower; the surrounding tenement houses were rebuilt between the wars after the earlier ones were destroyed. Nearby, St. Nicolaus Cathedral was built in the 13th century with support from Duke Boleslaus the Pious, and its Gothic presbytery, late-Gothic side-aisles and Renaissance main aisle show its layered rebuilding; inside, look for the picture of old Kalisz, the epiphanies, the 13th-century baptistery, and the Polish Chapel with polychromies and stained glass designed by Władysław Tetmajer. The church once held a Rubens "Taking down from the cross", now replaced by a copy after the original disappeared following a fire.

The Franciscan Church and Monastery, also founded by Boleslaus the Pious, keeps a 13th-century presbytery and parts of the old Gothic city wall in the monastery wall, though the monastery itself is closed to visitors. St. Joseph's Church, rebuilt in brick in the 14th century, holds a treasury with a 12th-century patene and a cup given by King Casimir the Great, plus an underground chapel commemorating priests and monks who died at Dachau; a monument to Pope John Paul II stands on the square in front. In Zawodzie, the oldest district, the Archeological Reserve reconstructs the gate, bridge, rampart and defence tower of the Piast-era fortress, along with the foundations of the Romanesque collegiate church and a multimedia exhibition. The Museum of the Kalisz Grounds has archaeological, ethnographic and historical collections, including a sandstone grave plaque regarded as that of Duke Mesko III the Old. For theatre, the Wojciech Bogusławski Theatre traces its site to an 1835 building and hosts the annual Kalisz Theatre Meetings. Many cultural events take place at the Zawodzie reservation, among them the Archeological Market and Kupala Night in June, the Piast Feast in August and the Prince's Meed production in September.

Three days in Kalisz

Day one: Start in Kalisz itself, the city in Greater Poland Voivodeship that sits on the Prosna. Take in the old centre and the Kalisz Land setting, then call at the Tourist Information Centre on Zamkowa for local orientation. As you walk, keep in mind the city's long pedigree: Ptolemy's Geographia names Calisia, and the Amber Road ran through this part of Poland.

Day two: Look deeper into the city's past. The story runs from Boleslaus the Pious and the Kingdom through the Jewish community, the Partitions, and the Russian and Prussian eras, on to the First World War, the German period and the October Revolution. Use the day to trace how Kalisz changed across those chapters before returning to the centre for the evening.

Day three: Use Kalisz as a base for the surrounding area. Ostrów Wielkopolski and Nowe Skalmierzyce lie nearby, and regular connections also link the city with Leszno, Wrocław, Poznań and Warsaw, so you can shape the day around where you head next.

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