Editor's Note: These are courtesy translations of local news provided by the U.S. Army Garrison Poland Public Affairs team for the benefit the military community stationed here. Views or opinions are not endorsed by USAG Poland or the U.S. Army.

Upcoming Sporting Events in Poznań

In 2025, Poznań will host many national and international events. Alongside well-known events, new initiatives will also appear to enrich the city's calendar.

Spring on the run and on the mat

Traditionally, March and April will be dominated by running events and combat sports events. The International Wrestling Tournament has been planned for March, which will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the "Sobieski" club. Over 100 competitors representing 10 countries will take part in it.

The European Junior Judo Cup will be held at the beginning of April. In the hall on Zagajnikowa Street, nearly 350 competitors will compete in a total of fourteen weight categories. Among them will be a large group of representatives of Poland, including representatives of Poznań clubs.

Also in April, the Champion Judo Camp will be held, which for several years has allowed young adepts of this discipline to gain knowledge from international champions.

The 17th edition of the Poznań Half Marathon will be held on April 13, with the start and finish line traditionally located at the Poznań Convention Center.

Intensive May and June

The hottest period for sports events in the capital of Wielkopolska will begin in May. On May 4, the Wing for Life World Run will take place, which always arouses great interest.

On May 22-25, after a two-year break, the Polish Academic Athletics Championships will return to the Golęcin stadium. At the same time, the Malta Regatta Course will become the arena for the World Cup in kayaking.

At the turn of May and June, talented athletes will appear in the UAM hall in Morasko to take part in the Mateusz Witkowski European Fencing Festival. The two-day event is expected to attract 500 competitors competing in four age categories.

Shortly afterwards, the June '56 Run will take place, which has been taking place for many years near the Hipolit Cegielski Plants. In the same month, the Enea Junior Poznań Triathlon will be organized.

It is also impossible not to mention the 30th edition of the Poznań Open tennis tournament. Last year, the event attracted considerable interest due to the participation of Pablo Carreno-Busta.

Hot sports summer

Summer in Poznań will bring many attractions. The Open European Championships in Sports Bridge will take place from 21 June to 5 July at the Poznan Convention Center. After a break of several years, the Gran Fondo cycling race will return, and in July the Youth World Rowing Championships will be held, which will gather over 700 participants. Although the National Youth Olympics in summer sports will be held throughout Wielkopolska, Poznań will host eleven disciplines, and the opening ceremony will take place on 4 July in Golęcin. A new proposal in the sports calendar will be the Orlen Final of the Polish Beach Volleyball Championships at Lake Rusałka.

Running and triathlon autumn

The first weekend of September will see the Ironman series, where competitors will compete in various distances, and the day before there will be a competition for children. The organizers are also giving runners who would like to test themselves in a night run near PCC a chance to compete. The swimming part starts at Lake Kierskie.

The 24th edition of the Poznań Marathon will take place on 12 October, and for several years now there have been accompanying events such as the Phoenix Kids Marathon and Poznań Five.

Poznań residents will be able to experience more running emotions on November 11 at 11:11 a.m., when the Independence Run, one of the largest running events in the country, starts.

Winter under the sign of Cavaliada and Lech Cup

December will be marked by the Cavaliada International Horse Racing and the Lech Cup football tournament. Cavaliada is a four-day event at the PCC, combined with a fair for equestrian enthusiasts. Lech Cup is a prestigious event for young footballers up to 12 years of age, which has hosted teams such as Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.

The 60-year-old tradition of Grandmother’s founded in Poznań

In 1965, exactly 60 years ago, Ryszard Danecki, editor of "Express Poznański", ordered a cake from the Merkury Hotel confectionery. On January 21, he gave it to Mieczysława Ćwiklińska, a popular actress who played Grandma in Alejandro Cason's play "Trees Die Standing". He joked that Grandma's Day is an old Poznań tradition - recalls the Poznań city hall. - The matter gained nationwide publicity - because the need to establish such a holiday had been discussed in Poland for a long time. The Poznań hotel quickly prepared special marzipan cakes with a decorative inscription "For Grandma", for which queues formed - he adds.

The famous cake from 60 years ago has been recreated at the Mercure Poznań Centrum Hotel, and today everyone can buy it for their grandma. The cake is still made with classic butter cream.

What about Grandfather's Day? Its tradition no longer comes from our city and dates back to 1978. Grandfather's Day was initiated by Polish Television, and its first patron was Mieczysław Fogg. The holiday was to be celebrated on his birthday - May 30. However, the date did not catch on and today we celebrate Grandfather's Day right after Grandmother's Day, so on January 22.

Unique exhibit presented at Poznań museum

On Monday, January 20, 2025, the Armored Weapons Museum in Poznań hosted the official presentation of the MH-12 tracked towed assault bridge, which has enriched the museum collection.

"The MH-12 bridge, which came to the Armored Weapons Museum in Poznań, was built in the late 1950s and is one of the first examples of this type of bridge to be built. It was found on a training ground where it had been used for years. After being found and secured in February 2024, the MH-12 bridge was renovated and brought to a state that allows it to be presented in a state as close to the original as possible. It is therefore a unique structure created by Polish engineers," inform representatives of the Armored Weapons Museum.

Today's presentation was attended by Minister Stanisław Wziątek, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of National Defense, director of the Polish Army Museum, prof. dr hab. Bogusław Pacek, head of the Armored Weapons Museum in Poznań, Lieutenant Colonel Tomasz Ogrodniczuk, as well as numerous guests, representatives of organizations and companies that contributed to the discovery and restoration of the bridge.

Long-awaited map of Regional Directorate of State Forests finally available

With the support of the Poznań Local Tourist Organisation, the map was developed with tourists in mind who are looking for places of natural value, worth knowing and respecting. The information contained in it will allow you to plan your journeys in harmony with nature.

"Our map shows places that are worth visiting to get to know the Wielkopolska forests and see their diversity. You will find a lot of useful information there from the area of ​​the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Poznań" - informs the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Poznań.

It is an excellent tool for anyone who wants to discover natural treasures within a maximum of 2 hours' drive from Poznań. You can also learn a lot about them from the map.

"We have selected 19 places that are worth seeing. Each of them has a short description and a mini map that will help you find your way around the area. In turn, the QR code, when scanned, will indicate the exact location of a given point" - it was transferred. "Please note that not all places are available all year round. Familiarise yourself with information about them or contact the local Forest District "- it was added.

The map can be downloaded online in PDF format. The paper version can be collected free of charge at the Forestry office in Poznań (Gajowa 10, Poznań) and at the tourist information point in Poznań (Stary Rynek 59/60).

33rd Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity comes to Poznań

Unique auctions, concerts, a bicycle marathon, or a street race - these are just some of the attractions that will be available at the Poznań International Fair. The main theme of this year's campaign, which will take place on January 26, 2024, is children's safety and health. The funds collected during the auction will support pediatric oncology and hematology.

The most important events include the "Get to Know Your Diabetes" Run. The run will start on the day of the Finale at 11:00 a.m., from the Poznań Congress Center pavilion at the PCC and participants can choose from two routes: 5 and 10 kilometers.

The uniformed services zone will feature police officers, firefighters, customs officers, rescuers, prison officers and soldiers from the Land Forces Training Centre in Poznań. Numerous attractions have been prepared here. " You will be able to get into a historic police car, meet specially trained tracking dogs, and also tackle a climbing wall or experience a staged rescue operation during a car accident. The uniformed services zone will be available in the PCC Eastern Hall from 10:00 a.m., to 7:30 p.m.," - announce the organizers.

There is also an all-day workshop zone, where we can count on interesting facts and practical activities. Among other things, students will talk about fossils, show how to isolate apple DNA and put on a kimono, the Poznań Bamber Society will perform in front of the audience in traditional Bamber costumes, and railway enthusiasts will certainly be interested in the train model and modelling workshops. This space will also host, among others, the Dzieciaki Chojraki Association, which has been supporting children with oncological diseases for over 25 years.

In the health zone, we will take advantage of various tests and services - from blood donation, through vision and glycemia tests, to osteopathic consultations and workshops on creating ointments. In the beauty zone, invited hairdressers and tattooists will be waiting for all those who want to take advantage of aesthetic classes and makeovers for a symbolic "throw" into the can.

The most excitement during each finale is caused by live auctions. "The auctions prepared by the Mayor of Poznań Jacek Jaśkowiak, the Minister of European Union Adam Szłapka, Katarzyna Bosacka, and actors of the Musical Theatre in Poznań will certainly gather crowds of Poznań residents. A special offer will also be prepared by the 501st Legion from the Star Wars saga, i.e. 50 stormtroopers, rebels and other warriors. The charity auctions will last from 12:00 to 19:30 on the stage in the Poznań Congress Center, " adds Kański.

The MTP Group has provided the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity with an LED advertising screen located on the elevation of the Eastern Hall. " Once again, we have invited companies to a special advertising strip, which by joining with their logo financially support this year's 33rd Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. That day at 7:30 p.m. on the main stage at the General National Exhibition square, we will learn about specific companies and the final amount of the donation, obtained in this way for the beneficiaries of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity," explains the spokesman.

And at the end, the Poznań Light to Heaven or "Tytka z Glancem" will take place. This year, the popular "tytki" will be covered with red hearts by young patients of the Department of Oncology, Hematology and Pediatric Transplantology of the Poznań University of Medical Sciences. Before the light to heaven, we will auction off the Golden Heart.