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.

Poznań will gain a new viewpoint. Maybe this year

It is to be built on the tower of the Poznań Cathedral.

The investment has been talked about for years. Back in 2014, we wrote on epoznan.pl that the city boasted about the possibility of creating a new viewing terrace on the tower of the Poznań Cathedral located on Ostrów Tumski. At that time, a concept, cost estimate and necessary agreements were prepared, but it was reported at the time that there was no money for this investment.

Last year, it was reported that the work was already underway. It was reported then that in 2022, the curia received a loan from the Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego for the implementation of the project "Expansion and revitalization of tourist attractions of the Poznań Cathedral: adaptation of the northern tower of the Poznań Cathedral for the needs of creating an observation deck, installation of fire protection systems and renovation of the Cathedral's basement".

Today, "Głos Wielkopolski" returns to the matter. According to the journalists' findings, there are many indications that the observation deck will be opened to visitors in the upcoming summer season.

"The project consists of making the northern tower and the viewing terrace on the tower available to visitors. This involves the complete reconstruction of the staircase inside the tower and equipping it with a lift enabling access from the ground floor to the viewing terrace level. In connection with the reconstruction of the tower, the existing organs will also be modernized, along with the transfer of part of their infrastructure from the northern tower to the southern tower," informed Fr. Maciej Szczepaniak, spokesman for the Metropolitan Curia, in an interview with "Głos Wielkopolski". The spokesman said that the plans also include the modernization of the cathedral's fire protection systems in accordance with the latest expert opinion, as well as the renovation of its basement.

Aquanet turns 160 years old

On March 29, 1865, the Poznań City Council approved the "introduction of municipal waterworks." It was a groundbreaking decision, thanks to which a modern, organized structure was created within the city, responsible for water supply, and in a slightly longer perspective, for the city's sewage system. The Aquanet Company wants to celebrate the 160th anniversary of Poznań's waterworks together with the residents.

Already in the Middle Ages we had pipemasters and water carriers. At that time, water was drawn through wooden pipes, mainly from Bogdanka. In 1847, Count Edward Raczyński built wooden waterworks, in which water flowed from the wine hills. However, the number of residents grew, and sanitary conditions worsened. Residents increasingly expressed their dissatisfaction, and the German authorities of Poznań also noticed the problem. This resulted in a resolution passed in 1865, which provided the foundation for the construction of a water supply and sewage network.

At that time, the construction of the Wasserwerke at Grabenstrasse, or the Waterworks at Grobla, began. The facility began operating a year later, and was modernized many times in the following years. This is how the story that Aquanet continues today began.

- Today, it is a modern and efficient company that is one of the top companies in the water and sewage industry in Poland - says Jacek Jaśkowiak, the president of Poznań. - Thanks to cooperation with Aquanet, we have efficiently inventoried and replaced the water and sewage infrastructure in the city center. The company is also actively investing in new technologies, together with Veolia Poznań, looking for ways to recover heat from municipal sewage. Now it faces further challenges related to effective water retention in the city and the construction of retention reservoirs. I am convinced that they will also end in success.

The company provides services to nearly 900,000 residents of the Poznań metropolitan area. The water supply network it manages is 2,600 km long, and the sewage system is 2,500 km long - this is the distance from Poznań to Madrid in a straight line. The civilizational leap made in recent decades was possible thanks to active efforts to obtain EU funds, which was already taking place in the pre-accession period. Effective and successful action has allowed us to obtain over PLN 1.1 billion in funding from Brussels so far. The modernization of infrastructure and constant improvement of standards are noticed by residents - the latest research conducted on behalf of the company shows that as many as 47% of Poznań residents regularly drink tap water.

Let's celebrate together

- We are here for the residents and together with the residents we want to celebrate our anniversary. The first visible accent in the urban space will be the Aquanet goats. The goats are a symbol of Poznań, but over the last decade they have also become inextricably linked to Aquanet. Ten years ago, when we celebrated our 150th anniversary, we prepared figures that were placed on the premises of our facilities, as well as many other companies and institutions. This year, the colorful goats will also appear on the streets of our city - assures the president of Aquanet, Paweł Chudziński.

It is worth saving the date of June 21 in your calendar today. On this day, Aquanet will take over Łęgi Dębińskie, where a family picnic will take place during the day, during which there will be no shortage of fun for the youngest. In the evening, a film music concert will begin, during which musicians from the Poznań Philharmonic will perform. The event will be accompanied by a unique setting, and music will not be the only attraction. The event will culminate in the first public drone show in the history of Poznań, thanks to which the sky above the park will become a stage for a spectacular light show.

There will be more anniversary accents in the urban space - they will appear on walls,
roads, and on elements of the water and sewage infrastructure.

- Let's not forget that Aquanet is almost 900 people who work every day to ensure that the residents of the Poznań metropolitan area are provided with services that are absolutely crucial for the comfort of life. From this place I would like to thank you, dear colleagues! - adds Paweł Chudziński.

The big air show is fast approaching. Tickets are still available, but there is a call for caution!

Scammers are active again.

The Antidotum Airshow in Leszno is an event that has become a permanent fixture in the calendar of the most interesting aviation events in Poland and Europe. On June 20 and 21, the "sky spectacle" will once again take place at Leszno Airport. As usual, interest in tickets is huge, which is why another piece of information from the organizers has appeared on social media.

The organizers inform that in the last available pools there are about 10,000 tickets left for Saturday and several thousand for Friday. They also emphasize that due to the great interest and in order to facilitate entry to the airport, tickets will not be sold on site. If the pool of online tickets is exhausted, no additional tickets will be provided.

" This announcement is connected with two important appeals. Firstly, we ask you to be vigilant and buy tickets only from a reliable source, and that is the ToBilet.pl website alone. Last year, after the tickets sold out in May, unfortunately, scammers appeared who offered alleged tickets and extorted money from some people. For now, tickets are still available and can be safely purchased," the organizers inform.

"The second appeal concerns Facebook pages that impersonate us and send virus-ridden links and offer false live coverage of the shows (the only live coverage will be available on the PlanesTV.com platform) or try to extort personal data and money from you. We never send you invitations to a group of friends. As a fanpage, we do not even have such an option. We do not create groups on Facebook, we do not invite you to anything. We have one profile and one event. If you see someone impersonating us, please report such profiles. We also do this regularly," they add.

An additional connection from Ławica has become a fact. "Further travel opportunities open up for passengers"

From Monday we will fly from Poznań to Amsterdam twice a day with KLM.

As announced, KLM has launched an additional connection between Poznań and Amsterdam . "Flights depart daily at 6:30 a.m., and you'll be there by 8:20 a.m. Amsterdam-Schiphol is one of the largest transfer airports in Europe. Thanks to the morning departure from Poznań, passengers have further travel options, including to North and South America, without having to wait long for a transfer," informs Ławica Airport.

As Grzegorz Bykowski, CEO of Ławica Airport, said in an interview with Radio Poznań, such a decision may affect ticket prices, especially on routes to the United States, because competition has appeared. " Today, basically 95 percent of passengers to the States flew with LOT and Lufthansa. It is known that if there are no other options, the prices are what they are and can be kept higher. Today, this competition will actually appear," he explained.

"The morning departure from Poznań is scheduled for 6:30 a.m., with arrival in Amsterdam at 8:20 a.m., which will provide passengers with optimal access to a wide network of transfer connections. In Amsterdam, you can transfer to a further KLM connection, choosing one of 161 destinations around the world. The return flight from Amsterdam will depart at 08:15 p.m., landing in Poznań at 09:55 p.m. The convenient flight schedule from/to Poznań will also allow you to effectively plan one-day business trips to the Netherlands or other European cities. Passengers will travel on board an Embraer E175 aircraft, " KLM representatives recently reported.

As indicated by the airline, it was decided to double the number of flights due to the growing interest in the connection.