Gniezno, Medieval capital city in Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland
Gniezno is a town in the Greater Poland Voivodeship that spreads over seven hills, with its center grouped around Lech Hill. The old town sits between gentle rises, where the cathedral occupies the highest point and remains visible from almost every direction.
In the year 1000, a meeting took place here between Polish ruler Bolesław and Emperor Otto III that established Poland's church organization. The settlement on Lech Hill had already developed into a religious and political center during the Slavic period.
The cathedral's bronze door displays eighteen cast panels telling the life of Saint Adalbert and ranks among the oldest Romanesque artworks north of the Alps. Pilgrims and visitors still follow the scenes from left to right and top to bottom, just as viewers did in medieval times.
The Museum of the Origins of the Polish State displays early finds and rotating exhibitions on regional archaeological discoveries. Visitors reach the center on foot and can explore most sites within a few hours.
Archaeological layers beneath Lech Hill reach back to the Old Stone Age and show nearly continuous habitation over thousands of years. Excavations have brought tools and pottery from several periods to light, now kept in the town museum.
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