Discover Żnin: powerboat racing, local history and a narrow-gauge railway

Powerboat racing, local history and the tourist narrow-gauge railway give Żnin a distinctive profile. When planning your trip, you can focus on water and sport, historical themes and exhibitions, or the railway route.

Lakes and powerboat racing

Żnin is known as Poland’s powerboat racing capital. World and European championships in the sport are regularly held on Lake Żnińskie Małe. Lake Żnińskie Duże is suitable for windsurfing and sailing. The two lakes therefore offer different kinds of water sports: one is a venue for international championships, while the other offers the stated opportunities for surfing and sailing. If you are planning your trip around specific championships, check the latest dates. Before taking part in activities on Lake Żnińskie Duże, find out about access and local rules for use.

The Muzeum Sportów Motorowodnych (Powerboat Sports Museum) complements this sporting focus with a collection that includes engines—among them examples from the interwar period—as well as propellers, medals, photographs, posters and programmes from powerboat events. The events featured in the programmes took place in Żnin and on waterways around the world. The exhibition therefore covers both technical objects and visual materials, as well as the history of the competitions. If you are planning a visit, check the latest access information in advance.

Local history and regional culture

The town hall tower in Żnin was built in the 15th century. It houses an exhibition on the town’s history by the Muzeum Ziemi Pałuckiej (Pałuki Land Museum). The exhibition “Dzieje Żnina” (The History of Żnin) includes a reconstructed armoury, a town councillors’ meeting room and a treasury. A visit to the museum thus links the history of the building with the reconstructed exhibition rooms. Check current access to the tower before your visit.

The Muzeum Ziemi Pałuckiej’s permanent exhibition “Etnografia” (Ethnography) offers another perspective on the region. Its collections explore everyday life in Pałuki around the turn of the 20th century. While “Dzieje Żnina” addresses the town’s history, “Etnografia” focuses on life in the region. If you are interested in both, they offer two distinct historical subjects: the history of Żnin and everyday life in Pałuki in the past.

Żnin is also linked to the history of the Polish press. In the 1930s, the Polish colour press and women’s press began here: first at a small German printing house, and later through Anna and Alfred Krzycki’s nationwide publishing group. This part of the town’s history adds the story of printing and publishing to the picture of its buildings and museum collections.

Exploring by narrow-gauge railway

Żnin is the starting station for the tourist narrow-gauge railway. The Żnińska Kolej Wąskotorowa (Żnin Narrow-Gauge Railway) runs for 12 kilometres from Żnin through Wenecja and Biskupin to Gąsawa. This gives you a clear picture of the route from its starting point to its destination. When planning, it is important to distinguish between the route description and train departure times: the service is seasonal, so check the current timetable before your trip.

Another point of interest: astronomy

Astrobaza Żnin is an astronomical observatory at I Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Braci Śniadeckich in Żnin. If you are considering the observatory as a possible stop, check in advance whether a visit is possible.

Discover more destinations: Januszkowo, Rozalinowo, Młodocin, Gąsawa, Rogowo, Sarbinowo, Biskupin.

For the broader travel overview: Żniński.