Wolsztyn

Wolsztyn (pronounced as Volshtin) is in south west part of Greater Poland, on Dojca river and Wolsztyn and Berzynskie Lakes.

Get in

Trains are maybe not the quickest, but definitely the most interesting way to get to Wolsztyn. The town is a small railway junction with lines to Poznan, calling at Szreniawa and Grodzisk Wielkopolski, to Leszno and to Zbąszynek. There are 7 direct trains to Poznan daily - 5 of them are served with modern, air-conditioned diesel units, and two (departures from Wolsztyn appr. 5:00 and 13:30 and from Poznan approx. 8:30 and 17:00) are serviced by historical steam locos. Additionally tourist can use 5 regular daily connections to a small town of Zbaszynek - which itself has nothing interesting for tourist, but is a crucial railway junction of the way to Berlin (several reliable, but expensive Inter-City trains daily), to Poznań (11 local trains daily + some long-distance ones), to Zielona Góra (4 daily) and to Gorzów (5 daily).

Buses - Wolsztyn has numerous bus links with other town and villges in the region :

• Poznan - up to 16 buses daily
• Nowy Tomysl - up to 20 buses
• Nowa Sol (with a convenient change for Zielona Gora or Wrocław) - up to 9 buses daily
• Sulechow - 15 buses
• Zielona Góra (direct buses)- up to 14 buses
• and numerous local buses to surrounding villages - for tourist the important ones are buses to Obra (over 25 daily) and to Przemet (6 daily) - both places offer wonderful post-cistercian monasteries.

By car - Wolsztyn is on the road junction : main road #32 Poznan - Zielona Gora and local ones : #305 to Nowy Tomysl i motorway A2, 303 to Swiebodzin and Babimost-airport , #322 to Wschowa and #315 to Nowa Sol.

Get around

Wolsztyn is a small town, so all major attractions are navigable on foot. Local buses will be necessary only for those viviting neighbouring attractions (see below)

See

The main attraction is definitely the steam-locos depot (ul. Fabryczna 1, phone: [phone]) - thousands of tourist from all over the world come to Wolsztyn to see exactly this building. Permanently there are approx. 30 locomotives of 13 different series (half of them are operating from time to time), historical carriages (used during retro-rodes throughout Greater Poland region or even sent with historic trains to e.g. Pomerania). The depot owns locomotives of rare series like Ok 1 or Ok 22, German war-time steam locos and beautiful Polish post-war constructions like 0l-49, Pt-47 or small TKt48. The pearl of the depot is Pm36-2, one out of only two constructed (and the only existing) steam locos for fast trains - the speed record (beaten actually not long ago) is appr. 130 km/h.

Prices - for the sightseeing: 2 zł, for amateur photo or video: 10 zł, you can visit the depot with a local guide, which cost additional 20 zł.

The other attractions of Wolsztyn are:

• a park and palace at the bank of Wolsztyn Lake (with a guarded beach) - ul. Drzymały 4, phone : [phone]
• Our Lady parish church - the most precious monument in the town, late-baroque building from the second half of 18th century. The present shape of the building is the result of renovation works in 1925 (sacristy) and 1987 (tower cap) - ul. R. Kocha 38, phone : [phone],
• Robert Koch (tuberculosis discoverer) Museum - ul. Roberta Kocha 12, phone : [phone]
• Marcin Rozek Museum (a famous sculptor from Wolsztyn in the beginnings of 20th century), Ul. 5 Stycznia 34, ☎ [phone]. 
• Open-air folk buildings Museum, ul. Bohaterów Bielnika 25 (At the south-west bank of Wolsztyn Lake), ☎ [phone]. 

Do

• take part in steam-engine review, always at the turn of April and May (during the so called long weekend), with the attendance of locos not only from Wolsztyn, but from other steam depots in Poland (Chabówka, Jaworzyna Slaska) and from Germany and Czech Republic.

In the vicinity of Wolsztyn there are many walking paths, cycling and kayak trails:

• kayak trail from Karpicko through Wolsztyn, Obra to Grojec (44 km)
• kayak trails from Zbaszyn through Strzyżewo to Trzciel (48 km)
• walking trail (marked yellow) from Wolsztyn to Nowy Tomysl through Jastrzębsko i Kuźnica Zbaska
• numerous cycling trails nearby Nowy Tomysl, north of Wolsztyn

Eat

Apart from the restaurants in hotels (see below) you can have your meal in:

• Estakada Restaurant, 16, Żeromskiego str., phone: [phone]
• Europa Restaurant, 44/45 Roberta Kocha str., phone: [phone]
• Mars Restaurant, 5a, Krzywa str., phone: [phone],
• Shogun Restaurant, 13, Kusocińskiego str., phone: [phone]
• Smakosz Restaurant, 1, Dworcowa str., phone: [phone]
• Pizzeria Pico Bello, 33, Poznańska str., phone: [phone]
• Pizzeria Orange, 10, Garbarska str., phone: [phone]
• Lesna Restaurant, 9, Jeziorna str., Karpicko, phone: [phone]
• Sphinx Restaurant, 5a, Krzywa str., phone: [phone]
• Orion Restaurant, 23, Spokojna str., phone: [phone]

Cafes

• Hildebrand Cafe, 2, Rynek Sq., Phone: [phone], open Mon-Sun 9:00-20:00
• Mocca Cafe, 11/2 Rynek Sq., Phone: [phone], open Mon-Sun 10:00-18:00, in summer till 20:00
• Tea-house Europa, 44, Kocha str., Phone: [phone], open Mon-Fri 8:00-22:00, Sat 8:00-21:00, Sun 9:00-21:00
• Patio Bakery, 20, 5 stycznia str., Phone: [phone], open Mon-Sun 9:00-21:00
• Cafe Seccesion , 25, Lipowa str., phone: [phone], Mon-Thu and Sun 11:00-21:00, Fri-Sat 11:00-22:00,

Drink

• Pub Powozownia , Rynek 2a, phone: [phone],

Sleep

• Hotel-Palace Wolsztyn, 4 Drzymały str., phone: [phone], 37 beds.
• Hotel Kaukaska, 50, Poniatowskiego str., phone: [phone], 50 beds.
• Hotel-Restaurant „Leśna”, Karpicko, 9, Jeziorna str., phone: [phone],
• Hotel Sportowy, 30, Bohaterów Bielnika str, 64-200 Wolsztyn, phone: [phone], 46 beds.
• Hotel of the Sport and Recreation Centre, 30, Bohaterów Bielnika str., phone: [phone],
• Motel - Restaurant „Montana”, Karpicko, 73, Wczasowa str., phone: [phone],
• Motel - Restaurant „Orion”, 23, Spokojna str., phone: [phone]

Connect

• Local tourist information centre: , ul. Roberta Kocha 12a, phone: [phone]
• Municipal Office: Rynek 1, phone: [phone]

Go next

It's worth to spend at least one full day in the Wolsztyn area. Apart from visiting the town itself, it makes sense to go to:

• Obra - with a Post-Cistercian complex with a baroque and timber church
• Przemęt (pronounced Pshement) - another place in the vicinity with a Post-Cistercian monastery
• Wielen Zaobrzański - a local sanctuary of Our Lady, with a wonder-famous icon of Mary
• Rakoniewice - the unique in Poland fire-brigade museum
• Stara Dabrowa - a nice mansion, grange and granary and 800-m long tree avenue
• Zbąszyn - many remnants of ancient fortress (moat, city walls, XVIth-century gate)
• Boszkowo and Przemęt Landscape Park - summer resort with many lakes, walking- and cycling paths, boat rentals, campsites etc.