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What to see
The fort is surrounded by a dry moat 850 m long, 5.5 m deep and 9 m wide. Its access is guarded by five caponiers. Along the whole length of the front and shoulders runs an artillery rampart with emplacements for 21 guns of 15 and 12 cm calibre.
The entrance was defended by a blockhouse and a drawbridge. In the central part there are two courtyards separated by the embankment of a poterne, which links the two-storey barracks with the lower floor.
The route includes an underground and an above-ground part. A permanent exhibition tells the history of the Poznań Fortress, in the barracks you can see how the soldiers lived, and on the rampart stand an armoured observation dome and a position with traces of the carriage of the fortress's largest gun, with a range of 7,700 m.
In the underground the temperature is a constant 12 °C. There is a large powder magazine for 35 tonnes of black powder and a shoulder caponier with walls more than 2.5 m thick. The corridors are lit by paraffin lamps.
History
In 1889 the fort was strengthened by adding batteries for extra guns on the shoulders. Later modernisations brought armoured infantry and artillery observation posts.
Good to know
The fort lies within the New Zoo, so besides a ticket to the fort you need a ticket to the Zoo. Guides wait at the gate from ul. Krańcowa 81. Visiting without a Zoo ticket is possible by arrangement with the organiser in advance.
The route lasts about an hour. No booking is required. The fort was prepared for visitors by the Poznań Society of Friends of Fortifications.
Tickets for the fort are sold at the fort's entrance, 200 m from the Zoo ticket offices, on visiting days from 10:30.
Two sources differ on dates and entry times: the visitpoznan.pl portal (updated 5 August 2026) gives Sundays and public holidays, with entries at 13:00 and 15:00, while the city portal gives Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, with entries at 11:00, 12:30, 14:00, 15:30 and 17:00. The only certain thing is that the fort is visited with a guide on Sundays and public holidays from May to September. It is best to phone before your visit.
