Discover Grzybowo: Its Fortified Settlement and Cultural Heritage

When looking for a hotel for a trip to Grzybowo, it helps to start by deciding which focus you want your trip to have. The fortified settlement and Archaeological Reserve represent early Piast history; there is also a wooden church with notable works of art, a manor-house complex, and educational museum activities. The topics range from archaeological forms and historic objects to hands-on workshops. The route of the Piast Route and a cycling route with a stated distance can also be taken into account when planning.

Early Piast Fortified Settlement and Archaeological Insights

The origins of the fortified settlement in Grzybowo are dated to the 920s and 930s. The Gród w Grzybowie Archaeological Reserve is one of the largest fortified settlements built during the formation of the Piast state. The ramparts and settlement area visible in the landscape cover 4.7 hectares; the surviving ramparts now reach a height of up to 9 metres. The area and height describe different features of the site: its extent and the dimensions of its surviving ramparts. It lies on the edge of the floodplain of the Struga River.

Museum and Exhibition

The Archaeological Reserve is a branch of the Museum of the First Piasts at Lednica. The museum building, constructed in 2009, imitates the former gate and part of the ramparts; the museum officially opened in 2010. The permanent exhibition “Knife” presents knives from the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. Its three periods take visitors from early stone tools through the Bronze Age and into the Iron Age, complementing the history of the fortified settlement with tangible objects.

Workshops and Seasonal Activities

The year-round programme includes workshops that explore history through practical activities. In “Jak grody budowano” (“How Fortified Settlements Were Built”), participants make miniature models of Piast fortified settlements from clay, sticks, and stones. “U garncarza w zagrodzie” (“At the Potter’s Homestead”) introduces medieval pottery; with guidance, participants can make their own clay vessels. This activity is intended for school groups, adults, and seniors. In the “Igłą i rzemieniem” (“With Needle and Leather Strap”) workshop, participants make jewellery and small useful items inspired by the Early Middle Ages, using leather, felt, and leather straps. The formats produce different results: models of fortified settlements, clay vessels, and leather and felt crafts each offer a different hands-on focus.

Other activities are seasonal. In the museum lesson “Mój pierwszy wykop” (“My First Excavation”), participants carry out excavation work at a prepared dig and document finds on find cards. The seasonal outdoor programme “Grzybowski strzał w dziesiątkę” (“Grzybowo Bullseye”) introduces participants to handling a bow and arrow and shooting at a target under guidance; it is intended for children, adults, and seniors. “Oręż wojownika” (“A Warrior’s Weapons”) combines an introduction to Early Medieval weapons with demonstrations and practice using foam swords. The outdoor games for adventure-seekers use the scenarios “Poszukiwacze Skarbu Grzybowskiego Grodu” (“Treasure Hunters of Grzybowo Fortified Settlement”) and “Wędrówka z Historią” (“A Journey Through History”).

Church, Manor House, and Natural Monument

The Church of St Michael the Archangel is an example of 18th-century sacred wooden architecture in Greater Poland. The interior details described include a 19th-century painting of the Virgin and Child in the high altar and a Baroque crucifix on a moulded chancel arch beam. Alongside the large fortified settlement, these are individual elements of church art that can be placed in their historical context.

The manor house at Grzybowo 12 dates from the first half of the 19th century. The complex also includes a park dating from the late 19th century. The pedunculate oak “Siemowit” is also designated a natural monument on the fortified settlement site. It has a trunk circumference of 410 centimetres and is 28 metres tall.

Piast Route and Cycling Route

The Piast Route runs from Gniezno to the early Piast fortified settlement in Grzybowo, then via Września and Nekla to the early Piast fortified settlement in Giecz. A cycling route connects Września and Grzybowo over a distance of 6.8 kilometres. The information answers different planning questions: for the Piast Route, the sequence of places mentioned matters, while the cycling route has a specific distance. Check the local signs before setting off.

Discover more destinations: Zasutowo, Lipie, Września, Węgierki, Miłosław, Bierzglinek, Nekla

To the main travel overview: Września.