Kostrzyn for tourists

Kostrzyn nad Odrą is the target of visits for diverse groups of visitors numbering in hundreds of thousands of people each year, and it has become a recognizable place on the map of Europe and a symbol of many successful initiatives.

Today, Kostrzyn is primarily recognizable for the festival Przystanek Woodstock, one of the biggest music events in Europe. Tourists and naturalists know Kostrzyn – as they do Słońsk and Witnica – as a gateway to the Warta Mouth National Park. For the lovers of history, the town is, alongside the Festungsfront Oder-Warthe-Bogen fortifications, the second most intriguing fortified area in the Lubuskie Province, with numerous military constructions.

The urban development of Kostrzyn was heavily marked by the destructive power of World War II. In 1945, the heart of the city – the Old Kostrzyn – was almost razed to the ground. The former outskirts suffered to a lesser extent. They took over the function of the urban center after the war. This is now reflected in the spatial layout: there is no grid of perpendicular streets deviating from a central market. At the heart of the town, there is the City Park and the adjacent square Plac Wojska Polskiego. Having undergone a thorough overhaul, they are a space with a significant aesthetic value used for recreation by residents and tourists alike.

Another area important for the image of the city are the grounds around the amphitheater, where a walking route, a marina and the Lion Park, restored in 2014, are located. The attractive architecture and original technical solutions attract the attention to the railway station. The historic Wedding Palace decorates the town even more, and the pumping station Warniki emphasizes its aquatic nature. The landscape of Kostrzyn also includes modern industry, occupying a special zone on the outskirts of the town.

A separate chapter in the history of the city are the cultural events. An initiative that is very valuable to the identity of Kostrzyn and its inhabitants is the event “Days of the Fortress”, including, among others, historical reenactment shows and scientific sessions. But the most recognizable event held here is the Europe-famous Przystanek Woodstock festival, gathering hundreds of thousands of participants each year.