Rezerwat Archeologiczny Gród Wczesnopiastowski w Gieczu

About the museum

Giecz was one of the most important early Piast centres. Gallus Anonymus named it, together with Gniezno, Poznań and Włocławek, among the great strongholds of Bolesław the Brave. Its beginnings go back to a small stronghold from the sixties of the 9th century, still from the pre-state period. The stronghold stood on a peninsula of a lake that no longer exists, in the centre of the territory called Gnezdun Civitas.

In the 10th century the fortifications were expanded into a powerful two-part fortress with a stone-faced rampart. At the end of the 10th century a princely palatium was built in the southern part, and at the beginning of the 11th century a church of St John the Baptist with a reliquary crypt in the northern part. The capture of Giecz by the Bohemian prince Bretislav in 1038 ended its role as a princely stronghold, but the place remained the seat of a castellany and an important centre of worship. After the 13th century the settlement gradually depopulated.

Today, on the western edge of the village of Giecz, the reserve shows traces of wooden and earthen fortifications, remains of the palatium, the 18th-century wooden parish church and the museum building with an exhibition hall. Beyond the ramparts, a reconstruction of an early medieval Piast settlement with huts and wooden buildings is open to visitors. The reserve is a branch of the Muzeum Pierwszych Piastów na Lednicy.

Highlights

• Traces of fortifications and remains of the princely palatium from the end of the 10th century
• Permanent exhibition in the museum building, including “Terra Sancta”
• Reconstruction of an early medieval Piast settlement
• Wooden church of St John the Baptist
• Audio guide and free car park

Permanent exhibition

• Terra Sancta – Permanent exhibition in the reserve, shown in the museum building next to the display about the stronghold.

Operated by

Muzeum Pierwszych Piastów na Lednicy

Admission & discounts

Free admission: on Tuesdays

A standard ticket costs PLN 13, and a ticket with audio guide PLN 20; the concession prices are PLN 8 and PLN 10. Children up to age 7 enter free, and admission is free on Tuesdays.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: not available
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The site is flat, and a gravel dirt road leads to the interior of the stronghold site. The exhibition hall in the museum building is on one level, and the museum toilet is adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. The wooden church has two steps before the entrance and no ramp, and some of the buildings in the Piast settlement have stairs or high thresholds. The car park has no marked spaces for people with disabilities.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Children up to age 7 enter free, and the museum runs museum lessons.

Getting there & parking

The reserve lies on the western edge of the village of Giecz in the gmina of Dominowo, about 12 km north of Środa Wielkopolska.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit