Rezerwat Archeologiczny w Kaliszu-Zawodziu
Branch of the Kalisz museum with a reconstruction of an early medieval stronghold in the oldest part of Kalisz.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Rezerwat Archeologiczny lies in the oldest part of Kalisz, on the site of an early medieval stronghold on a sandy island surrounded by the waters of the Prosna. The stronghold was built in the 860s and is regarded as one of the important places linked to the beginnings of the Polish state. According to some researchers, it was from here that the Piasts began their conquest of strongholds in what is now Greater Poland. Kalisz reached its greatest flourishing in the time of Prince Mieszko III the Old, who founded a Romanesque collegiate church and set up a mint here; the prince was buried in the Kalisz stronghold.
In 2008 part of the buildings of the medieval fortress was reconstructed in the reserve. Visitors can see a palisade with a bridge, a stone burial mound (kurhan), seven wooden huts, a two-storey defence tower, box ramparts (wały skrzyniowe), a fragment of the undercroft of the Romanesque collegiate church and many replicas of objects from the period. In the ethnographic section stands an eighteenth-century hut moved from a village.
The reserve keeps farm animals – sheep, goats, hens and bees – and demonstrates the medieval method of farming, the three-field system (trójpolówka). The reserve is a branch of the Muzeum Okręgowe Ziemi Kaliskiej (Kalisz Regional Museum). From 6 July 2026 renovation works are under way on its grounds, which according to the museum should not affect tourist traffic.
Highlights
- Reconstruction of an early medieval stronghold with a palisade, a bridge and wooden huts
- Two-storey defence tower and box ramparts
- Fragment of the undercroft of the Romanesque collegiate church of Mieszko III the Old
- Stone burial mound and replicas of medieval objects
- Farm animals and the medieval three-field system
Permanent exhibition
- Rekonstrukcja średniowiecznego grodu – A reconstructed part of the early medieval stronghold, with a palisade, wooden huts, a defence tower and a fragment of the Romanesque collegiate church, and an exhibition in the gatehouse.
- Founded
- 1961
- Operated by
- Muzeum Okręgowe Ziemi Kaliskiej w Kaliszu
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 20 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 12 złpupils, students and doctoral students, people over 65, pensioners, people receiving disability pensions, people with disabilities and their carers, teachers, veterans and other groups specified in the price list. |
| Children & teens | 12 złfree up to age 6 · Children under 7 enter free of charge. |
| Groups (11+ people) | 10 zł per personExcursion ticket for organised groups of more than 10 people. |
| Families | 40 złFamily ticket for a group of up to 6 people: one or two adults and children under 18. |
| Combined ticket for all museum branches – standard | 30 złValid for 2 days from the date of purchase; if purchased on a Sunday, valid for 3 days. |
| Combined ticket for all branches – reduced | 20 zł |
| Combined ticket for all branches – excursion | 18 zł |
| Combined ticket for all branches – family | 50 zł |
| Guided tour – reserve | 50 zł |
| Guided tour – reserve and the church of St Adalbert (Wojciech) | 75 zł |
| Guided tour in English | 75 zł |
Free admission: Admission is free on Tuesdays.
The guided tour service cannot be combined with the combined ticket.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The main entrance through the gatehouse is step-free, with thresholds no higher than 2 cm; help is available at the ticket office. Wheelchair users have access to the exhibition on the ground floor of the gatehouse, but there is no convenient access to some of the objects, and the route over the natural, uneven terrain can be difficult. The toilet is adapted and has a call system. Staff help blind and partially sighted visitors. Assistance dogs are welcome. Larger groups of wheelchair users are asked to notify the museum in advance.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Rypinek · 900 m
Bus no. 3A from the stop by the Galeria Amber (from the PKP and PKS stations, about 15 minutes without changes).
By car
Free parking · 200 m to the entrance
A large free municipal car park about 200 m from the reserve.
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
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours can be bought individually or for a group; the service is also available in English. |
