Greater Poland (Wielkopolska) is a historical region in western and central Poland, occupying the basins of the Warta, part of the middle Oder and the lower Vistula.

It is the country's oldest province, dotted with monuments from the formative years of the Polish state. Although not as popular with visitors as the Tatras or Masuria, the region has plenty of attractions, its cities, towns and villages abounding with treasures: old manor houses and stately homes once belonging to eminent noble families, magnificent mansions and castles, churches, open-air museums of traditional folk architecture, and archaeological parks.

The region's capital is Poznań, a historic city which attracts the biggest crowds of tourists (as well as visitors to the international trade fairs). This is where the Piast Route begins, which covers the places that were the political and ecclesiastical centres of Poland under its first royal dynasty a thousand years ago. Other towns worth seeing are Kórnik near Poznań, with a splendid castle and grounds; Gniezno, Poland's first capital; and Biskupin, with a reconstructed fortified Iron Age village discovered in the early 20th century. And if you seek nature rather than mementoes of the past, you'll find both lakes and forests here, along with a variety of opportunities for relaxation.