Established in 1969, The Museum of the First Piasts at Lednica on Ostrów Lednicki (ENG: Lednica Holm) was designed to maintain and preserve and study the ruins of stronghold, the ruins of palatium with chapel and the church, all dated to the era of the Polish state's first rulers – the Piast dynasty. Ostrów Lednicki is the largest island of Lake Lednica between Poznań and Gniezno and allows visitors to the opportunity to wander around the 10th-century stronghold’s ruins, used by both Duke Mieszko I and his son Boleslav the Brave. Once connected to the mainland by a pair of great wooden bridges,the fortress is thought to have played its part during the repelling of the Czech invasion of 1038. Archaeological relics that have been here discovered include the most valuable in Poland and unique in Europe collection of early medieval militaria, consisting of over 300 pieces, the oldest objects related to the Christian cult found on the Polish land – staurotheke (a reliquary of the Holy Cross Tree), a liturgical comb made of ivory, an iron three-armed thurbile with the holes for hanging censer, bone tiles from the reliquary box. On the island and on the eastern shore, in 11th-13th centuries, there were large cemeteries where over 3,500 skeletons were discovered (including the skeleton of a woman suffering from gigantism).

Another branch of this museum is  Wielkopolska Ethnographic Park in Dziekanowice, a reconstruction of a 19th century village, encompassing examples of traditional rural architecture typical of the region at that time. Most notably, the 18th-century 'Lubczynek Tavern' homestead offers specialities of Greater Poland’s cuisine for tourist and excursion groups. The same building houses a museum shop with souvenirs and publications!