A branch of the National Museum housed in the Royal Castle of Poznań, this Applied Arts museum showcases a truly excellent 2000-piece collection of mostly European and Asian decorative treasures - furniture, fabrics, ceramics, glassware, weaponry, clothing and more - from the Middle Ages to the present day. The exhibits from the Far East are particularly fascinating, including samurai garb, and a tour through the exhibits gives a sense of European society's changing tastes, trends and styles over time. Although truly worthwhile, the exhibits are unlikely to hold the interest of young children, making the Royal Castle better suited for a museum date than family outing.

Paying the full museum admission is the only way to gain access to the observation deck at the top of the tower. With all-weather panoramas from the top floor, and an open-air terrace above it, the city views are worth it, but it is a rather strenuous (and boring) climb up 185 steps if the elevator is not operating (it wasn't during our visit).

Those interested in the Royal Castle itself will be sorely disappointed by the lack of any info about its role in the city's history, or the decision to rebuild it, aside from a meager exhibit about Przemysł II on the ground floor, and the slight Treasury exhibits in the cellars. The Castle today is primarily a vessel for the Applied Arts Museum, which, while impressive, leaves something to be desired.

Visiting time: approx. 90mins.

GO TO THE WEBSITE OF THIS BRANCH OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM HERE.