Poznań’s map of murals and graffiti

If you’re visiting Poznań for the very first time, note that finding all the epic street art might be quite time consuming. Even though it’s always cool to discover the secrets of the city by accident — just wandering from corner to corner — there is an easier way to do it.

In 2018 the City of Poznań published a printed map of street art. The official name of that is “Map of murals, graffiti, neon signs and typographies of Poznań” and you can get it FOR FREE in any Tourist Information Point in Poznań. For example in Stary Rynek 59 Poznań (so at the heart of the Old Square in the city center). Just go there & get your map :)

The very useful thing on the map is that every mural or graffiti has it’s own small photo, street address and a number put on the map of different district of Poznań:

Some of them are easy to find. Some quite difficult even with the map.

Below we present some of map’s murals in Poznań, adding also some street art pieces not mentioned on the original map.

NOTE: the most convenient way for this street art trip is to rent a city bike. You can do it easily at many points of Poznań [LINK]. If you want to save the money, it’s good to remember that for the first 20 minutes your bike is for free, so you can just switch bikes from station to station ;)

Street Art in Poznań: murals & graffiti one by one

A very good point to start your bike trip is Rondo Kaponiera where you can rent a bike and go from there to Jeżyce district, which is quite popular now because of it’s “hipster” atmosphere. Later we guide you through the city center of Poznań and we will finish at Rondo Środka — also very adorable place that used to be an island and now it’s covered with nice restaurants and cafés.

Just follow the map of murals in this order:

Nr 11 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Sienkiewicza 14 A

Author: 2501 from Italy

This street art mural was created during the Outer Spaces Festival in Poznań in 2013 — a cyclical event aimed at showing the impact of bottom-up initiatives on the space in which we live, by introducing positive changes in the appearance of the city. The initiative was to join the forces of engaged people from different backgrounds: artists, residents of selected tenement houses, favorable officials, entrepreneurs.

The festival had 3 editions — in 2011, 2012 and 2013 — and was organised by the Inner Art Association.

Nr 25 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Wawrzyniaka 9

Authors: Olga Kebas, Andrej Merkhel

This comic -style mural comes from project Beyond the dream (pl. Projekt Poza Snem) that was carried out during the Malta Festival in 2014. The interesting thing behind the idea is that this street art piece is an attempt to creatively reconstruct a non-existent building, based only on the memory of neighbors. Where were standing the chairs? Where were stairs, wardrobe, kitchen?

Note: the mural is partially overgrown and hidden by trees and bushes, so when you’ll find Wawrzyniaka 9 street, just enter the small courtyard that looks like a random, wild parking and look around.

Nr 47 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Staszica 7, Staszica 11/13

Author: Collective Part Time Heroes from Poland

Those courtyards murals on Staszica Street are really adorable! Probably because they are inside the buildings people actually live in. You see the laundry, you see “graffiti” made by kids by colored chalk. You feel that those places live!

And the story of the origins is also pretty cool. In 2010, the No Women No Art Association invited artists from the Part Time Heroes Collective to perform murals as a part of the Change Your Courtyard initiative. The action was aimed at re-arranging and revitalizing Jeżyce courtyards.

The project was financed from the budget of the City of Poznań. All murals were created in cooperation with residents, managers and owners of individual tenement houses.

Note: the murals are on actual courtyards of the old tenement houses what means that the main doors to them might be closed. Just ring a random flat number and say that you’ve heard about a mural. If someone is in home, for sure he or she will open the doors for you. If not, the good thing is that there are 3 street art pieces on 3 different courtyards (Staszica 7, 11/13 and 24) just couple meters from each other. If you’re unlucky with one courtyard, you might be lucky with another ;)

NOT on the Map of Murals of Poznań but on a way to Nr 9 & Nr 10

Kościelna (on the right, just at the beginning of the street on a corner)

Just on the way from Staszica street to Nr 9 and 11 from Map of Murals of Poznań, when you turn on your bike into Kościelna street, you will see some graffiti on the roof of one of the buildings on the right side. Authors unknown but you need to admit that the factory with an eye really “catches the eye” ;) Worth stopping!

NOT on the Map of Murals of Poznań but on a way to Nr 9 & Nr 10

Wąska Street (left side on a short wall)

Author: Eskaer from Poland

A fetus playing with his smartphone is one of graffitis made by local street art artist called Eskaer. He is very recognisable because of depicting social media and tech addicition of his generation.

And if you look even more to the left, you will see the famous Poznań’s Peryskop (called also The Watcher):

Author: Noriaki from Poland

There is over 100, maybe 200 of Watchers hidden in the city of Poznań on different walls. There is also a pretty nice pub called his name (you can find Peryskop Pub at Szewska 8).

The Watcher is the most famous street art character in Poznań!

But not only. Also abroad, as far as he left his traces among others in London. Some even call Noriaki a new Banksy. Painting the Watcher takes Noriaki from 30 seconds to create a miniature up to 6 minutes with a two-meter Watcher.

Nr 10 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Wąska 1

Author: 108 from Italy

Mural left after Outer Spaces Mural Festival, 2013.

The theme of the event was Urban Forest and the organizers of the festival, Inner Art, explain the idea like this:

This is a definition of a forest system that grows with the city, creating a coherent and inseparable part of the urban space . In urban space, nature and nature often lose their original character in favor of progressive urban changes, clerical, social or cultural requirements. URBANFOREST OUTERSPACES assumes simplicity of action, attention to basic human needs of being with each other and for oneself.

Nr 9 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Wąska 1 (or you can get closer and ride to Poznańska 12)

Author: Marina Zumi from Argentina

On the left side of Nr 10 mural, you can see Nr 9. Also made during the Outer Spaces Mural Festival in 2013. On the mural made by Marina Zumi you can see a capricorn and a she-wolf sticking their noses.

Nr 36 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Nowowiejskiego 17

Author: Maupal from Italy

Mural made during the Malta Festival 2017. The author of the mural, Mauro Pallotta known as Maupal, became famous thanks to his serie of murals showing Pope Francis (one even as a flying Superman), so when he started to work on Nowowiejskiego Street with his new street art, everyone was very curious what will be shown on the wall.

A gigantic woman stitching a split flag of Poland is a quite controversial mural right now because of the current political situation in our country. The idea of Maupal was to show hope. Hope for keeping Poland in an atmosphere of unity. Hence the flag. And a string that connects its two parts, passing among others cities through Poznań.

Nr 42 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Kościuszki 80

Author: unknwon

Have you ever heard about Koziołek Matołek? Koziołek Matołek is a literary character created by Kornel Makuszyński and Marian Walentynowicz in one of the first picture stories for children in Poland, which appeared in 1932. The story of this young goat goes down to the hero’s journey around the world in search of the mythical Pacanów, where the goats are probably shod. Adventures are, of course, extraordinary and absolutely unbelievable, the goat is nice and a little bit gullible, and kids love the idea that Koziołek Matołek is very motivated to follow his dreams.

This graffiti was made during the “Change Your Courtyard” bottom-up initiative in 2015 and Koziołek Matołek appeared here at the request of children that plays on this backayrd.

All the place is really adorable:

Note: it’s again a courtyard so if the gate is closed, try to ring any of the flat owners to let you in to see the Koziołek Matołek.

Nr 5 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Taczaka 11

Author: Remed

Another street art from Outer Spaces Mural Festival, the first edition 2011. Remed, the French artist who made it, is very famous all over the Europe thanks to characteristic style referring to cubism and abstract painting of the twentieth century.

Nr 34 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Piekary 5

Author: Red­She­els from Poland

At the end of 2016 Poznań goats’s mural was created in the center of Poznań on an empty wall of a new hotel. It takes 387 square meters. Goats are saying “Dzień dobry w Poznaniu!” what means “Good morning in Poznań!”.

If you never heard before about Poznań goats, you should know one: it’s a symbol of the city and you can find them in many places. The biggest tourist atraction is to go at 12:00 in the afternoon to the Old Square and look at the top of the towel of the town hall. You will see small, gushing goats. They are the memory of the legend which tells that after the great fire of the city, it was decided to make a loud feast. The main chef appointed a young boy to watch the roast, but boy inadvertently burned it because he was very interested in the new clock mechanism on the towel of the town hall. To hide his mistake, boy ran to the meadow where he stole two goats for another roast. The goats, however, escaped him and ran to the tower of the town hall, where they began to hit their heads. The governor, who was amused by the situation, gave goats back to the owner, and the boy made the guardian of the town hall clock.

Nr 41 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Marcinkowskiego 20

Author: Czarli Bajka

This vintage street art using screen print & acrylic paintsis is a masterpiece of itself! Really worth seeing because of the details.

Note: It’s in the courtyard in a gate close to Galeria MM where there are two well known in Poznań haberdasheries and doors are usally open. It was made to promote the entrance to the Laboratorium Loo Secondhand.

Nr 12 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Marcinkowskiego 26

Author: Guido van Hel­ten from Australia

Mural appeared in 2016, thanks to the efforts of Skoda celebrating its 120th anniversary and the Łódź Urban Forms foundation. It shows the picture from the old postcard with the view of Poznań in 1895, made by Roman Ulatowski, the legend of the Poznań photography of those times.

Nr 23 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Zielona 1

Author: Jaszczurka Matylda & her mother

This street art screen print of the painting titled Jewess with Oranges (pl. Żydówka z pomarańczami) by Polish artist Aleksander Gierymski is located in a very cute courtyard.

It was made by two women that live in this tenement house — Jaszczurka Matylda & her mom. They also made there a second street art screen print, the Death (pl. Śmierć), by Polish artist Jacek Malczewski and a mural with a peom of Polish poetrist Andrzej Stasiuk:

What is more, in the courtyard sits a sculpture of a woman made by Konrad Smela who gifted it to Jaszczurka Matylda’s mother for her birthday:

Note: it’s again a courtyard so you need to ring to the doors to get in!

NOT on the Map of Murals of Poznań but on a way to Nr 1 & Nr 17

Zielona 8

Author: unknown

Going from Zielona 1, on a wall on the right side, you will see funny, comic-style city graffiti.

Nr 1 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Grobla 18

Author: Kenor from Spain

This mural by Spanish street artist Kenor was made during the Outer Spaces Mural Festival 2011. The artist is known from exploring the world of abstraction and expressive geometry. It is believed, he can successfully convey the atmosphere and lifestyle of Barcelona, ​​mixed with inspirations from classical painting and graphics and the dynamics of the street on which he creates. His "brush" is an aerosol.

Nr 17 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Grobla 19

Author: unknown

The wall close to the Kenor’s mural, is so called “The Drop” (pl. Kropla) that is a weathered PRL leftover after the advertising of the installation cooperative “Kropla".

Such a murals and large-format graphics painted on the walls of buildings as a form of adveritising were very popular in the PRL times and often been designed by graduates of art schools.

NOT on the Map of Murals of Poznań but on a way to Nr 3

Wszystkich Świętych 3

Autor: unknown

Attracting the eye graffiti on a doors to a tenement house on Wszystkich Świętych 3. The doors lead to the “Art House” — one of the city guest houses in Poznań, making the entrance quite visible ;)

Nr 3 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Garbary 41

Athor: Sam3 from Spain

Mural made during the Outer Spaces Mural Festival, 2011. The work of this Spanish street art artist is most known for its large-format murals showing people in absurd, fairy-tale situations. The main topic that Sam3 is struggling with is human, his life in the world among other people and internal life.

Nr 2 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Woźna 13

Autor: Ero­sie from the Netherlands

During the Mural Outer Spaces Festival 2011, this mural entitled "Horror Vacui" was created by a Dutch artist as a part of the whole series Hor­ror Vacui. The other parts of the serie you can find in Berlin, London or Paris. Horror Vacui is about tendency in art manifesting in the creation of decorations filling the entire surface of the object, without leaving an empty background.

When you approach the building closer you will notice that also some local street art artists left some statements under the large mural:

Nr 21 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Ewangelicka 1

Author: The Painters (Group) from Poland

Mural “The Venice of Poznań” (pl. Poznańska Wenecja) was created on the wall of Nowa Gazownia culture center and presents the Chwaliszewski Bridge (pl. Most Chwaliszewski), which stood here before the war, when the old Warta river was still located on those grounds. The creators of the mural— the Warsaw group of The Painters — took the pattern from the postcard from the book by Jan Kaczmarek “Chwaliszewo. The Venice of Poznań” (pl. “Chwaliszewo. Poznańska Wenecja”).

Note: the mural is on the behind wall of the pavilion of the culture center Nowa Gazownia at Evangelicka Street in Chwaliszewo. When you will see a round building, just make a circle around it.

Nr 18 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Estkowskiego/Szyperska corner

Author: Grzegorz Myćka

This mural is something more than just an interesting looking street art, because Grzegorz Myćka from University of the Arts Poznań designed it to raise the problem of rasicm. It was made in March 2018 during the Art Week in Poznań and symbolises the author’s reflections over racism.

Nr 13 on the Map of Murals of Poznań

Środka 3

Authors: MURALL (Group) from Poland

This 3D Mural titled “A Śródecka story with a trumpeter on the roof and a cat in the background” (pl. „Opowieść śródecka z trębaczem na dachu i kotem w tle”) is a well known street art masterpiece over the world. The mural is supposed to remind about the history of the Śródka district, which was a separate city just over one hundred years ago. The originator of the painting was the estate councilor — Gerard Cofta, inspired by the photograph of this district from the 1920s.

This 3D mural was made in 2015 by MURALL Group to which belongs also What’s’Art trainer and the What’s’Art mural author, Dominik Dziedzina! Cool, huh? ;)

NOT on the Map of Murals of Poznań (Yet!)

Potockiej 39-41 (in Ogród Łazarz)

Authors: Dominik Dziedzina from MURALL (Group) from Poland and participants of What’s’Art Promotion of Human Rights Through Street Art Training

What’s’Art mural appeared in the narrow, inconspicuous passage between the blocks of Klaudyny Potockiej 39 and 41 in Poznań in so called Ogród Łazarz (the Lazarus Garden) September 2018 as a part of What’s’Art Promotion of Human Rights Through Street Art Training, organized by CIM HORYZONTY and funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

In the centre of the mural you find a geometric blue and red triangles that altogether create an illusion of a bird breaking into a flight. What keeps him captivated is a metaphor of oppression and intolerance — the biggest moments of human rights violations from the 60s to modern times.

On a wall around the bird illusion are placed selected fights for human rights in Europe — special history moments when hundreds of people were uniting in the name of to oppose the unjustice: student and worker revolt in Paris in 1968, student protests in Germany in 1967–1968, Prague Spring in the Czech Republic in 1968, communism fall in Poland in 1989, Baltic Chain of Esthonia-Latvia-Lithuania in 1989, the Romanian Revolution in 1989, social protests in Spain in 2011–2012 known as the M15 Movement, Euromaidan in Ukraine in 2013 and the Orange Revolution in 2014, the Black Protest in Poland in 2016 and defending Helena Maleno Movement in Spain in 2018.

NOTE: To find What’s’Art Mural — Fights for Human Rights Tunnel you need to go to “Ogród Łazarz”, Potockiej 39–41 Poznan, Poland. The tunnel is just behind this building (in a narrow passage):

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It is easy to create hate speech on walls (“F ** ck” + add your nationality, religion or sexual orientation). It is harder to give a positive message that Poznań is an open and tolerant city!