With Poznań's role as the cradle of the Polish state it should come as no surprise that the surrounding area is packed with historical attractions worthy of a trip out of town. Thirty miles east of Poznań sits Gniezno, with a monumental cathedral that played host to five royal coronations and a bell tower with 231 steps to test your physical mettle. The archaeological discovery at Biskupin takes the history lesson back to the Iron Age of 800 BC: in 1933 a Lusatian fortified settlement was discovered here, and today it has been turned into an open-air museum and life-sized model of the original settlement; holding a place on Poland's list of national historic monuments, it's well worth the 60 mile trip to explore. If the more modern tale of the Great Escape peaks your interest then a trip to Żagań is a must - it's not easy to get to, but plenty of soldiers will tell you it was equally hard to get out of.