Poznan is regarded as the legendary birthplace of Poland. Poznan was also the home of the 1956 anti-Communist riots, the first-ever show of resistance in the country to the Communist authorities. At that time, thousands of workers went on strike for better working conditions and higher wages. The strikes turned violent and the government responded by calling in the army with as a bitter result nearly hundred civilians and soldiers died in the fighting. Poznan was always a centre of industry trade and education and most foreigners will know the city from the big exhibitions taking place. Meanwhile Poznan has become Poland’s most important trade fair city and it is not seldom that nearly all hotels are fully booked by business travellers. Poznan was always a wealthy city due to its position along main transportation routes linking major European cities and the Warta River. Poznan lies on one of Europe's main east-west train lines, stretching from Paris and Berlin to Warsaw and Moscow. During the Prussian occupation, when the town was known as Posen, it became one of the country’s leading industrial centres, a position which it kept until the day of today. Its traditional wealth is reflected in the huge size of the square and in the magnificence of buildings that stretch out in all directions. Poznan makes a beautiful collage of different architectural styles and is stuffed with churches, cobbles and colourful burgher houses. The main attractions of Poznan are situated around the enormous Stary Rynek (old square) and especially the town hall and vendors' houses are magnificent. Other highlights include the Zamek, Mickiewicz Square, Franciscan Church, the National Museum and Renaissance Hall. Malta Lake and the Citadel Park offer fresh air and a green environment in case you would like to escape from hectic city life.