Poznań Old Town is a central neighbourhood of the city of Poznań in western Poland, covering the area of the walled medieval city of Poznań. It is called Stare Miasto in Polish (although that name may also refer to the wider administrative district of Stare Miasto, which extends to most of the city centre and northern parts of the city).
The original settlement of Poznań was on the river island of Ostrów Tumski, and dates from at least the 9th century. The Old Town neighbourhood, however, corresponds to the city on the left bank of the Warta, to the west of Ostrów Tumski, which received its charter in 1253 (work on the Royal Castle, which would be at the western side of the ring of walls, began several years earlier). The city walls were taken down when the city expanded in the early 19th century, but the street layout of the Old Town still corresponds closely to that of the former walled city, with a grid of narrow streets. Surviving fragments of the walls, some of which have been further reconstructed, can be seen on ul. Stawna and ul. Masztalarska in the north, and next to Chopin Park in the south.
The Old Town is centred on Stary Rynek, the Old Market Square. The historic Town Hall (Ratusz) stands in the middle of that square. At the western end of the Old Town is the hill (Góra Przemysła) on which the castle stood.
