Poznań

Poznań's goats at noon, Cathedral Island by afternoon

Reach Poznań's Stary Rynek by mid-morning, look into the Baroque Fara church, and be in front of the Town Hall at noon, when two mechanical goats butt heads above the clock. After lunch, catch a show at the croissant museum, walk to Ostrów Tumski and the cathedral, and take a tram to Jeżyce for dinner.

Step into the Fara church a block south for its Baroque interior, then come back to stand in front of the Town Hall before noon, when the two mechanical goats emerge above the clock and butt heads twelve times. Arrive ten minutes early for a clear view.

After lunch of pyzy or potatoes with gzik, catch a baking show at the Croissant Museum on the square, then walk east over the Warta to Ostrów Tumski. Brama Poznania, the interpretive centre by the river, explains how the Polish state took shape on this island; the cathedral, with the tombs of early Piast rulers, is a few minutes further on.

In the evening, take a tram west to Jeżyce for dinner around the market hall and Dąbrowskiego street, or stay central for the bars around Wrocławska, ignoring the touts. A second day fits Lake Malta, the zoo and the converted Stary Browar.

St Martin's croissants, pyry and Jeżyce

Poznań's signature pastry is the rogal świętomarciński, a large crescent of flaky dough filled with white poppy seed, nuts and dried fruit and topped with icing, sold by the trayful on 11 November. Local cooking is potato-heavy, with pyry z gzikiem the classic, and Jeżyce, west of the centre, has the better restaurants.

It belongs to St Martin's Day on 11 November, when bakeries sell them by the trayful, but you will find them year round. The Croissant Museum on Stary Rynek runs entertaining shows on how they are made.

Pyry z gzikiem, potatoes with quark mixed with onion and cream, is the classic home dish, and pyzy, steamed yeast dumplings, come with meat sauce or sauerkraut. Goose is traditional around St Martin's Day. Restaurants around the Town Hall serve all of these, along with pierogi and bigos, mainly to visitors.

For a better meal, go to Jeżyce, west of the centre, where newer restaurants and cafés cluster around the market and along Dąbrowskiego and Szamarzewskiego. On a budget, look for a bar mleczny such as Bar Pod Arkadami on plac Ratajskiego, or any place calling itself a bistro.

The Malta Festival, St Martin's Day and lake days

Western Poland is a little milder than the east: Poznań's January highs average about 2°C and July and August reach about 25°C. June is the liveliest month, with St John's Fair in the Old Town and the Malta Festival by the lake, and 11 November brings the St Martin's Day parade.

January highs average about 2°C with lows around -3°C, and July and August reach about 25°C. July is the wettest month at roughly 85 mm, while autumn is fairly dry, with only about 35 mm in October.

June is the liveliest month. Saint John's Fair, Jarmark Świętojański, fills the Old Town with craft and food stalls, and the Malta Festival brings theatre, dance and music to stages around the city and the lake. Summer days are best spent at Lake Malta, with its promenade, rowing course and the outdoor pools of Termy Maltańskie.

November has the city's own holiday. On 11 November, St Martin's Day and Polish Independence Day fall together, and a parade with St Martin on horseback travels along Święty Marcin street while the whole city eats croissants. In December a Christmas market sets up in the centre. Winter days are cold and short, but the indoor pools and saunas at Termy Maltańskie make a good escape.