Wrocław

The Rynek, Ostrów Tumski and Centennial Hall over two Wrocław days

Spend the first morning in Wrocław around the Rynek: look into the Gothic Old Town Hall, walk through the flower stalls of Plac Solny, climb St Elizabeth's tower and count the bronze dwarfs. Cross to Ostrów Tumski at dusk for the gas lamps, and on day two see the Racławice Panorama and Centennial Hall.

Look into the Gothic Old Town Hall (its museum shuts early in the week), walk through the flower stalls of Plac Solny and climb the tower of St Elizabeth's Church for the view over the roofs. Count dwarfs on the way to lunch at Bar Miś on Kuźnicza, then stroll north to the river past the university.

In the late afternoon, cross the bridges to Piaskowa island and on to Ostrów Tumski. Ride the lift up the tower of the Cathedral of St John the Baptist and wait on the island until the lamplighter comes round at dusk. Dinner is better a few streets off the Rynek than on it.

On day two, book an early session at the Racławice Panorama to see the vast battle painting before the groups arrive. Then take a tram east to Centennial Hall, the 1913 concrete dome on the UNESCO list, walk around the pergola and fountain, and cross the road to the zoo for the Afrykarium. Finish in Nadodrze, north of the river, where the bars sit among old tenements and street art.

Bar Miś, Hala Targowa and cellar beer

Start with a milk bar: Bar Miś on Kuźnicza, north of the Rynek, feeds students and pensioners from early morning, and you order and pay at the till. Most Rynek restaurants trade on the view, so eat in the side streets, buy produce at Hala Targowa, the 1908 market hall, and drink beer in a cellar pub.

The system is simple once you know it: order and pay at the till (in Polish, so point if needed), then hand the receipt over at the food counter. Expect pierogi, soups and hearty stews, and short queues at lunchtime.

The Rynek itself is lined with restaurants, but most of them trade on the setting and charge for it. Walk a street or two away and prices drop while quality rises. Under the Old Town Hall, Piwnica Świdnicka occupies cellars that have served beer for centuries and claims to be one of the oldest restaurants in Europe.

For produce, Hala Targowa, the brick and concrete market hall of 1908 by the river near Piaskowa island, sells vegetables, cured meats and pickles. Evenings move to the streets just off the square and to Nadodrze, where the bars are cheaper, younger and less polished.

Fountain shows, Wratislavia Cantans and the Christmas Rynek

Wrocław is one of the milder Polish cities, with July highs of about 26°C and January days around 3°C. From late spring to autumn the multimedia fountain beside Centennial Hall runs shows, the Wratislavia Cantans music festival comes in September, and the Christmas market fills the Rynek from late November.

July averages a high of about 26°C, and even January reaches around 3°C by day, though nights drop below freezing from December to February. July is the wettest month with about 90 mm, much of it in summer storms; April and September are drier and pleasant for walking the riverbanks.

From late spring to autumn, the multimedia fountain beside Centennial Hall runs shows of water, light and music in the evenings, and the Oder banks fill with people once the weather turns warm. September belongs to Wratislavia Cantans, the city's long-running festival of oratorio and choral music, held in churches and halls around the centre.

In winter the Christmas market takes over the Rynek from late November, one of the largest in Poland, with stalls spreading into the streets around the town hall. Short days suit the indoor sights: the Racławice Panorama, the town hall museum and the warm Afrykarium at the zoo. Ostrów Tumski is at its best in the cold too, when the gas lamps glow against an early dark.