Poznan

Once the capital of Poland, Poznań occupies a special place in Polish history; not least because it’s the spot where the kingdom of Poland officially came into being. As befits a former capital, hotels are plentiful and diverse, and include the imposing City Park Hotel & Residence (Wyspiańskiego 26A), a chic place to stay that occupies a huge glass and red-brick block. Equally cool is the City Solei Boutique Hotel (Wenecjańska 10), a five-minute walk from the Old Market Square. Don’t miss the retro Garden Boutique Hotel (Wroniecka 24), which is housed in a lovely 19th-century building and has furnishings that wouldn’t look out of place in a Mayfair gentleman’s club.

With fashion icons such as Burberry (Paderewskiego 8) and the vast award-winning Stary Browar (Półwiejska 32) shopping centre to explore, going on a zloty spending spree isn’t hard in Poznań. But if you want some uniquely Polish-designed items, head to Yes (Paderewskiego 7)　for jewels created by up-and-coming Polish designers including Tomek Ogrodowski, or try Świat Bursztynu (Półwiejska 42) for locally made amber jewellery. For crafts and other souvenirs, head to Woźna Street　in the Old Town, where you’ll find shop after shop crammed with brilliant homeware and Baltic amber. Poznań is famous for its love of booze, so stock up on the excellent local vodka at Świat Alkoholi (Słowackiego 27).

There are few international fast-food chains in Poznań, and the reason for that is a Soviet innovation called ‘milk bars’, where you can pick up a full meal (not burgers) for a few pounds. Among them is Bar Caritas (Plac Wolności 1), which serves up delicious local blinis and beer for next to nothing. Despite the odd name, Blow Up Hall 5050 (Kościuszki 42) is a fabulous, if pricey, restaurant that specialises in modern Polish fare in a setting that’s half eatery and half art gallery. For the daring, there’s Dark Restaurant (Garbary 48) which, as the name suggests, involves tucking in while sitting in a room so dark that the waiters have to wear night vision goggles to serve you.

Horse Cavalry Day

April

Based around Wola (the barracks that house Poland’s cavalry horses) and the town centre, the annual celebration of Poland’s military might includes parades and a cavalry competition.

Malta Festival Poznań

June-July

Despite the name, the festival has nothing to do with the Mediterranean island and is instead named after the city’s Maltański Reservoir known locally as Lake Malta. A combination of theatre, modern dance and music, it puts on performances galore on the banks of the water.

Tzadik Poznań Festival

July

Poznań’s annual celebration of local Jewish culture takes in everything from workshops to concerts, and includes the chance to taste traditional Polish-Jewish food.

Good Taste Festival

August

A winning blend of food fair and concerts, the Good Taste Festival brings artisan food producers from all over Europe to Poznań.

3LOOP Festival

October

A quirky techno and house music fest promoting up-and-coming Polish dance acts – all of whom are signed to the online record label 3LOOP. It’s a bit hit-and-miss music-wise, but it’s good fun all the same.