Stary Rynek, the Old Market Square, is where you’ll spend most of your time in Poznań, whether you plan to or not. It’s compact, it’s easy to walk around in twenty minutes, and it fills up from late morning until the small hours. Here’s what to see, when to go, and where to head when you want a proper pint instead of a tourist-menu beer.
The Town Hall and the goats at noon
The Renaissance Town Hall (Ratusz) sits in the middle of the square, and it’s the reason half the crowd looks up at the same time every day. At 12:00 two mechanical goats come out of a small door above the clock and butt heads twelve times. Locals have watched this for centuries, and the goats are now the city’s mascot: you’ll see them on fridge magnets, beer labels and pastry boxes.
Get there ten minutes early in summer if you want a clear view. The best spot is on the east side of the square, facing the clock tower. Inside, the Town Hall houses the Historical Museum of Poznań, worth an hour if it’s raining.
The colourful houses and the fountains
Around the Town Hall you’ll find a row of narrow, brightly painted merchants' houses with arcades at street level. They’re the most photographed thing in Poznań after the goats, and they look best in the late afternoon sun. Each corner of the square has a fountain with a figure from classical mythology, and next to the Town Hall stands a replica of the old pillory, a reminder that the square was once also the place of public punishment.
St Martin’s croissant
Poznań’s own pastry is the rogal świętomarciński, a heavy croissant filled with white poppy seed, nuts and dried fruit. Only certified bakers may sell it under that name: it’s protected by the EU like Champagne or Parma ham. The city eats them by the tonne on 11 November, St Martin’s Day, but bakeries sell them all year. There’s even a small croissant museum near the square where you can watch them being made, with a show for kids and adults.
When to visit
- Morning: quiet, good light for photos, cafés opening.
- Noon: goats. Busy, but worth it once.
- Evening: the square turns into one long terrace in summer. Prices on the square itself are higher than in the side streets.
- Late night: Friday and Saturday stay loud until 2 am and later. Our bars nearby close at 2 am at the weekend.
Where to drink near the Old Market Square
The bars on the square sell mostly the same big-brand lager. Walk two minutes north to Żydowska Street (Jewish Street) and you’ll find two craft beer bars a few doors apart:
Lot Chmiela Żydowska 4
A British-style pub with a long wooden bar, Guinness on draught, rotating Polish craft taps and what we think is the prettiest beer garden in Poznań. Get a tasting board of four 150 ml beers if you can’t choose. Staff speak English.
Wściekły Chmiel Żydowska 10
Our sister bar: 18 taps, two brick-vaulted cellars and a cocktail list that goes well beyond Aperol. Good for groups and late nights.
Both pour beers from Moczybroda, our family brewery. If you only have one evening in Poznań, start at one, finish at the other.
Next stop
From the square, Ostrów Tumski, the island where Poland began, is a twenty-minute walk east. Read our Ostrów Tumski guide, or see our list of craft beer bars in Poznań.
Next: Ostrów Tumski: the island where Poland began · All Poznań guides
Come for a pint at Lot Chmiela
British-style craft beer pub with a beer garden, Żydowska 4, two minutes from the Old Market Square. Open daily from 4 pm, English spoken.