(60 Ulica Abrahama, Gdynia. Tel. 058 620 5316) For the classic Polish communist experience, head for this bare-bones mleczny (milk bar) to enjoy potatoes, cabbage and various chops of meat.

  (11 Al Wojska Polsk, Sopot. Tel. 058 555 0661) Little more than a cafeteria, Bar Prysztan has nevertheless gained a mythical status as one of Poland’s best places to snack on fresh fish. Swimmers and sunbathers pile in to enjoy a selection of seafood on the alfresco wooden tables.

  (22-23 Ulica Szeroka, Gdansk. Tel. 058 320 3030) Expect lots of clean lines and sparkling steel inside this slick, minimalist European bistro. Enjoy the taste of the excellent baked veal in sun-dried tomato and mozzarella in one of the city's only restaurants to have banned smoking completely.

  (16-24 Ulica Ducha. Tel. 058 305 7671) A palatial interior, full of regal reds and expensive wood, makes Gdanska a truly royal experience. A regular haunt of Lech Walesa and other local luminaries, the expansive restaurant serves up expertly executed, traditional Polish classics such as wild boar.

  (4/1B Ulica Kosciuszki, Sopot. Tel. 058 550 4935) A weird interior, including tables hanging from the ceiling and a tree in the middle of the room, make for a great place to enjoy a cool beer or slice of cake.

  (195-197 Al Grundwaldzka, Gdansk Zaspa. Tel. 058 341 9398) The area’s premier live music venue offers up an eclectic roll call of dancers, bands and theatre from all over the world.

  (16 Ulica Jantarowa, Gdansk. Tel. 050 101 1750) Its prime seaside location sees this wooden shack packed to the rafters during the summer season, with revellers sipping from plastic glasses 24/7.

Looking to woo someone special in your life? Try the tunnels beneath Gdansk's main train station for fresh-from-the-fields flowers hawked by the old women who collected them.

Gdansk and Gdynia run separate bus services and tickets aren’t valid between the two. To travel between them and Sopot, take the SKM local metro.

Go for a stroll along the Raduna Canal in the centre of Gdansk. It's banked by a pair of the city's grandest churches, as well as parks and more than a few bars offering alfresco beers.

Poland’s Constitution Day celebrates the signing of the world’s second constitution, after the US, with plenty of flag waving and speeches taking place. See the biggest crowds along Ulica Dluga (3 May).

 – An unexpected find in often chilly Poland, the sand dunes at the UNESCO listed biosphere at Leba’s Slowinski National Park are so expansive they were once used by Rommel’s Desert Rats as practice for the African Sahara. Trains leave Gdynia main train station, making the journey in about two hours.

The first ice-cream on a stick is said to have been invented in Gdynia and the city is still turning out some of the best. Head along the seafront for a selection of the city’s finest.