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All Poland Poznań St. Martin’s Croissant Museum
Gastro Obscura

St. Martin’s Croissant Museum

The traditional Polish croissant, folded 81 times into the shape of a horseshoe, is a legally protected cultural treat.

Poznań, Poland

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Adam Kincaid
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The museum is really an interactive bakery.   AdamTKincaid / Atlas Obscura User
Exhibitions are available in multiple languages.   AdamTKincaid / Atlas Obscura User
Participants are invited to take part in creating croissants with the aid of a certified baker.   AdamTKincaid / Atlas Obscura User
At the end, participants receive a certificate that allows them to bake the legally protected recipe.   AdamTKincaid / Atlas Obscura User
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About

As odd as it may seem, there is an entire museum in Poznań, Poland that celebrates a single pastry. But not just any pastry: the "rogale świętomarcińskie” or “St. Martin’s Croissant.”

This savory-yet-sweet delectable delicacy is a legally protected cultural heritage treat, recognized by the European Union as a Protected Geographical Indicator. The law celebrates the protected recipe and tradition associated with St. Martin, which has become a staple of the diet of Poznanians—particularly every year during the town’s St. Martin festival.

The tradition started in 1891 when a young priest of the St. Martin’s church in Poznan, John Lewicki, was petitioning his congregation to look for a way to inspire locals to be charitable towards the poor in the cold winter months. After his sermon, a young confectioner at a nearby bakery watched a horse lose it’s shoe and, remembering the legend of St. Martin, was suddenly inspired to create a croissant in the shape and give it to the poor. He filled the pastry with an almond and poppyseed paste and began passing them out to beggars on the street.

The charitable event caught on and has become a celebrated event in the town’s history when every year on November 11, St. Martin’s Day, the town consumes 700,000 croissants during the annual St. Martin’s Day parade. 

The croissants are different from the well-known French version. Firstly, they are folded 81 times into the shape of a horseshoe. Each fold requires a filling of a paste, made from poppy seeds and mixed with nuts, raisins, almonds, sugar and butter. After baking, a hefty amount of icing is poured over the top of the pasty and it is sprinkled with more nuts and sugar. By law, the pastries must weigh between 150-250 grams. After sitting for a moment to cool, they are ready to eat!

The museum is one of the newest in the region and is located inside of a recently restored renaissance home. It is less of a museum, though, and more of a hands-on bakery. Inside this unique space, visitors partake in an interactive baking process where they learn about the history of St. Martin, Poznan, and the famous croissants. At the end, you get to try  the delicious treats and receive a certificate that entitles you to bake the legally protected croissant yourself. 

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Museums Food Museums Food

Know Before You Go

The entrance to the museum is one block from the main market square. If you are facing the entrance to the Town Hall, turn around and go to your right. Take your first left onto Wożna, then your first left onto Klasztorna. The entrance to the museum is one building over, tucked into an alleyway. You may want to book tickets in advance as there are limited times and seating availability, a maximum of 25 people at a time.

Community Contributors

Added By

AdamTKincaid

Edited By

Supertravelluka

  • Supertravelluka

Published

November 14, 2016

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Sources
  • http://rogalemarcinskie.pl/
  • http://monkeysandmountains.com/st-martin-croissant-rogale-marcinskie
  • http://www.poznan.pl/mim/s8a/en/did-you-know-that,doc,576/-,3288.html
  • http://poznan.travel/en/poi/show/id/1119
  • http://poznan.travel/en/r/warto-zobaczyc/rogalowe-muzeum-poznania
  • http://www.travelocafe.com/2014/09/croissant-museum-poznan.html
  • http://regionwielkopolska.pl/en/folk-culture/legends/the-legend-of-poznan-rsquo-s-st-martin-croissants.html
St. Martin’s Croissant Museum
41 Stary Rynek
Poznań
Poland
52.408373, 16.934889
Visit Website
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