Wroclaw. Attractions worth visiting
Wroclaw , located on islands on the Oder River, is a wonderful capital ofLower Silesiawith a very rich past of over 1000 years. It is one of the most interesting and at the same time the most beautiful cities in Poland, extremely attractive for residents and tourists. Wrocław, as the capital of the Lower Silesian province, is the most important cultural, economic, academic, but also tourist center of southwestern Poland! Wroclaw is called the Venice of the North, you can count 130 bridges here, moreover, it is a city of churches, 400 dwarves and 5000 African animals 🙂 So it's no surprise that this city won the prestigious European Best Destination 2018!
Wroclove - a city beloved by tourists
Already on my first visit I was captivated by this city, and each subsequent visit to Wroclaw only confirmed the first sensational impression. The city owes its richness, importance and cultural diversity to trade contacts and mixed history between Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany from the earliest times, and although it was under foreign rule for centuries, Polishness was never lost here, which can be especially felt in Ostrow Tumski! Tourists love Wroclaw, it can't be otherwise 🙂
Attractions in Wroclaw
Tourists from all over Poland, but of course also from abroad, are very eager to visit Wroclaw, thanks to the unique and wonderful places in this city, which is attractive all year round. The number of wonderful sights and attractions in the city is so large that it is impossible to see them all in one trip. Here you will see the best attractions of the capital of Lower Silesia - the most beautiful, the most important, those most worth visiting. Get to know the top attractions of Wroclaw! First, here is a list of these places for you, and below I describe them in more detail. And if you want to find an even more detailed description, click on the blue name of the attraction, which is a link and takes you to the detailed description. Below you will find a map with the exact location of each attraction.
1. Market Square in Wroclaw
The magnificent Market Square is always bustling with activity, and its beauty rivals that of other famous Market Squares in Poland - in Krakow or Poznan. Wroclaw Market Square is the third largest market square in Poland, only slightly smaller than the largestMarket Square in Krakow and the square in Olecko. It is also one of the oldest market squares in Poland, still remembering the 13th century. In addition to the many monuments in the Market Square, such as the Old Town Hall and beautiful, colorful townhouses, there is also a fairly new creation - namely an impressive fountain made of glass plates, standing at the western frontage. Historians did not welcome it with open arms, but it has taken hold and is recognized today by most Poles, providing a pleasant refreshment on hot days. What makes quite an impression on me every time is the group of corner tenements called Hansel and Gretel. They stand in front of the Garrison Church, acting as a kind of gateway to it. Gretel, as a woman, is more ornate and grand, while the smaller Hansel remains in her shadow and lets her shine.
2. Old Town Hall and Swidnicka Cellar
The market boasts a wonderful Old Town Hall with Gothic features. It is the heart of this great square, its most characteristic element, and at the same time the most magnificent building of its kind in the whole country, with a tower 66 meters high! In the basement of the Old Town Hall hides the Świdnicka Cellar - the oldest restaurant in Poland and one of the oldest in Europe, still operating today! Here you can taste the famous meads. The Gothic Town Hall also houses a branch of the City Museum. The Old City Hall is one of the symbols of the city!
Old Town Hall, Market Square, Wroclaw
3. Ostrów Tumski (Cathedral Island) and the Cathedral of Wrocław
That's the way it is, when describing Wroclaw, you constantly have to use the words oldest, most beautiful or most important 🙂 It is no different with the magical Ostrów Tumski - the oldest part of the city with a magnificent Cathedral from the 13th-14th centuries. The Gothic temple is the city's most valuable sacred monument and one of the most valuable in the country. It was completely destroyed during the war, or rather, after it ended, but was painstakingly rebuilt, although there were plans to demolish what was left of it. In the end, however, the state decided otherwise, and it was decided to rebuild what is most associated with Polish history in the city, because, as is well known, before the war Wrocław had long been German.
On Ostrów Tumski, in addition to the cathedral, there are several other churches, including the city's oldest building fully preserved and also the oldest active church in the city. This is St. Idzi's church from 1220! You can also find a great curiosity - a church within a church, namely the Gothic Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross, where another Gothic church - St. Bartholomew's - is located in the basement. This ecclesiastical peculiarity stands at the Church Square.
Ostrów Tumski, Cathedral Square, Wrocław
4. Wroclaw Zoo with the Afrykarium
Tourists are also very eager to visit the Zoo in the capital of Lower Silesia, popular throughout the country, made famous years ago by Mr. and Mrs. Gucwiński in the TV program"Z kamerą wśród zwierząt". The sizable Zoo Wroclaw with its interesting enclosures became even more attractive in 2014, when the extremely modern and beautiful Afrykarium - an amazing facility with aquariums, pools and tunnels full of African creatures - was made available here. It is unique not only in Poland, but also in the world!
Zoo, 1-5 Wróblewskiego St., Wroclaw
5. Wroclaw dwarves
Talking about the attractions of Wroclaw, it is impossible to omit the famous dwarves, which have literally taken over this city and become its most pleasant symbol! They are on the sidewalks, in alleys, on flower beds, lamp posts.... Their history is interesting, related to the struggle against the communist government. Today there are hundreds of dwarves in the city, it is said that about 400, but who would count them? All of them of similar, small height, not only put up by city officials, but also private objects. Interestingly, always with style! A few of them have the face of a specific person, such as Jan Miodek's Dwarf standing in front of the University's Polish Philology building at 15 Nankiera St. It's worth getting a map of the dwarves and arranging a game for the kids to find them in various points of the city 🙂 There is also an app that makes it easier to find the dwarves!
6. Jatki in Wroclaw
I was captivated by Jatki, among the many charming streets they are the ones that particularly stand out. They are located quite near the Market Square, behind the Garrison Church. It's a cobbled lane where meat was sold as early as the 12th century. Today the poor animals are commemorated by a monument in honor of the Slaughtered Animals. However, the eloquence of the place today is very pleasant, the monument is charming and will certainly appeal to children, as it consists of small animals - a calf, a pig or a rooster, while the historic buildings with their characteristic canopies are now used by art galleries and art studios. You are sure to find an interesting souvenir of the city.
Jatki, Jatki Street, Wroclaw
7. Kolejkowo Wrocław
Kolejkowo is a real hit, loved by children, but also attractive to adults, mainly men, who have a love of trains, tracks and moving railroads. Kolejkowo is Poland's largest model railroad. Trains here really run, people stand in the station, work in the fields, drink coffee in the cafe. Day shimmers with night here, and you'll see tiny dwarves among the small figures. For years Kolejkowo Wroclaw was located in the historic Świebodzki Station, but now it has moved to the Sky Tower, where there is more space and fewer traffic barriers, so the facility will also be accessible to people with disabilities.
Kolejkowo, Sky Tower, 95 Powstańców Śląskich Street, Wroclaw
8. Hydropolis
Hydropolis is a very modern in its form Center for Science and Knowledge of Water, it is an unusual and unique in its form museum, located in a historic 19th century underground drinking water reservoir, and offering multimedia exhibitions that appeal well to the imagination of young audiences.
Here you will learn a lot of interesting facts about water, but you will also realize how necessary it is for life and what are the modern threats to water quality in the world. This is a very good lesson not only for children, but also for their parents!
Hydropolis, 17 Na Grobli Street, Wroclaw
9. Sky Tower
Sky Tower is one of the city's biggest attractions, and certainly the tallest. It is a new symbol of the city - the tallest office building in Poland at 212 meters! Among other things, it houses a shopping center, and a fantastic vantage point, besieged by tourists, has been created on the 49th floor. As of 2021, the famous Kolejkowo will be based here!
Sky Tower, 95 Powstańców Śląskich Street, Wrocław
10. Illumination Park at Topacz Castle
Admittedly, the Illumination Park is not located in Wroclaw itself, but barely a few kilometers away, and it's an attraction you don't want to miss. It's open in the winter in the park next to the luxurious Topacz Castle and offers a fairyland illuminated by thousands of lights! The castle itself is great, too, because in addition to the hotel it offers a cool tourist attraction - the Motorization Museum.
Topacz Castle Illumination Park, 12 Główna Street, Sleza
11. New City Hall in Wroclaw
Let's return for a moment to the Market Square, where next to the Old Town Hall rises the New Town Hall building from the 19th century, which today houses the city council meeting room and the mayor's office. The underground, meanwhile, invites you to Spiż Restaurant, where delicious beer is brewed in the oldest mini-brewery in Poland. Available only on site, I can assure you that the honey one is delicious, though not just honey 🙂 We had a chance to taste it and have a meal with our nice tour guide of Wroclaw - Arek Förster🙂
New City Hall, 9SukienniceStreet, Wroclaw
12. Raclawice Panorama
The Raclawice Panor ama, famous throughout Poland, is a Branch of the National Museum that many of us visited back in our school days. The panorama depicts episodes from the Battle of Raclawice, which took place during the Kościuszko Uprising - April 4, 1794. The painting has impressive dimensions - 114 x 15 m, and was painted by Wojciech Kossak and Jan Styka, who painted it on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the battle, to cheer the nation.
Panorama Raclawicka, 11 Purkyniego Street, Wroclaw
13. Centennial Hall
The unique Centennial Hall, also known as the People's Hall, is an outstanding work of architecture, now inscribed on the prestigious UnescoList . The Centennial Hall was built in 1911-13, designed by Max Berg, in the expressionist style. The hall hosts concerts, fairs and other cultural and business events. The Centennial Hall is surrounded by a pergola, a large fountain, and the whole is part of Szczytnicki Park with modernist Wuwa buildings. It is close to the zoo.
Centennial Hall, 1 Wystawowa Street, Wroclaw
14. Multimedia Fountain in Wroclaw
The large, colorful fountain is not only a decoration in Szczytnicki Park, by the Centennial Hall, but also a great attraction. It is loved by children, but also by adults. Often besieged in the summer, it is a playground. It is surrounded by a pergola.
Fountain, Wystawowa Street, Wroclaw
15. Japanese Garden in Wroclaw
The Japanese Garden is a unique, romantic and beautiful place, ideal for all lovers of nature and gardening. Elements of Japanese gardens have already permanently entered our gardens, it is worth seeing one of the prototypes of this fashion. It is worth knowing that the Japanese Garden is one of the few vestiges of the 1913 World Exhibition that remain in Wroclaw's Szczytnicki Park. Since 1996, revaluation work has been carried out here with the participation of Japanese specialists from the city of Nagoya.
Japanese Garden, Mickiewicza Street, Wroclaw
16. Pan Tadeusz Museum
The Pan Tadeusz Museum on the Market Square is a branch of the Ossolineum in Wroclaw. The most valuable exhibit of the Mr. Thaddeus Museum is the manuscript of this famous work by Adam Mickiewicz, in addition, the museum presents the exhibition Mission: Poland. The Ossolineum was moved to Wroclaw after the war from Lviv, as was the Fredro statue from the Market Square. A sizable portion of the city's present-day residents have Lvov roots, as people from that area were resettled here at the time. This was largely true of the intelligentsia.
Pan Tadeusz Museum, Tenement House Under the Golden Sun, Rynek 6, Wroclaw
17. Wroclaw Opera House
A great impression on tourists is made by the impressive and ornate Breslau Opera House , designed by the famous Langhans son, who together with his father created famous works not only in Breslau, but also in Berlin, among other places. This impressive building from 1839-41, despite the turmoil of the war, has preserved to this day in the interior most of the decorations of the 19th century, such as the plafond with portraits of composers, the main chandelier, which was once gas and is now converted to electric, and the imperial box. It is interesting to note that the area gilded with real gold in the opera house is as much as 10,000 sq. m., and the area of crystal mirrors is 200 sq. m.!
Opera House, 35 Świdnicka Street, Wroclaw
18. University of Wroclaw
The complex of the University of Wroclaw certainly deserves attention, which in the main building hides the pearl of the Baroque - the Leopoldin Hall and the music hall - the Oratorium Marianum.
The Baroque building of the University is one of the most distinctive buildings in all of Wroclaw and creates a magnificent panorama over the Oder River.
University, Uniwersytecka Street, Wroclaw
19. Quarter of Four Faiths in Wroclaw
Few people know that Wroclaw has preserved a Jewish synagogue, the Synagogue Under the White Stork, still open today, in the former Jewish quarter. Nowadays this area, on Pawel Wlodkowica Street, is called Dzielnica Czterech Wyznań (Quarter of Four Confessions), because standing here you will see four temples of different faiths: the Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Roman Catholic Church of St. Anthony of Padua, the Evangelical-Augsburg Church of Divine Providence and the White Stork Synagogue.
Quarter of Four Confessions, St. Anthony Street, Wroclaw
20. Royal Palace in Wroclaw
The Royal Palace, otherwise known as the Spätgen Palace or the Castle of the Prussian Kings, is actually a palace complex that was the residence of Prussian kings of the Hohenzollern dynasty from the 18th to the 20th century. The first palace stood here around 1710. Today it houses the headquarters of the Wroclaw City Museum, which invites you to see the "1000 Years of Wroclaw" exhibition. In addition, you'll see royal apartments,Museum of Medallic Art and beautiful Baroque gardens here
Royal Palace, 35 Kazimierza Wielkiego St., Wroclaw
21. Zajezdnia History Center
While the Royal Palace tells about the ancient history of Wroclaw, you'll learn about the newer part of the city's history at the modern knowledge center, the historic Zajezdnia, on Grabiszynska Street. Here the subject matter focuses mainly on the years of World War II and the realities that prevailed in the city and Europe before and after the war. The Solidarity movement also has a sizable exhibition here.
Centrum Historii Zajezdnia, 184 Grabiszyńska St., Wroclaw
22. Bridges in Wroclaw
Wonderful is Wroclaw and unique, called the Venice of the North! It is a city of 100 bridges, 12 islands, the Oder River and its four tributaries. In fact, you will see about 130 bridges in the city, and most of them are historic buildings. The most famous is the Grunwald Bridge, but tourists are also captivated by the Tumski Bridge. And the modern Rędziński Bridge boasts the longest span in Poland!
See the Italian Venice with countless bridges!
Multiculturalism of Wroclaw
The city called the Flower of Europe is the European Capital of Culture 2016! The city will delight everyone - beautiful architecture, charming backstreets, green expanses, restaurants and pubs with an unusual atmosphere, thriving cultural and recreational centers and the unique cosmopolitan atmosphere of the city make you do not want to leave. Here everyone is at home and this is how you should feel, because tolerance is the second name of Wroclaw! Like in hardly any other Polish city, the histories of several nations with different religions are intertwined here. And then there is the centuries-old breath of Ostrów Tumski, a place unique not only in Poland.
A brief history of Wroclaw
Wroclaw has a history ofmore than 1,000 years, and it has been a turbulent one, bringing many bitter tears, but also uplifting moments. The city has remained outside the Polish borders for the vast majority of its history. Poland was here at the beginning, and then the fate of Wroclaw as a Czech, Austrian, Prussian, and finally German city was intertwined. It was not until the 20th century that Breslau found itself in Poland again. It was originally planned to be a border city, but eventually became a Polish center in its entirety and the capital of a very attractive region! Both Wroclaw and all of Lower Silesia are beloved by tourists!
Is it worth coming to Wroclaw?
According to me, there is only one answer to this question - it is definitely worth visiting! And not only because of the multitude of attractions, but also because of the climate and charm for which this city is famous. It is a gem among Polish cities and one of my favorite places in Poland. I hope that this short guide to the attractions of the capital of Lower Silesia will make it easier for you to visit it, and most of all will encourage you to visit it.
See also Olomouc - a Czech gem, not very popular but extremely attractive
Accommodation in Wroclaw?
If you are planning a longer stay in the city with an overnight stay, I recommend you Art Hotel on Kielbasnicza Street, that is in the very center, just behind the Market Square, more precisely between the Garrison Church and the charming Jatki. The hotel, in addition to comfortable rooms in a historic building, offers a lovely restaurant, it is worth to go to the last room and feel like on vacation in a Mediterranean country 🙂 We liked this place.
Getting to Wroclaw
Getting to Wroclaw will not be a problem - especially by car. It is flanked from the south by the A4 highway, and from the north by the S5 (from Poznan) and S8/A8 (from Lodz) expressways. Traffic jams can be a problem, of course, but this is unfortunately the domain of all large cities. Wroclaw is covered by a paid parking area. It has been divided into 3 zones, with prices varying from PLN 3 to as much as PLN 7 for the first hour of parking. Payments apply on all days of the week from 9am to 8pm except for the cheapest zone - here you will pay from Mon-Fri from 9am to 6pm (as of 2022).
Traffic jams and high parking prices may prompt you to use public transportation when getting around the city. This one is well developed - buses and streetcars run here. You can find timetables on the official website, but smartphone apps such as JakDojadę can also help. You can also buy tickets on them, although a useful option is to buy a timed ticket, e.g. a 24-hour ticket or a 2-, 3- or even 7-day ticket. These can be purchased, for example, at numerous ticket machines. Prices start from PLN 15 to PLN 54 for a 7-day normal ticket (year 2022).
You will get to Wroclawby train without any problems. From big cities like Katowice, Warsaw and Szczecin they run regularly and usually without changes. The main train station is not far from the market, as it is 1.5 kilometers away. So you can walk or take a cab or public transportation, although this one will still take about the same amount of time, as you still have to walk to the stops.
Wroclaw has its own airport, so a plane is also an option. There are flights from Warsaw several times a day, and the flight itself takes 1 hour. From the airport, bus line 106, which runs as often as every 15 minutes, will get you to the market in 50 minutes (the nearest stop on this line is about 1 kilometer from the market).
See our ranking of Poland's most beautiful cities with Wroclaw
