Not many European cities can boast of a large number of canals and bridges. Try to guess where this photo is taken. Venice? Amsterdam? Brugge? Hamburg No, this is Poland, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Wroclaw. This ancient city has something to see for a tourist. And Wroclaw is not just famous for its bridges. Large numbers of dwarves live there. The search for the figures of these little men at first does not inspire adults, but gradually, according to reviews, it captures. Many tourists regret that it was not possible to collect their entire photo collection. So ask for a gnome map (mapa krasnoludkow) at the press kiosks. And what else is Wroclaw famous for? This city has a very ancient and turbulent history. He managed to visit the composition of Bohemia, Hungary, Austria, Germany. And the culture of every nation has left its mark on the cobbled streets of the city. What to see in Wroclaw, how to get there, where to stay and what to try - read about all this in our article.
How to get there
From Russia, due to long distances, an air route is preferable. Wroclaw Airport (Poland) receives regular flights from various countries. You can fly to the city on the Oder River and from Warsaw. A ticket costs an average of 50 euros, travel time is an hour. City buses go from the airport to the city center: during the day, route No. 406, and at night - No. 249. You can get to Wroclaw by rail with a change in Warsaw or Krakow. The bus service between the cities of Poland is well developed, but the path is not long. Get ready to spend about seven hours on the road. Given the fact that Wroclaw is located near the border with Germany, you can consider the option of a road map from this country. Sometimes it can be cheaper. A low-cost to Berlin and an All Germany train ticket will save you money on your journey to Poland. In Wroclaw itself, a network of urban transport is developed. Some trams are converted for sightseeing. They can make an independent sightseeing tour. You can explore the city from a bicycle seat (rent - two euros per hour) or from the side of a steamer (3 Є) and a gondola (5 Є).
Where to settle
The hotel base of the city is fully consistent with the standards of the European Union, which includes Poland. Wroclaw, whose hotels are designed for any wallet, will not create you problems with an overnight stay. The only thing to consider if you want to visit the city in the summer is the massive influx of tourists. Therefore, it is worth booking the hotel you are interested in in advance. The most budget accommodation option is hostels. Reviews recommend Boogie Hostel. It is located in the center of Wroclaw, and a separate room with breakfast costs about 15 euros. The price level of middle-class hotels varies from 35 to 65 Є per night per whole room. If you have your own transport, Rezydencja Parkowa is suitable for you. This hotel is located by the park, a ten minute drive from the center. And if you expect to visit Wroclaw for your two, then the reviews advise you to settle Campanile, not far from the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth (Elzbieta). Those who value comfort above all else choose Art Hotel (124 euros per night). Three-star "European" reviews were called the best hotel in terms of quality and price. In addition to hotels, Wroclaw provides an opportunity to stay for the night in the private sector.
Slavic city
It is necessary to make a brief excursion into the depths of centuries before setting off to inspect Wroclaw (Poland). The sights of this city will remain largely incomprehensible if we do not know the historical context in which they were created. Silesia is a very ancient land, which is still mentioned in Tacitus (98 year). And Ptolemy in his book Germania Magna (150 g.) Mentions a tribe of sielings, settled on the banks of the Oder. Probably, from them the land was called "Silesia". About nine hundred years old, Slavic tribes came here, who founded a settlement with a market on the island near the confluence of the three tributaries of the Odra River. In 990, Silesia was captured by the Polish prince Meshko I. His son Boleslav the Brave rebuilt the settlement into a real city. The Kremlin towered on Soborny Island, and around a thousand inhabitants lived around the castle. In 1109, the German Emperor Henry V broke his teeth about Wroclaw. His troops were defeated by Boleslav Krivousty in the place now called the “Dog Field”. Reviews are advised to visit the Tumsky and Soborny Islands - there are many preserved monuments of medieval Wroclaw.
German city
What brute force did not do, the advantage of civilizational development achieved that. In the XII century, Wroclaw (Poland) was the capital of the Principality of Silesia. At this time, on the south coast, where the university building is now located, the first German settlers settled. They built their houses and fortifications so well and wisely that gradually the center of business life began to “slide” towards the new quarter. And although it was destroyed in 1241 by the hordes of the Mongols, it became the core from which the city of Prassel developed - in the local Silesian dialect. The German influence was so great that soon the city began to be called in the German manner - Preßlau, and then Breslau. But in Latin they continued to call him Vratislavia - in honor of the Bohemian Duke, who granted Wroclaw in 1261 the Magdeburg Law. Reviews recommend a visit to the core of the German city. This is Platz Rynek with the old town hall and Salt Square, where flowers are now traded.
City after World War II
Breslau stubbornly resisted the advance of the Soviet troops. Eighty thousand people were killed in battles for the city! Losses were both among the Hitler Youth and Volkssturm units, and among the civilian population. By decision of the Yalta Conference, Pomerania and Silesia were alienated from defeated Germany and transferred to Poland. However, Stalin was not sure of the fidelity of the latter to the ideals of socialism. Therefore, in the agreement between the NDP and the USSR of April 21, 1945, the deployment of the operational-strategic territorial formation of the Soviet Armed Forces in these lands was specifically stipulated. It received the name of the Northern Group of Forces (SGV). Poland, Wroclaw in particular, created all the conditions for the Russians to feel at home here. Comprehensive schools were opened for the children of members of the Communist Party and the KGB. The headquarters of the SGV was liquidated only in August 1990.
Wroclaw (Poland): attractions of the city
Getting to know the capital of Silesia is from the Market Square. It is the architectural axis of medieval Breslau. One of the largest European squares is surrounded by nice, neat, typically German houses. From the southern edge is the Town Hall - a fourteenth-century building with stunning Gothic decoration. Inside is a city museum. The reviews claim that the beer mug in Spiz Pub, on Rynok Square, is number one on the Wroclaw Must Try list. Further along the Tumsky bridge we move to the islands. Here lies the ancient, Slavic Wroclaw (Poland). The attractions of this place are quite numerous. The main one is the cathedral of the XIII century. Reviews recommend returning to the Tumsky bridge in the evening - it is beautifully illuminated by oil lamps. Connoisseurs of modern architecture can admire the Centennial Hall (beginning of the 20th century) and a multimedia glass fountain. “Igla” also belongs to the sights - a monumental high-rise construction made of metal, made in the style of avant-garde.
Temples of the city
The city of Wroclaw in Poland is not the capital of Catholic spirituality, like Krakow, but there are also many beautiful and ancient churches. In addition to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (on the island), it is worth visiting the Church of St. Elisabeth and the Church of Mary Magdalene. Both temples are located near the Market Square. Their towers are hollow, and you can climb them to enjoy the panorama of the city. The reviews advise you to overcome the steps on the spire of St. Mary Magdalene and visit the Witches bridge connecting the two towers of the temple. From other sacred buildings, reviews recommend visiting the churches of the Virgin, the Sign of the Cross, St. Martin, the Iji chapel, the only synagogue that survived the Holocaust “Under the White Stork”.
Parks
Wroclaw (Poland) is a very green city. The largest and oldest is the Shchitninsky park, stretching for several kilometers. There is also a Japanese garden, which tourists highly recommend visiting. Midday lies on the southern outskirts, and East Park is on the banks of the Olava River. Wroclaw also has the Botanical Garden - one of the oldest and richest in terms of collection.
Zoo
It is worth mentioning especially about him. The Germans are big lovers of menageries. The oldest zoo is located in Munich. Wroclaw (Poland) acquired his menagerie back in 1865, when Breslau was still. Many pavilions of the century before last survived, despite the bombing of World War II. In fact, it is a beautiful landscape park where conditions are created that are as close as possible to the ecosystems of animal habitats. Reviews often mention the Afrikarium, where you can see a variety of aquatic inhabitants - from penguins and fur seals to hippos and freshwater fish of Lake Tanganyika.
Raclawice Panorama
If you are interested in the history of Poland, you should see this monumental canvas. It was created in the early twentieth century by Lviv artists Wojciech Kossak and Jan Joint. Masters applied several techniques, making the image convex, as if three-dimensional. The panorama seems to take the viewer to another reality - to the site of the battle of the rebel army under the command of Tadeusz Kosciuszko with the regular Russian army on April 4, 1794. The battle took place near the village of Raclawice (near Krakow). Until 1939, the Panorama could be seen in Lviv. But when the USSR sent troops into Western Ukraine, it was evacuated to the city of Wroclaw together with the Ossolineum library. Poland after the war wanted to open a panorama, although the Soviet authorities for a long time tried to preserve it. But still in the mid-1980s, it was open to visitors and quickly became one of the main attractions of the city.
Royal Palace
Do not forget that Wroclaw (Poland) was once the capital of an independent principality. And therefore, there was the throne of the king. But the royal palace, which has survived to this day, belonged to the Prussian electors. It was built in 1717 in the then fashionable Venetian style. The Prussian King Frederick the Great, the owner of Sansussi near Berlin, bought it in 1750 and rebuilt it under his residence. The palace was rebuilt several times. Baroque elements were added to its appearance, and Rococo style decor was added to the interior. At the end of the eighteenth century, in the age of classicism, wings and pavilions were attached. In 2008, the palace building underwent reconstruction and is now open as a museum. Reviews recommend going on an independent tour. View Bayersdorf, the throne room and the hall of festivities, the king’s private chambers, look into the city museum, where you can get acquainted with the centuries-old history of Wroclaw. And then - have a coffee in the amazing baroque garden.
What to try
We have already mentioned the cult beer restaurant “Spitz”. It is located in the Market Square. The drink served there is made in a private brewery. Experts say that it is in no way inferior to the Belgian product. The city of Wroclaw (Poland) is famous for its special, Silesian cuisine. Item number 2 on the Mast Tray list is Świdnicka Cellar. “If you didn’t dine there,” the locals say, “consider that you were not in Wroclaw.” Despite the cult of the institution, the prices there are reasonable: for twenty euros you can eat from the belly. Point 3 is the jaDka Restaurant. Only national and regional dishes are served. And lovers of exotic also will not remain hungry. There are Latin American cafes “Under the Parrots” and “Casa de la Música”, and for vegetarians there is the iconic “Mutton.”
What to bring
Wroclaw (Poland) reviews are called the “City of the Dwarves”. Here, at least one needs to be purchased in a souvenir shop. And you also need to make a collection of photos of these little men. To do this, you need to buy a special card and a “Dwarf Search Engine Kit”. It includes slippers in which it is more convenient to scour the city, a magnifying glass and foot cream, which you will most likely get tired in the evening, despite comfortable shoes. If you simply and quickly want to buy a variety of products, go to large stores. Reviews are advised to visit shopping centers such as the Dominican Gallery, Grunwald Palace and Centrum Crown.