Exploring the city does not only include places to see. What is worth experiencing in the capital of Lower Silesia?
TOP 9 THINGS TO DO IN WROCLAW
Discover Wroclaw from above
There are a few viewpoints in Wroclaw. Three of them are located in the city center within bell towers of the following – Church of St. Elisabeth, Cathedral, Church of St. Mary Magdalene. The bell tower of the Church
of St. Elisabeth, next to the Market Square provides the best view.
The highest building in the city (Sky Tower) houses a platform located on the 49th floor (200 meters above the city). It’s worth visiting, especially when it’s getting dark, in order to see all the lights of the city.
For budget travellers, most recommendable is the car park
on the roof of the RENOMA shopping mall. From the top of this building you can see the Old Town, the Centennial Hall, and the Southern part of the city, which was destroyed at the end of WWII and rebuilt during communism. You don’t need to climb the stairs or pay the entrance fee. All you have to do is find an elevator and go to the last floor.
Hunt the dwarfs!
The dwarf is considered a new symbol of the city. Its origin is connected with an opposition movement during communism. At the time, Poland was not really an independent country. Students wanted to fight for freedom of speech and their aim was to create more space for independent thinking.
They established the movement called ‘The Orange Alternative.’
The dwarf became their symbol. Within last 16 years, the population of the dwarfs increased from one to…over 500. You can see them literally everywhere. You can collect them as pokemons and create your own team.
There is an app Wroclaw’s Dwarfs on Android for smartphones to find them all!
Explore communist architecture
At the end of WWII 70% of the buildings in our city were either destroyed or damaged. Wroclaw was rebuilt during communism.
If you are interested in this architecture visit the New Market (Nowy Targ), KDM (Kosciuszkowska Dzielnica Mieszkaniowa) and buildings of the Wroclaw University of Science and Technology (on Grunwaldzki Square) are ex- amples of monumental, communist architecture from the first period after WWII.
Opposite the buildings of the University you can see an example of good architecture from the 70s, designed by Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylak.
Track the traces of Festung Breslau at the end of WWII
At the end of WWII the German commanders decided to defend the city until the last soldier. Breslau was declared a fortress and the siege lasted for 80 days.
As a result of the Battle of Breslau, 70% of the city was destroyed. During this time, the commanders even had an idea to build an airfield in the city center (Plac Grunwaldzki area).
Finally, on May 6 1945, the capitulation of the city was signed. Breslau defended itself four days longer than Berlin. The traces of this period can still be seen in the city.
To learn more about Festung Breslau,read ‘Hitler’s Final Fortress – Breslau 1945’, a book written by Richard Hargreaves.
Taste some traditional & modern dishes
Food is an important part of culture. And no trip to any country is complete without tasting the local food. You can discover the culinary heritage of Poland (both traditional and modern) and traditional German dishes during your stay in the city. These dishes were typical for the city until the end of WWII.
The only requirements are an empty stomach and an open attitude towards new flavors and food combinations. You can find more information on this in the post devoted to food.
Visit one of the “milk bar” cafeterias
Milk bar in Poland is a kind of a student canteen, but it’s open for everyone. If you want to eat some cheap, homemade Polish food, it’s definitely the place to visit. The only problem is that you have to order in Polish.
You have actually three options: point to something on the menu, use all Polish words you know and order in Polish or… find a student in the line who will translate for you.
You can see all social groups at the milk bar: students, professors, retirees, people working in the city center, homeless, etc. The most well-known milk barsare “Bar Mis” (Kuznicza 48) and “Mewa” (Boleslawa Drobnera 4)
Drink Wroclaw-made craft beer
The craft beer revolution recently happened in Poland. Some experts say that every year there are a thousand new craft beers on the market. In theory, if you want to try all of them, you would need to drink three beers a day for one year.
There are several breweries in Wroclaw (e.g. Sto Mostow, Profesja, Prost, Zloty Pies), about 40 pubs with good craft beers (e.g. Kontynuacja, 4Hops, Szynkarnia, Targowa), and the biggest craft beer festival in Poland (Wroclaw Good Beer Festival). Cheers!
Chill out in one of the parks
If you like nature, you can rest in one of Wroclaw’s parks. The most beautiful ones are Park Poludniowy and Park Szczytnicki.
They are perfect for a peaceful afternoon or a picnic with friends. Park Staromiejski (The Old Town Park) next to the Opera House is the most recommended place for a short break in the city center. In addition, for nature lovers, Botanical Garden, Japanese Garden and the Old Jewish Cemetery are worth a visit.
Enjoy the live music
After the whole day of discovering Wroclaw, you should chill out and listen to some live music. You will find good jazz music in Vertigo (Olawska 13, everyday, closed on Mondays).
A lot of concerts take place in Stary Klasztor (Purkyniego 1). You will also find a wide range of concerts at the new Philharmonic (Narodowe Forum Muzyki, Plac Wolnosci 1). Visit their websites for more details.
If you can play the piano, visit Kalambur pub (Kuznicza 29A). You can sit there, grab a beer, smoke a cigarette and play the piano for all the people in the pub. You will see an amazing art nouveau style interior at Kalambur.
