I'll be spending 4-5 days in Wroclaw the first of July and that's going to be all new to me. Any recommendations on things to do or see gratefully accepted. I'm a slow traveler; i expect to spend a fair amount of time just watching the world go by with a beer and a snack, but I have enough time to walk all over the city and it's surrounding areas.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7807 posts
Our host, Rick's book covers Wroclaw in depth. Also,
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/four-cities-in-poland-2019
Edit: Error by me. Rick does not cover Wroclaw in the book. I guess I got my original Wroclaw ideas from this very board,
https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&date_range=2y&filter=Travel+Forum&query=Wroclaw&utf8=%E2%9C%93
And then dowloaded Wroclaw In Your Pocket
Posted by
Brooklyn, NY
4187 posts
When we visited Wrocław a few years ago I only know we wanted to see the Panorama of the Battle of Raclawice. Make reservations ahead of time. It really is very interesting.
We ended up taking a golf cart tour around the city which was fun. The young man driving us was enthusiastic about his city.
We visited the University which has a small museum and rooftop viewing. There is a lovely cathedral, the archbishop’s palace and the Hansel & Gretel houses.
Also, there are over 300 very small bronze dwarves around the city. It was fun finding them in unusual places.
Posted by
Los Angeles
1101 posts
Our host, Rick's book covers Wroclaw in depth.
Rick as in Rick Steves? Which book are you referring to? I have the 2024 edition of Krakow, Warsaw & Gdansk - Wroclaw not included. It isn't listed as being covered in the RS Central Europe book in the section on Poland, from which the 3 city book is extracted. Is there something else?
When I was researching Wroclaw I had to get Lonely Planet or possibly the Rough Guide from the library.
While the linked trip report is quite detailed and worth reading, it's a bit out of date in terms of navigating public transportation. Google Maps has upped its game in regard to public transportation, and the Directions function will usually give you reliable routings on buses and trams.
Even better for Poland is the Jakdojade app, which also enables the purchase and validation of local transit fares, in addition to trip planning.
Posted by
Vancouver, WA
521 posts
I was in Wroclaw just a month ago and would go back in a heartbeat! We took an Old Town walking tour with Walkative; the guide was very informative and really helped us get our bearings. The view from the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is beautiful-and there's an elevator :). Enjoyed an excellent meal at Konspira. I used the online "In Your Pocket" guide for Wroclaw to assist with planning. Enjoy your stay!
Posted by
Barcelona + Sweden
4155 posts
There are a number of things to do in and around Wroclaw, really depends on what you are interested in. I liked the usual suspects of the Old Town Hall and Market Square, Cathedral Island, Centennial Hall, Zoo Wrocław, The Panorama, and Leopoldina Lecture Hall at the old Uni. In my last trip I thought the botanical gardens were great, but Japanese gardens not recommended. There is also a brand-new modern Concert hall in Wrocław, went to see a baroque music festival there, very good acoustics.
Perhaps a lesser known tourist site in Wroclaw that I enjoyed was the Old City Arsenal, which houses an exceptional museum of 20th century militaria and armaments, including a fascinating exposition of historical Polish Sabers. The Arsenal also houses the Silesian Archaeological Museum, which has ancient Roman and Celtic artifacts found in the area. The Old Wroclaw Arsenal is a real hidden gem, not many foreign tourists know about it https://visitwroclaw.eu/en/place/city-arsenal-archaeological-museum-and-military-museum.
As for Food:
1. Whiskey in the Jar: don’t recommend mainly rude and drunk foreigners.
2. Pierogarnia Rynek 26: really wanted to eat here but was full every time, very popular with locals
3. Taverna Akropolis: excellent Greek restaurant for a break from Polish food, fantastic Moussaka and fish
4. Lepione - Kuźnicza Wrocław: hipster bistro/cafeteria, pay by weight, best meal in Wrocław, mostly young students eating here.
5. Bar Witek: simple yet delicious, best Zapiekanak (Polish pizza) in town
You could also do day trips to the impressive 17th century wooden Protestant Churches of Peace at Swidnica and Jawor, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Another good day trip is Książ Castle (aka Schloss Fürstenstein).
Posted by
OP
Alsenborn, Germany
1378 posts
Thank you everyone for the suggestions. I'm into history and architecture, so the old town and walking the city were on my list. I'll look into the tours. Also the Panorama and Arsenal are now added.
Posted by
Vancouver, WA
521 posts
If you decide to go to Swidnica and/or Ksiaz Castle, you can visit both in a single day with a rental a car. It is possible by public transit but more complicated. We opted for the rental car so we didn't have to depend on transit schedules; it worked well for us. We did learn that there are no car rental offices at the Wroclaw train station, although that was somehow lost in translation:). You can either pick up/return at the airport or meet a rental company employee at the train station to pick up/return the car.
Posted by
Bay Area, California
1623 posts
Love Wroclaw.
Don't miss the Water Museum. It's fun and spectacular.
Love the various restaurants there too.
Food favs:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Li6oF3jRWko2ahCE6
https://maps.app.goo.gl/YFmHY9cPm6ge8T1f
https://maps.app.goo.gl/NTQuFpMo16Z1QUSQ6
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eENXBpkvtrptWxeV6
https://maps.app.goo.gl/G6LsmdVTbnPy2pDTA
Must eats:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/VnUCSsSiighPfWpM6
https://maps.app.goo.gl/fni1BhAXwVnc5Xog8
Great beer:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FcNd5xJydrm9mMTu9