We travelled from Kraków to Wroclaw via Czestochowa by private driver since it was the easiest way as we had our luggage with us. They arranged for a one hour private tour and the guide did not disappoint. I really didn't know what to expect visiting here and was very surprised by the size and the flurry of activities going on. After our tour, it was another 2 hours before we arrived at Wroclaw, enough time to sneak in a nice nap.
In Wroclaw we stayed at the Qubus Hotel which was a very nice, clean hotel. The rooms were quite large and they had the most wonderful buffet breakfast. We were only staying two nights so we quickly got ready and just as we were leaving the hotel, it started to drizzle. Since we haven't eaten since breakfast, we decided to quickly find a place to eat. As soon as we were seated at our table, the skies opened up. We had a leisurely dinner and had a quick vodka tasting afterward courtesy of the restaurant. We then took one of those electric golf cart tours around town and over to Cathedral Island to get an idea of what we wanted to see during our visit. While walking back to our hotel, we passed a small bakery with only a pass-through window which only sold donuts. It was closed so we decided to try one the next day.
On Saturday we walked over to Cathedral Island to visit the Church of St. John the Baptist we had seen the day before. We said a quick prayer then decided to climb the tower to see the views. Luckily it was only about 40 steps before emerging onto a level with a small museum and an elevator which zoomed us to the top. Well, maybe not zoomed, but you get the picture. The views were beautiful and there was a cool breeze. It was a lovely way to spend a few quiet minutes. After walking around some more, we crossed over the bridge back to the main square, but first we sought out our donut shop, Stara Paczkarnia. Anyone who is contemplating visiting Poland do not, I repeat, do not forget this name. These were the best donuts all of us had ever eaten, anywhere. All 4 of us were in agreement. They were huge, but manageable, no sharing necessary. The fillings were all delicious - rosehip jam, vanilla pudding, cherry jam, yum. They are hard to describe but I will try - light as a feather, no baking soda taste, fluffy, not too sweet, not too boring. Just right. I cannot ever eat another donut again.
Okay, we continued our sightseeing at the University Museum. The first floor had two rooms which were so-so, but the second floor had two rooms which were magnificent in both decor and size. One was used as a Chapel. The other a lecture hall. They could rival any rooms in any palace with the architecture and wall/ceiling frescos. We climbed a few more staircases and went out on the terrace for another birds eye view of Wroclaw. We were going to go on a river cruise, but it started to rain so we ducked into a waterside cafe, sitting outside for some drinks and watched the rain fall and the day pass us by. But not too much because we had 5:30 tickets to the Raclawice Panorama. Again, not sure what to expect, we arrived a few minutes early and waited while the group before came piling out and we piled in. We got our earphones and were mesmerized by this painting. I'm not sure I would even categorize it as a painting since it is so much more. The "tour" took 30 minutes. It was definitely a don't miss experience. We then had a light dinner on the market square and walked around a bit before heading back to the hotel. Tomorrow we were training it to Gdasnk on the 6:35 am train.