Stumbling upon Wrocław, Poland was one of the most pleasant surprises of my summer.
The brick streets and vibrant German architecture were the first parts of the city to charm me, but I discovered a new, sweet little secret every day.
The city is quite compact and the center easily walkable. This made it an ideal place to take walking tours–lots of them! And I couldn’t help but indulge.
On the Old Town walking tour through the city’s main market square, I learned curious historical facts including that Wrocław is home to Europe’s oldest working restaurant–located in the basement of the town hall building, Piwnica Świdnicka has been in operation since 1275!
During the Dwarf Tour, I learned about how Wrocław came to be known as the “City of Dwarves” and that the statues began as a tribute to Orange Alternative, a Polish anti-communist movement.
The dwarves can be found all over the city and this has become a point of interest for tourists. Maps denote their locations and searching for them can be a fun way to spend a day, on a self-guided wild goose chase tour of the city.
On the Foods of Wrocław Tour, I was treated to a selection of some of Poland’s most delicious traditional foods, including soups, sausages, donuts and beer. I’ll let you guess which tour was my favorite…
And during my solo wanderings, I discovered some of the many bridges that connect Wrocław’s 12 islands. There are more than 100 bridges in total so I couldn’t possibly see them all, but one I particularly loved was the love bridge (see what I did there?), covered in locks placed by lovers before tossing the key into the river below.
I never experienced a night out in Wroclaw, but the restaurant offerings were excellent. I loved the many vegetarian restaurants there were to choose from, and the market next to my hostel was perfect for grabbing quick snacks or things to cook for myself.
Speaking of hostels, Hostel Kombinat was perfect for my relaxing stay in Wrocław. With a limited number of beds, it provided a peaceful environment to rest between my outings and the staff could not have been more helpful and friendly. It’s located just a few minutes’ walk from the city center and a 10-15 minute walk to the bus station.
I’ve expressed my adulation from Wrocław before–it even made it into my list of top travel destinations for 2016!
It was a city I knew little about before arriving and it absolutely blew my expectations out of the water. I hope you’ll consider visiting it this year when it’s a European Capital of Culture!
Ps – Click here to learn how to pronounce Wrocław.
Pin It!
Wrocław, Poland was one of my favorite destinations of 2015! What cities did you fall in love with this year?
