What to see in Wroclaw in 1 day, a World Heritage Site in Poland

If you are going to plan a sightseeing trip to polandI'm sure you know that Wroclaw It must be a stage essential in the same.

In my first trip to poland, a few years ago, I only visited Krakow and its surroundings since it was part of a car route through Czech Republic in which I included said Polish city.

But on the recent occasion that I have had travel to poland, Wroclaw became the first objective of a trip in which I also visited Poznan y warsaw.

Wroclaw It is the capital of the region of the Lower Silesia, and is also known as Wroclaw.

Where is Wroclaw?

With about 700.000 inhabitants, it is strategically located to be included in a route through Central Europe, about 140 kilometres from the German border, and is the capital of the region of Lower Silesia.

It is also relatively close to very touristy cities such as Prague or the aforementioned Krakow., and also near cities in Eastern Germany.

Curiosities of the history of Wroclaw (Wroclaw)

The historical origins of Wroclaw They date back to the year 1000, when on the island of Ostrow Tumski an archbishopric was established.

But if the Wrocław city It is because of the numerous changes it has experienced throughout its history, with different names and reigns, and for having belonged to up to four different countries.

A good example is what I have commented that currently it is also known by the name of Wroclaw.

After Second World War, Wroclaw had to be rebuilt because the city was greatly affected by the war.

Nowadays Wroclaw It is a very popular city among Spanish university students, as it is in high demand for taking university courses. Erasmus.

Also, as a curiosity, I will tell you that regarding the tourists it receives from different countries, after the Germans, the Spanish are the ones who visit Wroclaw the most.

What to see and do in Wroclaw in one or two days

Wroclaw It is a very manageable city that you can easily visit on foot and that you can visit in one day, although the ideal is to spend two days there if you want to see all its interesting corners.

Wroclaw Market Square

I had been told that Wroclaw was a beautiful city, perhaps the most beautiful in Poland, but I had not bothered to document myself about it, because I preferred to let myself be surprised by that promise.

And now I can confirm that, indeed, Wroclaw It is beautiful, and I was especially fascinated by its Marketplace.

Due to its dimensions, it is already the second largest square in Poland, after the Krakow Market Square, which I visited a few years ago.

Both are huge and have a somewhat similar configuration, with a square shape and a group of buildings in the center of it.

Mi Wroclaw visit It coincided with a sunny day, full of light, and on my first walk through the marketplace I was impressed.

It is true that we entered through the street that led directly to the beautiful Gothic building of the old Town Hall in Wroclaw, one of the most beautiful I have seen in recent times.

It is also true that this building, like the rest of the ones in the square, have been rebuilt behind the WWII.

Know that Wroclaw It was one of the cities that suffered the most from the effects of the bombings during that war, but, from my point of view, that does not detract from its value.

This reconstruction has been done based on the documentation that was available about what the square was like before the war, as is done, for example, in many German cities, highlighting the cases of Berlin o Dresden.

Now on the four sides of the marketplace You can see a succession of colorful buildings, a total of 65, that make up a beautiful architectural picture.

The origins of the Wroclaw Market Square They date back to the 13th century, and the beautiful Gothic town hall building was built from that time until the 15th century.

Its great architectural wealth is the expression of the power that the city achieved at that time, and it became a model for other buildings of the city. Lower Silesia.

This former town hall building now houses the art Museum of the city, and next to it is the building of the current city hall.

On the side of the beautiful building the doors of the brewery open Piwnica Swidnicka, the oldest in the city, and famous for serving the popular beer Swidnicka.

Do not hesitate to enter to see the interior of the establishment.

In the northwest corner of the plaza is the St. Elizabeth's Church, one of the oldest in the city, which shows the tallest tower in the historic center of Wroclaw.

Where to see the gnomes of Wroclaw

Nearby you can see some of the small metal figures known as the gnomes or dwarfs of Wroclaw, of which there are about 250 distributed throughout the historic center.

The reason for its existence is surrounded by various legends, but I advise you not to stop looking for them in the different corners of the historic center.

La marketplace It has great entertainment at any time of the day and markets and other city events take place there.

And, of course, it is the typical square where restaurants and bars are concentrated with their very busy terraces.

I advise you not to visit it once, but to go two or three times during your stay in Wroclaw.

Even more so if you are a photography enthusiast, because you will never tire of capturing its beautiful corners in different light levels throughout the day.

Old Town Hall in Wroclaw

One of the most impressive buildings I have seen in recent times during my various travels is old town hall of wroclaw

The building that will undoubtedly focus your attention the most is the one mentioned above. old town hall, which is located next to the current city hall building.

It is true that as happens in the main Polish cities, this building was very seriously damaged during the Second World War, so in the 50s it had to be completely rebuilt.

Therefore, it is not the original building from the mid-13th century.

But what you will now see is a very faithful reconstruction of the town hall, during which special care has been taken to respect the great artistic richness of the facades.

To fully appreciate this artistic wealth you will have to spend a long time contemplating its different corners, such as the windows or balconies, as well as the numerous decorative elements.

More than Gothic style, the old town hall of wroclaw shows an eclectic style.

This represents a mix of architectural trends, a consequence of its original construction dating back more than 250 years.

Today, the old town hall building is a cultural activities center, in addition to housing the Museum of Bourgeois Art.

I can tell you that its artistic beauty is such that it is worth seeing it at different times of the day in order to fully appreciate all the combinations of lights and colors.

Wroclaw Cathedral Island

Near this square, walking towards the northeast, you will reach Ostrow Tumski, also known as the Cathedral Island.

It is precisely on this island where the city has its origin and where you can now visit the Wroclaw cathedral.

Built in 1244, with its two very tall towers, it was the Poland's first building built of bricks.

In addition to the cathedral, you can see another curious church from 1295, inside which there are two floors, of which until 1997 one was dedicated to the Orthodox rite and the other to the Catholic one.

Currently it is a church of exclusively Catholic worship, and one of the few examples of churches with this curious configuration that you can find in Europe.

On your walk through the city and the banks of the Odra river You will also be able to see several buildings that reflect the character of a university city that it has. Wroclaw.

Panorama Raclawice, 360 painting of a historical battle

Likewise, another curious corner to visit in the city center is the Panorama of Racławice.

In a leisure guide at the hotel where I stayed in Wroclaw, reference was made to the tourist visit of Raclawice Panorama as a place highly valued by Polish visitors for its patriotic characteristics, but of little interest to foreign tourists.

After visiting it, I do not agree with this statement: the Panorama Raclowice Firstly, I found it to be a very curious and surprising place, and in the end, quite interesting, as it helps to understand the historical background of Poland.

Butwhat is he Panorama Raclowice?

Can you imagine seeing yourself wrapped in the center of a huge 360 degree panoramic painting? until me Wroclaw visit I admit that I didn't know they even existed.

This circular painting, 15 meters high and 120 meters long, was made in 1894 to celebrate the centenary of the Battle of Raclawice, a notable episode of the revolt that the Poles staged in 1794 against the Russian occupiers.

The Polish army, with the support of popular militias, won that battle against the Russians, although they eventually lost the war, which meant the disappearance of the state of Poland for 123 years.

The painting was carried out over nine months with the participation of various Polish artists, among whom was Kossack, a famous artist for his battle paintings.

The result was presented at a major exhibition held in the city of Lviv, which now belongs to Ukraine.

After Second World War the painting was moved to Wroclaw, although due to the political situation in Poland, with a communist regime dependent on Russia, the painting was not shown to the public.

It was in 1985 when the museum that you can now see was inaugurated visit in Wroclaw.

Known as Raclawice Panorama, this museum located in a modern circular building built for the occasion, will almost seem like a theme park dedicated exclusively to this impressive painting.

To visit the museum Advance booking is required because there is a great demand from visitors.

In this way, surrounded by many tourists and, above all, school or university groups, at the time you have booked you will have access to the visit with the support of an audio guide.

You will go up a ramp and reach the enormous circular space occupied by the impressive painting, from which a railing will separate you.

Thanks to the ambient light and the decoration with objects alluding to the battle, you will get the feeling of being in the middle of it.

Through free headphones with a story in Spanish you will learn the history of this painting, and then you will follow the story of what happened in the battle that is presented in various scenes that without any separation follow a circular direction.

This curious visit will last just 30 minutes and, at the end, I am sure that you will have realized that the leisure guide was not right in his assessments.

Here you have updated information about Opening hours and entrance fees for the Panorama Raclawice museum.

Centennial Hall, a World Heritage building in Wroclaw

If you have time during your visit, you have the opportunity to see the building that has put to Wroclaw in the list of places Heritage of the Unesco.

This is the Centennial Hall, Centennial Hall, which is located in a neighborhood somewhat far from the center that you can reach with tram lines 2 and 10, or bus 145.

El Centennial Hall, Also known as Hall of the century, is an imposing exhibition center that was built in 1913 to celebrate the centenary of the defeat of Napoleon.

Formed by a huge reinforced concrete dome 69 meters in diameter and 42 meters high, when it was built it was the largest building of its kind in the world.

The dome, made of iron and glass, is 23 meters high, and events with a capacity of up to 6.000 people are organized in the venue.

In front of Centennial Hall There are gardens with fountains in which every hour a multimedia show of light and sound.

Japanese Garden in Wroclaw

You can complete your visit by approaching the beautiful Japanese garden what's next to the Centennial Hall, which was built as a complementary attraction to the conference venue.

It displays up to 200 different varieties of trees and plants from Japan and Korea.

In July 1997 it suffered a major flood, so the garden had to be largely replanted and was reopened for public visits the following year.

In short, Wroclaw It is a beautiful city whose main attractions you can visit in one day.

Map: how to get to Wroclaw

To get to Wroclaw (Wroclaw) by plane, from Madrid in the summer you have direct flights with Ryanair .

At other times of the year, flights have a stopover in Warsaw or German cities such as Munich or Frankfurt, so you will need about five and a half hours of travel.

You also have the option of fly to Warsaw and then travel from the Polish capital on a fast train which will take you to Wroclaw in three and a half hours.