Why Wrocław
Say it “VROTS-wahf”. Wrocław, in south-west Poland, is built on the River Oder across a dozen islands joined by more than a hundred bridges, with one of the most beautiful market squares in Europe at its heart. It’s young, lively, full of students and cafés, and it hasn’t been discovered by the stag-party crowds, so it feels like a real city rather than a tourist set.
Ryanair flies direct from Dublin in about two hours 15 minutes. Poland is one hour ahead of Ireland and uses the złoty, and food and drink cost much less than at home.
Getting around
The airport is about 30 minutes from the centre by bus or taxi. The old town is easy to walk, and trams cover everything else. Hire a city bike to ride along the river paths.
The Market Square
The Rynek, the Market Square, is one of the largest in Europe, lined with painted merchants’ houses and centred on the Gothic Old Town Hall. It’s the city’s living room, busy day and night with café terraces and street musicians. Next to it, the smaller Salt Square has a flower market that’s open around the clock.
Hunt the gnomes
Wrocław is home to hundreds of little bronze gnomes, or krasnale, hidden all over the city: a gnome firefighter, a gnome at a cash machine, a gnome asleep on a ledge. They started as a symbol of a playful anti-communist protest movement in the 1980s and have become the city’s mascots. Pick up a gnome map at the tourist office and see how many you can find. Children and adults get equally obsessed.
Cathedral Island and the islands
Ostrów Tumski, Cathedral Island, is the oldest part of the city, a quiet quarter of churches and cobbled lanes. Every evening, a lamplighter in a cloak walks the island lighting its old gas lamps by hand, one of Europe’s lovelier little traditions. Cross the padlocked Tumski Bridge and climb the cathedral tower for the view.
- <strong>The Panorama of the Battle of Racławice:</strong> a vast 360-degree painting, 114 metres long, in its own round building. Unexpected and brilliant.
- <strong>Centennial Hall:</strong> a landmark early concrete building, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a musical fountain and a Japanese garden next door.
- <strong>The University:</strong> the baroque Aula Leopoldina is one of the most beautiful halls in Poland.
- <strong>The riverbanks:</strong> beach bars and boat trips in summer.
Beyond the old town
A short tram ride from the centre, Nadodrze is a once-neglected neighbourhood of old tenements now full of street art, courtyards, workshops and small cafés, and it’s a lovely place for an afternoon wander. Hydropolis is a hands-on museum all about water, in a converted 19th-century reservoir, and it’s great on a rainy day. In summer, take a boat or a kayak along the Oder for a different view of the city’s islands and bridges.
For a day out, Książ Castle, one of the largest castles in Poland, is about an hour away.
What to eat and drink
Try pierogi, żurek (a sour rye soup) and Polish comfort food in a traditional bar mleczny (milk bar), where a hearty lunch costs very little. Wrocław has a great craft beer scene, and the cellar of the Old Town Hall, Piwnica Świdnicka, is said to be one of the oldest restaurants in Europe.
Where to stay
Stay around the Market Square or the streets just off it to walk everywhere. The area near the river and Cathedral Island is quieter and lovely in the evening, and hotels near the main station are handy for an early flight.
Good to know
Most shops close on Sundays in Poland, but restaurants, bars and museums stay open. Tram tickets can be bought by card on board. Book the Panorama of the Battle of Racławice in advance: entry is by timed slot, and it sells out at weekends.
- <strong>Paying:</strong> choose złoty, not euro, when a card machine asks.
- <strong>Gnome maps:</strong> available at the tourist office on the Market Square.
- <strong>The lamplighter:</strong> appears about an hour before dusk on Cathedral Island.
A three-night plan
Day one: the Market Square, a gnome hunt and dinner in the old town.
Day two: the Panorama in the morning, the University, then Cathedral Island for the lamplighter at dusk.
Day three: Centennial Hall and the Japanese garden, and an afternoon by the river.
Last morning: coffee on the square and a few more gnomes for the road.
When to go
Spring to autumn is lovely, and the May and October bank holidays are ideal. Wrocław’s Christmas market, on and around the Market Square, is one of the best in Poland. For more of Poland, see Kraków and Gdańsk.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the flight from Dublin to Wrocław?
About two hours 15 minutes. Ryanair flies direct from Dublin.
How many gnomes are there in Wrocław?
Hundreds, and new ones appear all the time. A gnome map from the tourist office helps you find the best of them.
Is Wrocław expensive?
No. Food, drink and transport are much cheaper than in Ireland, and hotels are good value.
Is Wrocław good in winter?
Yes. It’s cold, but the Christmas market is one of the best in Poland, and the cafés and cellar bars are cosy.
How do you pronounce Wrocław?
Roughly VROTS-wahf. Locals will be delighted if you try.
