With its elegant historical market square, impressive cathedral, and beautiful riverfront neighborhood, Wroclaw is everything you'd hope an Eastern European city could be. Stunning to look at, buzzing with nightlife, and culturally vibrant, it's a fantastic urban destination.
Built around Rynek, the market square (which still hosts a lively market), Wroclaw's Old Town is a mixture of medieval Gothic and later baroque and rococo architecture.
Wroclaw's religious architecture is second to none in southeastern Poland. Anyone who appreciates soaring Gothic engineering and sculpture will adore Cathedral Island.
Wroclaw is southeastern Poland's cultural hub, hosting the multinational Dialog Festival as well as summertime organ festivals and events dedicated to ambient music.
Wroclaw and nightlife are synonymous in Poland, and anyone who loves clubbing or bar hopping will be in for a treat; visit the bars around Rynek or nightlife complexes like Pasaz Niepolda.
One of Wroclaw's major attractions is the River Odra, which is a wonderful place to walk, cycle, or kayak.
Summer is the best time to visit Wroclaw as it is both the warmest time of year and festival season. Expect temperatures above 75 degrees most of the time during July and August.
Wrocław-Copernicus Airport (WRO) offers connections to many other European cities. To reach the city, take bus number 106 (zł3) or expect to pay around zł60 for a taxi.
You can reach Wroclaw by train from Warsaw, Prague, and many German cities. All trains arrive at Wroclaw Glowny, a recently modernized station just south of the main square.
If you are driving from Warsaw, take the E67 all the way to Wroclaw. The same road also runs from Prague to Wroclaw across the Czech-Polish border.
Bus companies serving Wroclaw include Eurolines and PolskiBus, with a wide variety of connections available.
Popular high-end city center accommodation options include the Sofitel Wroclaw Old Town and the Hotel Monopol, while an even more upmarket option is the Grape Hotel, housed in an 18th-century mansion just outside the center.
Rynek - a market square since medieval times, Rynek is home to the town hall, the lively market, and most of Wroclaw's bars.
Cathedral Island - owned by the Catholic Church since the 14th century, Cathedral Island is a must-see thanks to the stunning cathedral.
Nadodrze - in the process of reinvention by artists, theater, and music venues, Nadodrze is where tourists go to find Wroclaw's creative community in full flower.
MPK Wroclaw provides trams and buses, and charges a single fare of zł3 for 30 minutes, zł4.40 for an hour.
Taxis in Wroclaw tend to charge a meter drop of zł6, followed by zł4.50 per mile after that. All cabs will charge extra after 10 pm.
You can rent a car from Avis, Europcar, and Hertz, which is a handy way to see the sights. Expect to pay around zł50 per day.
The Old Town around Rynek is the core of Wroclaw's shopping district, with plenty of pedestrianized streets to explore. Check out city center malls like Galeria Dominikańska or Galeria Handlowa.
Supermarkets in Wroclaw include Biedronka and Carrefour. Prices should be low, at around zł9 for a gallon of milk.
Over 700 years old, Piwnica Świdnicka is one of the oldest restaurants in Europe and is a magnet for diners, while other Polish restaurants include Pod Papugami and Przystań, with its fantastic riverside views. Expect meals to cost about zł120.