Wrocław, a mid-sized city in the south west region of Poland- was one of our favourite cities we visited in the country- and also one of the hardest to pronounce! Even after planning our visit, spending a few days there, filming a vlog, and constantly reminiscing about it, we still find ourselves saying it incorrectly! But whether you can pronounce it or not, Wrocław is a beautiful, young (the population- not the city), and vibrant city- and absolutely worth a visit if you’re in Poland! For the record- Wrocław is pronounced like Vro-tz-wav.
Things to do:
Climb the Mathematical tower:
The buliding at the University of Wrocław that houses the Mathmatical Tower.
This is something you definitely do not want to miss when visiting the city! The Mathematical Tower is a part of the University of Wrocław, and arguably has one of the best views of the city. The building also houses some extremely gorgeous rooms, and it’s worth paying the extra fee to visit them as you make your way up the tower.
Visit Beer Bars:
Craft beer has made a shift into the mainstream in just about every city, and Wrocław is no exception. You’ll find an abundance of very cool beer bars with large selections of taps and bottles featuring smaller Polish brews. We’d suggest visiting a few of them to get a better understanding of the local beer scene. Some of our favourites were:
Kontynuacja: Great taps combined with a terrific vibe and helpful staff, we visited here a few times throughout our stay!
4Hops: We actually came here for the Mexican food but were pleasantly surprised to also find a great beer selection! Beer and Mexican is one of our all time favourite combos- so this place is true win-win for us!
AleBrowar: We stopped in here one afternoon- it was relatively quiet at the time but we’re guessing it would be quite lively in the evenings. Great beer selection- and they also have small beakers under each tap so that you can see the colour of beer, such a cool feature!
The Taps at Alebrowar.
Drink coffee:
Like it’s beer scene, Wrocław’s coffee game is also on point! One thing we findimmensely challenging while travelling is finding coffee shops/cafes that not only have great coffee, but also serve lunch, have beer and/or wine, and are also laptop friendly and have good wifi. Because we work for ourselves we are always trying to find this combination in every city we visit- we’ll sit ourselves down for a few hours, have coffee, lunch and drinks all while getting loads of work done. Thankfully in Wrocław, this wasn’t too challenging!
Vinyl Cafe: This cute coffee shop was just steps from our hotel- had amazing coffee, delicious sandwiches and also had beer! We came here a few times during our stay in Wrocław and we’re always welcomed by friendly faces of the staff members. Most tables conveniently seem to have nearby plugs- great when we need to get a few hours of work done!
Gniazdo (Nest): We just had coffee here (which was excellent), but the food offerings looked good as well- however, the menu was only in Polish so we can’t give you any specific details! Good wifi and lots of tables makes this a great place to stop for a snack or stay a while to get some work done.
Explore Cathedral Island (Ostrów Tumski):
Another must visit when in Wrocław. Cathedral Island is one of the oldest areas of the city. Make your way along the Oder River, then cross Wrocław’s own lock bridge- Tumski Bridge, where eventually you’ll come upon the beautiful Wrocław Cathedral (Cathedral of St. John the Baptist). Churches in this location date back to the 10th century, but this particular structure was built in the the 1200s.
Walk around Old Town:
One thing we quickly learned about Poland’s cities is that they all have really beautiful Old Towns! From a colourful and vibrant Market Square, to pretty cobblestone streets with great local shops, you definitely need to take the time to properly explore Old Town.
Find Dwarfs:
Keep your eyes open and alert and you’ll find these small Gnome figurines all over the city! Apparently there are over 400 of them throughout the centre so keep your eyes peeled and see how many you can find.
Where to stay:
Art Hotel:
This hotel couldn’t be in a better location. It’s situated in Old Town on a quieter street but just a few minutes walk to the main square. In the other direction you’ll find the Oder River- making it quick and convenient to get everywhere. This advantageous location also means that there are restaurants, coffee shops, bars and shopping all around you. We found some fantastic places to eat within a minute or so walking distance. That being said, don’t pass up eating at the hotel’s restaurant- we had such a marvelous meal there and it shouldn’t be missed. Hotel rooms are spacious, well equipped and quiet. Bonus- you get one free item from the mini bar during your stay!
Take a hotel tour:
Final Thoughts:
Poland unfortunately seems to be often overlooked as a travel destination- if it’s not on your radar it definitely should be. The cities were extremely beautiful, with some of our very favourite market squares we encountered in Europe. We found Polish food to be hearty and delicious- however, even if it’s not to your liking we never had any issues finding a vast array of food types in every city we visited. We found Polish people helpful, curious and friendly, and many of them spoke English. We also found their train system to be easy with convenient schedules and tickets were really well priced. Wroclaw is a great place to start (or end) your adventure!
Check out our vlog:
*Our stay was looked after by Art Hotel Wroclaw, however, all opinions are our own.
All Photos by us, follow us on Instagram.
