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Wrocław – Pearl of Silesia

 Wrocław is one of the largest Polish cities, the capital of the historical and geographical region of Silesia (Slask). It is beautifully located on the Odra River and is famous for the countless bridges. It is one of the oldest Polish cities. Its atmosphere and the monuments reflect the very interesting history of the city – visiting Wroclaw you can get the spirit of medieval Poland, Habsburg Empire and 19th c. Prussia... It successfully combines past and modernity: it is a students' city with a really vivid nightlife and the flourishing modern culture. Being in Wroclaw you can spend all time visiting the museums, churches, and art galleries. But Wroclaw is also a perfect city to get lazy... walking along the embankments of the Odra River, discovering the picturesque corners out of the city centre, or sipping coffee in the Main Square.

History briefly

 The history of Wroclaw goes more than 1000 years back, to the beginning of the 10th c. Soon Wroclaw region became the part of the new born country – Poland. In 1000 one of the three episcopacies were established in the country and one of them - in Wroclaw. It turned the city into one of the most important political and cultural centres in the Polish Kingdom. Being the seat of a bishop and the local prince Wroclaw started developing as a great religious and administration centre. The heyday of the city starts in the 14th c., when it got under the rule of the Czech Kingdom. The international trade contact with Western Europe, Ruthenia and Constantinople made Wroclaw the very important trading centre. In 1526 Wroclaw became the part of the Habsburg Empire – the Golden Age of the city finishes with the outbreak of the 30 Years War (1618-1648). In 1741 Wroclaw was incorporated into Prussia (Germany) and was its part practically till 1945, when after the Potsdam Conference the new borders were marked and Wroclaw was joined back to Poland.

Medieval City

 Although more than 70% of the buildings in the city were destroyed during World War II, Wroclaw still astonishes with the number of the medieval churches and the tenement houses. Walking around the Main Square one can still get the spirit of the Middle Ages, the Golden Age in the Wroclaw's history. The symbol of it is the marvellous gothic Town Hall (14th c.) and the Main Square that is one of the largest medieval squares in Europe (212 m x 175 m). Till today it is the living heart of the city with its countless cafes and the restaurants. The oldest part of the city is Ostrow Tumski (the Cathedral Island), where around 1000 the first cathedral and the castle were built. Do not miss to climb up the tower of the St. John's Cathedral! From this place you can admire the beautiful panoramic view of the island and the city centre with the characteristic silhouettes of the medieval churches. Walking through the labyrinth of narrow streets in the Old Town area and retracing the mysterious stories from the past one can get the real spirit of medieval Wroclaw!

City of Festivals

 Wroclaw is a seat of numerous cultural institutions, museums and galleries. It is a really vivid centre of culture with a big number of the events and international festivals. The most famous is an annual International Music Festival Vratislavia Cantans presenting the variety of the classical music: symphonies, chamber music, opera, and ballet. These who are interested in modern music should visit Wroclaw for Jazz Upon Odra Festival or Musica Polonica Nova, the festival of the Polish Contemporary Music. The BuskerBus Festival of Street Art attracts hundreds of the street musicians, performers or mimes from all over the world. International Era New Horizons Festival features artistic, independent and sophisticated cinema and recently has become one of the most popular events of this type in Europe.

117 Bridges

 Wroclaw is beautifully located on the Odra River, that payed a very important role in the history of the city. In the past Wroclaw was an important trading centre with well developed shipping and a few harbours. No wonder that befor World War II in Wroclaw there were 303 bridges and foot bridges! Today one can find 90 bridges and 27 foot bridges. Some of the bridges and the buildings connected with the hydrotechnics are the interesting and unique monuments. You can follow the special Route of the Hydrotechnics Monumets going through the city centre and featuring the most valuable achievements of the hydrotechnics (it is prepared also for the cyclists, you can also admire some of the buildings enjoying the cruise on the Odra River). Theis rout shows the unique heritage of the city and gives you possibility to retrace its past history.

19th century mass culture

 One of the most famous toursit attraction in Wroclaw is the Panorama Raclawicka (Panorama of The Battle of Raclawice), a unique relic of the 19th mass culture. It is a huge oil painting (15 x 114 m) depicting the victorious Battle of Raclawice (1794), the great siege of the Polish over the Russians during the Kosciuszko Insurrection. After the loss of independence (the partitions of Poland 1772, 1793, 1795) Poland was vanished out from the maps of Europe and incorporated into Russia, Prussia and Austria. The famous Polish hero Tadeusz Kosciuszko in 1794 organized the first uprising to fight for the independence of Poland. The Battle of Raclawice was one of a few successes during this struggle. The Polish eventually lost the uprising. Between 1893-94 the Polish artists Jan Styka and Wojciech Kossak created the enormous painting showing the battle: the Polish soldiers and peasant fighting with the Russians. The paining – due to some optical trics and the unusual perspective, seems to be three dimensional. The spectator admiring the painting is involved into the battle and stops differing the real objects in the foreground (part of decoration, eg. the wooden fence, axes left on the filed etc.) from these painted on the canvas. The effect is underlined by the fact, that the painting is presented in the special rotunda – the spectator feels like being in the centre of the battlefield!

Watch out! The dwarf!

 Have you ever see a dwarf? In Wroclaw you can meet lots of them – hidden round the corners, sitting on the window sills or on the kerbs... Each year more and more appear in the city and they have become one of the most popular tourist attractions. The history of the Wroclaw's dwarfs goes back to 1982, to the time of the State of War. The dwarfs were drawn then on the walls by the members of the opposition movement struggling with the communists. They were just playing tricks on the communist party and were to show the disrespect toward the regime. The dwarfs have become the symbol of the Orange Revolution, one of the most famous Polish opposition movement fighting with the communists. Several years ago the tiny statues started appearing in Wroclaw – to remind people the history from 80'. The figures relate also to the medieval history of Wroclaw – the dwarf – a butcher or the washer present the variety of the proffesions of the citizens of the medieval city. Some of the dwarfs however – as the dwarfs usually do – are just having fun – riding a bike or a pigeon...

City of parks

 Wroclaw is proud for the big number of the parks. One of the most beautiful is the Szczytnicki Park covering the huge area of about 100 ha, famous for some botanical peculiarities, the flower garden, and the marvellous Japanese Garden. If you need some rest visit the Botanical Garen, the real oasis of beauty and restfulness, picturesquely located on the Cathedral Island (Ostrow Tumski). Here you can find all the variety of the plants and an interesting geological cross-section. The area of the Old Town is surrounded by the tiny park called the Old Town Promenade. It is a ring of greenery established on the place where the medieval fortifications used to be. They were demolished in the beginning of the 19th c. Today the Promenade gives us the idea of the sice of medieval Wroclaw. The Lesnicki Park is picturesquely located on the Bystrzyca River and particularly popular in spring time – here one can find lots of the windflowers. In the park there is the renaissance palace.