Polish Learning Community and Resources

It’s time to resume our trip around Polish cities! Today I’m taking to my second favourite - I hope you know which city is on the top of my list! If not, you need to read some of the blog posts again! We’re going to… Wroclaw! This time I won’t bore you with a history lesson but will share my favourite activities that can be done only in Wroclaw.

I believe I don’t need to introduce this city to anyone, after all, it’s among Poland’s top destinations but I feel the foreigners don’t talk about it enough! If you picked Wroclaw for your mobility program - you are lucky, if not, make sure you visit this beautiful city. Wroclaw is located in southwestern Poland, in Lower Silesia and it is currently the third largest city in Poland. It also has a big population of students, which usually means there’s a lot going on.

Always look down!

Okay, maybe not 100% of the time but mostly. Wroclaw is famous for its krasnale - “dwarves” which are scattered all around the city and, most likely, nobody knows their precise number. Wroclawskie krasnale is a series of small sculptures that you can find in different spots of the city, mostly on the sidewalk but they can also be found on benches, windows, etc., just look around carefully! A very little-known fact is that putting dwarves around the city started originally in 1982 as a part of anti-government demonstrations, they were painted back then. The current tradition of small sculptures started in 2005 and every year new sculptures are added in various spots in the city. Each dwarf is unique as they very often are related to the specific place in which they are located, so make sure to look around when strolling through the streets of Wroclaw and have your camera always ready!

Look down but… from above!

Another cool activity you can do in Wroclaw also involves looking down but this time, from above. The city preserved a lot of its original architecture and many buildings with towers, most of which are visitable. These towers can be found mostly in the historical centre, which gives you a breathtaking view of the whole city from several different perspectives. If climbing stairs isn’t your thing or you have a fear of heights, you can always admire these towers from the outside, their architecture is impressive. My personal favourite points of view include Jan Chrzciciel Cathedral on Ostrow Tumski which is outside of the Old Town and gives you a beautiful view over the river, Mostek Pokutnic, which is a small bridge that connects two towers - while it isn’t the highest spot, it’s a unique viewpoint, if you look carefully you will also find two krasnale that live there! The best view over the entire city is probably the tower of sw. Elzbieta church, it’s pretty central and you’ll be able to see all the main points of interest, including islands, from there.

Back to the ground? Not exactly

We’ve walked through Wroclaw’s streets, we looked at it from above and now… No! we aren’t going to go underground but we’ll look at the city from yet another angle - from the river! Wroclaw is located at Odra River from which several canals branch out. A great way to spend a sunny afternoon is to take a river cruise on Odra and the canals. Wroclaw has around 20 islands and over 200 bridges which, together with the stunning views of the Old Town makes it an unforgettable experience.

I hope you enjoyed this overview of less conventional ways to visit Wroclaw. If, however, you’re more of a traditional tourist Wroclaw is full of museums and historical sites waiting for you at each corner, it’s enough to take just a short walk!