25 Unmissable Things to See and Do in Wrocław

Too many tourists simply go and find some of the famous Wrocław gnomes, take some photos, grab a selfie, then leave. But there is a great history to be discovered here. These gnomes are one of the quirkiest things you could see in a European city, so pick up a guidebook from the local tourist information centre and get to know the reasons behind why the gnomes are in Wroclaw. Recommended by Jonny Blair

Whether arriving by train or not, the main train station in Wrocław ( Wrocław Główny) is one of the city’s finest buildings. In its bright yellow splendour, it sparkles in the Wrocław skyline as a fantastic gateway to many other towns and cities within Poland. It resembles a castle and has a huge interior with shops, restaurants and cafés aplenty. Recommended by Jonny Blair.

Rising 15m (49ft) tall and stretching 114m (374ft) across, the Panorama of the Battle of Racławice is almost too much to appreciate in one go. It’s a breathtaking 19th-century work of art, its panoramic magnificence heightened by its setting in a round building, with a dedicated room of its own. Painted between 1893 and 1894, it commemorated the centenary of an uprising against Russia and depicts Polish historical figures. Extra details maximise the experience – special illumination and artificial terrain before the canvas proper. The effect is of being immersed in the painting, as if you were part of the conflict yourself.

A popular building on Instagram and one of the architectural gems in Old Town Square, Wrocław‘s Old Town Hall is a striking building to admire day and night with its golden colours. It was built in the thirteenth century and has become one of the main landmarks of the city. This one is not to be missed! Recommended by Jonny Blair.

One of Wrocław’s pure gems is the light display at the Multimedia Fountains. From May until the end of September, the display begins just after dark. The light display is accompanied by different styles of music and attracts huge crowds on clear summer nights. Bear in mind that there is less happening at the Multimedia Fountain in the winter due to the high costs to run them and the lack of tourists in colder months. Recommended by Jonny Blair

Though not immediately obvious as you walk past it, this part of town with two connecting buildings is hugely popular for a very good reason. A pair of buildings that sit here are linked by an archway, which is meant to symbolise a couple holding hands. The buildings are known locally as ‘Jaś i Małgosia/Małgorzata’, often translated as ‘Hansel and Gretel’ for tourists. Recommended by Jonny Blair.

The local football team here is Śląsk Wrocław, and they play in a massive venue which hosted Euro 2012 championships. Śląsk Wrocław currently play in the Polish Ekstraklasa (top division). The stadium has a capacity of 42, 771, and the team has won the Polish League twice and been three-time runners-up. So head to the stadium and be on the lookout for ticket availability.

It’s nice to escape buildings and churches and check out some of the green parts of the city. A popular place to chill is at the Botanical Gardens, where you can see lots of plants, flowers, trees, aquariums, sculptures, a large pond and pretty bridges. There is even a garden shop and cosy eatery. You can be sure to find some peace and quiet here. Recommended by Jonny Blair.

If you only have a few days in Wrocław, you won’t have time to see all the pubs and bars at your leisure. Thankfully, there is a cool Wrocław pub crawl you can join, which helps you cram in a lot of pubs in a short space of time. Be sure to include the PRL pub in the Stary Rynek (Old Town Square), one of the best communist-style pubs in Poland.

Wrocław‘s Old Town Square is simply one of the prettiest squares in Poland. It is easy to see why. The buildings are full of colour and vibrancy, most of them housing flats and apartments on the higher floors with good bistros, bars and restaurants on the lower levels. Recommended by Jonny Blair.

It dates back to the early 13th century, but this medieval market square is no dowdy relic – it remains one of the most vibrant places in the city, and is one of the largest market squares in Europe. The Gothic Old Town Hall is a must-photograph, looking like a hotchpotch of gingerbread homes stuck together (it was built in various stages between the 13th and 16th centuries.) The Market Square is great for fine dining – go for pork, goose or beef at time-honoured Restauracja Pod Fredrą. And if you’re here for New Year’s Eve you’re in luck – there’s always a party going on. In 2018, the Village People, no less, performed here.

One place in the area worth checking out is the fantastic Baroque Royal Palace that houses Wrocław‘s most modern and worthwhile museum. It’s a huge museum, so if you only have a short time, make sure to check out the permanent free exhibition, ‘1000 Years of Wrocław‘. Recommended by Jonny Blair.

If the pub crawl isn’t for you, perhaps a mouth-watering food tour might be more up your street. Wrocław has an excellent food tour which lasts three hours and will have you trying as much Polish food as you can. As a bonus, the tour also features a walking tour of Wroclaw with an expert guide, and you get to sample up to 10 Polish classics in four eateries all frequented by local residents. Recommended by Jonny Blair

The final must-see Wrocław attraction on the list just happens to be the tallest building in Poland, the Sky Tower. Construction began in December 2007, and it was unveiled in 2012. Officially, the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw is taller due to the aerials on its upper floors, but from ground level to the roof, Sky Tower is the highest in the country, at 212 metres (696 feet). It has 51 floors, but the public viewing floor is on the 49th level. Nevertheless, you are sure to enjoy sensational views over Wrocław. Recommended by Jonny Blair.

One of the most remarkable sights in the city is the 1977 sculpture by Jerzy Kalina known locally as ‘Passage’. The 14-piece ‘Monument to the Anonymous Passerby’ dominates the intersection of ul. Piłsudskiego and ul. Świdnicka in central Wrocław – it is a striking public artwork. It comprises lifelike brass models descending into a pavement and re-ascending on the opposite one. Some say it represents the way martial law drove people underground in fear in the 1980s, the pedestrians rising into view representing the re-emergence of citizens when it was lifted in 1983.

Ostrów Tumski is the oldest part of the city, dating back to the 10th century, and developed architecturally in subsequent times. Originally a garden, today it is an unmissable attraction for its striking historical buildings, important monuments, sculptures, gardens and enchanting bridges. Don’t miss the Gothic Cathedral of St John the Baptist, rebuilt after World War II, and the steeple of the Church of the Holy Cross . Perhaps best of all for wandering weekenders, this ancient neighbourhood, birthplace of Wrocław, is surrounded photogenically by the Oder River.

If you only see one religious architectural masterpiece in Wrocław, make it this one – the most important and, many say, historically valuable monument in the city. It is Poland’s first brick edifice, with medieval origins in the 13th century, rising on the footprint of an earlier church that was constructed in the 10th century. Its neck-craningly beautiful, symmetrical spires afford the fit and hardy visitor a panoramic city view. Other highlights include the altarpiece, painted in Lublin in 1522 and depicting the Virgin Mary asleep, as well as the largest pipe organ in Poland, constructed in 1913 (it was the largest in the world until World War II).

For very good reason the Hala Stulecia has been on the Unesco World Heritage List since 2006. Conceived by Max Berg (1870-1947) – the chief city architect of Wrocław (and its former incarnation, Breslau) – it was unveiled in 1913 and is the most important cultural hall in Poland, hosting concerts, conferences and exhibitions. Like the events held here, the design is a clever and eclectic combination of tradition and modernity. Take a look at its domed profile while you’re visiting Szczytnicki Park and the Multimedia Fountain – it’s near to both, and if you’re lucky you may get to peek inside, even if there’s nothing on.

Anyone interested in libraries and literature will be at home here, at what is the longest-running extant publishing house in Poland, founded in Lviv in 1827. It relocated to Wrocław after World War II, and puts out National Classic-brand Polish and international titles. You can visit the remarkable Baroque palace building and marvel at the large library and reading rooms. Then wander the garden, where neat hedges and a fountain create a mood of elegance and order.

Built in 1829, for a century or more the White Stork Synagogue served the orthodox Jewish community of then-German Breslau. Despite the serene-sounding name, taken from an inn that occupied the site, the synagogue has borne witness to much grim history. Its nadir was Kristallnacht (9-10 November, 1938), the Nazis’ coordinated wave of violence against Jewish people and property, which the building survived, while others burned. During World War II, Jews were restrained here, to be sent to concentration camps. The synagogue fell to ruin until reclaimed in 1996 and re-opened in 2010 as the Jewish cultural centre. It’s home to temporary exhibitions, as well as a permanent one about the history of Jews in Wrocław and Lower Silesia.

In the Old Town, to the east of the Market Square, the Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene is a monumental sight dating from the 14th century and enhanced repeatedly over the ages. Built of brick, it stands out for the astonishingly ornate portal in the south wall, which was incorporated into the structure having been saved from a Benedictine abbey in the Olbin neighborhood in 1546. The church now serves as a cathedral of the Polish Catholic Church, and you can ascend the 72m- (236ft-) high tower for head-spinning views.

Hydropolis is a multi-museum devoted to water. It inhabits a striking neo-Gothic water tank, built in 1893 and transformed into a groundbreaking gallery of 4,000sqm (43,056sqft). You’ll find more than 70 installations and eight interactive sections telling you all about the wet stuff. So come and find out what this inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odourless substance is actually useful for, as well as its relevance to religion and art, its role in the environment and its importance to human life and reproduction. Discover how many living things are in a drop of the stuff, and then switch off for a while in the aquatic relaxation centre.

A second church to grace the list is the impressive Church of St Elizabeth. There was an original church on this site in the twelfth century, but as it crumbled, another was built to replace it. This happened more than once. Again, you can enjoy stunning views from the top, but this time you’ll have to take the 200 steps (there isn’t an elevator). Recommended by Jonny Blair.

Also known as the John & Margaret houses, the Hansel & Gretel houses stand in the shadow of St Elizabeth’s, one of the tallest churches in the Old Town. You can’t miss them: two skinny buildings that connect the thoroughfares of ul. Św Mikołaja and ul. Odrzańska, at the northwest corner of the Market Square. These townhouses were built in the 16th and 18th centuries respectively and are all that remain of the originals that circled the church cemetery. The moniker Hansel & Gretel is a nod to romance, as the archway that connects them implies they are holding hands. This unassuming landmark is flanked by a couple of bronze dwarves, in case you miss it.

Did you know that Wrocław boasts the third biggest zoo in the world? It is home to over 10,000 animals representing around 1,132 species. It is also the oldest zoo in Poland, and you can feed Asian elephants here. Recommended by Jonny Blair

Wrocław is a city rich in history, charm, and breathtaking architecture. Discovering its hidden dwarfs, visiting its well-known Market Square, or taking a cruise along the Oder River—there’s always something amazing to see. Explore the city’s distinctive past and dynamic present with knowledgeable guides to elevate your experience. Plan your ultimate trip now.