This becomes quite apparent when you are travelling to new places or you are on a limited time schedule. Luckily, for this feature we have partnered with local specialists at ITS Poland – offering DMC services in Poland, who have kindly shared one of their ready-made itineraries. This might just be a perfect starting point for your next adventure.
Arriving in Wroclaw
Once you have arrived in Wrocław and settled yourself in the hotel of your choice it is time to head out to the city. Right in the Wroclaw’s Main Market Square you will meet your guide and kick-off with a three-hour-long guided city tour. This one of the largest market squares in Europe, covering the area of 3.8 hectares, is filled with numerous colourful tenements of different eras, restaurants, souvenir stands and bookstores. It is as popular among the tourists as well as among the residents of Wroclaw. Despite the season and time of day the Market Square is full of life. The tour continues through the Museum of Bourgeois Art, world famous and the oldest restaurant in Europe – Piwnica Świdnicka, St. Elisabeth’s Church together with its viewing tower. While on the tour you will also visit the University of Wrocław and its in-house museum, the Oratorium Marianum and Aula Leopoldyńska. The tour wraps up at Ostrów Tumski, which is the oldest part of Wrocław and can boast the magnificent 14th century Cathedral. Although the guided tour ends there, ITS Poland – Polish DMC, recommends paying a visit to Racławice Panorama. This 140-metres-long canvas depicts the legendary victory over the Russian forces at the battle of Racławice in 1794. Tadeusz Kościuszko’s victory was immortalised by some of the most famous Polish painters Jan Styka and Wojciech Kossak. While touring the city look out for Wrocław Dwarves. Over 300 little statues are scattered around the city and are undoubtedly one of the most famous tourist attractions in Wrocław.
Second day in Wrocław
For the following day you will stay in Wrocław, with a slightly different focus. A guide for the day is optional, however, ITS Poland – Polish DMC strongly recommends bringing a guide along. Especially if you are travelling as a larger group. You will begin the day with a visit to the National Museum in Wrocław. An hour-long tour will let you admire roughly 200,000 artefacts from all the artistic disciplines. You will find here both mediaeval Silesian wooden and stone sculpture, Polish and European paintings all from various times ranging from the Middle Ages all the way to the early 20th century. The museum also features an extensive library containing both books, as well as numerous historic documents.
Another stop for the day is the Africanarium – part of the Wrocław zoo. Dating back to 2014 it is the first oceanarium in Poland and, in fact, the sole example of such type devoted to the fauna and flora of a single continent. This African aquarium, and hence the name, uses 15,000,000 litres of water across 21 pools and aquariums and has over 350 species of fish on display. You will also find various turtles, tortoises, manats, hippopotamuses, penguins and numerous other types of animals. A special and quite an extraordinary treat is the feeding show so you might want to check the schedule before your visit.
To end the day, you will head out to the Centennial Hall, which quite possibly is the favourite place among the locals and a definite must-see spot for the tourists. The building itself is a multi-purpose exhibition hall and the city’s showpiece it dates back to the early 20th century. With numerous renovation works and a magnificent multimedia fountain it kept its showpiece status throughout the years. One more important aspect of the place is its Japanese Garden, which is an UNESCO’s site. The garden is a mixture of different types of Japanese gardens with flavours of a public park, water park, tea ceremony, rocky beach and a pond with giant carps and some other fish.
Wrocław Fieldtrips
Depending on how mobile you are or if you are willing to rent a bus, ITS Poland, Polish DMC, recommends exploring not only Wrocław but also its close vicinity. If you want the full experience, the following programme can be divided into full two days’ worth of touring. Day one would take you to Topacz Castle, just 10 kilometres outside Wrocław. The meticulously restored residence serves as a 4-star hotel, conference centre and nearly 50 hectares of recreation area. Topacz Castle also houses a Motoring Museums with more than a hundred Polish made cars, as well as one of the largest collection of Rolls Royce and Bentleys in Poland. Another short drive will take you to the 17th century Świdnica Peace Church constructed entirely from wood – a largest building of this type in Europe. You will end the day by visiting the Książ Castle that dates back to the 13th century. It also played an important part during the World War II and Nazi’s Riese complex of underground tunnels and its mysteries are still largely uncovered to this day.
If you are still hungry for more, the following day may be devoted to such places as Bolków Castle, just outside Jelenia Góra – a 13th century stronghold overlooking Bolków. Today it houses a museum and an annual “Castle Party” music festival. Next step is Szklarska Poręba, a popular tourist destination in the Karkonosze mountain region offering numerous tourist attractions and quite a few historic monuments. From Szklarska Poręba you can trek to Szklarki Waterfall or take a ski lift up the Szrenica mountain. The final stop for the day is the Wojanów Palace. Built in the 16th century with traces of Renaissance, Baroque and Neo-Gothic influences due to its reconstructions over the years. Today the Palace is a modern conference centre with its own SPA and wellness centre. The Palace is surrounded by meticulously maintained park with historic paths and promenades.
A Helping Hand
The itinerary listed above is just a short example of Wrocław’s highlights and can be easily modified to suit your needs or changed altogether if you are after a different kind of experience. That is why we wholeheartedly recommend reaching out to ITS Poland – a Polish DMC who will assist you in creating an exciting programme that is right just for you. We do sincerely hope this will inspire you and help you make the best of your future holidays in Poland.
