Have you ever heard of Wroclaw before? If you haven’t yet, then I am SO excited to get to introduce you to this incredible place!
Firstly, let me tell you that Wroclaw is a fairytale DREAM. The city centre of Wroclaw is like stepping into the start of a whimsical Disney film about European princesses. The vibrant, colourfully pastel gingerbread style buildings are like eye candy you just can’t look away from. Quite simply, it’s a beautiful place and a breathtaking city to visit.
Wroclaw is absolutely one to add on your list for your next Poland adventure. Here’s my go to Wroclaw itinerary. And don’t forget to pin these posts to remember for your next visit!
13 things you HAVE to do in Wroclaw
Wander the city centre at sunrise
Like I said, you’d be silly not to adventure into the city centre, but the squares here really are beautiful. My pro-tip is to visit at sunrise. It’s a fairly quiet city, so you’ll have the place mostly all to yourself.
Discover the Baroque rooms at the Wroclaw University Museum
If the centre of Wroclaw feels likes a fairytale come to life, then the baroque rooms at the University Museum are like visiting the rooms in Beauty and the Beast’s Castle.
While the Aula Leopoldina is currently under restoration you can still visit the concert room pictured below. The Aula Leopoldina will likely be complete a few months after publication of this blog post. Make sure to visit when they’re complete!
Grab coffee at Nanan
The coffee shop is straight out of a pink Instgram dream. If the all pink velvet interiors don’t win you over, the delicious coffees and treats will. PS they do a GREAT oat milk latte.
Climb 247 steps to the Witches Bridge
Seriously this is WELL worth the climb because you will be greeted to the best city views in Wroclaw. The Bridge of Penitents aka the Witches Bridge at the top of St. Mary Magdalene’s Church is truly incredible. This is one of my favourite views of the city. It’s definitely a hike to get up there, but it’s worth every burning thigh muscle. Just make sure to hold onto your hat while you’re up there – it’s pretty blustery!
Oh and you’ll also spot the gnomes at the top but more on that later…!
Go back in time at Konspira Restaurant
This restaurant is straight out of the 1980s… in a good way! Konspira is a throwback to the 1980s Solitary movement against the Communist party. Here you’ll find a traditional Polish menu. I recommend ordering the żurek (I will ALWAYS recommend ordering żurek) a sour rye soup, in a giant bread bowl – it’s so good!
Spot the Wroclaw gnomes
Scattered throughout the city of Wroclaw you’ll find so many tiny statues of gnomes. In fact, they’re so small that you could easily miss them! But they’re an absolutely adorable feature in the city. These gnomes are found in varying states of activities. There are gnomes hanging from lampposts, eating pizza, riding motorcycles… seriously, you name an activity there’s probably a gnome for it! There are rumoured to be over 400+ in the city but to be honest, with so many, they’re hard to keep track of so they stopped counting around there. See how many you can spot on your visit. You already know you can find one at the top of the Witches Bridge!
Visit the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
Visiting Cathedral Island should be a must stop during your visit to Wroclaw. One of its most famous landmarks is the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist – you’ll notice it straight away! It’s a serious viewpoint throughout the rest of the city. You can enter the church for free, however you can buy tickets to go up to the top! Luckily there’s an elevator to take you there. Pro-tip if you stick around Cathedral Island as it starts to get dark they have lamplighters who come around and light the gas lamps to light the streets. Pretty cool!
Book dinner along the water at Przystań & Marina
This restaurant along the Oder river overlooks the University and is positively beautiful at night. They serve up delicious mediterrean cuisine.
Get your pizza fix at Iggy Pizza
Another total Instagram dream, Iggy Pizza is a large open plan restaurant filled with plants, neon signs and overall good vibes. I’d say it’s easily a place you could pop in for lunch (like we did) or book in for a night of pizza and cocktails with your pals. They have a huge menu selection to choose from and are super helpful when you’re ordering. Obviously, I’d recommend getting a cocktail or two to go with your dough.
Dinner at Młoda Polska
Another perfect foodie spot! Seriously, I can’t stress enough how good the food across Poland was! This menu is what I’d call contemporary with a traditional twist. The steak tartare is some of the best I’ve ever had. And the dumplings were UNBELIEVABLE. Młoda Polska is also located right in one of the centre squares, so it’s a super easy one to get to and great if you’re looking to explore the main areas in the evening. I’d highly recommend!
Wander through Szczytnicki Park
Wander through the beautiful Japanese Gardens located right next to The Centennial Hall. It’s £2 for entry and well worth the tranquil walk. You’ll also spot the Pergola too, it’s well worth a visit, especially during changing seasons. Look at all that red ivy!
Discover the famous 360 degree painting
A super interesting piece of interactive artwork is the Panorama Raclawice. It’s one of the largest oil paintings in the world. The 19th-century painting captures the Battle of Racławice and is not only depicted through the art, the painting becomes a 3D experience as you start to notice wagons, wheels, fences and grass that literally extends out of the painting itself. It’s a very cool one for art buffs to visit!
Visit Ksiaz Castle – the famous pink castle!
Book a half day out to go and visit one of the most beautiful iconic castles. Did you know that Książ Castle was seized as German headquarters during World War II? In today’s world, the pretty pink 700 year old castle is back to being beautifully admired by tourists. You can even go on a tour inside and I highly recommend doing so! It’s £8 for self guided tour entry to castle and palm house and £12 to additionally access the tunnels. It’d recommend doing it all!
Oh and don’t forget to hike up to the lookout point where you’ll find spectacular views of Ksiaz Castle.
HP Park Plaza
And if you’re looking for somewhere to rest your head for the night, I can’t recommend the Hotel HP Park Plaza Wroclaw enough. It overlooks the river (you’ll be treated to beautiful sunrises) and the staff are simply brilliant.
Have you ever visited Wroclaw before? Don’t forget to add this list to Pinterest for your future trip. And make sure to check out my Krakow guide as well.
Kelly xox