With an Old Town plucked straight out of the Middle Ages, a dazzlingly picturesque riverside location and a slap-up portion of traditional Eastern European charm, Wrocław nips at Krakow’s heels in the ‘Polish cities everyone wants to visit’ stakes. Discover a delicious combination of cultural heritage, mind-bending views and great beer on a short break to Wrocław from Glasgow Airport.
Walk this way…
Poland’s fourth largest city has one of the grandest and most intriguing Old Towns in the country. Spread across several islands and linked by 100 bridges, the best way to see this architectural treasure box is on foot. Explore the streets around the 13th-century Town Hall (Rynek) – one of the few buildings in the city centre not to have been destroyed by WWII bombing and subsequently reconstructed – before breathing in the breathtaking views from the spire of St Elizabeth’s Church (Świętego Mikołaja).
Hop it
A profusion of beer halls, brewhouses and Bavarian bars cluster around the streets and squares of the Old Town, giving Wrocław its well-deserved reputation as the nightlife capital of southwest Poland. Renowned brewpub Spiż (Rynek Ratusz 2), hidden in the atmospheric cellars of the Town Hall, was the first of its kind in Poland and is still the first go-to for modern-day beer lovers. Český Ráj (Bogusławskiego 9) and Zakład Usług Piwnych (Ruska 34) are also both worth a look-in as the night progresses.
The Great Escape
It’s just a short journey from the centre of Wrocław to the Museum of Allied Prisoners of War (Lotników Alianckich 6, Żagań), which sits on the razed Nazi prison camp made famous by The Great Escape. A visit here offers a harrowing but enlightening insight into Poland’s recent history. The site of the infamous Gross-Rosen concentration camp is also within striking distance of Wrocław, and today serves as a memorial to the victims of Nazi genocide.