Wroclaw, Poland: The Perfect 48-Hour Adventure

Wroclaw (pronounced “Vrot-swahv”), Poland’s jewel of a city just under four hours from Warsaw, is proud of itself. Voted European Capital of Culture in 2016 and European Best Destination 2018, it has more than a few feathers in its cap – City of 100 Bridges, City of 5 Rivers, City of Churches, City of Dwarves – even City of Great Ice Cream and City of Padlocks. After a quick mobile tour around the compact town in a golf cart we found ourselves at the Raj Bar, a trendy sunset place on the Oder River with a makeshift sandy beach and beach chairs. Should we sit on the beach? Nah!

With 2 Aperol Spritz in hand we join the Happy Hour group of mostly young professionals enjoying a river breeze on a sweltering day. Refreshed and curious to check out more of the city, we cross a series of bridges connecting the numerous small islands and find ourselves on Cathedral Island. It’s just before dusk and we learn that this tiny neighborhood, which contains a handful of landmark buildings, the Botanical Gardens and the cathedral, is lit entirely by gas lamps. It feels totally separated from the rumble of rush hour Wroclaw.

 

Walking under an arched masonry gate, our guide enthusiastically describes the legend of the knight whose talented wife made the best pierogi, leaving him one for eternity after her death. We look up to see a giant stone version of the Polish staple sitting atop the bricks. It’s a comical tale that lightens the moment as we make our exit along Lovers’ Bridge where hundreds of padlocks inscribed with dates and initials are secured to the guard rails. As the custom goes, couples in love pledge their mutual devotion for eternity here by throwing the key to their lock into the river. Conveniently, padlocks are sold onsite.

Ice Cream City

It’s quite a hot night as we walk back towards the Old Town, so what do we do? Stop for ice cream, naturally. Our guide asserts that we’re about to try the best ice cream in Wroclaw and he’s been pretty wise so far. The long line down the street confirms we’re in for something special and as I’m known far and wide as a gelato madman, I eagerly await the scoops. The list of flavors is surprisingly short (Sweet Cream, Chocolate, Strawberry, Fresh Peach and Snickers) and as we get closer to the window, I can see that this is the real deal – soft, creamy gelato just like in Italy. This is no Baskin Robbins but a homemade operation with three people deftly churning out cones. Anticipation builds as the customers one by one wait their turns; then it’s ours. We go for the Peach and the Snickers (a last-minute change-up) and I’m floored that the Snickers is the winner. No surprise, the cones are gone in seconds flat!

A Walk in the Park

The following morning is even hotter, so we decide to cap a walking tour of the Old Town to a maximum of 2 hours. Wroclaw is a compact, walkable city and you’ll find you only need to rely on the efficient tram system when you leave the Old Town. As many of the major monuments and churches are close to the Rynek (Market Square) and Town Hall, you’ll be getting plenty of exercise.

Our guide begins with an explanation of all the tiny dwarf statues we’re seeing as we make our way along cobblestone streets. There is purported to be more than 400 of these tiny guys appearing in (sometimes) hidden spots and many of them represent something about the place where they’re sitting. For example, one outside our hotel was holding a suitcase while another was going to sleep. With so many popping up all over the place the tourism office has devised a Dwarves Trail that you can follow around town. Next time, maybe!

Then, we’re standing in the Rynek, one of Europe’s biggest squares and Wroclaw’s magnet of energy. Here, life is alive at every hour of the day and night and the surfeit of restaurants offering every type of international cuisine would impress even a jaded foodie.

Centennial Hall, The Japanese Garden & Wroclaw Fountain

CNN Travel just listed Wroclaw as one of the most beautiful European cities with hardly any tourists. To understand that it’s a good idea to take a break from the Old Town and venture outside it. After an alfresco lunch of yummy Polish cuisine with good local beer, we head for Centennial Hall, a short tram ride away, and a side visit to Park Szczytnicki. The sun beats down as we wait for the tram, and I notice all the blonde-haired, fair-skinned Poles and think that they must be selling an awful lot of suntan lotion with some very high SPF here.

Sure enough, the park is virtually tourist free when we arrive (the heat, maybe?) and we stand and gape at Centennial Hall, a colossal concrete hatbox of a structure completed in 1913 and hailed as one of the most important architectural monuments of the 20th century. With a capacity of 10,000 people, it hosts large scale events like operas and concerts and its gargantuan size makes it an engineering marvel.

We meander around the side and discover a beautiful ivy-covered pergola winding around a field with a massive fountain. Strolling under the cooling canopy we stop to watch the 15-minute water show with over 300 gyrating, pulsing nozzles spouting geysers timed to music 100+ feet in the air. Scurrying children laugh and dance amid the showers getting a break from the heat. With the same thing in mind we continue along the path to the Japanese Garden, just behind the pergola and the park’s main attraction. After entering the serene, exquisitely manicured environment, I notice we’re practically alone. Marveling at the remarkable composition of small streams, cascading fountains and bridges enclosing a large pond, we sit for a little rest and wonder how this place could ever have been created. Now, we’re cooled off, too.

Art that Speaks Volumes

When was the last time an art museum moved you? Leaving the park and with the clock ticking on our full day tour, we dismiss our guide and scurry inside the cool, shaded Museum of Contemporary Art. The museum is housed within the Four Domes Pavilion, another stunning building also completed in 1913, and features a Zen-like blinding white minimalist interior. It’s just after 4 pm and with less than an hour before closing the helpful staff suggests we view the permanent exhibition, one of the largest collections of works by prominent 20th and 21st century Polish artists like Tadeusz Kantor and Henryk Stazewski, a pioneer of the classical avant-garde of the 1920s and ’30s. The works are moving and a bit enigmatic, as some point to the 20-year period between the two world wars, while others reflect on the post-war newly established Communist regime. We’ve been immersed in Polish history since stepping foot in the country and we’re fascinated to learn how the country’s creative force was traumatized by war and how they depicted it in their art. We’re able to see a lot in a short time and depart once more into the bright sunshine. Our tram bell rings in the distance and my wistful mood breaks as we toy with taking a boat back to the Old Town.

It’s been an immersive two days of discovery and reflection, and now I fully understand why Wroclaw, with its 1000 years of history, toots its horn as a place to get lost in time while enjoying the extraordinary energy of a city with so many faces.

www.visitwroclaw.eu

*Editor’s Note: Wroclaw goes out of its way to attract short-term and weekend tourists. As such there are innumerable trails to discover such as a Brewery Trail, a Wroclaw in Films Trail and the Dwarves Trail.