How wonderful it is to visit my family in Poland in the middle of the pandemic. Here are my parents, my brother Michal and his wife Marzenka.
Our family Sunday lunch at Michal and Marzenka’s place:
And Radek’s family:
The biggest highlight of my stay in Poland this year was a three-day trip to Wroclaw, the largest city of Silesia – a historical and geographical region in south-western Poland.
This post is for my daughter Basia and her fiancé Steve. Since they are planning to visit Wroclaw in the month of October, I would like to recommend some places that I had a chance to discover on my own.
1. Wroclaw Main Railway Station.
Basia and Steve, when you arrive to Wroclaw, pay close attention to the architecture of the train station – Dworzec Wroclaw Glowny.
The train ride from Dworzec Centralny in Warsaw to Dworzec Glowny in Wroclaw takes four and a half hours. The Wrocław Main Railway Station is very impressive, particularly its Tudor Gothic style. It was built in the years 1855-1857 based on a design prepared by Wilhelm Grapow, the royal architect. It looks like a castle:
2. The Town Hall (Stary Ratusz)
It is the heart of the city. Basia and Steve, pay attention to the richness of its architecture and decoration.
Make sure you find Piwnica Swidnicka – medieval cellar restaurant famous for one of the best beers in medeval Europe, piwo swidnickie.
Notice the sculptures above the entrance: a drunk young man, coming home with some beer in his hands and a woman removing a shoe from her foot to greet him at the door.
This bear sculpture is next to Piwnica Swidnicka:
Also, make sure you visit the interior of the Town Hall:
3. When you walk around the historic part of Wroclaw, pay attention to Krasnoludki – cute little creatures, hidden in different places. There is more than 400 of them now.
Some are difficult to find, like the one in ulica Wiezienna, where the city prison was once located:
4. Many beautifully renovated buildings around the Old Town are worth your attention, especially the buildings near Jas and Malgosia:
5. Have a cup of coffee in an unusual place, like this Spanish Bookstore (near Plac Solny):
6. Enjoy a wonderful meal in the restaurant Konspira and learn about the role of Wroclaw in 1980s as the center of the anticommunist opposition.
This is a favourite place of many writers and intellectuals, like the two professors I met, one of them just published a book about Wroclaw in 1950s and 1960s.
I recommend Danie wywrotowca:
7. Visit University of Wroclaw with its gorgeous Oratorium Marianum:
8. Discover Wroclaw’s beautiful gardens.
9. Become familiar with artists born in Wroclaw and their art.
Ewa Rossano was born in Wroclaw. I was very happy to discover two of her sculptures: Cristal Planet and Angelus Silesius:
10. Learn the tragic history of people from eastern parts of Poland by visiting the Memorial to the Victims of Katyn, Kharkov and Mednoye. Massacres and Camp Prisoners in Kozelsk, Starobelsk and Ostashkov in Juliusz Slowacki Park.
Basia and Steve, there is so much more to see in Wroclaw, now it’s your turn to discover this fascinating city and its people.
Piekne zjdecia! Choc bylam tam kilka tygodni temu. Dzis bym wrocila do mojego rodzinnego miasta, tak bardzo mi sie tam podoba.