Entertaining Things to Do In Wrocław

An Overview of Wrocław

Wrocław is the centerpiece of a large historical region of the Dolnośląskie province in southwestern Poland. The city’s central Old Town area is defined by narrow, colorful buildings with reddish roofs and large, cobbled plaza spaces. The most intriguing aspect of the city are the small metal statues of krasnale or “gnomes” (sometimes translated as “dwarves”) which are scattered throughout the city,

Entertaining Things to Do In Wrocław

St. Mary’s Magdalene

This is a stunning church with a rooftop view to overlook Wrocław. Visitors can enter and climb the narrow steeple to reach a rooftop bridge-space that allows for grand overlooks, showing Wrocław’s red-roofed buildings, narrow streets and singular towers.

Multimedia Fountain

This is a large and excellent musical fountain which syncs up songs with spurts of water. The fountain is attatched to the sprawling Szczytnicki Park, which is also home to playgrounds, forests, garden walks, small rivers and Japanese gardens. The fountain itself is surrounded by ivy-covered arches following a semi-circular, relaxing walkway named the Pergola in Wrocław.

Neon Side Gallery

After Communist influence waned in Poland, there was a large movement introducing Western culture, advertisements and businesses. A part of this shift involved a blaze of neon signs appearing throughout the city. Though many of these neon signs were eventually retired, many were preserved. The Neon Side Gallery is an offshoot museum housing neon signs collected from old post-war Poland.

The Train to Heaven

A rocket-ship in locomotive form, this public artwork depicts a gravity-defying train angled towards the sky. The 90 ton piece of artwork is worth a walk by, with the steam train standing at over 70 feet tall. The train is part of the TY2 Locomotive Series, which served as a transportation icon in Nazi Germany’s war machine. Many of these trains were repurposed by the Polish State Railway for civilian use following the conclusion of WWII.

Hydropolis

This structure is also known as the Hydropolis Centre for Ecological Education. It’s an interactive shrine dedicated to water education with glowing internal exhibits, all within a 19th-century, defunct, underground reservoir.

Old Town

The portion of the city where the Oder River splits and re-converges amongst islands, Old Town Wroclaw has beautiful red roofs, imposing church spires and patches of riveting greenery interspaced between shops and cobbled walking roads. There are also numerous shopping centers, ice cream parlors, cafés, restaurants and small museums. The Old Town Area has the largest number of entertaining things to do in Wrocław in a compact area.

Museum of Bourgeois Art

Located in the city’s Market Square, this structure is an iconic feature of Poland. It once served as the Old Town Hall of Wrocław during the 13th century. Now, the building serves the public as a civic and cultural events center, music concert venue and museum of art. There is also a popular restaurant found in the structure’s basement.

Ostrów Tumski (Cathedral Island)

An island saturated with churches and old religious buildings, this quarter is one of the most gorgeous night walks in Europe. It’s home to numerous, historic churches and the lighting at night is accented with old-fashioned gas lamps lit each evening.

The Dwarves (Gnomes) of Wroclaw

Locally known as Krasnale, these small statues of tiny folks performing everyday activities are a delight, scattered and hidden throughout the streets of Wroclaw. Originally, these small figures were the symbolic leaders of the Orange Alternative Movement, a movement which used satire to oppose the local communist regime. In modern times, the hundreds of gnomes are popular for tourists to seek and learn about. Looking for the various, hidden gnome statues throughout the city is one of the most entertaining things to do in Wrocław.

Hala Stulecia (Centennial Hall)

This large building is comprised of an artistic concrete dome with numerous surrounding outdoor attractions, including the Wroclaw Zoo and Japanese Gardens. The UNESCO World Heritage hall is an important historical centerpiece, built in relation to the “To My People (An Mein Volk)” proclamation made by Frderick William III heralding a general resistance against Napoleon Bonaparte.

Racławice Panorama

Located in a perfectly cylindrical building, this is a full 360-degree, intricate immersive painting which depicts the battle of Racławice. The Painting is a cycloramic painting, meaning it places the viewer in the center of the room while the painting exists on all walls, giving visitors a surreal “inside-artwork” experience.

For many years, the Racławice Panorama was hidden for political reason. Since the battle of Racławice shows Polish forces triumphing over Russians, Soviet overlords of the era didn’t want the artwork influencing the public.

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