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Wroclaw

The holy flower of Europe
Wroclaw, one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Poland, has been referred to as the holy flower of Europe. Sitting on the river Odra, and crossed by numerous tributaries and canals, it is a city of 12 islands connected by 112 bridges.
 
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Visited by boat, Wroclaw seems to rise up from the water. 
 
Market Square Copyright © Sisterscom.com, Shutterstock 
The heart of the city of Wroclaw
The heart of the city is the imposing Market Square, overlooked by the Renaissance-style Jas and larger Baroque-style Malgosia buildings, which are connected by a Baroque gate that leads to the Gothic St. Elizabeth’s Church.
 
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The City  Hall of Wroclaw
In the centre of the square sits the Town Hall, a gem of Gothic and Renaissance architecture, with roof divided into three parts, richly decorated façade and clock dating back to 1580. Along the southern part of the Town Hall you’ll find the entrance to Piwnica Swidnicka, the city’s most famous beer cellar, originating from the fourteenth century.
 
Ostrow Tumski
Ostrow Tumski Copyright © Sisterscom.com, Shutterstock 
 
Ostrow Tumski, an island on the river Odra today joined to the mainland, is the oldest part of Wroclaw. At night, lit by gas lamps, it takes on a particular charm. 
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist dominates the island and, with its two characteristic spires, was the first entirely Baroque construction in Poland. The panoramic spire, from a height of 56 metres, gives tourists an amazing view of the surrounding area.
 
Piaskowy Bridge Copyright © Sisterscom.com, Shutterstock 
Piasek Island
Piasek Island can be accessed by crossing the Piaskowy Bridge, theoldest bridge in Wroclaw. Near the bridge is the Baroque building of the University Library, on the tip of Mill Island, with a beautiful view of Ostrow Tumski. The Grunwaldzki bridge, built in 1910, was for many years the longest suspension bridge in Europe and today is an excellent viewpoint for admiring the various Gothic churches on the surrounding islands.
 
The city offers many other curious places, including the monument to slaughtered animals and the monument of the gnome, a symbol of the Orange Alternative movement of the eighties. One of the most importantattractions of Wroclaw is the Panorama Raclawicka (Raclawice Panorama), a monumental nineteenth-century panoramic painting depicting the Polish victory over Russian troops at the Battle of Raclawice in 1794, which is located in a circular building in Slowackiego park.
 
Panorama Raclawicka in the Slowackiego Park Copyright © Sisterscom.com, Shutterstock 
Famous throughout the world, the Wroclaw Pantomime Theatre organises open-air mime shows and performances. Pasaz Niepolda is a popular meeting place for young people. Enthusiasts of modernism should definitely pay a visit to Hala Ludowa (Centennial Hall), which in 1913 was the largest reinforced concrete construction in the world.
 
The Zurek Copyright © Sisterscom.com, Shutterstock 
Polish cuisine
Fruit of the fusion of different cultures, it has diversified over the years in the various regions. Typical dishes to try are: Zurek (rye flour soup, accompanied by hard-boiled egg and cured meats), Barszcz bialy or czerwony (white or red beetroot soup), Bigos (soup with different types of meat, sauerkraut and spices), Kotlet schabowy (pork cutlet), Kotlet mielony (cutlet with minced meat), pierogi, flaczki (tripe), kluski ziemniaczane (similar to potato dumplings) and placki ziemniaczne (potato pancakes).

Text by Lisa Maria River
Avion Tourism Magazine
Photos: Copyright © Sisterscom.com, Shutterstock
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Video: www.polska.travel
 
 
 
Tourism Board
www.visitwroclaw.eu 
www.poland.travel

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Where to sleep in Wroclaw
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Wroclaw is a welcoming city and offers different possibilities for accommodation.
To find the ideal hotel and the best offers you can do a search for the stars but also for districts or landmarks.
 
WHERE TO GO in Wroclaw
Monuments of Wroclaw
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MARKET SQUARE

The Market Square is the heart of Wroclaw and is the greatest urban layouts of its kind in Europe. Traced in 13th century is the second main square in size in Poland (208x175 m). The square is surrounded with sixty five beautiful, antique houses with different name. In the centre of the square there is City Hall, an unique monument of lay, Gothic architecture. In the evening, the Market Square in Wroclaw changes into a bustling and busy centre, where you can enjoy your time in numerous restaurants, cafes and gardens.

 
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UNIVERSITY

The University is situated in the largest Baroque building complex of the city, consisting of a former Jesuit college and church. It is the oldest school in Wroclaw, in 2002 it celebrated its 300th anniversary. The main building houses the Museum of the University of Wroclaw, where is the gem of Lower Silesian baroque - the Aula Leopoldina. Lovers of sciences will certainly be interested in the former astronomic observatory, situated in the Mathematical Tower, and its old equipment, a fourteenth-century astrolabe, celestial globe dating from the 16th century, a sundial from F. Longchamps de Berier.

 
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RACLAWICE PANORAMA

One of the must-see objects is the Racławice Panorama; visited daily by about 1600 guests is the largest painting in Poland, a masterpiece. The piece is 15x120 metres. Painted by Jan Styka and Wojciech Kossak, it commemorates the hundredth anniversary of the Kościuszko Uprising. It is a unique representation of the battle of Racławice, of April the 4th 1794.

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CENTENNIAL HALL 

It is widely considered one of the most important works of the 20th century architecture. Previous name, Peoples Hall, it was designed by an outstanding architect, Max Berg and it was built in 1913, for the occasion of a hundredth anniversary of battle of Leipzig. This ferroconcrete structure has a vault 1.5 times larger than the dome of the Roman Pantheon, and the weight of the Hall is only 42% of the mass of the Pantheon. It is the place of both regional and international congresses, as well as commercial, sports and cultural events.

 
Museums of Wroclaw
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NATIONAL MUSEUM

The National Museum in Wroclaw occupies the building designed by architect Karl Friedrich Endell and erected between 1883 and 1886. Museum was established on 28 March 1947 as the State Museum and on 11 July 1948 it was officially inaugurated to the public. The oldest collections come from previous German museums and certain sacral objects of Wroclaw and the Lower Silesia. Subsequently new collections were created.

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ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM 

 

The Museum of Archeology was established in 1815 initially with private and post-secular archeological collections. The museum houses monuments representing all epochs and periods, from the late Stone Age (500,000 years ago) to modern times (19th century). The museum continues to expand its collection with objects from the excavations that preceded the renovation of Wroclaw's Old Town. The museum is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe.

 

Excursions in Wroclaw
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SZCZYTNICKI PARKS
The oldest and the largest in the city, it was established in 1785 as a private garden in the Stare Szczytniki estate, later it was connected with a municipal park. The main attraction of the park s the Japanese Garden, established in 1913, then rebuilt many times. Arboretum, beautiful rhododendron groves, rose garden reveal a different face in different seasons, only the elements of Japanese architecture are unchanging. 
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CASTELLO DI KSIAZ

Da Breslavia si può fare un'escursione di circa 8 ore per scoprire i luoghi più famosi della regione Bassa Slesia. Da ammirare le Chiese della Pace a Jawor e Swidnica, dichiarate Patrimonio mondiale dell'Umanità dall'UNESCO, e infine il magnifico Castello Ksiaz, il terzo più grande della Polonia che risale al XIII secolo con torri e terrazze in stile francese e giardini.


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