Sightseeing in Wrocław, Poland: Best Things to Do in the City

I arrived by train to the station Wroclaw Glowny from the city of Krakow. (The route continued onward to Berlin, Germany.) If you are traveling around Poland, I highly recommend downloading the KOLEO app to book tickets and view all train connections.

How to get around Wrocław itself?

The Old Town is very walkable. However, if you are going outside the city center there’s plenty of buses and trams.

If you do just one thing in Wroclaw let it be this. Visit the Panorama Racławicka. It’s a large 19th century painting depicting the Battle of Racławice, that gets viewed in a circular theater with narration of each scene.

In true Wroclaw fashion, a dwarf will welcome you at the front door of the museum.

Originally created as a tribute to the city’s anti-communist Orange Alternative movement in the 1980s. Nowadays there’s so many cute bronze dwarves located around the city of Wrocław. Spotting them is very easy as they are typically located in front of businesses. However, a lot of gift shops sell a scavenger type guide for the dwarves.

Explore the market square, check out the Old Town Hall and admire the colorful townhouses. It’s the perfect area for people watching in every season, from summer all the way through the winter Christmas markets.

Museums can be a hit or miss. But the National Museum is one of the city’s main art museums, with extensive collections of Polish art. I really enjoyed that the museum focused on the history of this particular region of Poland (despite the National in its name). I discovered so many new artists from every century of Wroclaw.

A historic institution founded in 1702. Its baroque main building features ornate halls, grand staircases, and the famous Mathematical Tower, which offers panoramic views of the city. Check out the museum on campus too!

There are so many viewpoint options in the city of Wroclaw. My favorites are the two church towers:
⚲ Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
⚲ St. Elizabeth’s Church

The viewpoint from St. Elizabeth’s Church is located right by the market square as shown on the left picture. Whereas the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is in the Ostrow Tumiski neighborhood.

Take a stroll around Ostrow Tumiski neighborhood. It’s the oldest section of the city with many beautiful parks and pathways. Along the way from the main square take a look inside the historical Wrocław Market Hall.

The bronze statues of people crossing the street in Wrocław is meant to symbolize the struggles and resilience of everyday citizens during Poland’s communist era. The figures appear to disappear on one side of the street and emerge on the other, representing transition and hope during a time of political change.

Location: Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego 56, 50-033 Wrocław, Poland

Off the beaten path is the neighborhood of Nadodrze. I heard that you could find street art around here, but it took me a little bit of time to locate. It turns out that the artwork is hidden away inside the court yards of the apartment complexes.

Use the Google map point to get yourself to the general area where you can then start exploring.

Go on a full day excursion right outside of Wroclaw to the foothills of the Giants Mountains. See the Siedlecin Tower House, 19th-century mansion in the Valley of Palaces and Gardens and the Vang Stave Church.