Wrocław

Wrocław (pronounced VROHTS-wahf ''; also known as Breslau, its German name, and English name until 1945) is the largest city in Lower Silesia in Poland. It is home to 674,000 people within the city limits (2022) and the metropolitan area has a population of 1.3 million making it the largest city in Western Poland.

Wrocław is the historic capital of Silesia and it has changed hands repeatedly over the centuries. At different points throughout history, Wrocław has been in the Kingdom of Poland, Bohemia, the Austrian Empire, Prussia and Germany. In 1945 the city became a part of Poland again as the borders of Poland were moved westwards in the immediate aftermath of World War II. The city came to international fame as it hosted a number of football matches during the Euro 2012 Championships and was one of the 2016 European Capitals of Culture. The World Games took place in Wrocław in 2017.

History
Like many cities in Central Europe, it is a city with a troubled past, having seen a lot of violence and devastation. Prior to the Second World War, Breslau was the capital of the German province of Prussian Lower Silesia. It became Polish territory when, after the War, the Soviets moved the German/Polish border westward to the Oder/Neisse Line and ethnically cleansed the area of its overwhelmingly German population through mass expulsion. Breslau was almost completely destroyed during the end of the War as the Red Army fought its way into Germany towards Berlin, being declared a "Fortress City" by Adolf Hitler. However, since the end of the Communist regime in 1989 it has been wonderfully restored and can now be counted among the highlights of Poland and of all Central Europe.

Talk
The official language is Polish. The city is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination, and serves as Poland's secondary financial services centre (after Warsaw). Thus, you should be able to a find sufficient number of English speakers to get by. German is probably much more widely spoken and understood here than in other regions of Poland.

Tourist information
There are two tourist information points on the main market square (Rynek). There is a tourist information in the main railway station.

By plane


Is served by:
 * LOT - Warsaw
 * KLM - Amsterdam Schiphol
 * Lufthansa - Frankfurt Airport, Munich Airport
 * Scandinavian Airlines - Copenhagen Airport
 * Ryanair - Brussels-Charleroi, Cork, Dublin, Girona, Glasgow-Prestwick, Leeds-Bradford, Liverpool, London-Stansted, Malta, Nottingham/East Midlands, Rome-Ciampino, Shannon, Treviso, Sofia
 * Wizz Air - Doncaster/Sheffield, Dortmund, Eindhoven, London-Luton, Birmingham

From the airport, bus 106 operates from the terminal building to central Wrocław during daytime roughly every twenty minutes. There is also a night bus 206. The night bus will take approximately one hour to get to the city centre. If you are not sure how to get to your final destination in Wrocław by public transport, it might be helpful to use the journey planner. Single-ride tickets from Wrocław Airport to the city center cost 4,60 zł (or 2,30 zł for students or ISIC/EURO 26 holders) and can be purchased at the automatic ticket vending machine at the stop or on board.

At night, some of the bus 206 services operate on the same route as bus 106.

A taxi to the city centre or train station will cost around 45-60 zł during the daytime.

By train


Wrocław is a major hub on the Polish rail network, with several trains a day to all large Polish cities (route planner).



There are about ten daily arrivals from Warsaw. Travel time varies from 3½ hours by the new high speed trains, up to almost 7 hours with a TLK (cheap) train.

Several trains a day arrive from Kraków. There are quite a lot of trains from Poznań, which itself receives trains from Szczecin, Bydgoszcz, and Berlin.

As of July 2021 the train from Berlin to Kraków and the overnight train from Berlin to Vienna both call at Wrocław and operate daily. Travel time is around 4½ hours from Berlin or 7 hours overnight from Vienna.

To get to Wrocław from Dresden take the train to Zgorzelec just across the border operated by Trilex. From there Polish trains run to Wrocław, taking about 4h to cover the distance between Dresden and Wrocław.

By bus
All international and national buses stop at the PKS Centrum station which is located directly behind the main train station (timetable; click "Odjazdy autobusów z Dworca Centralnego PKS").

Wrocław is a stop on the Eurolines international coach network.

FlixBus operates routes to Prague and Warsaw (via Łódź). Tickets are only available online, but traveling with them is comfortable. Buses are brand new and free Wi-Fi is available on board. Tickets are cheap when bought in advance. One-way tickets are available from 1 zł (plus 1 zł for reservation). They also operate buses to and from Krakow about once an hour.

Given the state of the railway connection to/from Germany (see above) several providers of Intercity buses in Germany (including Deutsche Bahn) also serve Wroclaw, mostly from Berlin and Dresden, with some making intermediate stops.

Get around
The centre of Wrocław is navigable on foot, but the city has an excellent public-transport system for access to the suburbs and outlying attractions, with 57 bus lines, 22 tram lines and 13 night bus lines. As well as that, taxis are readily available and quite affordable, even for those on a budget.

By bus or tram
Details on how to travel around Wrocław and ticket types and prices. You can also use the journey planner.

Tickets
There are two types of tickets: A reduced fare is available and costs 50% of the regular fare. Pupils of Polish schools under the age of 21 and seniors aged 65 and over ride for free. A proof of age or a school ID is needed.
 * Single-ride tickets cost 4,60 zł. These tickets are not time-based or route-based - you must pay each time you enter a different vehicle.
 * Period tickets:
 * 15-minutes for 3,20 zł,
 * 30-minutes for 4 zł,
 * 60-minutes for 5,20 zł,
 * 90-minutes for 7 zł,
 * 24-hours for 15 zł,
 * 48-hours for 26 zł,
 * 72-hours for 32 zł,
 * 168-hours (7-days) 54 zł.

You must validate all tickets on boarding the bus or tram, or you'll face a 150 zł fine (plus the price of a ticket) if caught by an inspector (100 zł if paid within 7 days). A period ticket only needs to validated on the first vehicle that you board. After that, you just need to keep it on you for inspection.

Tickets are sold in lots of places. Look for "Ruch" kiosks, post offices. You should be able to buy them in most newsagents also. In the city centre you can find lots of ticket machines offering all types of tickets.

In every bus and tram there is a ticket machine installed too. Payment is only possible by credit or debit card (Visa/MasterCard/American Express). Maestro cards are not accepted. The ticket machine on the bus or tram does not print your ticket – the ticket is coded on your payment card. The validity of the ticket (this service is particularly useful in time tickets) can be checked in the ticket machine.

Transporting baggage and animals requires no additional ticket.

If you're planning to stay longer, check out the Urbancard offer.

Route numbers

 * 0-79 &mdash; trams
 * A,C,D,E,K,N &mdash; express buses (ticket costs 3.20 zł)
 * 100-149 &mdash; normal buses
 * 3xx &mdash; normal buses, peak hours only
 * 4xx &mdash; fast buses
 * 6xx &mdash; suburban buses (if outside town, ticket costs 3.20 zł)
 * 240-259 &mdash; night buses (ticket costs 3.20 zł)

By taxi

 * List of taxi companies.

By bicycle
Between April and November you can rent bicycles at about 70 locations throughout the city with the Wroclaw City Bike (Wrocławski Rower Miejski, WRM) system which is operated by Nextbike Polska on behalf of the city. You need to register once online and pay an initial fee of 10 zł. For the first 20 min you can then use the bicycles for free. 20- to 40-min rental periods cost 2 zł and every additional hour costs 4 zł. A customer service office for questions or registration is on ul. Świętego Antoniego 8 (open Tu 06:00-16:00, Th 11:00-21:00). Customer service can also called on +48 71 738 1111 or +48 71 715 2772.

Museums

 * National Museum branches:
 * City Museum of Wrocław has several subsidiaries:
 * City Museum of Wrocław has several subsidiaries:
 * City Museum of Wrocław has several subsidiaries:
 * City Museum of Wrocław has several subsidiaries:
 * City Museum of Wrocław has several subsidiaries:

Do

 * Football: Śląsk Wrocław play soccer in Ekstraklasa, Poland's top tier. Their home ground (capacity 45,000) is Stadion Wrocław or Tarczyński Arena, 6 km northwest of city centre. The 2025 UEFA Europa Conference League final will be played there, probably on 28 May 2025, tbc.
 * Football: Śląsk Wrocław play soccer in Ekstraklasa, Poland's top tier. Their home ground (capacity 45,000) is Stadion Wrocław or Tarczyński Arena, 6 km northwest of city centre. The 2025 UEFA Europa Conference League final will be played there, probably on 28 May 2025, tbc.
 * Football: Śląsk Wrocław play soccer in Ekstraklasa, Poland's top tier. Their home ground (capacity 45,000) is Stadion Wrocław or Tarczyński Arena, 6 km northwest of city centre. The 2025 UEFA Europa Conference League final will be played there, probably on 28 May 2025, tbc.
 * Football: Śląsk Wrocław play soccer in Ekstraklasa, Poland's top tier. Their home ground (capacity 45,000) is Stadion Wrocław or Tarczyński Arena, 6 km northwest of city centre. The 2025 UEFA Europa Conference League final will be played there, probably on 28 May 2025, tbc.
 * Football: Śląsk Wrocław play soccer in Ekstraklasa, Poland's top tier. Their home ground (capacity 45,000) is Stadion Wrocław or Tarczyński Arena, 6 km northwest of city centre. The 2025 UEFA Europa Conference League final will be played there, probably on 28 May 2025, tbc.
 * Football: Śląsk Wrocław play soccer in Ekstraklasa, Poland's top tier. Their home ground (capacity 45,000) is Stadion Wrocław or Tarczyński Arena, 6 km northwest of city centre. The 2025 UEFA Europa Conference League final will be played there, probably on 28 May 2025, tbc.

With children
Some free public playgrounds:



Learn
Polish for foreigners is taught in several schools.

Work
Wrocław is a major financial services centre, with headquarters of several companies from the sector, most importantly the Getin Holding.

Budget


Cultural note: the "bars" listed below are in fact self-service canteens, known as milk bars (bar mleczny), offering inexpensive and traditional Polish meals. They are a gastronomic and cultural experience. They should be open even on national holidays. Expect short queues.

Drink


There are many different clubs and pubs in Wroclaw. Most of them are located in the centre of the old town, many good ones however, are situated a few crossings from the Town Square, not within its borders. The Town Square mostly contains some not very specific, quite expensive restaurants, although it is worth mentioning the Spiż Cellar, an interesting mini-brewery with a few tasty kinds of locally made beer and a unique interior design. There are also two discos that are popular among fans of house/techno music - Daytona and Związki. However, pub-wanderers, who want to meet interesting people and/or get involved in some discussions will probably enjoy places situated in some less obvious locations than right in the Town Square. Good examples of such places are:



There are plenty of other clubs and pubs in Wroclaw. It's a great adventure to explore them because most have their own specific style and atmosphere.

Budget

 * International Youth Hostels
 * Premiere Classe Wroclaw Centrum
 * International Youth Hostels
 * Premiere Classe Wroclaw Centrum
 * International Youth Hostels
 * Premiere Classe Wroclaw Centrum
 * Premiere Classe Wroclaw Centrum
 * Premiere Classe Wroclaw Centrum
 * Premiere Classe Wroclaw Centrum
 * Premiere Classe Wroclaw Centrum
 * Premiere Classe Wroclaw Centrum
 * Premiere Classe Wroclaw Centrum

Mid-range

 * Campanile Wroclaw Centrum
 * Orbis Hotel Wroclaw
 * Hotel im. Jana Pawła II
 * HP Park Plaza
 * Best Western Hotel Prima Wrocław
 * Novotel Wrocław
 * HP Park Plaza
 * Best Western Hotel Prima Wrocław
 * Novotel Wrocław

Splurge

 * The Granary - La Suite Hotel
 * Europeum Hotel
 * Puro Hotel
 * Mercure Wrocław Centrum
 * The Granary - La Suite Hotel
 * Europeum Hotel
 * Puro Hotel
 * Mercure Wrocław Centrum

Medical tourism
Wroclaw is also popular destination for medical tourism. A lot of experienced and trustworthy plastic surgeons work in Wroclaw. The most popular aesthetic surgeries in Wroclaw are: breast enlargement, liposuction, tummy tuck and rhinoplasty. These clinics specialize in treating foreign patients:


 * Prestige
 * Coramed
 * Noa Clinic
 * Medicus Self

Stay safe
Wrocław, like most of Poland, is a very safe city but you should exercise the usual caution and keep guard of your valuables especially around crowded places or places popular with tourists like the main train station or the town square (Rynek).

Connect
As of Aug 2022 city centre has 5G from all Polish carriers, while outlying districts and the approach highways have 4G. Wifi is widely available in public places.

Consulates

 * 🇪🇺 EU
 * 🇩🇪 Germany


 * 🇺🇦 Ukraine

Go next

 * Świdnica &mdash; interesting old town, UNESCO Heritage Peace Church.
 * Bolesławiec &mdash; some 100 km (60 mi) away, the place to shop for porcelain, with a nearby Kliczków Castle converted to a hotel.
 * Jawor &mdash; UNESCO Heritage Peace Church.
 * Gola Dzierżoniowska Castle &mdash; a beautiful castle less than 50 km South of Wroclaw.
 * Jelenia Góra &mdash; a town of hot springs just twenty minutes away from the mountains.
 * Wałbrzych &mdash; to visit the nearby Książ Castle.
 * Niemcza, about 50 km to the south, is a small town with a larger historical importance and a row of lovely Baroque buildings on the Rynek (Market Square).