Wroclaw (Poland) > Reviews > A hidden gem

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money
Sightseeing
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around

Advantages:	City centre buildings, hidden gems, prices, people
Disadvantages:	Try to imagine that you are in the 1930s and there are no disadvantages

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I have spent the last two weeks in Poland at an academic conference and summer school. The conference was in the city of Wroclaw in Western Poland.

I was apprehensive about staying in Poland because
a) I new very little about the country
b) people who had been told me how poor it was

On the positive side, I have a Polish friend who confirms all of the Polish stereotypes I've ever heard: he's built like an out-house, he is the friendliest, most dependable person I know and he likes a drink.

Wroclaw is a large city, the capital of the department of Lower Silesia which has passed from Czech to German to Polish hands through the years. This has added to Wroclaw's charms.

The suburbs of Wroclaw are dull, grey and concrete but there is an excellent public transport system (busses and trams) which can get you to the city centre quickly enough.

The main square is a revelation: every second building is a cafe/bar and the buildings themselves are magnigficent. They are about five stories high and brightly painted (blue, green, yellow, classical figures). It all seemed strangley familiar to me and a phone call home reminded me that I had seen similar sights in Denmark. Others said that it reminded them of Holland.

So in this beautiful setting you might fancy a drink and a bite to eat, but are a little afraid of paying tourist prices. This is Poland, there are no tourist prices! Half a litre of beer is about 64p, a large steak with all the trimmings comes to maybe two pounds. Feeling homesick? Fancy a pizza? Go to Pizza Hut (I'm afraid so) and pay two pounds for a meal tht would cost ten in the UK.

Away from the centre there is still plenty to see, but the surprise is that it is not advertised. Go to the Tourist Information office and find out, because the buildings themselves don't let on what is inside. We went to the old university to see Leopoldina's hall. It was a real mental barrier to go through an unmarked door from the street! Once inside you cn expect to pay about three zlotties (60p) for entrance. It is absolutely incredible - imagine the most elaborate Catholic church, full of statues and frescoes. Now imagine it all packed into a small chapel with a low roof. the difference is that the statues and paintings are not of religious figures, but men of knowledge: Euclid, Hippocrates and a number of more recent characters. On the roof is a painting of the Greek Gods - there is no blank space - it is completely filled with Gods. The meaning behind this room is that as one gains knowledge, one is lifted up into the Gods. Well worth seeing.

Polish people look a little sad in the street, but then I work in Coventry, so it didn't affect me too much. When you actually meet Polish people (I know its a wild generalisation, but its the best I can do) you find that they are genuine and friendly. All this despite a country which has a massive 'hole' in its budget which is being corrected with periodic tax rises. Despite this, I have discovered that Poland has become a lot more wealthy than even five years ago. In the streets you can expect to see Mercedes and Volvos (alongside the older FSOs, Skodas and Ladas).

The longer that I spent in the outskirts of the city, the more I thought it reminded me of the outskirts of Paris (or any European city). Although time under communism has not added to Wroclaw's architectural charms, it has also not taken them away. During WW2, a great deal of Wroclaw (formerly Breslau as part of Germany) had been damaged, including the Old University and the numerous churches around the city. To Wroclaw's credit these have been rebuilt in the original style from photographs and memories and the city is much richer for having done so.

A little out of the city, the countryside is full of people living off the land. In the UK an allotment is a hobby, in Poland it's somewhere to grow vegetables, keep some chickens, maybe a goat, all to improve the standard of living. My impression was of a life which disappeared in the UK after the second world war, to be replaced by supermarkets and DIY shops. Something that seemed odd to me was seeing young people shopping at a fruit market, it just doesn't happen in the UK any more.

In summary, Wroclaw was refreshing as a tourist destination. Evening entertainment is of the pubs/clubs type, but no worse for this - they seem to know how to enjoy themselves in a way that seems more aggressive in the UK. I didn't manage to go to the opera and theatre, but the city is proud of both.

I'd like to raise a glass to Wroclaw: see you soon.