The capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship is one of the largest and most visited by tourist cities in Poland. Built on the Odra river, Wrocław takes pride of a long history and wonderful monuments, among which the Old Town with Ostrów Tumski and the UNESCO Centennial Hall in Szczytnicki Park are the most significant. The symbol of the city are gnomes figurines, which can be found in several hundred places around the city.
The origins of Wrocław date back to the 9th-10th centuries, and the first buildings of the city were situated on Ostrów Tumski. Today, there is a monumental Gothic cathedral and buildings of the curia, the episcopal palace and other church institutions located there. Going in the direction of the Old Town, you can cross the Sand Island and the bridge, where lovers hang hundreds of padlocks with their initials as a symbol of eternal love. Just behind the river are situated the baroque buildings of the university and the Ossolineum building - an institution moved here from Lviv after the Second World War. Its garden is one of the most beautiful corners of the old part of Wrocław.
The Wrocław Market Square is a large, cobbled square surrounded by tenements with fronts in baroque, classicist or Art Nouveau style. Its central part is occupied by one of the largest medieval town halls in Europe. A walking distance form the Market Square there is another valuable monument of the city - the Racławice Panorama. Brought here from Lviv after World War II, the painting of Jan Styka and Wojciech Kossak is displayed in a circular building in the vicinity of the National Museum.
The second group of attractions in Wrocław is located a bit further from the center, by the Oława river. These include Szczytnicki Park with Centennial Hall, Pergola, Japanese Garden and a multimedia fountain, one of the largest and oldest Polish Zoological Gardens and a modern science center devoted to water - Hydropolis. Visiting Wrocław may be accompanied by the search for its symbols - gnomes, of which over 300 are located in various places around the city.
