Upon arrival in Wroclaw (pronounced Wroch-wav) we spent three hours with a fabulous local guide who shared much of the city’s history, points of interest, and insights into the way of life here and its people. For example, following the 2022 Russian invasion, the city’s Ukrainian population increased significantly, by about 29% with overall numbers surpassing 115,000. The city’s personality is that of a friendly nature and they have been used to many invasions and influxes of foreigners over the years – during German times Wroclaw was known as Breslau.
This is another beautiful Polish city, which was mostly destroyed during World War II and has been painstakingly reconstructed. It has a beautiful large main square with huge and ornate town hall in the center.
Seeing the Racławicka Panorama was a great way to start my day – as I took a break from the tour to do my own thing! It’s a fantastic artwork painted in the 1890’s to celebrate the Battle of Racławice. The canvas is 15m x 120m and is housed in a special rotunda building. Although the Poles ultimately lost their struggle, it was a famous victory of Polish independence fighters over the Russian Empire a 100 years earlier (in 1794). During the war it was rolled onto a 15m canister and hidden.
Next up was the Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene, which features the Witches Bridge. I climbed the 241 steps to the bridge for fabulous views of the old town center and the entire city of Wroclaw.
There are seven rivers flowing through Wrocław, even though it is commonly referred to as the city of five rivers. There are several islands and many bridges – giving it the name of Venice of the North. I walked from the University back alongside the River Oder to our hotel.
Some of the dwarfs around Wroclaw
