Visit Wrocław and Lower Silesia
Welcome to a place that knows no boredom. A place where it’s great to live and where it’s also wonderful to visit. The Lower Silesia Voivodship, bordering with Germany and the Czech Republic, is a kind of “Europe in a nutshell”.
Wroclaw is a place worth seeing closely. Here, a varied landscape with an extraordinary atmosphere of cities and towns, attracting tourists not only with numerous monuments, but also attractive prices – from underground to mountain peaks. It’s worth getting them all.
City of Wrocław
The capital city of Lower Silesia, the fourth biggest city in Poland, is not only a dynamic economic centre, but also one of the most beautiful cities in Poland.
The cultural offer of Wrocław can compete with that of other European metropolises. Its magnificent Market Square, as well as boulevards along the Oder River invite you for walks day and at night; at night you may admire breath-taking illuminations of bridges and monuments at the Oder.
Thousands of tourists who visit our city more and more willingly are the best testimony to openness and hospitality of Wrocław inhabitants.
Ostrów Tumski
Ostrów Tumski is an island and the oldest part of Wrocław. Surrounded by the River Oder, this former garden, which gave rise to the city of Wrocław, is now featuring a number of impressive monuments. The most prominent monuments include the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist (restored after World War II), the Holy Cross and Saint Bartholomew’s Collegiate, which is a unique two-storey brick basilica.
Located on the island is also the Archdiocese Museum, which for more than one hundred years has been collecting sacred art, including the celebrated Book of Henryków. Dated to the 13th–14th centuries, the book is known to feature the first sentence to have ever been recorded in Polish (the document was listed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register). This is the only place is Wrocław where you can see a lamplighter turning on the gas lamps at dusk.
The Hydropolis
The Hydropolis, or Wrocław’s centre for environmental education, is one of the largest centres of this kind in Europe. It is also the only centre in Poland that showcases almost all types of aquatic environment. The visitors can choose from over 70 different interactive features and multimedia installations.
The Wroclaw ZOO
The Wrocław Zoo is the oldest and largest Polish zoo (considering the number of species). The Zoo features both historic facilities, including the bear tower, elephant house and monkey house, and modern pavilions such as the Afrykarium, which is a unique complex showcasing a variety of Africa’s aquatic habitats.
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Lower Silesia
Our Voivodeship is a region famous for its mysteries. As the slogan „Discover Lower Silesia” suggests, you will find treasures and secrets here which are best enjoyed when you discover them personally.
Lower Silesia is about complicated history, clashing and overlapping influence of many nationalities and cultures which left beautiful heritage. The most valuable of historical monuments include the Churches of Peace in Świdnica and Jawor and the Centennial Hall in Wrocław, both entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as well as the Paper Mill in Duszniki Zdrój aspiring to be on that prestigious list. These are just the top of the mountain of Lower Silesia attractions, and this mountain is worth climbing.
Bewildering undergrounds are a special attraction of the region. One of the most important underground monuments is the Underground Osówka Town in the Owl Mountains. During World War II, it was a part of the Riese project (German for „Giant”) which commenced in 1943 when a network of underground halls and passages was built.
Mystery hunters will also be delighted with the undergrounds of the Książ Castle – still unexplored and only recently made available for tourists. A network of passages was carved in the rock during the War, reaching even 50 meters into the rock. Right before the arrival of the Soviet Army, the tunnels were mined. Since that time, the underground labyrinth has been stirring the imagination of generations of explorers. Some of them are certain that this is where the Amber Room has been hidden.
Lower Silesia undergrounds worth visiting also include the Bear Cave of Kletno or the Gold Mine in Złoty Stok – especially popular with the youngest tourists.
One must not forget the castles and palaces of Lower Silesia. This region has the most castles and palaces in Poland, most of them renovated and enchanting with their beauty – anyone can feel like a member of a noble family! Most of these architectural highlights are located in the Palace and Garden Hollow in the Jelenia Góra Valley. This is the only place where you can visit almost thirty palaces, castles and manors located near each other.
Don’t forget to visit the third largest castle in Poland – Książ, or the Czocha Castle, which reminds of the fabulous Harry Potter’s Hogwart.
Lower Silesia’s geography and history draw fans of various forms of recreation. You can visit the caves, climb mountains, take advantage of amazing biking trails in spring and summer, or discover true white madness in winter. Largest winter sport centres in Lower Silesia include Szklarska Poręba and Karpacz in the Karkonosze Mountains, Świeradów-Zdrój in the Izera Mountains, the Czarna Góra centre in the Śnieżnik Mountains, and Zieleniec in the Eagle Mountains.
The Sudetes are a paradise for cross-country skiing lovers. The Piast skiing marathon, the largest cross-country skiing event in Poland takes place in the Jakuszycka Glade in the Izera Mountains, with participants from all around the world. The Jakuszycka Glade is not only famous for outstanding ski runs but also for excellent weather conditions. The snow here usually remains up until May!
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