Corina Moscovich: 10.07.15

10.7.15

P5. Wroclaw, Poland (Breslavia, Polonia)

Wroclaw is a very pretty town and in a way it feels like it takes it for granted.

The images you can Google about this part of Poland will already make you feel like travelling here. Once here you can't believe it's true.

Town Hall, restored Market Square (social and cultural centre)

Regarding transportation Wroclaw is a hub for Polski bus and it also boasts an easy to use tram system.

Wroclaw Glowny train station

Prague, Krakow and Wroclaw are the 3 Eastern Europe' s top tourist destinations. Wroclaw has a population of 634.000 inhabitants. (4th after Warsaw, Krakow and Lodz).

Wroclaw is a university town with 5 different universities and many other technical and vocational training schools.

Wroclaw has an area of almost 293 square kilometers and it's the largest city in Lower Silesia.

Place Solny (Flower Market 24/7).

The weather started to change when I arrived to Wroclaw. Just when the city tour was about to start, we all had to wait under a shelter as it started to rain like hell. Then, it was super wet, then sunny again...

Corner of ul. Pilsudskiego and ul. Swidnicka→The anonymous pedestrians (Jerzy Kalina): these lifelike bronze statues descending into the ground are a memorial to the introduction of the Martial Law (1981) and the people who disappeared in the middle of the night.

It reminds me of the Tarot card "The judgement"

As the temperature was below 30, I decided to try my first Zupa in Poland. I went to ZZ top, as suggested by "W. In your pocket" and oh, my God! It was amazing. Soooo yummy and fresh.

In Wroclaw English was not "abundant" but it was OK. By the time I had to leave the town, it was quite difficult to find the "Polski bus stop" as "Polski" means Polish, therefore, it's confusing!

Elizabeth' s Church (viewing point from the top):
To go up it costs 5 zl. and 290 staircase steps! (Utrecht tower is still my favourite one though).

Views from top of St. Elizabeth's Church

The Old Town also includes the "District of Mutual Respect" (places of worship of 4 kinds).

The only synagogue in Wroclaw to escape the torches of Kristallnacht is the "White Stork Synagogue". It was built in 1829, taking its name from the inn that once stood in its place.
Almost hidden from view in a courtyard between ul. Antoniego and ul. Wlodowika, nowadays its neighbourhood is full of bear gardens, bohemians and intellectuals (Would be ideal with wine gardens though).
Sadly, it was there that members of the Jewish community were rounded up for deployment to the death camps during WWII.

My friend Achim from Bonn told me that his grandpa came from Waldenburg

Powodzenia (Good luck!)

PETITE SURPRISE: There are over 300 mini sculptures of gnomes in the city centre. (Some adults are also fascinated by them)

Poland has always been famous for graphic design.

History of Wroclaw written with "shining letters" (long luminous gas tubes)
Neon signage was prolific in the People' s Republic of Poland during the Cold War era. Today, neon is back in vogue and the country's signs are being restored. Wroclaw is still home to some of Poland's most iconic and photographed neon signs.