Poland was one of the countries that I have always wanted to visit. The problem was choosing where we wanted to head to first. We finally picked Wroclaw because it made sense on our travel route. In retrospect, is Wroclaw worth visiting? I would say yes because the city has so much to offer. It surpassed all my expectations and then some.
One of the things that I must note while writing this post is that we traveled with two kids who were 5 years and 3 years old at the time. So we were a bit curtailed by how far we walked.
Despite all this we found that the city was fun. In fact because of all the little dwarves across the city, the children enjoyed it more than most of the other cities we visited and they certainly preferred it to Krakow.
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Table of Contents
Is Wroclaw Worth Visiting – The Pros
Very Child Friendly
Wroclaw is definitely one of the most child friendly cities that I have been to in Europe. Not only do the locals go out of their way to be kind to children, the city itself is designed to fascinate children.
There are numerous metal dwarves that are scattered across the city. Maps have been designed based on these dwarves and each one is set next to an iconic monument or gives you a bit of information about the history of the city.
We bought our map from one of the souvenir shops and the kids had to identify the dwarves before placing the right sticker on a numbered spot.
We rarely got any complaints of tiredness and we easily covered the whole city. One of the interesting things about the map is that it took us through alleys we would normally not have wandered through.
So is Wroclaw worth visiting with kids? I would say definitely!
Lots Of Great Food
Is Wroclaw worth visiting if you are a foodie?
Poland is known for its cuisine. While Krakow and Warsaw are definitely bigger cities with a lot of cool restaurants, I found Wroclaw very cozy. The restaurants here make you feel like you are headed out for a big family meal. This is especially true if you head out of the main touristy area in the main square. Restaurants in Wroclaw that serve up authentic Polish cuisine is truly where the vibe is at.
If you do get a chance, try out one of the milk bars in the city. They are frequented by locals and have the best food. They are also great value for money. A great tip is to know the names of some of the Polish dishes you would like to try before you go because everything is written in Polish here.
Plenty of Good And Cheap Accommodation
Since Wroclaw is a smaller city, accommodation here is a bit cheaper. It was relatively easy to find something that wouldn’t break the bank for a family and pretty close to the center of the city too. I still recommend booking in advance around the holidays for the best deals though.
Is Wroclaw worth visiting if you are on a budget? I think that the combination of cheap and good accommodation with delicious food at budget prices puts it right up on the list of good budget friendly spots in Europe.
Great Cafes
Cafe culture is a big thing in Wroclaw. There are loads of cafes and some make excellent spots for breakfast in the city. Many of the cafes are known for their novelty coffees that are imported from all over the world. While coffees are popular, what we really loved was the tea in Poland.
After living our lives in India, tea is pretty central in our diets and we love a good brand of tea. Polish tea however is made of a variety of different herbs and fruits. Many of which are foraged from the forests. The taste however is divine. We tried out so many during our stay.
Vibrant Nightlife
Despite traveling with young children we had a couple of opportunities to enjoy the nightlife of Wroclaw. From a lively square where there is always some street performance going on to a number of great bars and pubs, there are plenty of options to choose from. We opted for the Harry Porter themed bar aka Pub Pod Trzema Miotłami and loved the experience.
One point worth noting is that they had a variety of both alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks in the pubs so it was easy to take the kids in. Plus there were plenty of board games and interactive displays to enjoy.
Lots Of Museums And History
Wroclaw, like most European cities, has a lot of history attached to it. There are also a number of museums here. You have to actually pick and choose which ones you want to visit because it is impossible to visit them all during a short trip. Not if you want to do justice to them that is.
We chose to visit the University museum of Wroclaw. That in itself took us a lot of time to cover and it was fascinating not just because of what it contained but because the building itself was magnificent.
The Architecture Is Gorgeous
Is it worth visiting Wroclaw for the architecture? I would say yes because many of the buildings are old and just gorgeous. The Minor Basilica of St. ELizabeth is one such example. If you are at the main square of Wroclaw, you will walk through a small arch and suddenly find yourself in front of a rather imposing building. The tower of which you can climb to survey the city below. It’s a long way up but the view is gorgeous.
The central square too holds a number of noteworthy buildings including the Wroclaw Town Hall and the city museum of Wroclaw. The buildings that surround these structures are also pretty interesting, though I found that it was hard to just focus on one spot because I was overwhelmed.
Potential For Day Trips
Wroclaw is a great spot to stay in if you want to head out on day trips. Some of the popular spots that you can head to (depending on the weather of course!) are Barycz Valley Landscape park, the Timber framed Peace churches in Świdnica and Jawor which are a UNESCO Heritage site , Karkonosze National Park etc.
Is Wroclaw Worth Visiting – The Downside
It’s A Small City
I was hard pressed to find a downside to visiting Wroclaw because I really really loved the place. The only thing that came to mind is that since it is a small city people may get bored quickly here. So if you are looking for a lot of roaming around in a big city, you are in the wrong spot because the central historic area is small BUT once you start straying beyond the center and heading to the museums, you will find that there is plenty to occupy your time.