Tour of Wroclaw, Poland

The historic Wroclaw City Hall was built in a typical fourteenth century Brick Gothic style. The Town Hall is the main building in the Market Square, and for centuries, was the most important building in the city.

It was under the Town Hall's vaulted ceiling, and sculpted pillars, that Wroclaw's political big wigs debated difficult decisions through the ages, and guests of honour were received.

More recently, John Paul II himself paid a visit.

The Market Square is the central hub of the Old Town. This is the very heart of Wroclaw where Wroclawians and foreigners alike gather to shop, dine, date, do business, or simply while away the time.

The Main Square, or 'Rynek' as it is named in Polish, was laid out in the 13th Century, after the city was razed to the ground by marauding Mongols. Since all those years ago, the Square has maintained its size and shape, although the grand houses that line every side were constructed and reconstructed with each passing century, hence represent every style from Gothic to Art Nouveau.

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is a gothic church with neogothic additions. The current standing cathedral is the fourth church to have been built on the site.

The first church at the location of the present cathedral was built in the 10th century. After 1000, when the diocese was founded, it was replaced by a larger basilical structure.

After this first cathedral was destroyed around 1030. A larger, Roman cathedral was soon built in its place in the times of Casimir I. A fire on June 9, 1759, burnt the towers, roof, sacristy, and quire. The damage was slowly repaired during the following 150 years.

In the 19th century, Karl Lüdecke rebuilt the interior and western side in neogothic style. That cathedral was almost entirely destroyed (about 70% of the construction) during the siege of the city by the Red Army in 1945.

The initial reconstruction lasted until 1951. The original, conical shape of the towers was restored only in 1991. The cathedral holds the largest organ in Poland (formerly the largest organ in the world) as well.

King of the oddball attractions in Wroclaw is surely the huge concrete palace known locally as the Hala Ludowa. It all began once upon a time, when Wroclaw was still the German city of Breslau, and the powers that be decided that it would be a nice idea to commemorate the hundredth birthday of bashing Napolean in the Battle of Leipzig by building an exhibition hall.

It was Max Berg who was commissioned to design 'The Centennial Hall' (as it was then known), and so it was that one of Wroclaw's most famous architectural wonders came into existence.

It is very large... it occupies 295,000 cubic metres to be precise and stands a towering 42 metres high, including a 23 metre dome.

The People's Hall is one of the most active recreational spaces in Wroclaw, hosting special events ranging from trade exhibitions to big name concerts. Situated in the east of the city.

The Japanese garden is a relic from the 1913 World Fair in Wroclaw. It was created and laid out by a Japanese culture lover, Count Fritz von Hochberg.

In 1994, the city of Wroclaw decided to renovate it with the support of the Japanese embassy in Warsaw. Japanese professionals from the city of Nagoya worked at its renovation.

Many new elements were added with respect to the original form. The result is exceptional and it is now a real masterpiece.

Situated a few miles east of Wroclaw centre.

The Wroclaw Botanical Garden began as a scientific pursuit, but has become a favorite retreat for Wroclaw's residents. The garden was built from 1811 to 1816 on the riverbed where the Odra once flowed around Ostrow Tumski.

The grounds include cactus and palm houses, aquariums, a plant shop and cafe, and a large pond with picturesque bridges. Situated a short distance northeast of the city centre.

The City Zoological Garden in Wroclaw was originally established in 1865, which makes it the oldest zoo in Poland (a slightly ironic boast, since in 1865 Wroclaw was the German town of Breslau!).

As well as being the oldest, The Wroclaw Zoological Garden has the largest collection of animals in Poland, with almost 7,000 in number from 600 different species, in an area covering 33 hectares. Website: www.wroclaw-life.com/wroclaw/zoo.

The Dwarfs of Wroclaw began appearing on the streets of the city in August 2005. Their history is connected with the Orange Alternative movement and the year 1982. It is then that some dwarfs, with funny hats and smiling faces, were painted as graffiti covering anti-Communist slogans.

The present day dwarfs are statues sculpted by Tomasz Moczek, graduate of the local Fine Arts Academy.

Panorama Raclawicka is a colossal painting (120 metres x 15 metres) depicting the victory of Tadeusz Kosciuszko (leading a group of scythe-armed regulars and peasant volunteers) over the Russian Army under the command of General Tormasov at the battle of Raclawice April 4th, 1794.

Thanks to the paining techniques implemented, a viewer has an impression of being in the midst of the historical event.

In 1985, after its renovation, the Battle of Raclawice painting was placed in the Rotunda.

Situated a short distance east of the city centre. Website: www.panoramaraclawicka.pl

The town council first established a university in the 16th century; King Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary signed the foundation deed on July 20, 1505.

The university developed very rapidly in the second half of the 19th century, when it was then called the University of Breslau.

Poles who became a minority due to Germanisation of Wroclaw, established their own student organisations with the number of Polish students reached around 16% in 1817 and 10% in 1871. The percentage of Jewish students was around 16% in 1817.

As Germany turned to Nazism, the university became influenced by Nazi ideology. Polish students were beaten by NSDAP members just for speaking Polish. In 1939, all Polish students were thrown out of the university.

Six years after banning Poles from the University and declaring Poles will never be allowed to return, the German professors left the city in January 1945 after Germany lost the Second World War.

Many of the buildings were partially destroyed during the defence of the city. After World War II, it was occupied by the Soviet Union and placed under the administration of the People's Republic of Poland, while the German population was largely expelled, deported or fled.

Part of the collection of the university library was burned by soldiers of the Red Army on May 10, 1945, four days after the German garrison surrendered the city.

Ksia;z. Castle is the third largest in Poland, and one of the largest castles in Europe, undoubtedly one of the greatest tourist attractions of the region.

Originally erected in the 13th century by Bolko I, it was repeatedly destroyed, rebuilt and reconstructed.

In 1941, the castle was confiscated by the Nazis who destroyed numerous historic chambers.

After the castle had been liberated, the demolition work initiated by the Nazis was continued by the Red Army.

In 1952, the first protecting and renovating efforts were undertaken to restore the previous grandeur of the castle.

Situated by the town of Walbrzych, 43 miles southwest of Wroclaw. Website: www.ksiaz.ivc.pl.

Auschwitz was the largest of Nazi Germany's concentration camps. Its remains are located in Poland approximately 35 miles west of Kraków and 120 miles southeast of Wroclaw. The camp took its name from the nearby town of Oswiecim.

Following the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, Oswiecim was annexed by Nazi Germany and renamed Auschwitz, the town's German name.

Tours can be booked from Wroclaw though Krakow and Katowice are closer. Website: www.auschwitz.org.pl

For more information on Wroclaw, visit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wroclaw.

Wroclaw Website.