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ODRA CENTRUM
Set on a houseboat,
Odra Centrum is a
floating educational
and cultural centre
with a cosy cafe on the
water. Enjoy the view
with a cake before
burning off the calories
in a hired kayak.
odracentrum.org
OTO COFFEE BAR
This small speciality
coffee bar has no wi-fi.
Instead, it offers a soul
and funk soundtrack
and is the place to
come for genuine
human interaction and
good conversation.
Świętego
Antoniego 28
KIOSSO
Probably the smallest
cafe in Wrocław, at
less than 30 sq ft,
this former kiosk was
transformed into
a tiny coffee space
where orders are
taken through an
intercom. facebook.
com/espressokiosk
Wrocław locals
Ewa and Mirko
reveal the city’s
best spots for
food and coffee
on their blog,
wrocławguide.com
Any visit to Wrocław (pronounced ‘vrots-waf’) should
start in the Old Town with its mighty Market Square,
fringed with restaurants and bars. Młoda Polska is the
place to go for an inventive cocktail menu and 100 -plus
spirits, while nearby Konspira serves rib-sticking Polish
classics, including pork knuckle and fried trout with
garlic butter, in a former meeting place for members
of the resistance during the Polish People’s Republic.
mlodapolskabistro.pl restauracjakonspira.pl
It’s a short walk from there to the Four Denominations
District, a wealthy corner of the city centre which derives
its name from the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant
churches and Jewish synagogue that have stood together
for over a century. Today, it’s perhaps more popular for
bookstore-cum-wine bar Cocofli and well-stocked wine
shop Zbawcy Win, as well as being home to two of the
city’s best sushi restaurants. Eight-seater Noriko gets a lot
of attention for its masterful culinary precision, but don’t
miss Sushi Corner, which marries impressive Japanese
cuisine with the brilliant work of local artist Kamila
Kozłowska. If you’re in the neighbourhood in the evening,
be sure to walk through the Neon Side Gallery, part of
cultural space Ruska 46 , where you’ll fi nd 30 dazzling
signs glowing above. cocofl i.pl zbawcy.pl norikosushi.pl
beta.sushicorner.pl ruska46.pl
For a crash course in Wrocław’s long and complex
history, catch one of the Walkative Tours, which leave most
mornings from Market Square. English-speaking guides
combine humour and insight to explain the city’s darker
history, while also pointing out some of its idiosyncrasies.
Defi nitely among the latter are the 900-plus Brass
Dwarves, which are found across the city. Originally
designed as a protest during communist rule, today they’ve
spread throughout the Old Town and beyond. There are
more fi gures to discover on the narrow, medieval Jatki
street — specifi cally the sombre Memorial to Slaughtered
Animals, a selection of bronze farmyard beasts of the
sort once slain in this abattoir-turned-artists’ enclave.
freewalkingtour.com
Expect to fi nd more dwarf statues on the Bridge of
Penitents, a walkway between the two spires of St Mary
Magdalene Church, off ering fabulous views across the
city. To the north, on the banks of the River Oder, you’ll
spot Cathedral Island, home to some of the best-preserved
historic and religious buildings in the city: the imposing
Cathedral of St John the Baptist and the Church of the
Holy Cross.
If the weather isn’t conducive to riverside strolls, duck
into the nearby National Museum, a spectacular gallery
with centuries of art from across Europe. Visitors can
spend hours in here, seeking out names like Bellotto as
well as admiring the work of Polish artists such as Piotr
Michałowski and Jan Matejko. Tickets for the museum also
grant entry to the Panorama of The Battle of Racławice.
A gargantuan, 1 8th-century work presented as a
360-degree circular painting held inside a rotunda, it
depicts an epic battle on the plains outside the town of
Racławice. It’s a massive 374 ft all the way around and
leaves an indelible impression on most visitors. mnwr.pl
Want to let your hair down? There’s a ready-made
night out along Wojciecha Bogusławskiego street. Here,
a series of lively bars and restaurants have been built
into the railway arches leading away from the palatial
Wrocław Główny train station. You won’t go far wrong
with many of the options here — U Gruzina comes highly
recommended for excellent Georgian food — but if you’re
looking for a special meal, book ahead for a table at Napa,
a romantic spot at the end of the row serving delicious
Polish-Mediterranean fusion cuisine. ugruzina.com
naparestaurantwroclaw.eatbu.com JAMIE LAFFERTY
INSIDE GUIDE
TUCKED INTO POLAND’S SOUTHWEST, THIS HISTORIC CITY IS A
FEAST OF MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE, ARTISTIC MASTERPIECES
AND EFFORTLESSLY COOL COFFEE SPOTS
WROCŁAW
LIKE A LOCAL
Ewa and Mirko’s
top cafes
34 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL
