We are in Wroclaw, Poland. The pronunciation is a challenge - something like "Rosslav" will do. Poland is more "normal" than I expected. The city and people look like Europeans in general, drive the same cars, have the same modern tram systems and many of the same shops. They seem pretty relaxed and happy to see the sun returning, with no obvious signs of the war wracking Ukraine not too far away.
Wroclaw is on the Oder River, which gives it much of its attraction. The river splits into numerous little branches creating little islands, and it is very pleasant to wander along it over the bridges and islands. The locals sit along the river banks in the sun, or take cruises or hire drive-yourself boats for a ride on the water.
The heart of the old city is one of the largest market squares in Europe (?). It is so big it has a little town in the middle of the square!
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| The landscape just past the border with Czechia. |
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| A "Peace Church", the largest Baroque wooden church in Europe. |
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| The inside of the Peace Church. |
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| Street art in Wroclaw. |
The sculpture (above) of people descending into the pavement was matched by one across the road, or people rising out of the pavement. Like a non-existent subway under the road.
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| The gnomes of Wroclaw. This one using his ATM. |
The first gnome was installed in 2001, to commemorate the anti-communist movement of the 80's, and since then the number has steadily grown to several hundred today. They appear all over the city, engaged in all sorts of activities, and trying to find them has become a tourist challenge.
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| This gnome is on the bridge which used to be festooned with lovers padlocks. |
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| The Cathedral was rebuilt after its destruction in WWII. |
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| Some Soviet-era housing survives, providing cheap accommodation. |
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| These "perogi" dumplings are a local speciality. |
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| The market square lit up at night. |
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| We climbed up to the "Penitent's Bridge" between the church towers. |
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| You can see the bridge up there, from tower to tower. |
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| Some of the building facades look a bit Dutch? |
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| Locals basking on the bank or cruising on the river, enjoying the sun. |
Wroclaw is home to the huge "Raclawice" panoramic painting. It depicts a famous 1794 battle between rebels and the Russian army, and is cunningly painted to tell the story of the battle in several overlapping scenes. The panorama is 15 metres high and 114 metres wide and wraps right around to create a 360 degree view. It is housed in a specially designed and built centre, a major tourist attraction. We bought our tickets and went to have a look.
