For children
the oldest zoo in Poland, opened in 1865, with historic buildings dating back 150 years
Historic sites
a reinforced-concrete hall with a 67-metre dome, the largest in the world at the time it was built
Parks and nature
a hundred-hectare landscape park with the Japanese Garden laid out between 1909 and 1912
Parks and nature
female and male cascades, bridges and a pond shaped like the character for friendship, rebuilt after the 1997 flood
Historic sites
historic suspension bridge over the Oder from 1910, supported on two masonry pylons with a granite facing
Parks and nature
a landscape park in Ołbin with a pond on a former bed of the Oder and an artificial mound
Museums
Hans Poelzig's reinforced-concrete pavilion from 1913, today a branch of the National Museum with contemporary art
Parks and nature
a complex of exhibition grounds with the Centennial Hall, a multimedia fountain and an entrance to the Japanese Garden
Historic sites
a ninety-metre steel tower from 1948, a symbol of the rebirth of the Recovered Territories
For children
Poland's first oceanarium with four biotopes of African aquatic and terrestrial fauna
Historic sites
an estate from the 1929 Werkbund architectural exhibition, with the reconstructed DOIA kindergarten in the Dąbie district
Parks and nature
a triangular park in Nadodrze, laid out on the site of a former horse market called Rossplatz
Mountains
an artificially raised, wooded embankment made from earth excavated during the construction of the Flood Canal, today with cycling routes
Parks and nature
10 hectares of greenery in Biskupin with tennis courts, sports pitches and a fitness trail, created through community work
Parks and nature
an intimate park in Ołbin separated from the neighbouring park in 2011, with the church of St Michael the Archangel
For children
pet shop with an exotic animal exhibition, a terrarium keeper club and a hotel for reptiles
Places with character
a pair of steel bridges over the Oder, right by the University of Wrocław
five paintball fields, a Gotcha variant for children, arrowtag and football inside inflatable balls
more than 20,000 specimens of the geology of Lower Silesia and the Sudetes, gathered since the 1812 Mineralogical Cabinet
Places with character
the largest fountain in Poland, with a geyser shooting water up to 40 metres high and seasonal shows
a contemporary art exhibition and business event space covering over 4,200 square metres
For children
rope routes with a zip line on the grounds of Wrocław Zoo, for children from age 3 and adults
Parks and nature
a green patch of Wielka Wyspa by the Oder, right next to the zoo, Centennial Hall and Szczytnicki Park
Places with character
a historic arch bridge over the Stara Odra connecting Plac Grunwaldzki with Park Szczytnicki
Śródmieście attractions in Wrocław: the Centennial Hall, the zoo with the Afrykarium, the Japanese Garden and the parks. Plan a day east of the Oder.
This page covers the neighbourhoods of Biskupin-Sępolno-Dąbie-Bartoszowice, Zacisze-Zalesie-Szczytniki, Plac Grunwaldzki, Ołbin and Nadodrze. It is the green, exhibition-ground part of the city, with a great hall, gardens and a large zoo. The Market Square and Ostrów Tumski are covered on the Old Town page, and the whole city on the Wrocław attractions page.
Begin at the Centennial Hall, then follow the paths to the Japanese Garden, the fountain and the park. The main sights lie close together, so you need no transport between them. Keep the zoo and the Afrykarium for a separate part of the day, because they take several hours and you should not have to rush.
The Centennial Hall is an expressionist concert and sports hall from 1911 to 1913, designed by Max Berg, one of the most recognisable buildings in Wrocław and a UNESCO site. Its dome is 67 metres across, and when it was built it was the largest reinforced concrete dome in the world.
Next to it stands the Four Domes Pavilion, an exhibition building from 1912 to 1913 and now a branch of the National Museum devoted to contemporary art. Close by rises the Spire, a steel tower raised in 1948 for the Recovered Territories Exhibition, now 90.3 metres tall. The exhibition grounds lie in Zalesie, and beside the pond stands the Wrocław Fountain, the largest in Poland, with seasonal shows of water, light and music.
For families this is the main target in Śródmieście. The zoo has operated since 1865, and the Afrykarium stands on its grounds. Check tickets and opening hours on the pages of the places themselves, and plan the visit for several hours, with a break in the nearby park.
The Wrocław Zoo is the oldest zoo within today's Polish borders, with historic 19th-century buildings, and it lies next to Szczytnicki Park. The Afrykarium is the first oceanarium in Poland devoted to African ecosystems. The zoo grounds also hold the Zoolandia mini rope park, with routes for children from the age of three and for adults, on a separate ticket.
In Ołbin you will find Zoo Team, a pet shop with an exhibition of exotic animals, educational activities and children's birthday parties. If the children want to run around, rest in Dąbski Park on the Great Island, right beside the zoo, or in Biskupin Park with its playground. More ideas are listed under attractions for children.
If you have just an hour, go to Szczytnicki Park. It is one of the largest parks in Wrocław, and on the way you pass the Japanese Garden and several monuments. For a longer walk choose Dąbski Park, Staszic Park or one of the artificial hills described below.
Szczytnicki Park is a landscape park with rich tree stock and a wooden church. Inside lies the Japanese Garden from 1909 to 1913, with cascades, small bridges and a pond with koi carp. You will also see the Column of Frederick William II from 1806, modelled on Trajan's Column, and the reconstructed statue of Diana.
In Nadodrze there is Stanisław Staszic Park, laid out on the site of an old horse market, and Słowiański Hill with a sledging run and a monument shaped like a burning flame. In Ołbin you will find Stanisław Tołpa Park with a pond and a dog run, and the quiet St Edith Stein Park. Kilimanjaro Hill in the Zalesie area stands 134 metres above sea level, was made of earth dug for the Flood Canal, and is now wooded and crossed by bike trails. A full list is under parks and nature.
Śródmieście also has architecture worth seeing between the parks. Start with the bridges over the Oder, then go to the WUWA estate from the late 1920s and to the stadium from 1926 to 1928. If you want an indoor stop, there are two exhibition venues as well.
The Grunwaldzki Bridge is a historic suspension bridge from 1910 that links the centre with Grunwaldzki Square. The University Bridges are two steel bridges next to the University of Wrocław, and the Żabia Footbridge from 1975 leads from Nadodrze to Bielarska Island. Szczytnicki Bridge from 1888 to 1890 joins the square with the park.
WUWA is the estate built for the 1929 Werkbund exhibition in Dąbie, listed as a monument, with a reconstructed kindergarten. The Olympic Stadium in the Zacisze-Zalesie-Szczytniki area was designed by Richard Konwiarz and today is home to a speedway club. The Geological Museum on Cybulskiego Street has more than twenty thousand specimens and displays on the geology of the Sudetes. Bulvary in Nadodrze is a private exhibition and event space.
Śródmieście has memorial places and historic cemeteries, from Ołbin to Sępolno and Kępa Mieszczańska. Visit them quietly and with respect, because they are places of mourning, not ordinary tourist attractions. Below is a short overview of what you may meet there, arranged by neighbourhood.
St Lawrence's Cemetery in Ołbin, from 1866, covers 4.3 hectares and has a brick gate and the graves of notable people. The Holy Family Cemetery in Sępolno was founded in 1928. In Ołbin stands the People with the Letter P Square with a memorial to civilian victims of the Second World War. The Flood Girl monument on Kępa Mieszczańska commemorates the residents' struggle with the 1997 flood, and the Atom on Grunwaldzki Square is a white sculpture by Roman Pawelski from 1974.
Give the hall, the fountain and the Japanese Garden a few hours. The zoo and the Afrykarium need a separate day or half a day. If you want everything in one day, stick to the main points.
Yes. There is the Zoolandia mini rope park, Zoo Team in Ołbin, playgrounds in Biskupin Park and Tołpa Park, and a sledging run on Słowiański Hill.
Parks such as Szczytnicki, Tołpa and Staszic are marked as free. Ticketed places such as the zoo, the hall and the museums publish their entry rules on their own pages, so check them before you go.
The Old Town means the Market Square, Ostrów Tumski and the museums of the strict centre. Śródmieście means the hall, the zoo, the gardens and the parks across the Oder. The Grunwaldzki Bridge links the centre with this part of the city, so the two plans are easy to combine.
