For couples: Wrocław

Wrocław for couples: a walk around the Market Square and fountains, an evening at the opera or NFM, and a rainy day in a museum. Plan your date.

Where can you go for a walk together?

Start at the Market Square, one of the largest old-town squares in Europe. The Old and New Town Halls stand in its middle, and on the western side, in front of the New Town Hall, you will find the modern Zdrój fountain: a granite basin with boulders set with glass panes that the water flows down. The historic centre also holds Plac Nowy Targ, today green and open. On Ostrów Tumski (Cathedral Island), on Kanonia street, you will find the small, quiet Square of St John the Baptist, surrounded by buildings of the old cathedral settlement.

Many couples choose water. The Wrocław Fountain in Szczytnicki Park, right by the Centennial Hall, is the largest fountain in Poland and offers seasonal shows of water, light and music. Another sight is the Fencer fountain on University Square, set up in 1904 and one of the symbols of the university. Along the Oder you can stroll across the Peace Bridge, which in 1959 replaced the Lessing Bridge destroyed in 1945. A walk over the 232.4-metre Zwierzyniecka footbridge ends at the Great Island and the Zoo. The University Bridges, the Warsaw Bridges and the Rędzin Bridge with Poland's tallest pylon (122 m) suit couples who like industrial heritage.

What to see in the evening: opera, concert or theatre?

An evening for two is easiest to plan in a concert hall. The Wrocław Opera occupies a building at Świdnicka 35, raised in 1839-1841 to a design by Carl Ferdinand Langhans. It burned down twice, in 1865 and 1871, and was rebuilt each time. You watch opera and ballet here in historic interiors. The National Forum of Music on Plac Wolności opened in September 2015. It is one of the largest concert venues in Europe, with an organ and four halls.

The Musical Oratorium in the main building of the University of Wrocław has the atmosphere of old music. The baroque hall was built in 1728-1731, and in the 19th century Brahms, Liszt, Paganini, Rubinstein and Wieniawski played here. Next door is the Leopoldina Aula of 1728-1732, with frescoes by Johann Christoph Handke and stucco by Albrecht Siegwitz.

Prefer the theatre? The Wrocław Puppet Theatre and the Wrocław Comedy Theatre both work on Plac Teatralny, and the Comedy Theatre is a private stage founded in 1997 that plays light comedy. The Polish Theatre, founded in 1949, occupies a historic building from 1906 on Zapolskiej street. The Henryk Tomaszewski Pantomime Theatre in Borek, founded in 1956, tells stories through gesture and expression, without words. Ad Spectatores plays on several stages, among them the Browar Mieszczański, and sells theatre vouchers that work as a gift.

Where to spend a date when it rains?

Rain does not have to spoil your plans. Pick one of the interiors below, and find more ideas on the page Wrocław in the rain. In the middle of the Market Square stands the Town Hall, a late Gothic building raised from the end of the 13th century to the 16th, today home to the Museum of Bourgeois Art with the Gallery of Famous Wrocławians. The Royal Palace at Kazimierza Wielkiego 35 is a baroque residence of the Prussian Hohenzollerns from the early 18th century and now houses the City Museum with the exhibition 1000 Years of Wrocław.

For fans of unusual places there are a few more suggestions. The Museum of Architecture, in the former Bernardine complex, is the only one of its kind in Poland, with over 20,000 exhibits. The Museum of Games and Computers of the Past Era, in the Świebodzki Station building, shows over 200 computers and consoles and about 500 handheld consoles. The WRO Art Center at Widok 7 presents contemporary art and new media in a former coffee roastery. Galeria Małgosia on Odrzańska street hosts painting exhibitions by artists linked with Wrocław. The Old Jewish Cemetery on Ślężna street, now the Museum of Cemetery Art, is a historic necropolis with around 12,000 gravestones, suited to a quiet walk. For a lighter stop, choose the Dwarf House at Rynek 36/37, where a guide in the role of the Storyteller Dwarf leads visitors through the world of Wrocław's dwarfs.

How to build a whole day for two?

A simple scheme works well: the Market Square, Town Hall and Zdrój fountain in the morning, a museum at midday, a walk across the bridges and along the Oder in the afternoon, and an opera, concert or theatre in the evening. Look for ideas for grey days in the list of museums in Wrocław, and for places with atmosphere in the category places with character. Options for couples from across the region are on the page For couples, and a general overview of the city is in attractions in Wrocław.

Frequently asked questions

What can two people do in Wrocław on a rainy day?

Visit the Town Hall with the Museum of Bourgeois Art, the Royal Palace, the Museum of Architecture, the WRO Art Center or the Museum of Games. In the evening you can check the opera or a theatre.

Where to go for a romantic walk?

To the Market Square with the Zdrój fountain, to Ostrów Tumski, to the Wrocław Fountain in Szczytnicki Park, or across the bridges over the Oder, such as the Peace Bridge and the Zwierzyniecka footbridge.

Where can I hear live music?

At the National Forum of Music, the Wrocław Opera and the Musical Oratorium in the University of Wrocław building, where Brahms and Paganini performed in the 19th century.

Does a theatre in the centre have anything light for the evening?

Yes. The Wrocław Comedy Theatre on Plac Teatralny plays light, entertaining comedy.