Wrocław, the historic capital of Poland's Lower Silesia region, rewards on so many levels.
Sitting on both banks of the Oder River, the city has grown over the centuries by embracing 12 small islands that are, today, linked by 120 bridges.
In its time, Wrocław has been part of Poland, Bohemia; the Habsburg Empire; Prussia and then Germany before being returned to Poland at the end World War II.
When taking a city break in Wrocław, one is sure to be drawn to the grand Rynek (Market Square), which is one of the largest and most stunning medieval market squares to be found in Europe.
While the Market Square might be the initial lure, there is so much more to enjoy on a city break to Wrocław.
Day trips into the Lower and Upper Silesian regions add to this city's appeal.
Discovering Wrocław - what took us so long?
Over the last couple of years Ann and I have become genuine Polonophiles.
The more we get to appreciate the country and its culture, history, traditions, customs and cuisine the more rewarding we find a visit to this country.
Our first trip was to Warsaw and the second to Szczecin, and both were excellent .
This time we got to Wrocław, the capital of the Polish region of Lower Silesia, and Opole in Opolskie Province, Poland's smallest region.
Wrocław is a city not that well known, which makes a visit even more rewarding.
And no, it is not that easy to pronounce
The problem is that its name contains the letter ł, an 'L' with a stroke which is pronounced 'w' as in wet.
So Lech Wałęsa, the former the former Solidarność (Solidarity) trade union leader who was pivotal in the peaceful collapse of communism in Poland, became its president and was a Nobel Peace Prize laureate would pronounce his name Vawensa.
As for Wrocław, it is pronounced Vrots-wahf, something I eventually managed correctly as were ready to leave.
It did not matter.
The citizens here accept their 'hometown' being pronounced in many different way and accept it with good grace and humour.
And it has not always carried this name.
Up until the end of World War II, the city was German and known as Breslau, becoming Wrocław after the defeat of Nazi Germany when Silesia, including the then Breslau was assigned to Poland.
The Soviet Red Army occupied Poland, which became a satellite state under Soviet Union control until its disintegration, and Poland's transition to democracy in 1989
While Silesia has a history stretching back centuries, it is the cataclysmic events of the 20th Century and the way Poland has surged forward as a staunchly pro-western European nation in the 21st Century that makes a visit all the more rewarding.
This is particularly the case with our trip to Wrocław with a day's excursion further into Lower Sileasia.
Visiting Wrocław, one will initially be drawn to the Rynek, the city's stunning Market Square with its stunning Medieval Gothic Town Hall.
While Medieval squares such as this are a feature of many European cities, the Rynek and its surrounding streets of colourful buildings is particularly stunning and one of the best examples you can find.
The square is lined with bars restaurants and coffee shops, with alfresco seating.
But one also finds excellent restaurants and brewhouses throughout in Wrocław (as Ann explains below).
Just beyond the Market Square is Ostrów Tumski or Cathedral Island, which is the oldest part of the city with Gothic architecture and Wrocław Cathedral.
And this just scratches the surface of this vibrant city, as we discovered.
Having been built on a series of small islands inked by many bridges is why on reads and hears that Wrocław is the 'Venice of the north'
While this might be understandable, Wrocław does not need to draw comparison with other cities.
It is able to stand proud in its own right, and will greatly reward on a short city break.
Or one a little longer to explore the Upper and Lower Silesian regions, as we did.
Getting a good guide comes top of the list
Beata and Renata offer so much more than guided tours of Wrocław.
Although the words 'traveller' and 'tourist' are often seen as being interchangeable, there is real difference between the two.
Each represents a different, perfectly legitimate approaches to visiting somewhere.
While tourist tends to be looking for rest and relaxation as a break from everyday life, the traveller will be wanting to dig deeper into the culture of a place visited and gain a real understanding of history and people.
One needs to be a traveller to Wrocław to make the very most of a visit to this fascinating city.
And the first step in achieving this is to use the services of a guide for the first day or two of the stay.
We were lucky enough to find two excellent guides in Beata Wers and Renata Kokosza.
Like most tour guides, they are freelance professionals who have a deep and genuine knowledge about and love for their city.
And when one has a personal guide there is complete flexibility in what to do and see.
At the start of each tour, Ann and I explain what we looking for from the tour, which gave first Renata and then Beata the chance to tailor make the tour to our needs.
And, in addition to taking in what we wanted to, we had quality time with the two women.
We asked any number of questions about everyday life in Poland and how this compared to the UK.
We were also given advice on places to eat and the trams we would need to get to where we decided to go during the rest of our stay.
And within minutes of meeting both Beata and Renata, it was like we were old friends.
This made our short stay in Wrocław far more rewarding than it would have otherwise been.
Walking Wrocław
We started, as every visitor to the city is likely to do, with the Market Square and Wrocław Old Town before taking in the magnificent Wrocław University and Cathedral Island.
We also were able to plan the rest of our stay to make sure we got to Hydropolis; the Racławice Panorama; Centennial Hall and Wrocław Zoo & Afrykarium, with more information on these below.
Taking a short break in a city like Wrocław will mean allocating time and budget.
It is therefore so well worth spending a little more to get the very most from the visit.
Beata and Renata will ensure this is what happens and they will be happy to discuss arranging a guided tour of the city that makes the stay the most interesting and enjoyable.
Beata Wers at
Renata Kokosza at
On the water
Another way to appreciate Wrocław is from the water.
We chose a very pleasant short trip along the Oder River and through the canals with Cityboats, whose fleet of solar catamarans sail the Old Town and under low bridges that other boats are unable to navigate.
Audio guides are in Polish, English, German, French, Spanish and Italian.
https://www.cityboats.pl/
The Krasnale
Another great way to get to know Wrocław's is looking for Krasnale, or dwarfs in the old town and Cathedral Island areas.
Papa Dwarf, first appeared in 2005, quickly followed by four others, and today these have been joined by another over 1,000 dwarfs, each one an individual .
The Wrocław Dwarfs have become a real tourist attraction. Spot the first one and you are going to be constantly on the lookout for others.
Download you copy of AllWays leading to Wrocław
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