Lower Silesia
This impossibly photogenic castle, the largest in Silesia, commands a thickly wooded prominence in Książ. Following the destruction of an earlier…
Must-see attractions in Lower Silesia
Wrocław
Wrocław’s pride and joy is this giant painting of the battle for Polish independence fought at Racławice on 4 April 1794, between the Polish army led by…
Lower Silesia
This magnificent building, the largest baroque timber church in Europe, was erected between 1656 and 1657 in just 10 months. The builders were not trying…
Wrocław
See if you can spot the tiny bronze statue of a dwarf resting on the ground, just to the west of the Hansel & Gretel houses. A few metres away you’ll spot…
Wrocław
This glorious Gothic edifice, Wrocław's quintessential photo opportunity, took shape over more than 200 years. The right-hand part of the eastern facade,…
Church of the Holy Name of Jesus
Wrocław
Wrocław University's baroque-rococo church is arguably the most beautiful in the city. It was built by the Jesuits in the 1690s on the site of the former…
Wrocław
Established by the Jesuits in the early 18th century, the University of Wrocław's main edifice was built between 1728 and 1742. While it's very much a…
Cathedral of St Mary Magdalene
Wrocław
One block east of the Rynek is this mighty Gothic red-brick cathedral, dating to the 14th century. Its showpiece is a Romanesque portal from around 1280…
Wrocław
Wrocław's National Museum is a treasure trove of fine art from across the ages. Medieval sculpture is displayed on the ground floor; exhibits include the…
Wrocław
On the first floor of the main building of the University of Wrocław, this ceremonial hall is Wrocław's most beautiful baroque interior, embellished with…
Wrocław
Also known as Passage, this arresting sculpture depicts seven bronze pedestrians literally being swallowed by the pavement, only to re-emerge on the other…
Wrocław
Cathedral Island contains the city’s botanical gardens, a charming patch of greenery that's part of the University of Wrocław, serving educational and…
Lower Silesia
Some 34km southwest of Wrocław, the solitary forested cone of Mt Ślęża rises to 718m above the surrounding open plain. It was one of the holy places of an…
Lower Silesia
The regional museum houses a collection of Silesian religious art from the 14th to 18th centuries, a fascinating clock gallery and a permanent exhibition…
Church of SS Stanislaus and Wenceslas
Lower Silesia
East of the Rynek, this massive Gothic stone building has a facade adorned with four elegant 15th-century doorways and an 18m-high window (the stained…
Wrocław
Taking over both artefacts and premises from the former Silesian Museum of Artistic Crafts and Antiquities, the Museum of Architecture is located in a…
Lower Silesia
The Old Town’s market square contains a bit of every architectural style – from baroque to postwar concrete structures – the cumulative effect of…
Church of Our Lady on the Sand
Wrocław
This lofty 14th-century building dominates the tiny islet known as Sand Island (Wyspa Piasek). Almost all the fittings were destroyed during WWII and the…
Wrocław
Set in the northwestern corner of the Rynek are two charming houses known locally as Jaś i Małgosia, better known to English and German speakers as Hansel…
Wrocław
The main attraction here is the Gothic interior of the Old Town Hall (Stary Ratusz). Look for the Great Hall (Sala Wielka) on the 1st floor, with carved…
Cathedral of St John the Baptist
Wrocław
The centrepiece of Cathedral Island, this three-aisled Gothic basilica was built between 1244 and 1590. Seriously damaged during WWII, it was later…
Wrocław
This 14th-century Gothic basilica has a triple nave reaching to 30m and is lined by medieval chapels. It's one of Wrocław's most imposing churches, with a…
Wrocław
Housed alongside the Military Museum in Wrocław's squat 15th-century Arsenal, the Archaeological Museum concentrates on human material culture in Silesia…
Wrocław
In contrast to the enormous neighbouring Cathedral of St John the Baptist, the austere, brick-built Romanesque Church of St Giles seems barely a cupboard…
Wrocław
The restored White Stork Synagogue, built in exemplary classical style in 1829, is a reminder that this city was once home to more than 20,000 Jews…
Lower Silesia
Located within the handsome Wine Park (Park Winny), this building is an extravagant home to various species of palms, plus cacti, and fish in aquariums. A…
Lower Silesia
This skansen (outdoor ethnographic museum) brings together more than 60 traditional buildings from regions and cultures surrounding Zielona Góra. They've…
Wrocław
In Trzebnica, 25km north of Wrocław, this abbey church is thought to be one of the first brick buildings erected in Poland. Though rebuilt in the 18th…
Wrocław
Appropriately housed within the squat brick Arsenal, this collection of militaria includes four rooms with exhibits from the 17th to the 20th centuries; a…
Lower Silesia
This yellow building dates from the 1710s, though its white tower was built in 2012. The original tower collapsed in 1967; it took over four decades to…
Church of SS Stanislaus, Wenceslas and Dorothy
Wrocław
Founded in 1351, this massive Gothic assemblage just south of the Old Town commemorates the meeting between Polish Kazimierz III Wielki (Casimir III the…
Wrocław
The Old Jewish Cemetery, founded in 1856, contains more than 12,000 headstones over two hectares; some bear the scars of rearguard actions fought here by…
Wrocław
Just outside the ring road encircling the Old Town, the squat brick Arsenal houses the Military Museum and the Archaeological Museum. With two towers and…
Lower Silesia
Housed in Świdnica's town hall, this institution contains reconstructions of an old tavern – Świdnica was always famous for its beer – along with a…
Lower Silesia
A five-minute walk east of Książ Castle is the National Stallion Depot, housed in what were once the castle's stables. It offers 45-minute horse riding…
Lower Silesia
Lined with brightly painted houses, the renovated old market square is a pleasant and harmonious rectangular space at the end of the long pedestrian…
Cathedral of SS Vincent and James
Wrocław
The Gothic Cathedral of SS Vincent and James was originally a Romanesque basilica, founded in the early 13th century. The largest church in the city, it's…
Wrocław
This memorial marks the site of the New Synagogue, built in 1872. It was the country's second-largest synagogue, until it was torched on Kristallnacht (9…
