DAY 13: Wrocław, Poland

Thursday, 11 SEPTEMBER 2014 [Day Tour to Wrocław, Poland]


This was the second of just two trips outside the Czech Republic.

On the way to Wroclaw

David was again behind the wheels and picked me up from Parkhotel Praha at 8am. The journey to Wrocław, a city in the southwestern part of Poland was quite long at close to 4 hours. The route taken was slightly north east passing the city of Liberec and town of Frýdlant before crossing the Czech-Polish border and then via the A4 motorway (a major highway along southern Poland) to Wrocław. 

Some sections along the route after Liberec were rather narrow 2-lane and often winding roads. Thus, overtaking a vehicle in front, especially trucks, required skilful manoeuvring and timing. Frýdlant was on my early list of places to visit in the Czech Republic, in particular the castle, but ultimately did not arrange for it - perhaps some other time.

Poland is in the Schengen area and thus no visa is required for Malaysians travelling there (for periods not exceeding 90 days). Like at the German border, there was no check point when crossing into Poland.



Apples in abundance, on just 1 tree alone

It was a picturesque ride through the countryside passing various towns and villages in the Czech Republic and Poland. The ones at or nearer the Czech-Poland border being a little less picturesque while those closer to the cities showing higher levels of prosperity.

Being unaccustomed to the European countryside, I was rather enthralled by the ubiquitous presence of apple trees by the roadside with each tree bearing copious amounts of fruit of different hues of red, yellow-red and green. Apples are expensive in Malaysia, and here were thousands upon thousands of apples begging to be plucked. But, the question arose of whether these were safe to eat given the consistent exposure to vehicle emissions.  



There were also, to me, fascinating scenes of hay rolls dotting the entire landscape. Unfortunately, it was impossible to capture a decent photo without making a stop and the car was moving too fast. Below is a blurred snapshot from the videocam. 

Hay rolls dotting the landscape - very nice to look at

Wind turbines were also visible all throughout the countrysides of both the Czech Republic and Poland. Below, another videocam snapshot.

Wind turbines

On approaching the Czech city of Liberec, I had a glimpse of the Ještěd Tower built in the 1960s. The tower functions as a transmitter of television signals plus there is a hotel with a dozen or so rooms in the same structure. Liberec is sometimes called the city below Ještěd.

Just about managed to get an image of Ještěd Tower nested on the hill (videocam)

The skies looked very ominous when we reached Wrocław at midday and there was already a light rain ... in fact, it looked very ominous during the entire drive from Praha to here, but I hoped for the best ...

Would the weatherman be right for a change - rain expected

We headed to Orbis Hotel just outside the city centre, where I met my Polish guide, a Mr. Wacław Dworakowski, a genial elderly gentleman who spoke perfect English and with an aptitude for weaving interesting narrations of the city's legends or history, just in time to introduce a place of interest. He mentioned that he had conducted tours for Malaysian holidaymakers before.

Wrocław

Firstly, the city is not pronounced as we would in English "Row-claw".

Instead, it is properly pronounced as "Vrotz-wav" ... a bit of a tongue twister but there you go. The Czechs and Germans who had control of the city in the past call it Vratislav and Breslau respectively.

Wrocław is a city in the southwestern part of Poland, located on the Odra River in the Silesian Lowlands and has a population of about 630,000, i.e. fourth largest in Poland. Its size is about 29,300 hectares which is less than Klang Valley's (in Malaysia) 34,000 hectares and Praha's 49,300 hectares.

The Slavs settled here over a millennium ago and probably had a permanent settlement by the 10th century. It came under the rule of the Bohemia kingdom for much of the 10th century and is thought to have acquired it's name from the Bohemian duke, Vratislav I (i.e. father to Saint Wenceslas). However, the name could also have originated from a Polish ruler.

At the end of the 10th century, a Polish kingdom took over the city and thereafter there were many changes of hands - Polish (10th to 13th centuries), Silesian, Bohemian again (14th - 16th centuries), Hapsburgs (16th to 18th centuries), Prussian & German (18th century to 1945) and finally back to Polish rule after the end of World War II in 1945. In the 13th century, the city came under attacks by the Mongol hordes and the city was even completely abandoned during one of these attacks.

It is interesting to know that during the 200 years of Prussian-German rule, the city was effectively a German one, with very few Polish people. Towards the end of the second world war (WWII), it became a refuge for Germans fleeing from other areas in Germany - and in spite of largely avoiding widespread destruction for the most part of WWII, the city was the site of brutal fighting (Battle of Breslau) which ended in tremendous bloodshed and destruction of the city. 

Today, it is a bustling city (yes there is quite a lot of traffic congestion!), is an important commercial and cultural hub and also a centre of higher education that is teeming with students during the academic semesters. My guide, Mr. Wacław mentioned that I had picked a good period to visit the city as students had not yet returned from the semester break (July - September) but were about to - and the traffic would be considerably worse when they returned.

On to the tour of the city...

Opera House

Within this circular structure (rotunda) is a panoramic painting from the end of 19th century called "Panorama of the Battle of Racławice" and measures 15x114 metres - attracts quite a large tourist crowd. I did not enter. Painting can be seen here

The walking tour started at Świętego Mikołaja (street) or thereabouts. One quirky aspect of Wrocław is that you are liable to stumble on little bronze gnomes at about 300 locations (as at mid September 2014) across the city. Gnomes have long been in European folklore and, were also a symbol of protest against Communism in the 1980s. Those currently all over the city are not very old. The first and largest of the gnomes (Papa Krasnal, which I did not encounter) were introduced in 2001 - and the gnome population continues to grow. Below were the first few spotted.

Who is this fella .. ? .. new gnome on the scene ?

Mikołaj Ziółko (Herbie Nicholas) - at Świętego Mikołaja (street)

Chrapek (Snorer) - In front of Patio Hotel, Kiełbaśnicza street

Arcik Podróżnik (Explorer) - In front of Art Hotel, Kiełbaśnicza street

Nearby the Art Hotel we turned into a picturesque lane called Jatki that now has souvenir and art stores. It used to have butchers' stalls where various types of meat were sold. Needless to say, this lane was once the scene of quite a bit of blood and gore. We would see a "Memorial" to these animals at the other end of the lane.  

ul.Jatki

Rzeźnik (Butcher) at ul. Jatki - the second of these gnomes to be introduced in the city

Memorial to Slaughtered Animals

Right in front of the Memorial was a souvenir store - so in I went for postcards (no postage stamps available here), fridge magnets, a snowglobe and a harcover book on the gnomes, which was already somewhat out of date as it went to print as more gnomes are added quite frequently ...

Więziennik (Prisoner) at ul.Więzienna - last prisoner, maybe he just doesn't want to leave ...

Former city prison at ul.Więzienna, built in the 14th century

From here we headed to the University to have a look at the interior of one of the halls, a special one. The university's student population is 40,000 and the entire student population at Wrocław 130,000!


Uniwersytet Wrocławski (Wrocław University) - officially opened in 1702

Entrance to university building

We paid the entry fee (in Polish zloties) and went up a flight of stairs to get to the hall - Aula Leopoldina, named after the Hapsburg Emperor Leopold, founder of the university. No mistaking the style in which the hall is decorated - baroque. This hall is functional and its use includes student inaugurations and graduation ceremonies and concert performances. 

The Emperor Leopold is depicted as figure in the centre

Aula Leopoldina

University interior

Note that much of the University (70%) and Wrocław were virtually destroyed during WWII. However, immediately after the war, a group of Polish scholars got together to organise a rebuilding of the university. 

We also visited another chamber in the university, which was destroyed in WWII - the Oratory Marianum. It was reconstructed post war and is now for functions and music performances. Ceiling frescoes restored as per the original in 2013-2014.

Oratory Marianum

Honorary doctorates

Professor

Naked Swordsman, at the University

Unfortunately, from here on, it was all downhill as there was heavy and persistent rain. To offset just a little of the lousy situation, a motorised vehicle able to carry 2 passengers passed by. So I decided to get around the city and then to the Ostrów Tumski (Cathedral Island) in this. 

Market hall - farmer's market. Would have been nice to drop in to see the produce on offer

From Piasek island to Most (bridge) Tumski, with its love-locks

Buildings in the oldest part of the city, Ostrów Tumski

This lamp isn't powered by electricity - a human lamplighter comes around each evening to give it 'life' and extinguishes it the next morning. It seems the streets of Ostrów Tumski are still lit in such way. Quaint

At Ostrów Tumski, we stopped at the main catholic church Archikatedra św. Jana Chrzciciela (Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, i.e. Wrocław cathedral). The cathedral is on the site of a church built in the 10th century under Bohemian rule. Since that first church, 3 others have been built at this site - the Wrocław cathedral being the fourth in the 13th century. Much of the cathedral was destroyed at the end of WWII but gradually rebuilt over the following decades. It is combination of Gothic and neo-Gothic style. I spent under 10 minutes in the dimly lit interior and only in the outer sections - there are also interesting chapels at the back.

View from the entrance to Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Wrocław cathedral)

Entrance to cathedral



Somewhat better with handphone camera

Aaargh......camera hopeless in these heavy rain situations

From the cathedral, we continued to ride in the motorised thingy, along several main roads of the city until we reached opposite the former Wrocław Palace, where we were supposed to meet David, who would then take us to the Centennial Hall. Traffic was heavy and took us quite a bit of time to get to the Hall. 

Street scene

Former Palace, now a museum

The Hala Stulecia (Centennial Hall), a concrete dome structure was built in 1913 when the city was under German control and served as a multi-purpose recreational hall. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006 and is today used for sports events and concerts.

Centennial Hall - 2014 Men's World Volleyball tournament ongoing at the time

The tall metallic structure is called Needle, made during Communist times

There are other attractions nearby the Hala Stulecia including a fountain and Japanese garden. Did not linger long here, simply took a few photos and then headed back west to Rynek or market square. Rain seemed to abate just a little ... probably my imagination and fervent hopes for it to stop.  

Stary Ratusz (Old Town Hall)

Before entering the old town hall, made a detour at the post office (Poczta) to buy stamps to mail some postcards. Here we found another gnome, standing proudly on the mailbox.

Pocztowiec (Postman) - gnome #82 at the market square post office

Rynek market square.

The 10 metre structure in the photo above is a Pillory (Pręgierz in Polish) a structure where various forms of punishment, including public execution, were meted to offenders/criminals in days gone by. This one is a replica of the 15th century original destroyed in the final days of WWII. It is now a favoured meeting place.

Close up of back(?) section of the town hall.

Lovely pastel coloured buildings opposite the town hall

Pub at the town hall. Note husband (drunk) and wife (with shoe, haha) statues above the entrance

In front of town hall entrance: Trio of disabled gnomes - Głuchak (Deafie), Niewidomek (Blindie) and W-Skers

The above 3 gnomes were the last I would spot in the city. It would have been nice to see some of the female ones - Miss Delicious, Marcy, Clara, Bavarian ..... and the others such as warrior Olbinus (with sword), gnome holding fork with dumpling, a biker gnome and a pair of lovey-dovey gnomes ... but time and weather did not permit. In total I saw 11 of these fellas, 3% of the total at the time. 

Then to the interior of the Stary Ratusz (old town hall), which is now a museum. Construction of this Gothic style building first commenced in the 13th century and continued for the next 250 years, with additions made over the centuries. It largely survived WWII with relatively little damage.

The upper floor(s) were closed that day, so I could only look around at ground level.

Interior of the town hall/museum

Painting of councillors, I believe ... ?

Heater or oven ?

Well that was it for my sightseeing in this Polish city with its beautiful centre.





Since I hadn't tasted any Polish fare the entire tour, and had little time left in the city, requested to be brought to a place selling Polish street food or snacks, to do a takeaway.   

Pancake rolls with strawberry (cream) filling - yum

Bought a selection of Golabki (cabbage roll), Pierogi (dumpling) and Krokiet (breadcrumbed & fried roll) not exactly knowing what they were - but they all tasted good and I should have bought more!

My guide Mr. Wacław Dworakowski, kindly walked me to the meeting point where I was supposed to wait for the transport back and when the time came, we bid each other farewell.






NEXT: Day 14, Weather forecaster gets a hit 2 days running: Rain forecast & rain it is. Perfect for a day indoors - at the art gallery.