The best places to stay in Wroclaw are explained in this post, featuring insightful information on one of most beautiful cities in Central Europe
The old town of Wroclaw is one of the best places to stay in Wroclaw. In fact, it is one of the most beautiful old towns in all of Europe, with a mix of architectural styles and picturesque, relaxed atmosphere.
Let’s learn more about this Silesian city and all the details about the best places to stay in Wroclaw. As an extra, information regarding travel costs and when to visit Wroclaw are also included in this post.
Tourism in Wroclaw: Overview
Wroclaw is a wonderful capital city of the historical region of Silesia, now in the southwestern Poland. As one of the biggest polish cities it is, perhaps, far less known than others like Krakow or Warsaw. Just recently, the city held the European Capital of Culture 2016 title, which it truly deserves.
Wroclaw sits perfectly in the middle of the 4 big tourist destinations: Berlin, Prague, Warsaw, and Krakow. In fact, it is that location, that shaped the city’s history, as being on the crossroads of influences usually brings ups and downs. Over the centuries, it achieved to maintain a unique identity and style, which remains particularly vibrant in the city today.
Getting to Wroclaw
Just a couple of hours away, either by bus, train, or a car, Wroclaw is directly connected to the 4 big cities mentioned above, and has its own international airport. Although most of the city’s hotspots are within a walking distance, the public transportation network is cheap, comfortable, and quite flawless.
Many call Wroclaw the new ‘it’ on the touristic map of hotspots in Poland. A common opinion shared by growing number of visitors is that, Wroclaw is a magical place, with a friendly atmosphere, beautiful architecture, and plenty of interesting things to do and see. All that, still, without a stream of tourists everywhere or exaggerated prices. That’s why it offers a great experience of an essential European city, being easy on your wallet at the same time.
The Wroclaw Airport is probably one of the best options if you are visiting the city. It is mostly served by low budget European Airlines and LOT, the Polish flag-carrier.
Best places to stay in Wroclaw
Visiting Wroclaw for the first time, you will be surprised by the overall charm of the city. A handful of islands is spread across the center, and a total of 120 bridges, or footbridges exist somewhere in the city. Each island has a special appeal and purpose, earning the title of the ‘Venice of Poland’.
The city is one of the greenest in the country, and very pedestrian-friendly. Walking in the pretty streets of the old town is a pleasant way to explore the city, with all it has to offer. Among your way, you will find plenty of cafes and restaurants, where you can try delicious, traditional polish food.
Below, we will list some of the best places to stay in Wroclaw, including the Old Town (Stare Miasto) and the “midtown” (Srodmiescie).
Market square & Old town
Heart of the city, and an architectural gem, Wroclaw’s medieval market square (Rynek we Wrocławiu) is one of the largest in Europe. There are many buildings of historical value, that are located on the square and in the Old town area around it. One of the major landmarks, that sits on the square is the Town Hall, or in fact, 2 of them. The older one, constructed in the 13th is now a museum, open for visits.
There are, traditionally, 11 streets leading to the square from all directions. Each of them offers a variety of good restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs. In the old town, you will also find most of the city’s shops, about a dozen churches of different faiths, and a couple of museums. One museum in particular, The Racławice Panorama is a national treasure worth seeing. It displays an impressive 360° painting of a historic battle, and was painted in the 19th century.
Always busy with life, both in the day, and at night, the Market square has a very special touch to it. If you ever visit Wroclaw during winter, look for the charming Christmas Market on the square. The city holds it annually in the late November and December.
For these reasons, the old town is certainly one of the best areas to stay in Wroclaw.
Srodmiescie (Midtown)
While the Old town will give you a unique cultural and historical experience, just next to it, in the newer part of the city, you will find some great places full of more natural attractions. The Srodmiescie area is also one of the best areas of Wroclaw.
The Africarium & Oceanarium of Wroclaw are certainly worth visiting. This amazing mega-project allows you to observe 5 different ecosystems of Africa, under one roof. The complex is a part of a greater attraction, the city’s Zoological Garden. With its long history, and an impressive collection of flora & fauna, Wroclaw’s Zoo is the biggest in Poland, and 5th most visited in Europe.
Right across the complex is one of the most magical, and architecturally beautiful places in Wroclaw, the Centennial Hall. Always full of exhibitions and interesting events taking place, make sure you check the Hall’s program while visiting the city. A very special kind of ‘exhibition’ outside the Hall, is the Japanese Garden. It is a charming park constructed in the oriental style, open for climatic walks all year round, except winter.
Wroclaw Train Station
You may also want to consider the area around the Main Station for your stay in Wroclaw. That is especially the case if you are coming to Wroclaw for a day trip by train.
The Wroclaw Train Station is not far from the Market Square and all attractions in the old town. Therefore you should consider it when coming by train. In this area, you might find more affordable accommodation than in the surroundings of the market square.
You can learn about trains from Wroclaw in this post.
Budget Accommodation in Wroclaw – €
TOGOTO Wrocław Hostel – a stylish hostel in the old town of Wroclaw.
Reasonably Priced Accommodation in Wroclaw – €€
Qubus Hotel Wrocław – a stylish hotel offering excellent value for the money in the old town.
Ibis Styles Wroclaw Centrum – a great reasonably priced accommodation option, near the Wroclaw Glowny Train Station.
Luxurious Hotels in Wroclaw – €€€
The Granary – La Suite Hotel – a boutique hotel in a scenic location in the old town.
Sofitel Wroclaw Old Town – a superior class hotel at the heart of the old town.
Cost of travel in Wroclaw
You can visit Wroclaw starting from 30€ per day person. That will include inexpensive accommodation at one of the many hostels in the city.
For those coming with a more flexible budget, anything above 80€ a day per person will allow you to experience the city to the fullest.
Prices of food and drinks are very low and shouldn’t exceed 20€/day. Public transport tickets are fairly cheap, especially when buying a pass for couple of days, for a total of 60 bus lines and 25 tram lines operating in the city.
Accommodation prices are also very friendly and remain quite steady throughout the year.
Best months to visit Poland
The months from May to September are the best to visit Polandwith a warm weather, plenty of sunshine and, occasionally, summer rains. Wroclaw is one of the warmest cities of Poland. The months of July and August have the highest influx of tourists to the city. The city is considerably less crowded than the capital Warsaw and Krakow.
December is a great time for a holiday visit too. Around Christmas time, often covered by snow, the Christmas Fair is romantic and cozy. You can also check all events in Wroclaw here.
If you liked the best places to stay in Wroclaw and will also visit other cities in Poland, you may want to check the best places to stay in Krakow, and where to stay in Warsaw.