A MEETING WITH HISTORY

As befits a city with a 1,000-year-long history, Wrocław has countless excellently preserved historic buildings. Tourists usually start their sightseeing from the Market Square. Near the Market Square are two Gothic churches, St. Elizabeth's Church – the old parish church and the burial site of Wrocław's patron saint, and St. Mary Magdalene's Church – which has one of the oldest and most beautiful Romanesque portals in Central Europe. It's hard to overlook the Baroque seat of Wrocław University, and within it, the Leopoldine Hall, with its enchanting illusionist painting and rich stucco decoration, and University Church, with its wonderful frescoes.

Two more essential tourist destinations are Piaskowa Island and Ostrów Tumski, an island that is home to a number of Gothic churches, including the breathtaking cathedral. Other must-sees in Wrocław include the Botanical Gardens, Ludowa Hall and Szczytnicki Park, which includes Poland's only Japanese Garden – but this entails a longer trip to the city's eastern neighborhoods. A stroll along Wrocław's Planty, a green belt running along of Europe's longest city moat (3,860 m), is also worthwhile.