Wrocław (pronouncedVROHTS-wahf; also known asBreslau, its German name, and English name until 1945) is the largest city inLower Silesia inPoland. It is home to 674,000 people within the city limits (2022) and the metropolitan area has a population of 1.3 million making it the largest city in Western Poland.
Wrocław is the historic capital of Silesia and it has changed hands repeatedly over the centuries. At different points throughout history, Wrocław has been in the Kingdom of Poland, Bohemia, theAustrian Empire,Prussia and Germany. In 1945 the city became a part of Poland again as the borders of Poland were moved westwards in the immediate aftermath of World War II. The city came to international fame as it hosted a number of football matches during the Euro 2012 Championships and was one of the2016 European Capitals of Culture. TheWorld Games took place in Wrocław in 2017.
Like many cities in Central Europe, it is a city with a troubled past, having seen a lot of violence and devastation. Prior to the Second World War, Breslau was the capital of the German province of Prussian Lower Silesia. It became Polish territory when, after the War, the Soviets moved the German/Polish border westward to the Oder/Neisse Line and ethnically cleansed the area of its overwhelmingly German population through mass expulsion. Breslau was almost completely destroyed during the end of the War as the Red Army fought its way into Germany towards Berlin, being declared a "Fortress City" by Adolf Hitler. However, since the end of the Communist regime in 1989 it has been wonderfully restored and can now be counted among the highlights of Poland and of all Central Europe.
The official language is Polish. The city is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination, and serves as Poland's secondary financial services centre (after Warsaw). Thus, you should be able to a find sufficient number of English speakers to get by. German is probably much more widely spoken and understood here than in other regions of Poland.
There are two tourist information points on the main market square (Rynek). There is a tourist information in the main railway station.
Is served by:
From the airport,bus 106 operates from the terminal building to central Wrocław during daytime roughly every twenty minutes. There is also anight bus 206. The night bus will take approximately one hour to get to the city centre. If you are not sure how to get to your final destination in Wrocław by public transport, it might be helpful to use thejourney planner. Single-ride tickets from Wrocław Airport to the city center cost 4,60 zł (or 2,30 zł for students or ISIC/EURO 26 holders) and can be purchased at the automatic ticket vending machine at the stop or on board.
At night,some of thebus 206 services operate on the same route as bus 106.
Ataxi to the city centre or train station will cost around 45-60 zł during the daytime.
Wrocław is a major hub on the Polish rail network, with several trains a day to all large Polish cities (route planner).
There are about ten daily arrivals fromWarsaw. Travel time varies from 3½ hours by the newhigh speed trains, up to almost 7 hours with aTLK (cheap) train.
Several trains a day arrive fromKraków. There are quite a lot of trains fromPoznań, which itself receives trains fromSzczecin,Bydgoszcz, andBerlin.
As of July 2021 the train from Berlin to Kraków and the overnight train from Berlin to Vienna both call at Wrocław and operate daily. Travel time is around 4½ hours from Berlin or 7 hours overnight from Vienna.
To get to Wrocław fromDresden take the train to Zgorzelec just across the border operated byTrilex. From there Polish trains run to Wrocław, taking about 4h to cover the distance between Dresden and Wrocław.
All international and national buses stop at thePKS Centrum station which is located directly behind the main train station (timetable; click "Odjazdy autobusów z Dworca Centralnego PKS").
Wrocław is a stop on theEurolines international coach network.
FlixBus operates routes to Prague and Warsaw (via Łódź). Tickets are only available online, but traveling with them is comfortable. Buses are brand new and free Wi-Fi is available on board. Tickets are cheap when bought in advance. One-way tickets are available from 1 zł (plus 1 zł for reservation). They also operate buses to and fromKrakow about once an hour.
Given the state of the railway connection to/from Germany (see above) several providers ofIntercity buses in Germany (including Deutsche Bahn) also serve Wroclaw, mostly from Berlin and Dresden, with some making intermediate stops.
The centre of Wrocław is navigable on foot, but the city has an excellent public-transport system for access to the suburbs and outlying attractions, with 57 bus lines, 22 tram lines and 13 night bus lines. As well as that, taxis are readily available and quite affordable, even for those on a budget.
Details onhow to travel around Wrocław andticket types and prices. You can also use thejourney planner. Google Maps and its peers do not work well for public transit in Wrocław as of 2025; instead, download theJakdojade transit app.
There are twotypes of tickets:
A reduced fare is available and costs 50% of the regular fare. Pupils of Polish schools under the age of 21 and seniors aged 65 and over ride for free. A proof of age or a school ID is needed.
You mustvalidate all tickets on boarding the bus or tram, or you'll face a 150 zł fine (plus the price of a ticket) if caught by an inspector (100 zł if paid within 7 days). A period ticket only needs to validated on the first vehicle that you board. After that, you just need to keep it on you for inspection.
Tickets are sold in lots of places. Look for "Ruch" kiosks, post offices. You should be able to buy them in most newsagents also. In the city centre you can find lots of ticket machines offering all types of tickets.
In every bus and tram there is a ticket machine installed too. Payment is only possible by credit or debit card (Visa/MasterCard/American Express). Maestro cards are not accepted. The ticket machine on the bus or tram does not print your ticket – the ticket is coded on your payment card. The validity of the ticket (this service is particularly useful in time tickets) can be checked in the ticket machine.
Transporting baggage and animals requires no additional ticket.
If you're planning to stay longer, check out theUrbancard offer.
Between April and November you can rent bicycles at about 70 locations throughout the city with theWroclaw City Bike (Wrocławski Rower Miejski, WRM) system which is operated byNextbike Polska on behalf of the city. You need to register once online and pay an initial fee of 10 zł. For the first 20 min you can then use the bicycles for free. 20- to 40-min rental periods cost 2 zł and every additional hour costs 4 zł. A customer service office for questions or registration is on ul. Świętego Antoniego 8 (open Tu 06:00-16:00, Th 11:00-21:00). Customer service can also called on +48 71 738 1111 or +48 71 715 2772.
(updated Apr 2023) (updated Aug 2024)(updated Aug 2023) (updated Jan 2016)(updated May 2016)
(updated Aug 2024) 
(updated Jan 2016)(updated May 2016)(updated Apr 2022)(updated Aug 2024)(updated May 2016)(updated May 2016)(updated Dec 2015)(updated Aug 2024)(updated Aug 2024)(updated Aug 2024)(updated Aug 2024)(updated May 2016) (updated May 2016)(updated May 2016) (updated Aug 2015) Some free public playgrounds:
Polish for foreigners is taught in several schools.
Wrocław is dominated by service economy based on outsourcing, mostly in IT, accounting and finance with headquarters of several companies from the sector. Many of them are willing to employ foreigners and even deal with immigration permits.
(updated Aug 2024)
Cultural note: the "bars" listed below are in fact self-service canteens, known asmilk bars (bar mleczny), offering inexpensive and traditional Polish meals. They are a gastronomic and cultural experience. They should be open even on national holidays. Expect short queues.
(updated May 2022)(updated Apr 2025)(updated May 2022)(updated May 2022)(updated May 2022)(updated Jan 2016)(updated Dec 2021)
There are many different clubs and pubs in Wroclaw. Most of them are located in the centre of the old town, many good ones however, are situated a few crossings from the Town Square, not within its borders. The Town Square mostly contains some not very specific, quite expensive restaurants, although it is worth mentioning theSpiż Cellar, an interesting mini-brewery with a few tasty kinds of locally made beer and a unique interior design. There are also two discos that are popular among fans of house/techno music -Daytona andZwiązki. However, pub-wanderers, who want to meet interesting people and/or get involved in some discussions will probably enjoy places situated in some less obvious locations than right in the Town Square. Good examples of such places are:
There are plenty of other clubs and pubs in Wroclaw. It's a great adventure to explore them because most have their own specific style and atmosphere.
(updated Jan 2016)(updated Jan 2016) (updated Apr 2025) Wrocław, like most of Poland, is a very safe city but you should exercise the usual caution and keep guard of your valuables especially around crowded places or places popular with tourists like the main train station or the town square (Rynek).
As of Aug 2022 city centre has 5G from all Polish carriers, while outlying districts and the approach highways have 4G. Wifi is widely available in public places.
| Routes through Wrocław |
| Forst ← BorderPL/D←Legnica← | W  E | →Opole→Katowice |
| Kłodzko←Ząbkowice Śląskie← | S  E | →Oleśnica→Piotrków Trybunalski |
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