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Thursday, July 31, 2014

Wroclaw highlights

Hello again! My trip may be long over, but I still want to try to document the highlights for myself before I forget too much!

Wroclaw was and interesting city and incredibly different from the other cities we visited on the trip. It’s a pretty small town with very few non-European visitors. There aren't a ton of museums or tourist attractions but the city has a great vibe, friendly people, and everything is pretty much in walking distance (a big plus when you’re trying to navigate public transportation with zero language skills).  Here are some of the highlights from this quirky little city…
                           
The gnomes!
I wrote more about them here. These guys were so precious and dad and I had a great time hunting them down!



The Raclawice Panorama
The Raclawice Panorama is a building that houses a massive painting depicting the Battle of Raclawice in which a small group of Polish peasants defeated a much larger Russian army in 1794. This was definitely the most unique way I’ve ever seen a piece of art displayed, but I guess you have to be creative when the piece is a 374 ft circular canvas. The 30 minute “journey” around the Battle of Raclawice was innovative and educational, which is why I highly recommend making reservations and stopping by the panorama if you ever find yourself in western Poland.  You can read more about the piece and its storied history here.  
Source

Rynik Square
This is the large square in the middle of the city surrounding the old town hall. Rynik Square was really the only touristy area of the city, but it was a great place to people watch. In the summer the turn part of the square into a market/lounge area. There was a small beach with lawn chairs, a grassy area with picnic tables, and strange bubble chairs...it was all kind of wacky, but still cute. The market featured beautiful handmade pottery, delicious pierogi, and lots of gnome figurines! And yes, I did buy one for my fridge.


Please note the bubble chair




Wroclaw University
Wroclaw is a major college town and is home to one of Poland’s best engineering school, which is why Wroclaw is considered the Silicon Valley of Poland. The company visits in Wroclaw were among my favorite. Most of them were tech companies filled with brilliant people working on some pretty innovative technologies. The university’s chapel and ceremonial hall, Aula Leopoldina, were breathtaking and made me really sad that I graduated in a gigantic coliseum built in the 1960s and not this baroque masterpiece…
Sorry for the poor image quality. I didn't have my real camera with me

View from the top of the hall. It had finally stopped raining and the clouds were just perfect!

The result of Dr. Shook accidentally taking a video instead of a picture and the giggling that followed. 
 Pro tip: the cafeteria at the university also offers culinary delights on the cheap!


Other food recommendations:
- Pierogi Ruski from the market
- Vega for incredible Indian food right on the square
- Amalfi Pizza for well priced brick oven pizza when you're in the mood for something familiar 


That about does it for Wroclaw! I also stopped by the National Museum and Centennial Hall. They were fine visits but not necessarily highlights. Centennial Hall is a UNESCO world heritage site but I didn't find it too spectacular. However, the park surrounding Centennial Hall was definitely worth the short bus ride! Be on the lookout for Berlin highlight and a quick post on Franz Ferdinand’s castle soon.



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