When people think of winter in Europe, most imagine Christmas markets in Germany or skiing in Switzerland. But there is a city that has been stealing the spotlight in recent years – Wrocław in Poland.
The third-largest city in the country, with nearly 700,000 residents, doesn’t exactly sound like a romantic destination. But that’s exactly the gap between expectations and reality – the historic center here is remarkably preserved from the Middle Ages, and it’s one of the most beautiful on the continent.
What to do there?
The heart of the city is the Market Square – colorful houses, a 13th-century Gothic town hall with an astronomical clock that looks like a smaller version of Prague’s. In winter, a Christmas market is set up here with wooden stalls, a giant Christmas tree, and a festive tower with rotating figures.
There’s the usual mulled wine and sausages, but the local Polish menu is the real star: Oscypek – smoked sheep cheese from the mountains, served grilled with cranberries; Pierogi – meat and potato dumplings that warm the soul; Bigos – a stew of sauerkraut and cabbage with meat, the perfect fuel for a Polish winter.
And if you want to enjoy traditional Polish food, SETKA is the place to go: A communist-style bar at the edge of the Old Town, mostly frequented by locals, serving all your favorite Polish and Eastern European dishes in a simple atmosphere. A full meal with a jug of lemonade won’t cost more than 50 zloty, about 45 NIS. Yes, very cheap.
Okay, so what’s the story with the dwarfs?
What makes Wrocław unique compared to other European cities – are the dwarfs. There are more than 600 tiny bronze dwarf statues, about 30 centimeters tall, scattered all over the city.
They are not just cute decorations – each one tells a story. There’s a chocolate-maker dwarf at the entrance of a chocolate shop. A pair of dwarfs planning a heist near an ATM. A drunk dwarf lying on the floor of a pub with a giant beer glass.
The most famous? Two dwarf witches on a bridge by an old church – Tekla, condemned to sweep the bridge forever for refusing to marry, and Martinka, a young witch sent to help her. Locals leave coins for Tekla for luck.
Trying to find them all? That can take a full day. But it turns the city into an interactive experience – especially with children.
The quiet side of the city
After the noise of the center, it’s worth visiting the "Cathedral Island" – Ostrów Tumski. This is the oldest part of the city, where it all began, but it’s much quieter.
The Oder River flows around it, there are a few beautiful bridges (one covered in love locks), and an impressive Gothic cathedral. But what’s really worth it is staying until sunset – there’s a lamplighter who arrives in a long coat and lights the gas lamps by hand. It looks like a scene from a movie.
Why now, and not Prague or Berlin?
Price: Wrocław is much cheaper. A 4-star hotel in a prime location? $87 per night. A full meal? 50 NIS. In Prague or Berlin, you’d pay two to three times as much.
Fewer tourists: Prague’s Market Square is packed with tourists. Wrocław still retains its authentic character. There are tourists, but not in numbers that ruin the experience.
Wrocław is Europe’s best-kept winter secret. It offers everything you expect from a classic European city – stunning architecture, an authentic Christmas market, excellent food – but without the crowds and exorbitant prices. And with the addition of hundreds of tiny dwarfs turning the trip into a giant treasure hunt, it’s an experience hard to find anywhere else.