Neon Side
This club blended with a gallery can be found at 46c Ruska Street. The courtyard in front of this nifty place is adorned with historic Wrocław neon signs, making it a sight to behold particularly at night. The signs were obtained by Neon Side from their prior owners, who simply wanted to get rid of them. By being brought to this courtyard, the signs have returned to their birthplace – they were all manufactured by a defunct firm that once had their headquarters at this very address. Neon Side hosts various events such as concerts and exhibitions and is a fine place for a coffee, beer or any other cheeky beverage.
Wrocław Velodrome
This 1930s track in 241 Żmigrodzka Street had been left forgotten for quite some time. Its glory days were in the 60s and 70s when the major cycling contests it hosted drew big crowds. In later years, the concrete velodrome became obsolete as a professional competition venue – cyclists began to prefer faster tracks such as wooden ones. Consequently, interest in the velodrome dropped sharply. Recently, however, the velodrome was “rediscovered” and has become a hip place. Nowadays special picnics are organised here during warm months that feature bicycle races and demonstrations of bicycle crafts. The velodrome is free of charge for all pedestrian visitors, but if you’re a racing fiend, there are paid bicycle rides organised on the track twice a week by the Wrocław Cycling Club (fixed-gear bike and helmet required).
Eastern Park
A beautiful park in the southeast of the city, located in a gorgeous spot across two islands surrounded by the waters of the River Oława. It’s a bit tricky to get there as only one entrance, located near Krakowska Street, leads to the 32.5-hectare park. Nevertheless it’s well worth finding your way to Eastern Park as it’s truly remarkable. What’s so special about it, apart from its location, is that it’s both very peaceful and has areas that basically look like wild forest. The park doesn’t attract that many visitors, so you can really feel like you’re in an actual wood. The back-to-nature picture is completed by the wild roe deer that sometimes enter the park from nearby forests.
Baszta
A very nice vegetarian and vegan cafe in 14 Kraińskiego Street that serves mainly Thai food. It’s located in a sturdy-looking medieval tower adjacent to the old city walls. For your starter at Baszta, you can get spring rolls or satay from tempeh and tofu. Main courses include yellow, green and red curry, two pad thais (mango chilli and tamarind) and different stir fries. You can also choose from an assortment of soups and salads. The cafe’s cakes, some of which are gluten-free, make excellent desserts. At Baszta, you can feed not only your stomach, but also your eyes – one of the rooms serves as an art gallery.
Bogusławskiego Street
This trendy street lines a red-brick railway embankment in which numerous establishments are situated. You can find a bar with Czech beers and blues music playing in the background, a great pizza place, or a store selling Italian wines. The charming atmosphere of this row attracts a lot of people including artistic types from the two theatres and the film centre that are located nearby. All the Bogusławskiego Street establishments operating in the embankment have one other thing in common, apart from being in the same street – every now and then, they feel the noise of a train passing above them. However, their clients don’t seem to really mind.
Pralnia
A large club in 100 Krakowska Street, located in a post-industrial building once owned by a 19th-century brewery and was also an industrial laundry in the 1990s. Pralnia is one to the best places to go for a club night with electronic or house music. During summertime this year, it organised all sorts of events, including rooftop bashes that featured DJ sets and a swimming pool. Pralnia has also hosted events that weren’t parties, such as Beer Geek Madness, a showcase of craft beers, or Wrocław Tattoo Konwent, the tattoo festival. Beneath the club, there’s a gallery that hosts various artistic events including exhibitions and art students’ diploma defences.
Wyspa Słodowa
The name of this island in downtown Wrocław translates to Malt Island. It comes from the malt house that once existed there in the 15th century. This pretty island, located on the River Oder in the oldest part of the city, is mostly undeveloped (there’s only one house there) and has a great, park-like feel. You can easily get there by one of the bridges that connect it with the mainland or the neighbouring islands. It’s a popular place for picnics during the warm months. Since 2013, the Wrocław Centre for Social Development, an organisational unit of the Commune of Wrocław, has organised various events there, such as dance workshops, outdoor film screenings and sports competitions.
Kontynuacja
A multi-tap bar found at 17 Ofiar Oświęcimskich Street, just two minutes on foot from the Old City Hall. In Kontynuacja, you can get over 20 types of high quality beer. The constantly-changing selection of brews focuses on Polish craft and top foreign beers. The bar’s name means ‘continuation’ in English and references the history of its premises: it was a highly-popular pub in the 19th century too, so the owners want to position their bar as a continuation of their establishment’s locale. The bar is open seven days a week from afternoon until late.
Written by Marek Kępa, Sept 2015