Guide

Some information about Wroclaw

Wroclaw lies along the Oder River. It’s the fourth largest city in Poland. Because of the many rivers, islands, some 200 or so bridges and the sheer beauty of the city, Wroclaw has a growing reputation as the Venice of the North.

In 2016, the city was a European Capital of Culture. Also, Wroclaw hosted the European Film Awards and Theatre Olympics.

There are about 20 museums, so here you efinetely can’t get bored. The city is well known for its large number of nightclubs and pubs. Many are in or near the Market Square, and in the Niepolda passage. (There are over 100 bars and clubs in Wroclaw, and many of the islands have restaurants with the most amazing riverside views.)

One of the interesting way to explore the city is seeking out Wrocław's dwarves, small bronze figurines found across the city, on pavements, walls and even on lampposts. They emerged in 2005 since when, there are upwards of 350 assuming different guises.

Also, Wrocław is a university city with a student population of over 130,000, making it arguably one of the most youth-oriented cities in the country. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the University of Wrocław, previously Breslau University, has produced 9 Nobel Prize laureates and is renowned for its high quality of teaching.

If you need any information as a tourist, you could apply to “The Tourist Information Center (polish: Centrum Informacji Turystycznej) is located on the Main Marker Square (polish: Rynek) in building N0. 14.

Interesting fact: “Wrocław is a city with the oldest restaurant in Europe - it is Piwnica Świdnicka, which was founded over 740 years ago and still operates today.”

TOP Attractions

Wroclaw is a very cultural city, its history is very eventful. That is why the city has a lot of attractions, museums, monuments. After all, the European Capital of Culture.

The most important sights are described here.

FREE ATTRACTIONS:

• Rynek - Hustling and bustling both day and night, Rynek, or the Market Square, is the very heart of Wrocław. The center of the square features the Cloth Hall and the Town Hall, the latter being a unique specimen of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. The area is not far from another tourist attractions of Wrocław.

• Ostrów Tumski - is an island and the oldest part of Wrocław. Surrounded by the River Oder, this former garden, which gave rise to the city of Wrocław, is now featuring a number of impressive monuments.  This is the only place is Wrocław where you can see a lamplighter turning on the gas lamps at dusk.

• Wrocław University - the main Wrocław University building is part of a larger Baroque-style building complex composed of a former Jesuit college and Jesuit church. The building houses the Wrocław University Museum and the gem of Lower Silesia's Baroque, the Leopoldinum Hall, together with the Oratorium Marianum music hall, which has served as a celebrated concert space for more than two hundred years now.

PAID ATTRACTIONS:

• The Wroclaw Zoo - the Wrocław Zoo is the oldest and largest Polish zoo (considering the number of species). The Zoo features both historic facilities, including the bear tower, elephant house and monkey house, and modern pavilions such as the Afrykarium, which is a unique complex showcasing a variety of Africa's aquatic habitats.
  Ticket:
  Normal – 50 PLN
  Discounted – 40 PLN
  

• The Hydropolis - The Hydropolis, or Wrocław's centre for environmental education, is one of the largest centres of this kind in Europe. It is also the only centre in Poland that showcases almost all types of aquatic environment. The visitors can choose from over 70 different interactive features and multimedia installations.
  Ticket:
  Normal – 27 PLN
  Discounted – 18 PLN
  

• Panorama of the Battle of Racawice – important historical landmark in Wroclaw. It’s a unique representation of the Battle of Racławice (4th April 1794), created to commemorate the centenary of the Kościuszko Uprising. The work, which boasts an impressive size of 15 x 114 m, is open to the public in a specially designed rotund building. The combination of painterly techniques (perspective) and technology (lighting, artificial terrain, darkened and winding entry) provides for a unique and illusionistic spectacle.
  Ticket:
  Normal – 30 PLN
  Discounted – 23 PLN

• Botanical Garden - а popular place to chill is at the Botanical Gardens, where you can see lots of plants, flowers, trees, aquariums, sculptures, a large pond and pretty bridges.  You can be sure to find some peace and quiet here.
  Ticket:
  Normal – 15 PLN
  Discounted – 10 PLN

• Sky Tower - the final must-see Wrocław attraction on the list just happens to be the tallest building in Poland, the Sky Tower. It has 51 floors, but the public viewing floor is on the 49th level. Nevertheless, you are sure to enjoy sensational views over Wrocław.
  Ticket:
  Normal – 18 PLN
  Discounted – 12 PLN

On the sites below, you could find an apartment for rent, a room or even place in the room.

• nieruchomosci-online.pl
• olx.pl
• otodom.pl
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/277111145806430/
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/572302069574422/

There are also dormitories in which you can also rent a room or a place in the room. Examples of dormitories in Wroclaw:

• Student depot  It's a private dormitory, where you can rent an appartment. Where you’ll have a private kitchen/bathroom.
• University of Wroclaw and Nature Unversity  In  here you can rent a room or place in the room. At this dormitory, kitchen and bathroom aren’t private. These rooms are accesible to everybody.
• Las dormitory It's a private dormitory, where you can rent an appartment. Where you’ll have a private kitchen/bathroom.

What is a “Urban Card?” And how to do it?

The Wroclawian “Urban Card” is a modern and multi-functional carrier of electronic services and products in the format of a payment card. It save all your purchased tickets. In order to do the “Urban Card”, you should submit an application, using the website urbancard.pl. You should complete some information about yourself and add a photo. After that, you coud choose pick up point, where you’ll get your “urban card”.

Ticket prices:

Tickets can be bought at the following machines:

Application "JakDojade.pl"

Also, if you travel by public transport in Wroclaw or in Poland in general, the application “JakDojade” can help. You could choose the start point and destination. After that, the application will show how much the nearest transport will take, which will take to the destination.

Inetersting fact, in Wroclaw you can move not only by land but also by air. One of the attractions of Wrocław is “Polinka” - a cable car on the Odra River. The trip over the river takes only three minutes. This is an original crossing on the walking route from Hydropolis to the zoo.

All you need to know about sim cards and mobile networks in Poland

If you need buy a sim card, you could do it in:

• Play
• Orange
• T-mobile
• Plush
• Virgin mobile

Make sure to activate your polish sim card in the same place.

Residence Registration in Poland

All students from EU countries coming to study in Poland for more than 3 months must register their stay in Poland. To do it you need to visit the Lower Silesian Governor's Office Office  Dolnośląski Urząd Wojewódzki 

Address:
Urząd Wojewódzki, Oddział ds. Cudzoziemców
Powstańców Warszawy 1, ground floor 

• Coffee and sweets
• Night time
• Comfort food

First step is to  fill in Learning Agreement. It should fill in on the computer. The learning agreement should be sign by two parties: the student and home university. Second step is to scan the document and send to your Erasmus coordinator at the host university, please don’t send via post. 

Remember to attach:

• Photo - 1 photo of 35x45 mm in paper form of the size of 35x45 mm and 1 photo in electronic form of 236x295 pix and 300 dpi resolution (jpg format), supplied on a CD or by e-mail,

• scanned ID or passport (scanned document),

• scanned confirmation of health insurance (only EURO26 or ISIC). 

The photo in paper form you can hand over after your arrive in Wrocław.

The courses you choose should at least partially reflect your courses on home university. Choose courses  units (several or all) from one of the courses and one or all additional general courses units. 

The maximum number of the ECTS per semester is 30 ECTS. 

Additional courses units: Polish language for beginners and Study Tour I for all Erasmus students. If study at our university Management or Tourism and Leisure you can add one or both of them to your Learning Agreement. 

Study Tour takes 2 whole days, one day is dedicated to Wroclaw and another day to Lower Silesia with focus on Sudety Mountains. The course offers students opportunity to combine study and culture immersion, while gaining credit towards degree. 

Please have with you the European Health Card or other health insurances and don’t forget to send to host erasmus coordinator a copy via e- mail.