Wroclaw

I had decided not to go there, but I changed my mind: Poland, here I am. Well, I mean, I am spending almost 48h in the country, it counts, doesn't it?

Wroclaw is a city worth spending a little time in. The friend who recommended it said it was one of the best Polish city for Westerner's first visit to the country, and I believe she is right.

The city itself has a rich history, having changed hands -and countries- quite a few times. It has been Polish, German, Austrian, and back, at different times along the centuries.

Wroclaw, city of dwarves

It is reflected in its architecture, I think, which reminds me of Germany for its churches in red bricks, the Netherlands for its narrow, high houses with peaked fronts, and the North in general for its houses painted different colours.

Well, it is true in the Old Town, and not that much further, of course.

Several islands in the river offer charming parks, the biggest bearing one of the churches.

One of the things that struck me right away is the respect for the traffic lights (as a good Parisian, I hold such conventions in due contempt), and I wonder if it is a mark of obedience to rules (noticeable in Germany, Switzerland...) or a healthy respect of inpredictable tramway crossing. The city is full of tramways. (And both my maps have each a slightly different layout of the public transport lines than observed in real life, which can make things interesting.)

Several highlights of the city were available to me: climbing one of the churches' towers for a view of the city, visiting the Raclavice Panorama, going to one of the numerous museums, even to the zoo. But I chose to go to the Jewish Cemetery, and I didn't regret it...