Hi Pedro and Angelina, tell us about yourself, your passions, your favorite places, trips or projects.
We are a married international couple (Pedro is Portuguese, and Angelina is half Russian half Polish). We live in Porto, Portugal and we both have corporate jobs in retail management which actually require a lot of traveling. We love Wroclaw and believe more people should know about it.
Our big passion, as most of the readers here, is to travel! Not just for professional purposes but also at a personal level. So far, we have visited more than 50 countries in 4 continents.
At the beginning of this year, we asked our companies for a sabbatical license to travel the world for one year. We had booked our first flight of our around the world trip for the 29th of March 2020, but unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 recent events, we had to postpone it. At the moment we are at home in quarantine, focusing on our trip preparations and waiting for things to calm down so we can proceed with our Travel Dream.
What makes Wroclaw so special for you?
We have a very strong connection with this city – Angelina spent there 6 years during her studies and Pedro has many friends there, so it feels like a second home for us. It is a charming city which combines history and modernity and offers a very good quality of life! That´s why the locals call it #WrocLove.
What is your favorite area in the city?
Undoubtfully Rynek (the Old Town Square). Its architecture is breathtaking, and the energy is contagious. It’s the true heart of the city at any time of the day. During the afternoon you may check on local restaurants and small bars offering most of the traditional cuisine and beverages that we highly recommend tasting. Later on, the Old Town Square turns into the nightlife center – here anyone will find a place to have fun until the sunrise.
In your spare time, what can you do in Wroclaw?
It´s a very green city, so you have plenty of opportunities to spend a nice time outdoors. There are many nice places to walk, go running or do a picnic – in a park, on an island or next to the river. It also offers bike and electric scooters renting which makes visiting easier. Kayaking on Odra river also is an option for the adventure lovers!
If you would visit Wroclaw for the first time what would be unmissable to do and see?
We recommend starting with the Old Town Square, then you may have a walk through the Tumski island with its beautiful cathedral. There you may also go on a river cruise. Wroclaw is also called the City of Bridges – it is situated on 12 islands connected by 112 bridges. If you have some more time and have an opportunity to go a little out of the center, we recommend visiting the singing fountain and the Japanese garden – both situated in the same park. For the little visitors, the Zoological Garden is definitely a tip – it is one of the oldest in Europe.
How many days do you recommend for visiting Wroclaw?
3 days should be enough to get a good perspective of the city but if one has a chance, we would recommend a full week to be able to enjoy everything in a slow rhythm. It´s not a huge city but has a lot of interesting things to see and great walks to do.
Is there a best time of the year to visit it?
We believe that summer (June to August) is the best time to visit Wroclaw as you can enjoy its amazing bars and restaurants, as well as the walks in the city. However, if you are not afraid of cold, we also recommend to go there in the winter – Wroclaw turns out to be very beautiful as well if there is snow. Due to climate changes its snowing less and less there but when it happens its overwhelming. And don´t forget about the Christmas market – we highly recommend checking it in December!
Food is a very important aspect of our trips. For someone like us, what special foods do you recommend trying?
Mmmmm… here you have plenty of choices, prepare your tummies! For meat lovers we recommend golonka (pork knee) and zeberka (pork ribs) – usually cooked with beer, the other choices are pierogi (polish dumplings with different fillings) and oscypki (smoked cheese from the grill). For dessert, we advise trying sernik (polish cheesecake) or makowiec (poppyseed cake). And of course, anywhere you may find a good variety of beer (several restaurants have their own production) and vodka – our favorites are cherry and lemon flavors!
There are always new things happening or opening everywhere. Which places are trendy right know in Wroclaw?
Last time we´ve been to Wroclaw, last summer, we were very surprised by ZaZoo Beach Bar – it is an improvised beach bar just next to the river. You may stretch out in a sunbed sipping your favorite drink and enjoying live music just in the middle of the city!
Is there something we shouldn’t leave without that we can find only in Wroclaw?
The Dwarfs of Wroclaw! What started out as a silent protest by an anti-communist group, has now turned into a popular tourist attraction and a visit card of the city. Today Wroclaw counts with 300+ of these tiny sculptures which are hidden all over the city. Each of the dwarfs has a name, e.g. Dwarf the Sleepyhead in SW. Mikolaja Street or Dwarf the Butcher in Jatki Street. The challenge is to find them all!
What/where should we avoid in Wroclaw?
You should avoid being on a diet 😊 it´s quite difficult taking into account the local gastronomy!
How to get around in Wroclaw?
From our perspective, there are 2 ways that work better for different situations. For transportation in town (within the city center surroundings) its always good to use the tram. It works really well and there are a lot of options so if you get familiar with the routes you are able to move around at almost no cost. Another way it’s Taxi / Uber because they are available everywhere and it’s very cheap compared to most of the European countries. Electric scooters and bikes are also very popular at the moment.
What do you know about Wroclaw that only locals know about? Tell us your secret tips!
We personally appreciate jazz music and Wroclaw has several places with frequent live jazz concerts – Vertigo and Jazz Club Rura are our favorites. Every summer Wroclaw also hosts Jazz on the Oder Festival which we highly recommend.
You can find Flores Around the World in Facebook and Instagram.
- Order your Revolut card - the only card we use while traveling
- Book your flight to Wroclaw with Momondo or with Skyscanner
- You can book your hotel in Wroclaw with Booking.
- Chose your travel insurance with Iati (with 5% off) or with World Nomads