You can't say you have seen Wrocław without a visit to its ZOO, the most famous in Poland. You also have to visit Szczytnicki Park and the People's Hall and the Japanese garden. Yes! So let's leave on our new walking tour which will take you outside the city centre.

 

How to get to the People's Hall:

trams no 2, 4 (direction Biskupin), 16 (direction ZOO),

buses no 145 (direction Sępolno), 146 (direction Bartoszowice).

 

tram no 10 (direction Biskupin),

bus E (direction Bartoszowice).

The first park projects, the initiative of FL von Hohenlohe-Engelfingen, were constructed at the end of XVIII century.

The development of an actual park is from the end of XIX c., when the ideas of royal gardener P. Lenne and botanist H. Göppert were implemented. In 1913 when the 100th anniversary of the defeat of Napoleon at Lipsk in 1813 was celebrated, the city municipal council organised an exhibition called 'the century exhibition' and they built the People's Hall and started the splendid pergola around the pond.

In 1948 an exhibition, 'New Polish Lands', was opened in the park and the 106 m high, S. Hempl, spire was built.

Szczytnicki Park is around 100 hectares in size and is the oldest and largest park in the city. Apart from the monuments there is the rich flora to admire not forgetting the 200 year old oaks in Oak Alley, the 300 year old oak of Jan Stanka or 100 year old beeches.

 

The Centennial Hall (People's hall) was designed by Max Berg and constructed between 1911-13 and is the best known building in Wrocław. In its time it was an innovation in concrete and metal and the dome was the biggest built since the Pantheon in Rome. It is now into the UNESCO World heritage list. It was not damaged during the war and after the fighting had stopped it became a place for exhibitions and events of a cultural and entertaining nature. Nowadays it has one of the most modern show and sporting facilities in Poland. The stage is 560 sq. meters in area and is equipped with the most up to date sound and lighting systems. Audience sizes vary with a maximum of 7000 spectators for special events. Sporting competitions, fairs, congresses, world star concerts or opera and theatrical mega productions (Aida, Carmen or Fiddler on the Roof) have all been held here.

 

A museum describes and illustrates with photographs the building of the hall and the biggest events that took place within it.

Open daily 09.00 -16.00, ticket 10 zł, reduced 5 zł.

The Japanese Garden was established as part of the Garden exhibitionin 1913 by count von Hochenberg from Iłowa and Mankichi Arai from Tokyo.

When the exhibition closed, the pathways, pond, streams, and mini mountains remained along with the exotic flora. In the 70's a copy of a Japanese temple from Kyoto was built over the pond and a waterfall and bridge were added.

Open 1 IV-31.X-CLOSED, Adult 3 zł, Reduced 1,50 zł.

When you have visited the park return to the street where you left the tram, cross over, use the overhead bridge, it's safer, and on the right you will find the entrance to the ZOO.

The Wrocław Zoological Garden was opened on 10 July 1865. It has an aviary, an elephant and monkey house and the Floral House from the first days of the gardens.

Times were difficult between the wars and the zoo was closed from 1921 to 1927. At the end of WWII the animals had all been killed or eaten and the buildings destroyed.

The University of Wrocław came up with the idea of opening a zoo again and in July 1948 the ZOO was opened to the public. Now there are about 6800 animals representing around 600 species.

Here you will find the only white tiger couple in Poland, who live in their own, modern tiger house. The ZOO became famous in seventieswith the TV programme, 'With a camera among animals', directed from the ZOO by Hanna and Antoni Gucwiński.

The program ran for nearly 32 years and at its height of popularity was followed by 9 million viewers! It was the only national TV program from Wrocław at that time.

 

Open 09.00-18.00 (tickets sold till 17.00). Ticket 12 zł, reduced 6 zł. Reserve at least 2 hours!