Wrocaw's main attractions can be seen in a few hours of leisurely strolling. The natural place to start is the enormous central square, the Rynek, dominated (and that really is the right word, in this case) by the Town Hall, the Ratusz, in the middle. The Rynek is lined with some of the most cheerful baroque and Renaissance facades to grace a Polish town square. On the northwest corner of the square is the foreboding Gothic red-brick St. Elizabeth Church (Kosció Sw. Elzbiety), Wrocaw's most impressive building, and still pockmarked here and there by bullet holes from the siege of Breslau at the end of World War II. You can climb the tower, but keep in mind that it's over 90m (295 ft.) high and is pretty strenuous. To the east of the Rynek is another evocative and beautiful church, the Church of Mary Magdalene (Kosció Sw. Marii Magdaleny). Just next to the Rynek, past the Tourist Information Office, is the smaller Plac Solny, the former salt market that's now given over to an enormous flower market. The side streets that lead off the square in all directions merit at least a couple hours of ambling. North of the Rynek, and along the Odra River, is the university district, where you'll find some of the city's best nightspots. To the northwest of the Rynek, around Kiebasnicza, is Wrocaw's arty district -- formed amid some weathered but pretty blocks of buildings that survived the onslaught of World War II.
From the university district, follow the Odra River to the right over a series of small, picturesque islands to the peaceful, restorative Ostrów Tumski, home to the city's main cathedral and the spiritual heart of Wrocaw. It's perfect for a picnic and a few hours of contemplative strolling.
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