Last year, Wizz Air launched £40 return flights to the Polish city of Wrocław.
A sucker for cheap flights and hidden gems, I added them to my basket for a January 2026 getaway.
Little did I know it would be the cheapest (and one of the most fun) city breaks I’ve experienced — all in, with flights, three nights’ accommodation, and spending money, I was only £150 down.
Let’s rewind. In 2019, I spent a weekend in Kraków and fell in love with Poland. From the culture and food to the warmth of its people, it also lived up to its affordable reputation. Which, back then, as a final year uni student, was the first thing I thought about when booking a holiday.
I vowed I’d see more of the country someday.
Fast forward to 2026, and I boarded a plane from Gatwick to the southwestern city, also known as the ‘Polish Venice’ for its 100+ bridges over the Oder River, numerous waterways, canals, and islands.
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Any comparison to Venice ends here, though, visually and affordability-wise.
A feast for the eyes
The first thing I noticed about Wrocław (apart from the -6°C January temperatures) was its kaleidoscopic colour scheme. This was even more magical in the snow; as huge flakes fell on the ancient flagstone floor, I felt like I was in a real-life fairytale.
On the short stroll to the Old Town from our accommodation — despite being Poland’s third-largest city, Wrocław feels compact and walkable — I was immediately struck by how bold and bright the buildings were.
With a mix of Gothic and Baroque architecture, Rynek, the main Market Square, is lined with colourful townhouses, and the 13th-century Old Town Hall is a standout landmark.
Considered the city’s cultural hub, it’s one of the largest market squares in Europe and is bursting with life. Local flower vendors, selling everything from butter-yellow sunflowers to raspberry-pink tulips, only added to the city’s vibrancy.
And, despite Christmas being a distant memory in the UK, the 25-metre Norwegian spruce, decked with 120,000 lights, a two-metre star and 3,000 gold and silver baubles, was still centre stage.
A local told us that in Poland, people don’t put up their Christmas trees until Christmas Eve, allowing them to enjoy their beauty long into the New Year.
Urban history
It didn’t take me long to realise that Wrocław has a quirky, creative heartbeat — the city’s ‘gnomes’ are one of its most distinctive features.
On every corner, doorstep, or restaurant entrance, I watched people take photos of the tiny bronze statues, which have now become a tourist activity. An inner city scavenger hunt, if you will.
While the figures only started appearing in the streets in 2005, after sculptor Tomasz Moczek created them at the city’s request, they’ve been Wrocław’s mascot since the 1980s — and an artsy act of resistance against communist authoritarianism.
Short on time but want to see the city?
Whether solo or in a group, I highly recommend joining a one-hour E-car tour of the city.
For £10 per person, six of us piled into an eco-friendly vehicle, where our bubbly guide Nicholas took us on the trail of Wrocław’s gnomes, while stopping at key sites such as the University, Cathedral Island, the UNESCO-listed Centennial Hall, Market Hall, the Pergola Fountain Show, and the National Museum.
In a similar vein, just a 30-minute walk from the centre, you’ll find the ‘colourful courtyards of Wrocław.’
Located in the Nadodrze area, the residential district was once unsafe and neglected. However, in 2014, local artist Mariusz Mikołajek formed the Centre for Cultural Backyard Animation (OKAP) and enlisted the community to help transform the gritty courtyards into open-air art galleries.
Walking past the tired tenement buildings, we eventually came across the urban art space that expanded through the back streets like the Mind Flayer.
With painted murals, ceramic figures, and 3D art protruding from the walls, the area is now a hub for artists and students. There’s a fresh, bohemian feel with organic bakeries, trendy bars and vegetarian cafes to boot.
Also, be sure to catch the Wrocław lamplighter. 365 days a year at dusk, a mysterious man wearing a cape and top hat manually lights over 100 historic gas lamps across the city.
Watching a 19th-century European tradition in the 21st-century felt truly special.
Easy on the bank account
As an avid foodie, nothing excites me more than trying a new city’s local cuisine — and Wrocław didn’t disappoint my taste buds or my purse.
On our first day, three of us piled into PRL, a traditional Polish pub where we indulged in meat-filled pierogis with fried onions and a couple of local beers, all for the pinch-me price of 34 Polish złoty (£7).
Another highlight was Konspira, an old-world, brick-lined restaurant serving generous portions of classic Polish cuisine, including the moreish zurek soup in bread (50 Polish złoty/£9).
The clandestine setting immerses diners in a 1980s atmosphere, with hidden rooms, fake walls, secret passages, and revolutionary memorabilia.
Fancy combining medieval charm with a more upmarket feel? I suggest heading to Piwnica Świdnicka. It’s Poland’s oldest restaurant in the Old Town Hall basement, where everything from pork knuckle (£16) to schnitzel (£18) has been served since 1273.
Cafe-wise, I had an unbelievable flat white at Vinyl Cafe, a cosy coffee spot with floral sofas, doileys, and an extensive jazz record collection. It felt like we’d stepped back in time, listening to a crackly Thelonious Monk LP in someone’s front room.
My two cents? If you’re looking for a city break filled with history, good food, and an underground arts scene, Wrocław should be on your bucket list.
How to get to Wrocław and where to stay
Wizz Air flies to Wrocław from London Gatwick for as little as £16 one way.
Accommodation is just as cheap. The budget-friendly Great Polonia 3* Wrocław City Centre has rooms for £22, and is around 1km from the Old Town.
If you pay slightly more, the modern 4* Korona Gold — Korona Hotel Wrocław, 120 metres from Wrocław Town Hall, has rooms available for £56 per night.
