Diesen Text gibt es hier auch in DeutschThe 15 best day trips from Wroclaw
You are looking for the best day trips from Wroclaw? We have tried all of them ourselves and will share our top favourites day trips here.
Let us be honest, we were very surprised how close to Wroclaw we found so many hidden gems. We would not have expected something like paradise and nature within less than one hour of driving time.
We are very excited to get started with our absolute favourite day trip from Wroclaw at the very beginning!
1. Barycz Valley Landscape Park
There is only one thing that we regret about our trip to Barycz Valley Landscape Park. That we have not started earlier to go there on regular basis!
It is the true paradise for nature and outdoor lovers. There are so many great things to do and we have to limit ourselves here telling you about the most important ones.
Rent a kayak or canoe
The Barycz river is a right tributary of the Odra river and is 136km long. It is super diverse and the river looks completely different every few kilometers. Also the infrastructure is excellent, during our trips we found little wooden piers at most bridges and weirs. That makes it incredibly easy to get in and out of the kayak.
Multiple kayak taxi companies are available along the river. They can bring you and your kayak anywhere and most of them also rent kayaks if you do not have your own.
We recommend you to start around Milicz which is only one hour away from Wroclaw. The easiest option is to take a rental car, but also bus and trains are operating to Milicz.
We recommend this page here to check out more details about the potential kayak trips on Barycz river. Unfortunately it is available only in Polish.
Rent a bicycle and explore the lakes
After we were quite exhausted after a day full of canoeing, we stayed for a night in Milicz. One of the best things to do in Milicz is to rent bicycles and just head out to explore all the lakes.
There are plenty of companies available for bicycle rental, some even have electric ones. We rented from a guy who actually brought the bicycles to our hotel – but as we had the feeling it was a bit overpriced we do not recommend him here.
During our last trip, we just took a route towards all the lakes you see east of Milicz. There are some small villages on the way (Ruda Milicka, Stawno, Nowe Grodzisko, and much more) where you go through but do not expect a lot of things to do there apart from enjoying the nature. Most of them do not even have a restaurant, that is why we recommend you to plan a lunch break at „U BARTKA“ at Średzina 5 in the little town of Nowy Zamek. You can expect very fresh fish dishes and cold drinks 🙂
Explore Milicz as a real little Polish town
Life in Milicz looked actually pretty real to us. With that we mean that nobody actually expected busloads of tourists here, although of course you can see that the city benefits from the Barycz Valley Landscape Park.
If you decide to spend a night here, you will be able to explore some cool ruins but also experience a quite empty market square on Saturday night. What you should not miss is the beautiful church of grace which was built in the early 1700’s.
We hope that all this information made you curious to see more of the Barycz Valley Landscape Park!
Trip Overview for Wroclaw to Milicz and the Barycz Valley Landscape Park:
- Distance: around 60km (1 hour) north of Wroclaw
- Get there: There are 3-5 daily train connections, with car you will be more flexible (compare rental cars here)
- For whom: People who like cycling, kayaking and nature
- Duration: Day trip possible but we normally stay one night
- Accommodation: We have been to two hotels ourselves: Hotel Libero in Milicz directly as starting point for cycling and kayaking, but if you love to stay in nature consider Hotel Naturum with it’s little interactive museum and little zoo just around the corner
- Navigation: Just click here to start a Navigation with Google Maps to Milicz!
2. Peace Churches in Świdnica and Jawor
They are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered as one of the most remarkable landmarks in Lower Silesia. You ask why? These are the largest timber-framed churches in Europe!
Now the question is, if you are really into churches or not. If you are really into it and want to make a picture of every single element, go for it. But if you typically do not spend hours in churches, we have the perfect idea for you.
If you consider going to the mountains in Karkonosze National Park, the peace church in Świdnica is on the way! It is perfectly easy to combine it and every time we go to the mountains… Guess where we stop!
The reason is not only the church but also the cafe which is attached to it. Have an amazing breakfast at the „Baroccafe“ – now renamed to 7niebo – (Plac Pokoju 7 in Świdnica) and you will arrive at Karkonosze National Park full of energy!
If you want to read more about it, check out our article about all UNESCO World Heritage Sites in and around Wroclaw.
How to get from Wroclaw to the Churches of Peace in Świdnica and Jawor?
Unfortunately public transport is not the best option here.
We recommend to travel by car, it is gonna take you around one hour. If you do not have a car in Wroclaw, a rental car is fairly cheap (from 25 PLN per day). Alternatively you can book a half day (or even full day) tour from Wroclaw. Here are the latest available dates and fares for that.
Trip Overview for Wroclaw to the Peace Churces in Lower Silesia:
- Distance Świdnica: around 60km (1 hour) south-west of Wroclaw
- Distance Jawor: around 75km (1 hour) west of Wroclaw
- Get there: Take a car (compare cheap rental cars in Wroclaw here) or better a guided tour from Wroclaw with a bus
- For whom: People who like churches, architecture and UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Duration: A Day trip from Wroclaw is fully sufficient, or combine it with something else in that area
- Navigation: Just click here to start a Navigation with Google Maps to Jawor! And here for the one in Świdnica
3. Mountains in Karkonosze National Park
Just two hours away from Wroclaw you can find another paradise. This time, we talk about mountains and not lakes which is different but definitely not worse! People travel to the Karkonosze National Park from other countries to spend weeks of holidays there. Being in Wroclaw you can do it in one long day or just plan a weekend trip.
It is so beautiful and amazing that we just want to let our pictures speak.
A must try is the smoked cheese with cranberries that you will find at every corner!
Another hidden gem that is truly unique is the gravitational anomaly. You are asking yourself, what that means? Well, in very easy words, gravity does not apply to this magic place. You can put a bottle on the street and it will roll uphill instead of downhill. Same with cars, just remove the gear and you will see your car slowly rolling uphill… You do not believe us? Check out this article and video.
Or would you expect a church here, that has been relocated from Norway to Poland? No, we are still not kidding, we are just introducing the Vang Stave Church to you. Originally built around 1200 and then in 1842 moved to the Polish mountains…
You should consider around two hours of driving time from Wroclaw. For more information we recommend to visit the website of the Karkonosze National Park.
Trip Overview for Wroclaw to Karkonosze National Park:
- Distance: around 130km (2 hours) south-west of Wroclaw
- Get there: We definitely recommend a car (compare rental cars from 5 EUR per day) – in late 2024 also trains are supposed to get directly to Karpacz, we will update once available
- For whom: Mountain- and nature lovers
- Duration: Day trip possible for a first impression but we recommend to stay even more
- Navigation: Just click here to start!
- Stay longer: Of course it is worth to spend some more days in the mountains, here you find some great places to stay in this area!
4. Beautiful Old Town of Görlitz in Germany
Have you ever heard about Görlywood? If not, this is the little brother of Hollywood just a few seconds beyond the border towards Germany.
You are confused and have no idea why? We will tell you. Görlitz actually is one of the most favourite locations to shoot movies across all genres. Almost every time you will find some film teams and maybe you even will meet some famous actors!
Probably the most famous recent movie that was shot in Görlitz is „The Grand Budapest Hotel“. Yes it all is a big lie, the hotel was never in Budapest! It is an empty compartment store in Görlitz, Germany. Usually it is closed but around two to three times every month it is open for public. The best part about that: You can visit it even for free – there is no entrance fee.
There is a reason for being Görlywood
The second thing about Görlitz that you should know is that it is full of old beautiful German architecture. Most likely you have guessed that already as why else would Hollywood come here? But there is more to that.
For around ten years, an anonymous donator had transferred around half a million Euros every year to the city. This enabled the city to carry out a lot of expensive renovation and restauration work. There were just two main conditions from this mysterious donator. First that his identity must remain secret (which it still is!). Second, the money may only be spent on the renovation and on nothing else.
Young people moving out and old people moving in
Another truth about Görlitz is that a lot of old German people are living here. One reason for that is the lack of perspectives for the younger people who then move to the large cities. Another reason that the cost of living is very cheap compared to the rest of Germany. Due to those circumstances, a lot of old people move to Görlitz after their retirement where they can afford to live in a palace for peanuts.
You best get to Görlitz either by train, bus or car. By car it will take about 2 hours. The train takes around the same and is a great option. You can find more information on the train and bus connections in our article about the best train connections to Wroclaw. This article is also valid for travelling out of Wroclaw and back again 🙂
Thanks to help from Tessa (living in Görlitz and having her own blog “Tessa Approves”), we even have a dedicated article about reasons why you should visit Görlitz here.
Trip Overview for Wroclaw to Görlitz:
- Distance: around 180km (2 hours) west of Wroclaw
- Get there: Great train connections are available here or alternatively a car will be good (compare rental cars here)
- For whom: Hollywood and movie lovers, people who are into architecture
- Duration: Day trip for a first impression but worth to stay one night!
- Navigation: Just click here to start!
- Stay here: Check out these places to stay in Görlitz – we recommend one night!
5. Książ Castle
Last but not least… It is worth to mention that in lower Silesia a special castle route exists! If you are into castles, you can spend two weeks travelling from one castle to another without any problems. Of course only in lower Silesia!
When we talk about the Książ Castle you should know that this is the largest one in the whole Lower Silesia region. It dates back to the 13th century and is full of history.
For example, during the second world war it was part of the secret „Project Riese“. This project was so secret that still today the full purpose has not been revealed. We only know that it should be part of a gigantic underground tunnel system. Some sources believe that this should become the main residence of Adolf Hitler.
Parts of the tunnel system are open for visitors and you can book guided tours to see it. We tried it and it was worth to do.
The castle itself is beautiful, from the inside and outside. But if you expect a lot of art and expensive things inside, we have to tell you that you are wrong. The Germans took all the most valuable items when it became obvious they would lose the war.
How to get from Wroclaw to Książ Castle?
Visit this place full of interesting history just 1:20h away from Wroclaw if you take a car. There are also options by train and then taxi, but we cannot recommend this to you unless you speak Polish. When you arrive at the train station there are no taxis. You need to call one or be lucky to find any on the streets which are not very busy.
If you are just looking for an easy option to get there, you should consider a guided tour. There are some options available from Wroclaw. Latest schedules, prices and information can be found here.
As we had a very foggy day last time, the picture is from our friend Karolina and her Wanderlust-Blog in Polish – thanks for that 🙂
Trip Overview for Wroclaw to Książ Castle:
- Distance: around 60km (1 up to 1,5 hours) south-west of Wroclaw
- Get there: We recommend a car (compare rental cars here) or easier is a guided trip to the castle (prices here) from Wroclaw, by train only in combination with taxi
- For whom: People who like castles and history
- Duration: Day trip is fully sufficient
- Navigation: Just click here to start!
- Stay here: Of course you can just stay in the castle itself – check it out here!
6. The Valley of Castles and Palaces (Jelenia Góra)
If you like castles, then you will find a paradise not far away from Wroclaw. To be precise – in Lower Silesia you will find the highest density of castles and palaces in whole Europe and no matter if just for a day trip, a weekend, a week or even much more… There will be definitely enough to see!
We did some castle-hopping in Lower Silesia ourselves in 2020 and wrote a dedicated post about that here.
Trip Overview for Wroclaw to the Valley of Castles:
- Distance: around 125km (2 hours) west of Wroclaw
- Get there: By car is the best option (compare rental cars here), or alternatively with a group trip from Wroclaw (details here)
- For whom: Friends of nature and castle lovers
- Duration: Day trip possible but we strongly recommend at least one night as there is so much to see
If you are into this one, don’t miss out to read all details on our post on the most amazing castles and palaces in Lower Silesia here.
7. The Leaning Tower and Ruins in Ząbkowice Śląskie
We probably should mention the German pre-war name of Ząbkowice Śląskie which was “Frankenstein”. But according to our research, the name and city has nothing to do with the monster Dr. Frankenstein as the village was founded in the mid of 13th century.
The bizarre main attraction is a leaning tower (Hello, Pisa!) which is shifted by 150cm on the top. If you are brave enough, you can walk up as well. Oh, and did we mention that of course there are some castle ruins as well?
Trip Overview for Wroclaw to Ząbkowice Śląskie:
- Distance: around 80km (1,5 hours) south of Wroclaw
- Get there: By car is the best option (compare rental cars here), but by train there are also connections available
- For whom: Fans of medieval atmosphere and castle lovers
- Duration: Day trip is sufficient, actually this one is a great stop on the way to have a little break if you visit other places in the south of Wroclaw
- Navigation: Just click here to start a Navigation with Google Maps to it!
- Stay here: Of course you can stay longer if you like, this way to check out the best hotels in the area!
8. The Lake around Nysa
As the lake around Nysa has some beautiful sand beaches, often it is named as the Polish Copacabana. As on the way to the lake and around there are so many things to see, hence this trip is something for everybody.
You can relax at the beach, but also be active on the water (we saw sailing boats, jet-skis, flying water jet-packs, and everything else that would take place on the water). Perfect to get some energy from the nature or just to spend a great weekend with friends, family and other beloved ones.
Trip Overview for Wroclaw to Nysa:
- Distance: around 115km (1,5 hours) south-east of Wroclaw
- Get there: By car is the best option (compare rental cars here), or by train via Opole
- For whom: Beach lovers, water sport enthusiasts and nature lovers
- Duration: Day trip is certainly possible but we recommend to stay at least one night
- Accommodation: Compare the best places to stay in that area here
- Navigation: Just click here to start a Navigation with Google Maps to it!
9. The Arboretum in Niemcza
At the Arboretum all nature and plant-lovers will find their personal heaven. If you are hobby gardener or just curious about plants, trees, flowers and other things that grow, we have to highly recommend this place in Niemcza to you!
A huge, wonderful and beautiful garden which was created already in the early 19th century holds today almost 5.000 different kind of trees and many other plants. Take a book and enjoy the birds singing around you in the perfect setting of nature and green environment.
Trip Overview for Wroclaw to the Arboretum in Niemcza:
- Distance: around 65km (1,5 hours) south of Wroclaw
- Get there: By car is the best option (rental cars from 5 EUR per day here)
- For whom: People who like gardening, plants, trees and nature
- Duration: We recommend a day trip
- Navigation: Just click here to start a Navigation with Google Maps to it!
- Stay here: If you can’t get enough of flowers and gardens, here are the best places to stay for one night close by.
10. The Lookout Tower in Kotowice
Who just has little time in Wroclaw but still wants to have a little escape into the nature, should definitely find the Lookout Tower in Kotowice. Wait, Kotowice? Yes, correct, we are not talking about Katowice here 🙂 You can take a regional train to Zakrzów Kotowice which just takes 20 minutes and from there it is just a one hour hike through nature towards the tower.
From there you can enjoy a panoramic view on the Oder river and the forest you just hiked through – provided you are not afraid of 40 meters height. The tower is also perfectly accessible by bike from Wroclaw, but then it will most likely turn a half day trip into a full day trip although even by bike one way takes you just around 1,5 hours 🙂
We just call this one the “Eiffel Tower of Wroclaw”….
Trip Overview for Wroclaw to the Lookout Tower in Kotowice:
- Distance: around 22km east of Wroclaw
- Get there: By train or bicycle is the best option, of course also possible by car
- For whom: People with little time in Wroclaw that love hiking and cycling which still want to see something else than just the city
- Duration: It is a half day trip by train or day trip by bike
- Navigation: Just click here to start a Navigation with Google Maps to it!
11. The Lake around Mietków
Everybody who wants to spend some lake-time and have as much time as possible to relax, should enjoy a trip to the lake around Mietków as from Wroclaw it is just like throwing a stone to this lake which also has a sand beach and opportunities to swim. Of course also perfectly suitable for water sports.
We saw sailing boats again, many people who brought their own inflatable boat, Stand-Up-Paddling or wind surfing (there are classes available, too!). If you are not that professional yet, some pedal boats are also available for rent.
Apart from beach bars and many opportunities to relax (and being active!) you can find some ruins around which are in quite a wild condition, so if you are an urban explorer or photographer, this should be a stop as well.
Trip Overview for Wroclaw to Mietków:
- Distance: around 40km (45 Minutes) south-east of Wroclaw
- Get there: By car (rental cars from 5 EUR per day here), also decent train connections available
- For whom: Families, water sport enthusiasts, lazy people who enjoy beach time, ruin explorers
- Duration: We recommend a full day
- Accommodation: Compare places to stay around this area here
- Navigation: Just click here to start a Navigation with Google Maps to it!
12. A Hike in the Ślęża Mountain
If there is the one most popular day trip from Wroclaw, then it is definitely the hike up the Ślęża Mountain! Just around 45 Minutes away by car and with decent train connections available, this is the closest mountain from Wroclaw which can be “easily” defeated as it is just 718 meters high (well, that statement is depending on your condition…)
We suggest to travel to Sobótka and start the hike from there, it will be taking you around 1,5 hours to get up – of course plus/minus depending on your individual fitness. On top you will be welcomed with cold drinks, grilled meat and a chapel including a panorama point to enjoy the view. Back at the bottom there are some restaurants and also a climbing park.
Be aware: You should definitely bring some cash here as on top they do not accept card payments (July 2023) as the connection is not really stable. And we suggest to start early as parking might get tight after 10am, trust us, this is really the most popular day trip from Wroclaw amongst locals 🙂
Since mid 2022, there is a direct train connection from Wroclaw to Sobótka which actually is pretty amazing for this hike. It takes around 40 minutes to get to Sobótka and from the railway station it is around 35-40 minutes of hike towards the starting point. We wouldn’t go by car anymore, the train is perfect!
Trip Overview for Wroclaw to Ślęża Mountain:
- Distance: around 45km (45 Minutes) south-west of Wroclaw
- Get there: By car (rental cars from 5 EUR per day here), but train is certainly now the better choice
- For whom: People who like to hike in the mountains, families and mountain bikers
- Duration: We recommend a full day
- Navigation: Just click here to start a Navigation with Google Maps to it!
- Stay here: There are some nice places in the nature with mountain view where you can stay, here you get straight to them!
13. Moszna Castle
We are leaving the Lower Silesia region and are visiting the fairytale castle of Moszna now which is located in the Opole region. It is perfectly suitable for a day trip, but we combined it with a stay at the lake in Nysa and went directly after the end of the early 2021 covid lockdown where the amount of visitors was still manageable – we heard it normally can get quite crowded 🙂
Around this castle from the 18th century you will find a beautiful park to wander around a little bit. Inside you will be able to see some of the rooms that give you an impression of how the life back in the days has been here (Spoiler: It has been a good life here!).
Trip Overview for Wroclaw to Moszna Castle:
- Distance: around 130km (1,5-2 hours) south-east of Wroclaw
- Get there: By car (rental cars from 5 EUR per day here), train connections available too
- For whom: Guess it! Castlelovers 🙂
- Duration: You will be staying a few hours to enjoy the castle and gardens for sure, good to combine with Nysa Lake as well
14. More Palaces and Castles close to Wroclaw
What can we say… Yes, indeed we are a little bit into castles, but there are simply so many great ones around Wroclaw and Lower Silesia! Here we want to show you four castles that are all within cycling distance from Wroclaw. So just take your city bike (here more infos on that) and enjoy a summer trip to one of these four castles!
Below the distance in minutes is referring to cycling only, but you will of course also find good public transport options to these castles.
1. Leśnica Castle
- Distance: 13km (50 min by bike)
- No gastronomy available
- Navigate to it here
2. Pawłowice Palace
- Distance: 11km (40 min by bike)
- Food & Drinks available
- Navigate to it here
3. Topacz Castle
- Distance: 10km (40 min by bike)
- Food & Drinks available
- Navigate to it here
4. Krobielowice Palace
- Distance: 25km (85 min by bike)
- Food & Drinks available
- Navigate to it here
5. Wojnowice Castle
- A beautiful water castle from the 16th century, surrounded by a moat
- Distance: 25km (80 min by bike)
- Food & Drinks available (great apple pie!)
- Navigate to it here
We featured the Leśnica Castle and Pawłowice Palace also on our post about the 25 most impressive buildings in Wroclaw if you want to find out a little bit more here.
15. The Auschwitz Concentration Camp
Another idea brings you to the saddest place in the world: From Wroclaw to Auschwitz. However, everybody should visit this place once in her/his life to understand the scale of what happened.
We made a daytrip in December 2018 and strongly recommend it to everyone!
Here you find the best online fares for a daytrip from Wroclaw to Auschwitz Concentration Camp.
Trip Overview for Wroclaw to Auschwitz Concentration Camp:
- Distance: around 230km (3 hours) south-east of Wroclaw
- Get there: By car (rental cars from 5 EUR per day here) or group tour to Auschwitz (prices and dates here)
- For whom: Everybody should have seen this.
- Duration: We recommend a full day at least, better more
- Navigation: Just click here to start a Navigation with Google Maps to it!
A Weekend in Lower Silesia
If you would like to spend more time, like a longer weekend in Lower Silesia, we have a great selection of nature retreats.
These places have excellent food, some have spa & wellness options, but one thing they all have in common: cozyness and remoteness.
Regional Wineries in Lower Silesia
If you are into wine, then we also highly recommend to check out some of the wineries around Wroclaw – you will be surprised about Polish wines, even if you never heard about them!
We have been to a couple of wineries and picked our favourite ones for you. Read about them here in our dedicated blog post:
We are convinced that you will enjoy the best day trips from Wroclaw as much as we did. Of course at some point we might add more detailled travel reports for some of them but here it already should provide you a good overview of ideas what you can do.
When you get back to Wroclaw, do not forget to check out our articles about the top things to do in Wroclaw!
Do you have some comments on this article? Help us and also help other visitors by leaving your feedback in the comment section below!
One Comment
Dee
thx for great info… wroclaw is the best city i ever been (i am world traveler)