IT'S a tricky city to pronounce, presuming you've even heard of it, but once you've nailed its name, Wroclaw (pronounced Vrots-Vaaff) in south-west Poland, is easy enough to visit, especially for a short break.
It's less than a two-hour flight from the UK and is remarkably good value, with a pint of beer or a cappuccino costing just over £1 each.
Wroclaw, presently European Capital of Culture, is itself the capital of the province of Lower Silesia. It's made up of 12 islands, connected by more than 130 bridges and plenty of cycle paths.
I hire a bike from my hotel, the new Doubletree by Hilton, a striking, elliptical building close to the Old Town, and cut through the leafy Slowacki Park to the ivy-covered National Museum overlooking the river Oder.
The museum's home to Silesian paintings, silverware and ceramics, but keen to enjoy the mild autumnal weather, I cycle on, passing pleasure boats, cafes and families out for a stroll.
I pick a bridge – which happens to be Most Piaskowy (Sand Bridge), the oldest in Wroclaw – cross over and find myself on Ostrow Tumski (cathedral island), known for its religious buildings, dominated by the twin spires of Wroclaw Cathedral. Stone statues of lions flank the entrance. One is almost worn away; the other is largely intact. I learn later that the former was the statue women would touch if they wanted to be married within a year. The other was for would-be grooms.
Back in the Old Town, I join a walking tour, beginning at The Rynek, a pedestrianised market square, lined with gabled houses with decorative facades and open-air cafes selling traditional Zywiec beer.
Our group's guide, Michal Filarowski, explains the city was largely destroyed during the Second World War, and that none of the medieval-style buildings are original.
As we wander around, I spot two of the city's quirkiest tourist attractions: a couple of bronze dwarfs.
The mischief makers are a nod to the Orange Alternative, an anti-communist movement that used nonsensical slogans to ridicule the regime in the 1980s. When the authorities painted over anti-government graffiti, the movement painted dwarfs instead.
Papa Krasnal (Papa dwarf), an official monument to the movement, was erected decades later. Soon afterwards, businesses, noting Papa's popularity, created specialist dwarfs of their own.
You'll now find dwarf beauticians, butchers and bakers. I even meet a bespectacled fellow dressed in a striped scarf at the university gates.
I finish with a coffee in the city's indoor market. Its vaulted ceiling is said to have inspired Wroclaw's architectural landmark, the domed 20th century Centennial Hall.
I sit surrounded by fruit, vegetables and massive displays of flowers. But I'm most intrigued by the mushrooms, collected from forests across Lower Silesia.
One stallholder talks me through his offering; there are kurki, borowiki, podgrzybki and prawdziwki - all delicious, but utterly unpronounceable, of course!
WHERE TO STAY
:: Doubletree by Hilton, www.wroclaw.doubletree.com
Occupying the first two floors of the oval-shaped OVO complex in the heart of the city, this striking, modernist, five-star hotel opened its doors in August. It has white, curvaceous walls, smooth lines, arched ceilings and walnut finishes. The lobby merges in the lounge bar and restaurant and there's an outdoor terrace with a grassy courtyard. A pool and spa is due to open in December.
Doubletree by Hilton is 11km from Copernicus airport. The Old Town market square and National Museum are a 10-minute stroll away.
There are 189 rooms, many overlooking the city's Slowacki Park. Standard doubles cost from 379 PLN (£79) per night including breakfast.
WHERE TO EAT
:: JaDka, www.jadka.pl
Housed in vaulted, medieval cellars, JaDka specialises in traditional and contemporary Polish cuisine. Dishes include pierogi (polish ravioli, filled with mushrooms or veal), and pike perch with pearl barley and spinach. But most people order roasted duck served with apple, potato dumplings and fried beetroots (86 PLN; £17). Portions are generous.
:: Ovo Restaurant, www.facebook.com/OvoBarAndRestaurant
The Ovo restaurant at Doubletree by Hilton serves tapas (salmon pakora, pulled pork, marshmallow and seaweed) from 9 PLN each (£1.80), alongside Mediterranean and modern Polish cuisine. The atmosphere is informal and service is prompt and polite. The chef's signature dish, a hearty helping of wild boar with artichoke puree (65 PLN; £13), is a must.
WHERE TO DRINK
:: OKWine Bar, www.okwinebar.com/en
Run by local TV presenter and wine buff, Katarzyna Obara, this bar and restaurant is white, bright and modern, with a terrace overlooking the river. It has more than 2,000 wines to choose from, with a list that includes international favourites and vintages from Georgia, Canada and Lebanon. There are even a few bottles from Lower Silesia.
:: Browar St Mostow, www.100mostow.pl/en
If beer is your thing, you'll love this craft brewery where you can sit above the vats and enjoy a very local pint. During communist times, the brick building used to be a movie theatre for workers at a local manufacturing plant. The brewery serves a selection of ales and wheat beers, and has just started producing Schops – a 16th century wheat beer for which Wroclaw was once famous.
TRAVEL FACTS
:: Karen Bowerman stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Wroclaw; rooms start from £79 per night when booking direct at www.wroclaw.doubletree.com
