Private 2-Hour Electric Car Guided Tour Wroclaw

Wroclaw Old Town: St. Elisabeth's Church and Jatki

Wroclaw, the capital of Lower Silesia, grew up on islands in the Oder river and has a long history shaped by Polish, Bohemian, Austrian and German rule. The tour starts in the Old Town near the Market Square, where the tall brick tower of St. Elisabeth's Church, one of the city's great Gothic churches, rises above the rooftops.

Next to it lies Jatki, a narrow lane of former butchers' stalls from medieval times, now filled with small galleries and decorated with bronze statues of farm animals in memory of its past. Along the way, keep an eye out for the city's little bronze dwarfs, hidden on pavements and window ledges. A Wroclaw city tour by electric car covers these lanes far faster than on foot, without tiring walking.

University of Wrocław and the Ossolineum

The route follows the Oder riverbank to the University of Wrocław, founded in 1702 by the Jesuits. Its long baroque main building facing the river is one of the finest in Central Europe, and its ceremonial hall is a masterpiece of painted and gilded decoration.

Nearby stands the Ossolineum, the national institute and library founded in Lviv in 1817 and moved to Wroclaw after the Second World War, housed in a grand baroque building with a peaceful garden. Your commentary explains how the city rebuilt its cultural life after 1945, when much of Wroclaw lay in ruins. Stops here are short, but with a private car you can pause longer wherever something catches your interest.

Market Hall, Sand Island and the Sand Bridge

The Market Hall, opened in 1908, is famed among architects for its bold reinforced concrete arches and is still a busy market for fruit, vegetables, flowers and local produce. From here the car crosses to Sand Island, one of the oldest inhabited islands of Wroclaw.

On the island stands the Gothic Church of St. Mary on the Sand, with its tall vaulted nave, and the historic Sand Bridge links it to the riverbank. The views over the Oder, with its willows, boats and bridges, are among the most photographed in Wroclaw. Wroclaw is often called a city of bridges, and on this stretch of the route you see why. Ask the driver to slow down here for the best photos.

Cathedral Island, the Botanical Garden and St. Martin's Church

Cathedral Island, Ostrów Tumski, is where Wroclaw began more than a thousand years ago. Its cobbled streets are lined with churches and clergy houses and lit by old gas lamps, still lit by hand each evening by a lamplighter. The twin spires of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist dominate the skyline, and the green iron Tumski Bridge leads across the river.

Close by, the University Botanical Garden, founded in 1811, offers a quiet green corner, while the small Gothic St. Martin's Church is a remnant of the early castle on the island. The best time to visit Cathedral Island is at dusk, so a late start time works beautifully. The tour ends in the city centre after about two hours.