Wroclaw was once described as "the holy blossom of Europe, a beautiful gem among cities", and has always been a bone of contention, changing hands many times throughout it's long history. In the past Wroclaw has belonged to Poles, Czechs, Austrians, Hungarians and Germans. Settlers here have included Walloons, Jews, Italians and Ruthenians. The mixture of many different religions and cultures, while troublesome at times, has also contributed a lot to the city.

Wroclaw lies in the middle of the Silesian Lowland, where the Oder River branches out to form 12 islands. The city is spanned by more than 100 bridges. Seen from the deck of a tour boat, Wroclaw looks like a city on the water.

The heart of Wroclaw is the Market Square, one of the most beautiful and largest urban squares in Poland. As in centures past, it is home to large banks, elegant stores and famous restaurants. Wroclaw's Market Square was built on the crossroads of important transport routes running from the Czech Republic in the south, to the north, and from Western Europe to the East. The wealth of Wroclaw's residents was built on international trade, and the city grew rich from the taxes flowing into its coffers. With over 20,000 residents in the 14th century, Wroclaw was among the largest cities of Europe at the time. In 1387 it became a member of the Hanseatic league, the powerful union of northern German, Rheinland, Teutonic, Swedish and Polish towns, which monopolized northern European trade and became a political power.