WROCŁAW - In Your Pocket

14 BASICS
Facts & Figures
Territory
Poland covers an area of 312,685 square kilometers
and is the ninth biggest country in Europe. It borders the
Baltic Sea (528km) and seven countries, namely Belarus
(416km), Czech Republic (790km), Germany (467km), the
shady Russian enclave of Kaliningrad (210km), Lithuania
(103km), Slovakia (539km) and Ukraine (529km).
Wrocław has an area of 292.82 square kilometres, and
is the largest city in Lower Silesia (Dolny Śląsk).
Longest River
The river Vistula (Wisła) is Poland’s longest river at
1,047km and flows through Kraków and Warsaw before
reaching the Bay of Gdańsk (Zatoka Gdańska). Wrocław
sits on the Oder (Odra) River which flows 854km through
western PL and forms 187km of the Polish-German border
before reaching the Baltic at Szczecin, PL.
Highest Point
The highest peak in Poland is Rysy (2,499m) in the
Tatra Mountains along the country’s southern border
with Slovakia.
Population (2011)
Poland: 38,538,447
Warsaw: 1,708,491
Kraków: 759,137
Łódź: 728,892
WROCŁAW: 631,235
Poznań: 554,696
Gdańsk: 460,517
Katowice: 310,764
Local Time
Poland is in the Central European (CET) time zone
(GMT+1hr). When it’s 12:00 in Wrocław it’s 6:00 am in
New York City, 11:00 in London, 12:00 in Paris and Berlin
and 19:00 in Tokyo. Polish summer time (GMT+2hrs)
starts and ends on the last Sundays of March and
October.
Customs
If you are travelling within the EU those over 18 can now take
10 litres of spirits, 90 litres of wine and 110 litres of beer.
Most countries will not allow more than 800 cigarettes from
Poland. If purchasing art or books, you need to consider their
age and value. In order to leave the country, art must be less
than 50 years old and under a certain value (varies depending
by type; photos ‹6,000zł, other art ‹16,000zł, for example); if
one of these conditions is met, the gallery curator can then
provide you with a ‘zaświadczenie’ (permission document)
describing the artwork’s price and when and where it was
created. If the work exceeds the permitted age and value,
you must get permission from the ‘Wojewódzki Konserwator
Zabytków’ (Regional Curator’s Office) to take it out of Poland;
bear in mind that this process will likely take 2-3 months.
Books must be less than 100 years old and under 6,000zł in
value in order to leave the country; if neither applies, permission
must be obtained from the National Library. Obviously,
problems arise when purchases are made at bazaars or flea
markets where vendors cannot provide the necessary documents;
if there is any doubt about the value or age of your
purchase, we suggest you visit an ‘Antykwariat’ (antiques
dealer - see Shopping) for advice.
Electricity
Electricity in Poland is 230V, 50Hz AC. Plug sockets are round
with two round-pin sockets. Therefore if you are coming from
the US, UK or Ireland you are definitely going to need a plug
convertor. The best place to pick these up is at home, though
if arriving without one, try your luck with hotel reception; they
should be able to point you to an electrical store if unable to
provide a convertor themselves.
Health & Emergency
In case of an emergency those dialling from a land line or
public phone should use the following numbers: 999 for
an ambulance, 998 for the fire brigade and 997 for the
police. Mobile phone users should call 112 to be forwarded
to the relevant department. English speaking assistance
is not necessarily guaranteed, and rests on the linguistic
capabilities of the operator.
Between June 1st and September 30th however, English,
German and Russian speakers have the option of using a
separate line specifically designed for foreigners in distress:
dial 800 200 300 from a land-line or 608 599 999 from a
mobile phone for troubles during high-tourist season.
If you’ve woken up to find you’ve got a raging headache, a
swollen foot you can’t put weight on and vague memories of
some kind of calamity, we suggest you sort it out by calling
a private clinic, thus avoiding the hassle of the notoriously
long queues in Polish hospitals; a list of private clinics can
be found in the Directory in the back of this guide. Further
help can be provided by embassies and consulates, a list
of which can also be found in the Directory. If it’s a financial
emergency your hopes will rest on a Western Union money
transfer. Most banks and many exchange bureaus (kantors)
can now carry out such transactions, just keep an eye out
for the Western Union logo.
Internet
Internet access is typically free and widely available in Poland,
with practically every café and restaurant offering wi-fi to
customers with laptops and smartphones. Getting on the
network often requires nothing more than a password, which
you can request of your favourite bartender or barista with
a simple, “Poproszę o hasło do internetu?” If you don’t have
your own gadgets we offer a few Internet cafe options below.
Intermax A-3, ul. Psie Budy 10/11, tel. (+48) 71
794 05 73, www.imx.pl. Very expensive and unpleasant
printing, copying and faxing services also available. QOpen
09:00 - 23:00. 4zł/hour.
Navigator B-3, ul. Igielna 14, tel. (+48) 71 344 59 62.
Printing and cd-burning available. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00.
4zł/hour.
Law & Order
In general Wrocław is safer than most Western cities, and
visitors are unlikely to face any problems if they simply employ
common sense. Petty crime does exist, and travellers
should be on guard against pickpockets. Those travelling
by car are advised to use a guarded car park. Robberies on
overnight trains are not unheard of, especially on the routes
connecting Wrocław with Prague and Berlin; book a couchette
or sleeper cabin and keep an eye on your things.
Staying safe and on the right side of the law is significantly
easier for tourists who accept that Polish beer and vodka
are rocket fuel and drink accordingly. If you’re determined to
make an idiot of yourself then make sure it’s not in front of the
Wrocław In Your Pocket wroclaw.inyourpocket.com
Market Values
Prices in Poland are still fairly competitive despite
increases over the last couple of years particularly in
the prices of cigarettes. Here are some typical everyday
products and prices.
Market values as of August 20, 2012 based on
€1 = 4.03zł
Product Price (zł) Price (€)
McDonald's Big Mac 9.10 zł € 2.26
Snickers 1.45 zł € 0.36
0.5ltr vodka (shop) 22.99 zł € 5.70
0.5ltr beer (shop) 2.89 zł € 0.72
0.5ltr beer (bar) 8.00 zł € 1.99
Loaf of white bread 1.79 zł € 0.44
20 Marlboros 12.60 zł € 3.13
1 ltr of unleaded petrol (98) 5.82 zł € 1.44
Local transport ticket (1 journey) 3.00 zł € 0.74
law. In recent years foreign wits - from those in Chewbacca
costumes to complete fools who’ve thought it’s perfectly
acceptable to drop their trousers and urinate in a city centre
fountain - have tested the patience of the local law enforcement.
Their tolerance threshold is now decidedly low so don’t
push your luck. Those who do may well be treated to a trip
to Wrocław’s premier drunk tank (ul. Sokolnicza 16/20), a
chastening experience which will set you back 250zł for a
6-24 hour stay. In return for your cash expect a strip search,
a set of blue pyjamas and the company of a dozen mumbling
vagrants. Refreshment comes in the form of limitless coffee,
though the mug sometimes comes with the smell of urine
for a reason. Credit cards are not accepted.
Another easy way for tourists to cross cops is by jaywalking.
If you are from a country which doesn’t have or respect
jaywalking laws, you’ll be surprised to see crowds of people
standing obediently at a crossing waiting for the lights to
change. The reason for obeying this seemingly silly rule is
the fact that the local city police (Straż Miejska) will quite
freely give you a 50-100zł fine for crossing a road at a place
where no crossing is marked or a 100zł fine when the ‘walk’
light is red. And don’t think you are exempt by being a foreign
visitor. You are subject to the law too and your non-residency
means you will need to pay the fine on the spot (the helpful
chaps will even accept foreign currency).
Quick Currency Convertor
PLN US$ Euro Pound
3.27zł = $1 4.03zł = €1 5.14zł = £1
1 zł $0.31 € 0.25 £0.19
2 zł $0.61 € 0.50 £0.39
3 zł $0.92 € 0.74 £0.58
4 zł $1.22 € 0.99 £0.78
5 zł $1.53 € 1.24 £0.97
6 zł $1.83 € 1.49 £1.17
7 zł $2.14 € 1.74 £1.36
8 zł $2.45 € 1.99 £1.56
9 zł $2.75 € 2.23 £1.75
10 zł $3.06 € 2.48 £1.95
20 zł $6.12 € 4.96 £3.89
50 zł $15.29 € 12.41 £9.73
100 zł $30.58 € 24.81 £19.46
150 zł $45.87 € 37.22 £29.18
200 zł $61.16 € 49.63 £38.91
250 zł $76.45 € 62.03 £48.64
1 000 zł $305.81 € 248.14 £194.55
wroclaw.inyourpocket.com
BASICS
Money
Thinking of paying for your tram ticket with one of the
100zł notes in your pocket? Think again. Small shops,
newsagents, public toilets, even the occasional fast food
franchise and bar will often refuse to break a large note for
you. As annoying as coins can be, do carry small change
for such moments.
Currency can be exchanged at airports, hotels, banks and
anywhere with a sign proclaiming ‘Kantor’. Kantors will often
provide better value than the banks in your home country or
the ATM although for obvious reasons be very wary of Kantors
in the airports, bus stations and close to tourist sites.
Shopping around will reward you with the best rate. For a list
of Kantors in Wrocław, see Directory.
Since EU ascension and becoming a favoured tourist destination,
prices in Poland have been on the rise, making the
country less of a bargain than it was five years ago. Having
said that, however, prices for food, drink, cultural venues
and transport still remain comparably cheap in contrast to
Western Europe. A ticket to the theatre or cinema will rarely
cost more than 20zł while admission to most museums
costs around 5-15zł.
Post
A bureaucratic nightmare buried under paperwork riddled
with illegible stamps and seals, there is no indication that
Poland’s postal service - Poczta Polska - will be automated
or computerised during our lifetimes. There can be no doubt
that the post office is one of the most frustrating places to
be a foreigner in Poland, as you’re guaranteed to not understand
a damn thing happening there. Your best ally is the
person in line next to you; if there’s one person in the room
who speaks not a word of English, it’s the qualified clerk at
the service window. Also, don’t expect any signs to feature
English translations, though all paperwork has been mystifyingly
translated into French (and only French). When you get to
the head of that insufferably long queue, don’t be surprised
to be sent to another or back to the end, paperwork in hand.
The declaration that your nicely wrapped parcel is somehow
‘unacceptable’ is another popular reason why you might find
yourself ready to ‘go postal’, though there are many others.
If sending something of any monetary or sentimental value,
please, make sure you do so by using priority mail or better;
magic word: ‘Priorytet.’ Choosing the cheapest overseas
option available will ensure your package is opened before it
arrives and the contents may or may not be removed. We’re
not exaggerating.
There are many post offices around Wrocław, including on
the market square. The enormous satellite crowned edifice
at ul. Krasińskiego 1 (C-3/4) is certainly the largest and most
incomprehensible. Good luck, gringo.
Post Office B-3, Rynek 28, tel. (+48) 71 347 19 38,
www.poczta-polska.pl. Typically efficient Polish post office.
Q Open 24hrs.
National Holidays
November 1 All Saints’ Day
November 11 Independence Day (Nov 11, 1918)
December 25 First Day of Christmas
December 26 Second Day of Christmas
September - December 2012
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