WROCŁAW - In Your Pocket

84 SHOPPING
www.vena-ceramika.com.pl
ul. Rynek 4
Dziki Zachód E-4, Pl. Orląt Lwowskich 20b, tel. (+48)
71 717 13 00, www.dzikizachod.net. Amazing country
western clothing outfitter obscurely hidden in the basement
of an old train station. Gorgeous western shirts straight from
Colorado, cowboys boots and hats, belt buckles, badges and
more. Half authentic, half kitsch, but worth a visit. QOpen
10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun.
Garderoba Vintage A-3, ul. Igielna 14/15 (entrance
from ul. Więzienna), tel. (+48) 71 341 80 77, www.garderobavintage.pl.
A large, beautiful vintage clothing boutique,
with a rather high standard for what’s on the racks. Ladies
will love this shop full of wearable treasures and lots of local
hand-made jewellery. Just off the market square and joy to
shop in. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun.
Ubieralnia E-4, ul. Włodkowica 19, tel. (+48) 604
63 18 67, www.ubieralnia.pl. Located inside the divine
Czekoladziarnia coffee/chocolate cafe, this small shop sells
high-quality women’s fashion and accessories by top young
local designers. Girlfriends love it. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00,
Sat 11:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun.
Wittchen E-6, ul. Powstańców Śląskich 2-4 (Arkady
Wrocławskie), tel. (+48) 518 02 27 39, www.wittchen.
com. One best luxury brands in PL, Wittchen peddles highquality
hand-made leather goods, including jackets, bags,
luggage, gloves, wallets, shoes and more. All come with a
‘Certificate of Authenticity’ and a hologram to justify the
high price tag. A great place to style out the man in your life,
Wittchen is carried in many shops around Wrocław, but head
to one of the shopping malls to visit their showroom. Also in
Pasaż Grunwaldzki (H-4, Pl. Grunwaldzki 22) and Magnolia Park
(ul. Legnicka 58). QOpen 09:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00.
Food & Sweets
Czekoladziarnia E-4, ul. Włodkowica 19, tel. (+48) 71
797 57 16, www.czekoladziarnia.com.pl. This rich cafe
serves a variety of desserts, fondues and chocolate drinks
you’ll have to eat with a spoon. Splash out on the chocolate
fountain. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Fri 10:00 - 23:00, Sat 11:00
- 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00.
Pijalnia Czekolady Wedel H-4, Pl. Grunwaldzki
22/123 (Pasaż Grunwaldzki), tel. (+48) 71 796 79
46, www.wedelpijalnie.pl. This cafe, or ‘chocolate lounge’
as they call it, from Poland’s oldest chocolate brand serves
a vast menu of rich chocolate drinks, handmade pralines
and desserts in addition to selling the gamut of Wedel’s
other sweet tooth satisfiers. A lesson in the versatility of
chocolate. Also at ul. Legnicka 58 (Magnolia Park). QOpen
09:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 21:00.
Słodkie Czary Mary B-3, ul. Szewska 27-27a, tel.
(+48) 601 46 15 61, www.slodkieczarymary.pl. A
small, charming hand-made sweets shop where you
watch the candy get made before your eyes. Most of
the interior is occupied by the long work counter where
young ladies are busy rolling out the colourful candies
that cover the shop shelves as children and their parents
watch in wonder. Proper candy-making demonstrations
are conducted at 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00 weekdays,
and every hour from 12:00-17:00 on weekends. Not
only a great local gift idea, but a unique experience for
children, choose from a range of reasonably-priced lollipops
and hard candies that come in dozens of flavours
from rhubarb to whiskey-cola. QOpen 12:30 - 18:00,
Sat, Sun 11:00 - 18:00.
Gifts & Souvenirs
It’s only natural to want to have a reminder of your visit to Poland
and leave with some tangible evidence to show all those
folks back home who have no idea what or where the country
is. And if you plan on staying with a Polish family while in the
country, it’s common practice to arrive with a gift. Wrocław
being an established tourist destination, you’ll find souvenir
stalls selling chintzy rubbish all around the Old Town; while
that’s all well and good, most of this merchandise probably
wasn’t made in Poland, just like most of the Mexican food in
Poland isn’t prepared by Mexicans. Here, and throughout this
section, we’ve made an attempt to identify unique shops in
Wrocław that sell local or Polish products so we can all feel
good about where you’re spending your złoty.
Cepelia B-3, ul. Wita Stwosza 55, tel. (+48) 71 780 78
77, www.cepelia.pl. For over 55 years, this well-recognised
company has been promoting and preserving Polish folk art
and handicrafts with a wide selection of ceramics, wood carvings,
knitwork, wickery and much more. A lot of it’s touristy
rubbish, but we’ve always fancied the folk costumes (our
birthday’s coming up). Also at (B-2), Pl. Biskupa Nankiera
5/6/7. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun.
Ceramika Bolesławiecka C-1, ul. Henryka Sienkiewicza
10, tel. (+48) 71 372 03 12, www.ceramicboleslawiec.com.pl.
A fine selection of Poland’s universally
liked Bolesławiec folk ceramics on Ostrów Tumski. If you’re
searching for a gift for someone back home, here’s the answer.
The shop attendants speak English and German and
you can even pay by card. Mission accomplished. QOpen
10:00 - 18:00, Sat 09:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Note that
Saturday opening hours may be shortened during the life
of this guide.
Wrocław In Your Pocket wroclaw.inyourpocket.com
DecoBazaar B-1, ul. Łokietka 6, www.decobazaar.
com. Across the river north of the market square, this
uber-hip contemporary arts and crafts gallery is worth
seeking out for its unique collection of handmade products
from Poland. A showcase of young local design, here you’ll
find plenty of original clothing, jewellery, accessories and
home decor, plus prize finds from the area’s secondhand
stores and antique fairs. QOpen 10.00 - 18.00, Sat 10.00
- 14.00. Closed Sun.
Na Solnym A-3, Pl. Solny 20, tel. (+48) 71 799 90
01, www.wroclawsouvenirs.com. This shop on Plac
Solny sells a variety of city souvenirs, in addition to arranging
tours and dispensing info. Here you’ll find a variety
of things to take home from tourist standard souvenirs
like postcards, photo albums, guide books, T-shirts,
key-chains and gnome figurines, to local hand-made
jewellery and gifts of glass, lace and ceramic. There are
also some gifts for fans of the local football side. QOpen
09:00 - 21:00.
Tourist Information Shop A-3, Rynek 14, tel.
(+48) 71 344 31 11, www.wroclaw-info.pl. Located
smack on the market square, Wrocław’s Tourist Info
Centre is ground zero not only for info and leaflets, but
also for city-related souvenirs. Enter past the friendly
gnome outside the front door to find all manner of trinkets,
T-shirts, tote-bags, magnets, mugs (coffee and
beer), glasses (large and shot-sized), books (guides and
non-fiction), flags (Polish and EU), coasters, key-chains...
basically if you can put ‘Wrocław,’ ‘Poland’ or a gnome on
it, they’ve got it. Find a second point at ul. Sukiennice 12
(A-3, open 10:00-18:00). QOpen 09:00 - 21:00. From
October open 09:00 - 19:00.
Vena Pottery (Galeria Vena) A-3, Rynek 4, tel. (+48)
71 344 43 70, www.vena-ceramika.com.pl. If you aren’t
familiar with the universally-loved Bolesławiec style of Polish
ceramic, which hails from a little town not far to the west
of Wrocław, then make sure you drop into this shop on the
market square and educate yourself. Hand-painted in traditional
folk motifs, Vena produces pottery that not only looks
unique and beautiful, but is also practical for everyday use.
This is one of the best collections we’ve seen anywhere and
a foolproof gift-giving plan for anyone with a kitchen. QOpen
11:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. Note that weekend opening hours
may change during the shelf life of this guide.
Health & Beauty
Organique Natural Cosmetics E-4, ul. Legnicka
58 (Magnolia Park), tel. (+48) 71 338 54 39, www.
organique.pl. This Polish company offers ecological,
organic cosmetics and other health and beauty products
inspired by nature. Unfortunately, they’re located
in a shopping mall so you may have to convert some
precious fossil fuels into carbon monoxide in order
to get there. Also at Galeria Dominikańska (C-3, Pl.
Dominikański 3) and Renoma (F-5, ul. Świdnicka 40).
QOpen 09:00 - 21:00.
Perfumerie Frivole E-6, ul. Powstańców Śląskich 73-
95 (Sky Tower), tel. (+48) 71 797 60 60, www.frivole.
pl. Perfume, make-up, cosmetics and beauty care products
from the world’s top brands, including Calvin Klein, Clinique,
Chanel, Estee Lauder, Armani, Gucci and more, all inside a
spacious and sexy showroom full of minimal white displays
and oddly angling gold geometric shapes. Another location
in Factory Outlet (ul. Graniczna 2). QOpen 10:00 - 22:00,
Sun 10:00 - 21:00.
wroclaw.inyourpocket.com
SHOPPING
September - December 2012
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