Wrocław. Route Along Oder River, DOT293

13.5 km

1-2h

simple

Route details

A pleasant route leading mostly through green areas. Not too long, perfect for a family trip. The route runs mainly along dirt roads, creating a closed loop.

The route starts just behind the recently renovated Zwierzyniecki Bridge, at a boat and canoe rental shop. The picturesque trail leads along the Old Oder River and then along the flood embankment to the Opatowice Weir. En route to the weir, we pass the zoo and Biskupiński Park on the left, and three city beaches on the right, where you can sit and have a cool drink. These are ZaZOO Beach Bar, Odra-Pany Beach Bar and OpatoVice Beach Bar. It is also worth paying attention to the Zwierzyniecka Footbridge, from which there is a beautiful view of the Oder. Then we pass under the bridges of the newly built Wielkiej Wyspy Avenue. We reach the Opatowice Weir from which we head towards the Bartoszowice Weir. Just in front of it, we turn left, north-west, with the Shipping Channel and the Flood Control Channel on our right. Then we pass the Chrobrego Bridges, Kilimandżaro Hill and the Jagielloński Bridges. Behind them we go left, towards the Gem hotel, and farther to the Szczytnicki Bridge and the Zwierzycki Bridge. Our trip ends here.

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Zwierzyniecki Bridge. A bridge over the Old Oder River, in the eastern part of Wrocław, connecting the city centre with Dąbie, Biskupin, Sępolno and Bartoszowice housing estates. It is located in close proximity to the zoo and the Centennial Hall. The crossing in this place, initially made of wood, was built around 1655. Interestingly, during the plague epidemic in 1704, a checkpoint for passes authorising people to cross the city borders was established on this bridge. At the end of the 19th century, a new bridge was built here. This was a robust steel structure on granite abutments, decorated with Art Nouveau sandstone obelisks and stylish lanterns. Thanks to the recent thorough renovation, the Zwierzyniecki Bridge has regained its splendor.

The ZaZoo city beach covers several thousand square meters at the junction of the Oder and the Old Oder, just three hundred meters from the Zwierzyniecki Bridge.

The crossing over the Oder from Na Grobli Street to Wielka Wyspa (an island on the Oder) was made in 1976. It is a rope structure suspended on four pillars. Its length is impressive – over 230 metres! In the evening, you can stop here to admire unforgettable views. Ships and boats sailing along the vast river bed of the Oder against the background of the setting sun, and city beaches teeming with life in the summer, beautifully lit with lanterns, will put everyone in a romantic mood.

This is an ideal place for a date or meeting with friends. You can comfortably sit on deck chairs, benches, garden chairs, and even on stacked pallets. From every spot, there is a beautiful view of the river and the green space on the opposite bank – a perfect place for those seeking relaxation and an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Biskupiński Park, also called Nadodrzański Park, is an almost 10-hectare area stretching along the Szczytnicko-Bartoszowicka Dyke. From the north, its border is delineated by Braci Gierymskich Street and Noakowskiego Street, and from the west – Malczewskiego Street and allotment gardens. Sports enthusiasts will feel at home there: the park includes tennis courts, basketball courts, football fields, a health path and an open-air gym. A lot of work related to arranging the park was done by the inhabitants of Wrocław, which is commemorated by a stone located at the entrance from Wojtkiewicza Street. It bears an inscription whose English translation reads as follows: “Nadodrzański Park. Developed with the participation of the district’s youth as part of social actions. Main contractor – Nature Conservation League. Wrocław, 1978”.

OpatoVice Beach Bar is an intimate beach bar located in a perfect spot - on the edge of the Great Island, near the Opatowice Weir, right at the entrance to Opatowicka Island.

Opatowice Weir. The weir is located on the 245th kilometre of the Oder. The present weir, whose construction was completed in 1985, replaced the old weir located approximately 80 metres farther to the east (the old weir was flooded, but it is sometimes visible when the water level in the river is lower). In 2012, the weir was rebuilt to give it a flap structure. The fish pass was also expanded and accompanying facilities were renovated. Together with the Bartoszowice Weir, the structure regulates the water level on the Oder.

Bartoszowice Weir. The weir is part of the Bartoszowice Barrage and has a segment closure. It was built in 1913-1917 and then renovated after the Millennium Flood in 1997. The weir dams up the water in the Oder in its upper section, the so-called Górna Odra Wrocławska. It is located halfway through the first kilometre of the side course of the Flood Control Channel.

Chrobrego Bridges. The first Chrobrego Bridges, also called Swojczycki Bridges, were built in 1916-1917 to connect Sępolno with Swojczyce. Their time has passed – in 2023, the construction of the new Chrobrego Bridges was completed. It is a complex of two bridges, one of which spans the Flood Control Channel and the other the Oder Shipping Channel. The total length of both bridges is 186 metres, and their total width – including cycling paths and sidewalks – as much as 27 metres. Together, they are 2.8 metres longer and about 15 metres wider than the previous ones. The new Chrobrego Bridges run along voivodeship road 455 leading from Wrocław to Jelcz-Laskowice.

Kilimandżaro Hill. This artificially created hill is located in Chopina Street in Zalesie district, and its absolute height is 134 m above sea level. The hill was made of mud and gravel removed from the future Flood Control Channel during its construction, and then forested. Motocross and cycling competitions (e.g. the Wrocław mountain bike championship) used to be held there. Currently, those keen on “hard riding” in undulating terrain can use a pump track on the western slope of the hill.

Jagiellońskie Bridges. It is a complex of four single-span road bridges that – hanging over the Oder channels – connect Zacisze and Mirowiec housing estates in Wrocław. The first two bridges were built in 1916-1917, and the other twin-looking bridges were put into use in 1984.

Szczytnicki Bridge. A bridge over the Old Oder River, located between the western edge of Grunwaldzki Square and Szczytnicki Park. In 1934, the old Art Nouveau-Gothic bridge located here was replaced with a stark concrete structure that is still used. During the reconstruction, the railings were replaced with straight lines of vertical beams and decorated with symbols embedded in square boxes. In the northern railing, this is an eagle with a sword, and in the southern one – the coat of arms of Wrocław (both presented in the late modernism style). Due to their artistic value, the railings and their decorative elements have been entered into the register of monuments.

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family

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dirt

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Wrocław. Route Along Oder River, DOT293

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