Discover Opole: Songs, history and green spaces
Accommodation in Opole
Opole combines Polish music history with historical collections and opportunities for outdoor activities. During your stay, you can focus on different things: the Krajowy Festiwal Piosenki Polskiej and its musical tradition, the city’s history, or walks and activities on Wyspa Bolko. The zoo also has specific activities for a visit with children.
Budynek Opolskiego Urzędu Wojewódzkiego z Wieżą Piastowską
Photo: Henryk Niestrój via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Polish songs and the city’s history
The Krajowy Festiwal Piosenki Polskiej has been held at the Amfiteatr Tysiąclecia since 1963. The Muzeum Polskiej Piosenki is also based in the same amphitheatre. Its exhibition provides an overview of the history of Polish song from the 1920s to the present day. Visitors can record a song in recording booths and have it sent to them by email as a keepsake. The museum also hosts meetings with artists, concerts, museum classes and educational activities for younger children. Concerts take place at the Narodowe Centrum Polskiej Piosenki throughout the year.
Those interested in Opole’s history will find several specific points of interest at the Muzeum Śląska Opolskiego: exhibits include a model of the city from the mid-18th century and finds from the prehistoric settlement at Ostrówek in Opole. The collection also includes Tułowice porcelain and works by Jan Cybis. City history, early settlement and works of art are thus different themes to choose from for a museum visit.
The Wieża Piastowska is also part of the city’s historic defensive architecture and is one of the oldest structures of its kind in Poland. A guided tour lasts about 40 minutes and includes climbing the tower. Bear the duration and climb in mind when planning your visit. Zamek Górny offers another connection to the city’s medieval history: the castle stood within Opole’s city walls, near Brama Gosławicka.
Riverside paths and urban green spaces
Opolska Wenecja runs along the Młynówka Canal, which separates the city centre from the villa district of Wyspa Pasieka. Its boulevards are about 1.3 kilometres long and provide a route for cycling, running and Nordic walking.
From Wyspa Pasieka, pedestrians and cyclists can reach Wyspa Bolko via a bridge over the Odra. The island has been a city park since 1910 and is suitable for walking, cycling, inline skating and running, as well as other outdoor activities. This gives you a choice between the boulevards along Opolska Wenecja and the various opportunities for exercise on Wyspa Bolko.
Zoo Opole and activities for children
Founded in the 1930s, the Opole Zoological Garden includes, among other features, a giraffe house, a gorilla enclosure, a pool for California sea lions, a lemur island and an amphibian pavilion. Kraina Bioróżnorodności includes an exotic greenhouse and a bird aviary. For children, there are playgrounds, a mini climbing park and a mini zoo.
Animal feedings are also offered to visitors, including those for gorillas, California sea lions and pelicans. These add specific insights into the animals to your visit. If you are travelling with children, you can consider these activities alongside the play and climbing facilities as a focus for your stay in Opole.
For the broader travel overview: Opole.
