Natàlie Raclavskà has been living in Wrocław for five years now. A native of Ostrava, she pursued Slavonic Studies in Brno, Czech Republic, and completed Polish Studies at the University of Wrocław, Poland. She works as a translator, providing services to Czech and Polish businesses.
Natàlie has put down roots in Wrocław and bought an apartment in the city. "Each time my friends from the Czech Republic visited me in Wrocław, they had to browse Czech Wikipedia to find their way around the city. There were no tourists websites available in our language. They could only use a thin guidebook," says Natàlie.
Markets and monasteries
What is drawing Czech visitors to Wrocław? "The city is interesting for its history, unique architecture and contemporary attractions," says Natàlie. The coat of arms of Wrocław features a double-tailed lion, which is a visible reminder of the fact that Wrocław once belonged to the Kingdom of Bohemia. It takes one breath for Natàlie to enumerate Czech landmarks in the city: the Church of Sts Dorothea, Wenceslaus and Stanislaus, which was founded by Emperor Charles IV, the Church of St Elisabeth and monasteries, including that of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, which now houses the Ossolineum Library. The knights were invited to the city by Princess Anna. The influential Czech residents of Wrocław also appear in the city's later history. One such figure is Czech anatomist and physiologist Jan Evangelista Purkyně, who is a household name in the history of Bohemia and the Czech Republic. Natàlie: "He is one of our most eminent scholars, even though only few people know he spent twenty years of his life in Wrocław.
Church of Sts Dorothea, Wenceslaus and Stanislaus, founded by Emperor Charles IV. Photograph: jk
Natàlie admits that Prague is nice and has all the buildings freshly painted and renovated. "But it looks a bit like a Lego Land park," she says ironically. "You can feel the genuine atmosphere in Wrocław. Take Nadodrze, for example, its beautiful houses, mysterious back streets and inner yards. Many visitors from the Czech Republic are drawn by Wrocław's unique attractions. They really like the Afrykarium, and Natàlie also recommends the Four Domes' Pavilion and the Centennial Hall. Seasonal events are also popular. "Everybody knows that Czechs love kitsch almost as much as Americans do. That's why they travel to the local Christmas market by the bus load. I have a sneaking suspicion that last year's market drew more visitors from the Czech Republic than from Germany," says Natàlie smilingly.
The city at your fingertips
Natàlie decided to create a web page on Wrocław in Czech on her own. For nearly a year now she has been running a blog called "Květ Evropy. Vratislav na dosach", or "The Gem of Europe. Wrocław at Your Fingertips" (www.kvetevropy.cz). The title has been inspired by the work of a 17th-century Silesian poet, who called Wrocław the gem of Europe for its beauty. The blog provides information on the city's history, the landmarks, good restaurants and the attractions in other parts of Lower Silesia. She also runs a separate project to showcase historic stairwells covered with beautiful tile decorations.
Natàlie's blog and her integrated Facebook profile have become a platform to exchange information on the events for Czech visitors in the city and those who love all things Czech too. The latter are growing in number. Live shows featuring Czech artists are held at least once a month at Pieśniarze Club in ul Szewska. Several walks in the footsteps of Jan Evangelista Purkyně have also been organised.
Wrocław's Christmas Market attracts crowds of Czech people. Photograph: Przemysław Wronecki
Meetings called "Czeski z pianką" [Czech Language and a Frothy Pint] for Polish and Czech residents of Wrocław are also organised on a regular basis. "This is a great opportunity to practice the language and get to know each other. I am doing my best to invite a celebrity to each meeting," says Natàlie. "Our latest guest was theatre director Jiří Havelka."
Natàlie is brimming with energy and ideas; she would also like to expand her blog. She has been writing most of the entries by herself. She is only rarely assisted by her friends from the Czech Republci or the residents of Wrocław. She cannot afford to pay for the features and other materials. Having said that, she would like to draw more people into the project, e.g. those who do Czech Studies at the University of Wrocław. In order to draw the enthusiasts of all things Czech, Natàlie is organising a competition for a feature in Czech on the tourist attractions of Wrocław. The prizes have been awarded by the Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic in Wrocław.
"Mariusz Szczygieł and his books have triggered a Czech revival in Poland. This is a positive phenomenon. Czech people know very little about Poland and they don't like the country. They have heard about Warsaw and Kraków, but they still think Wrocław is some remote place by the seaside. It's high time we changed this. We need to showcase the city as a historic landmark and a tourist attraction," says Natàlie Raclavskà.
