Unknown Wrocław – Stadium Secrets [VIDEO+PHOTOS]

The Wrocław Stadium was build specially for the European Football Championships, having taken place in 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. The capital of the Lower Silesia then hosted three matches of the group phase, the Poland - Czech Republic game, among others. Nowadays the Śląsk Wrocław team holds its games here, but also concerts, festivals or events for children are organised here.

The sports arena can accommodate ca. 44,000 audience, who can easily walk around not only the tribunes, but also on the esplanade surrounding the stadium. However, there are some places here where access is strictly forbidden, as well as those, which the fans would not probably want to see voluntarily.

The arrest

Our tour around the stadium starts from the arrest, which has been built on the parking level. It includes three cells, which can hold up to several people. They are equipped with toilettes, benches and barred heaters. During mass events the arrest remains at the police's disposal at all times, but it has never been used yet. Theoretically, it can hold people apprehended by the officers, and who are to be then transferred to the police station.

The arrest at the Wrocław Stadium has never been used yet

The command centre

Though the arrest is available during the tour, the following room is closed to unauthorised access. This room is the Command Centre, i.e. a place where the representatives of, among others, the police, security, fire departments and medical services work during all events.

One of the walls is covered with screens, on which the images from 400 video cameras installed at the stadium are played. At all times, the operators can preview what is going on at the tribunes, the parking area, corridors or the esplanade. Their work starts a few hours before the actual event, and finishes, when the gates are closed.

The screens display images from 400 video cameras

The sportsmen pavilion

The next stop on our tour is the pavilion with the player's changing room. A large emblem of the Śląsk Wrocław on the wall hits the eyes at the entrance. The players' lockers are placed by the wall, the next room is occupied by the team's coach, and further located are doctors' and physiotherapists' rooms, showers, a large bathtub with hydromassage and a sauna.

The grass pitch and the sector X

We now step on the turf, which was replaced just a few weeks ago. Previous such operation took place in May 2012, just before the European Football Championships. The new turf cover has been brought to Wrocław from Hungary. A total of 9,000 m sq of grass was laid, and a small spare field was created by the stadium, with an area of 400 m sq. It is from here that the cavities of turf at the main pitch are replaced, i.e. after football matches. The cost of replacing the turf is ca. 500,000 PLN.

No trespassers on the pitch!

From the pitch level, the sector X attracts attention in particular, as it is the only one to have been surrounded by a metal fence, whereas the remaining sectors are divided with a plexi wall. "The aim of plastic fences is to facilitate evacuation. They divide the stadium into sectors capable of accommodating 10,000 people each. Owing to the fact, the audience can leave the sectors through emergency exits more efficiently" explains Adam Burak, the spokesperson for the Wrocław 2012 company.

Why then the sector X is so special in this respect? Because this is where the guest team's fans are seated during the matches. The buffer zone stretches also on rows neighbouring the zone, over which special nets have been installed. Their purpose is to prevent people from entering different sectors, should they manage to overcome the metal fence.

Barred entrance to sector X

The entrance to sector X also looks differently: both the path that leads to it through the esplanade, as well as a part of the corridor are surrounded with a metal fence. Therefore, there is no chance that the guest team's fans could meet the home team's fans at any point.

The VIP zone and boxes

The last part of the tour shows a quite different climate: behold, the door opens to the VIP zone and the boxes. Glazed boxes are located in the eastern an western tribune of the stadium. All of them have access to the terrace, with a view on the pitch. The boxes can hold from several to ca. 30 people, and some of the tenants have furnished them according to their needs - for example by adding a snooker table.

The VIP zone at the Wrocław Stadium

The Wrocław Stadium can be visited in groups, but one of the tribunes is also opened for all interested. Additionally, there is plenty of extra attractions around the facility, among others a roofed go-kart track, a bungee jumping spot, a grill place, and an ice-skating rink in winter, which is assembled in winter at the parking place facing ul. Śląska

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photo: Tomasz Walków