Sky Tower Wroclaw

Sky Tower was completed in 2012 and reaches 212 metres to the top of its spire, making it one of the tallest buildings in Poland outside Warsaw. It is a mixed development - flats, offices and a shopping gallery at the base - and the reason to visit is the observation deck on the forty-ninth floor at about 212 metres up including the structure, reached by a fast lift, with glazed views in every direction. Wroclaw is flat, so the view runs a long way: the old town and the cathedral spires to the north, the Oder and its islands, the sprawl of the city, and in clear weather the Sudetes on the southern horizon, seventy kilometres off, with Sniezka identifiable. The building was contentious during construction over its height and its effect on the skyline. Sunset is the best time; the deck stays open into the evening.

What you actually see

• A forty-ninth floor deck - reached by fast lift, glazed on all sides.
• The old town from above - cathedral spires, the Oder and its islands.
• The Sudetes on the horizon - visible seventy kilometres south in clear air.
• A flat city - which is what makes the view carry so far.

When to go

All year; sunset is best. Two hours.

Honest expectations

The deck is enclosed and glass reflections are a problem for photographs. Views are useless in low cloud, which is common in winter. The base is a shopping centre. Lifts queue at weekends.

Nearby

The market square and Ostrow Tumski are north; the Centennial Hall is east.