Wrocław is the only Polish city in the top ten places to visit in the ranking of the British newspaper The Guardian. Wrocław (/ˈvrɒtswəf/; Polish pronunciation: [ˈvrɔt͡swaf]; German: Breslau) is the largest city in western Poland. It is situated on the River Odra (Oder) in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, roughly 350 kilometres (220 mi) from the Baltic Sea to the north and 40 kilometres (2
5 mi) from the Sudety Mountains to the south. Wrocław is the historical capital of Silesia and Lower Silesia. Today, it is the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. At various times in history, it has been part of the Kingdom of Poland, Bohemia, Hungary, the Austrian Empire, Prussia, and Germany. It became part of Poland in 1945, as a result of the border changes after the Second World War. The population of Wrocław in 2014 was 634 487 making it the fourth-largest city in Poland, classified as a global city by GaWC, with the ranking of high sufficiency and living standard. Wrocław was among 230 cities in the world in the ranking of the consulting company Mercer - "Best City to Live" in 2015 and the only Polish city in this ranking has been recognized as a city growing at the business center. In 2016, the city will be the European Capital of Culture and the World Book Capital. Also, Wrocław will host the Theatre Olympics, World Bridge Games and the European Film Awards in 2016, IFLA Annual Conference and World Games in 2017. Climate:
Wrocław is one of the warmer cities in Poland. Lying in the Silesian Lowlands between Trzebnickie Hills and the Sudetes, the mean annual temperature is 9.8 °C (50 °F). The coldest month is January (average temperature −0.5 °C), with snow being common in winter, and the warmest is July (average temperature 19.9 °C). The highest temperature in Wrocław was 8 August 2015 (+38,9 °C). The lowest temperature was 8 January 1985 (−29.4 °C)