Happy EURO memories linger in Wroclaw

The Municipal Stadium Wroclaw may have staged its last UEFA EURO 2012 game, but that does not signal the end of the tournament in the picturesque capital of Lower Silesia.

The Czech Republic, Russia, Greece and Poland squads have all experienced the warmth of the hospitality in Wroclaw, as have their fans, who have added their own dash of colour to a city already dotted with brightly painted buildings – freshly renovated as the city underwent a makeover ahead of the championship.

"Many foreign supporters have visited us during the EURO," said Agnieszka Jaworska, who works for a holiday rental company leasing city centre apartments. "Each of our clients was prepared for the songs and the fans who were in market square to sing and celebrate during the matches. Everyone said to us: 'We'll come back to Wroclaw!'"

While Czech supporters were most frequently seen – hardly surprising given they played all three Group A matches in the city – many different languages could be heard during a stroll around the Plac Rynek, the picture-postcard central square. "We had visitors from practically the whole of Europe," Emilia Pasek, who works in a central Wroclaw hotel, told UEFA.com. "Everyone seemed to be happy with their stay."

Judging by the atmosphere before, during and after games in Wroclaw, that would certainly appear to have been the case. The smiles on the faces of visiting fans leaving the city were matched by those who have remained. "The city is more beautiful now. We have a fantastic stadium and many great new places," said Dawid Płaczkiewicz, a Wroclaw resident. "During EURO, Wroclaw was colourful, loud and very friendly, but some things are permanent. The renovated roads, hotels, bus stations or the train station – these are wonderful things."