Road Trip: Wroclaw

Under a two hour drive from our flat is Wroclaw and so far it is our favorite Polish city. I say so far because we still haven't been to Warsaw, Poznan or Gdansk which lies on the shoreline of the Baltic Sea.

Love Locks

   Over the years, Wroclaw has also been passed between Bohemia, Austria and Germany. With the end of World War II in 1945, the city returned to Poland and is the 4th largest in the country. Dotted throughout the city are over 100 little gnome statues right at your feet. They make for amusing hunting and a political lesson.

   The Orange Alternative movement of underground protests during communism used the gnome as a part of it's protests in the 1980's. Led by Waldemar Fydrych, an art history student at Wroclaw University, the group armed with paint cans, set out to ridicule the communist establishment's censoring of public space. Throughout the communist era, graffiti and other forms of public art would be promptly painted over by the militia. Upon seeing the fresh paint, Waldemar's group would quickly paint over it again with gnomes. As the movement gained momentum, the gnome became synonymous with the Orange Alternative and Wroclaw. For 6 zloty ($2) you can pick up a Dwarf Map of Wroclaw at the tourist information center. The gnome is also a part of Polish folklore.

Rynek During Independence Day Celebrations.

   The rynek of Wroclaw is lovely and provides for a nice stroll. The square was leveled in World War II and has been rebuilt, today it is lined with mostly eateries and bars (and Lego Land and two Starbucks). There are plenty of malls that lie just a short walk from the square (I mention this just because it's an absurd amount of malls). In the rynek, a stop at Vena is a must to browse the beautiful pieces of Boleslawiec pottery (purchase some pieces as well and they'll even wrap them in a good dose of bubble wrap for you). Also, there is a wonderful zoo in Wroclaw.

The most fascinating section of Wroclaw though lies across the river. The fascination begins with the love locks (padlocks affixed by sweethearts to symbolize their everlasting love) locked to the second bridge that you cross to get to the island of churches. There you will find churches and statues that are just magnificent.

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

    Built beginning in 1244 and the first brick building in Poland, construction of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist continued on for five centuries. The Cathedral suffered damage in WWII which has been carefully rebuilt but bullet holes are still visible. Today it is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wroclaw.

Back of Wroclaw Cathedral

   Also, referred to as the Wroclaw Cathedral, for 5 zloty, you can take an elevator to the top of the tower for views of the city and countryside. This will have to be on the to-do list for this spring as the tower is closed in the winter season as it is not heated. Just a side note that while in the vicinity, we witnessed a nun jaywalk - twice! And I didn't even get a picture. I for sure would be a shoe-in to the blog hall of greatness fame if I had that shot...

   I would also be amiss to not mention the palace which also houses the City Museum of Wroclaw. I was a bit awestruck by the palace as the city and streets just built up right around it, leaving no grandeur at least at the front and sides. However, the museum and palace are worthy of a visit and the museum finishes with a walk through WWII.

   The palace was built in 1717 in the Wiener (Vienna) style. My favorite part of the palace is that in 1750, the King of Prussia purchased the baroque palace when he became the new ruler of Silesia (the region of Poland containing Wroclaw and Katowice). And I guess I'd really just like to know how a person finds a palace on the market. And to be the Real Estate Agent with that listing... I just find it humorful. And back to not having pictures.. I have none of the palace either. In my defense, cameras are not allowed inside and the front of the palace is just not very photogenic.

   From The City of Dwarfs, dobranoc ("dobrah-nots" - good night). Also in the theme of the love locks, kocham cię ("koham tshe" - I love you). Who knew this would turn out to be so romantic, but indeed, it has.