The best way to discover a city is to walk and that was what I did in Wroclaw. After walking into Piasek Island and Cathedral Island (the islands are quite small and are actually walkable) to see some of Wroclaw's majestic cathedrals and churches, I headed for Market Square going through the streets of old town district. These are some of the attractions seen/visited en route to the square.
Cathedral of St. Vincent and St.James is yet another imposing building seen. This is a heritage catholic cathedral built in Gothic architectural style.
Cepelia at Plac Nankiera is a an art and handicraft foundation that promotes Polish arts and crafts. It also sells a wide selection of ceramics, wood carvings, knitcraft, etc.
This building looks like a church but is part of a public school for girls. (Ursuline High school)
Following my tour guide and weaving in and out of lanes, I arrived at a beautiful garden. The majestic structure bordering the garden used to be a palace. It was later a hospital, a convent, a college and today it is Ossolineum Library - an important research centre and national archive in Wroclaw.
Ossolineum Garden is a baroque garden that features elegantly manicured hedges, a fountain and a couple of monuments. It is a renowned garden in the city of Wroclaw.
The monument of a famous Baroque poet, Angelus Silesius stands in the middle of the garden.
The walk continued into Plac Uniwersytecki (University street). The university church, also known as The Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus stands magnificently along the street where University of Wroclaw is located. This is said to be one of the most beautiful Baroque churches in central Europe and it was built as part of the university complex.
The series of buildings seen here are buildings of the various faculties of the University Of Wroclaw.
In the midst of the university ground is the 'Statue Of The Naked Swordsman' standing on a beautiful fountain.
The building in the background is the university museum.
The entrance into the University Museum has a door with exuberant details.
The University of Wrocław is one of the biggest academic institutions in Poland. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the university has produced 9 Nobel Prize winners.
Another famous tourist attraction in Wroclaw is a pedestrian alley known as Stare Jatki. During the medieval times this venue was where animals were slaughtered and meat sold at the row of erected wooden stalls. Today small souvenir shops and art galleries which are built on the foundation of the medieval structures line the alleyway. To remember this old abattoir, a memorial consisting of sculpted bronze animals which include that of pigs, goats, rabbit, goose, rooster and eggs has been erected at the entrance into the alley. This has also become a popular photography spot for visiting tourists.
Walking along the alley you can see an interesting display of artwork in the various stalls.
The walk continued into Więzienna Street. Galeria Italiana, seen here is a city apartment and restaurant. This place is just about 100 meters away from the Market Square where our walk would culminate.
An attraction not to be missed in Wroclaw are its dwarfs which depict the city's lifestyle and history in a very creative and cheeky manner. These bronze figurines are just about a foot tall and are are permanently embedded at the most unexpected of corners all over the city. Some are found standing at the edges of streets, some on window sills of shops, some at the corners of buildings and some dangling from lamp posts etc. There are estimated to be 400 of such figurines but the number seems to be on the rise and even the officer in charge of the the dwarf information centre at Market Square has lost count of its population.
Each dwarf has a name and a story behind it and hunting for these dwarfs can be a fun activity in Wroclaw even though that will take a lot of time.
The walk continued into Market Square where you can see a big concentration of colorful buildings with bedazzling architecture.
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