- rhiannon1968
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
- 3
- Reviews
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6
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Wroclaw Revisited
- June 5, 2008
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Jolantka from Whangarei, New Zealand
The Wroclaw story is very informative referring to the history of the city as well as up to date description of its main features and attractions. I read the report with great interest. It brought many fond memories of the city I have not visited for a number of years. Now Wroclaw is on my list to visit again destinations.
Editor Pick
Rynek
The enormous main market square ('Rynek' in Polish) of Wroclaw is one of the city’s main attractions. The greater town hall complex that occupies the centre of the square is almost as big as an entire city block and the actual town hall itself is a fantastic creation of Gothic turrets, spires, and gargoyles. The outside edge of the square is ringed by colourful old townhouses with steep gables and many of the restaurants, cafes and bars have busy outdoor terraces that add a lively festive atmosphere.
The red-brick town hall took centuries to construct and the tale of this is told in the varying architectural styles. The oldest sections are pure early Gothic; plain and functional brick surfaces with pointed arch windows and stone pinnacles along the roof-edge of the gable. The more recent sections show the influence of the early renaissance in round-topped arches, and richly carved surface decorations.
An astronomical clock was built into the eastern facade in 1580 and it watches over a recreation of the old whipping post that stood on the square from 1492 until its destruction during WWII. (The whipping post was the site of public floggings and other punishments but the most frequent use now seems to be as a raised platform for photographers to get their lenses closer to the intricate details of the town hall).
At the opposite end of the town hall to the whipping post is the statue of Fredro and just around the corner is a modern fountain of laminated glass that somehow manages not to look out of place on the otherwise faultlessly restored (after WWII) old town square. This end of the square also opens onto the smaller Salt Square (Plac Solny). The medieval salt market has now been replaced by fast food stalls and a colourful flower market. The townhouses ringing Salt Square are just as beautiful, if not more so, than those on the main market square.
Just steps from the northwest corner of the Rynek stands the gigantic church of St. Elizabeth. The tower is 91 metres high and the privilege of hauling yourself up the 292 steps will cost you 5zl. The views are nice and there’s always a sense of achievement involved in conquering a tower like this, but for me Wroclaw was much more charming at ground level.
That said though, there are only so many times that you can walk around the same square. Fortunately for Wroclaw and its visitors there are plenty of other worthy sights, like the churches on Ostrow Tumski and the Raclawice Panorama, (the great cycle of canvasses depicting General Kosciusko’s 1794 victory over the Russians) that was moved to Wroclaw from Lwow when Central Europe’s borders were redrawn after World War II.
And the outdoor cafes on the square are always there for a refreshing drink when you’re done.
From journal Silesia's Cinderella City
Editor Pick
Rynek and Plac Solny
- May 2, 2001
- Rated 4 of 5 by
rhiannon1968 from locarno, Switzerland
Rynek>
The rynek is Wroclaw's market square. It's the main square of the city and it's the ost impressive sight in town. it's also quite large, 173 wide x 208 metres long, and it's all lined up with beautiful and colourful buildings - all belonging to different styles (Habsburg, Prussian and so on). They show the city's rich and mixed cultural heritage. Unfortunately during WWII it was partially destroyed: it was later faithfully reconstructed and, in recent years, thanks to the town council's help, revamped and brightly repainted.
Plac Solny
It's a smaller square adjacent to the rynek: there are equally colourful houses, though maybe less imposing since the square is of diminuitive size. Solny means salt, and originally salt was sold here. This type of trade is nowadays no longer popular and flower-sellers have now taken over the square. There are about 30 different stalls there, which doesn't come as a surprise: Polish people are fond of offering flowers. In this case two rules apply: never offer flowers in an even number, and never leave the wrapping on: it's considered impolite.
From journal Wroclaw: the jewel of Silesia