When we arrived at our hotel in Wroclaw, we were told that there wasn't any place to store our bike. The woman at reception was trying to be helpful but the hotel obviously didn't have a lot of experience with bicycle travellers. Eventually the problem was resolved when she contacted the hotel manager and we were asked to sign a contract that the hotel would not be responsible for our bike. Our bike was placed in a hallway near the reception. We are staying at Campanile Wroclaw, Stare Miasto (Old Town) and we are very happy with our choice. It is in a quiet location, a 10 minute walk to Old Town and comfortably outfitted with a kettle with tea and coffee making.
We are lucky to be in Wroclaw for its annual film festival. All over the city there are screenings in various theatres - and in the square in the centre of Old Town, this giant screen is set up for nightly free screenings of international films.
The Market Square was bustling with visitors and interesting street musicians. We enjoyed this duo playing classical music, as did one of the 300 Wroclaw mini bronze gnomes perched on the base of the statue behind them. We had fun finding as many gnomes as we could while walking around - there are tours that specialize in following the trail of the Wroclaw gnomes.
In the 1980's, gnomes began to appear on the streets of Wroclaw. The first gnomes were initiated by the "Orange Alternative" an activist group that protested against the Polish reality in the communist era. The first gnomes were painted on walls dressed in orange clothing. Presently there are about 300 gnomes throughout the city. It makes for a fun walking tour to try to find as many as you can.
As you can see, this gnome is at the front door of a hotel and this guy is enjoying the hotel's hospitality.
Barry had a headache so we visited the Aptkeke (pharmacy) for help. This Apteka dates back to the 1300's in this very location. The illuminated sign is a significant nod to the Communist era when the drabness of the buildings was relieved by neon signage. The gnome was in the entryway for the Apteka and he also has come to get help with his headache.
The collage below features some murals we liked on old buildings with apartments. Also, the top left picture shows some very stressed out pigeons who had lost their home the night before. The abandoned building, where they had lived, had been demolished and when we returned to our hotel last night, there were hundreds of pigeons frantically flying around, crying out to each other. When we got to our room, 5 or 6 pigeons were lined up on our sill competing for space. The demolition was also unsettling for us as in the morning we could feel our room swaying with each impact.
Buster, our Canadian bear bike mascot also found friends in Wroclaw. He had to spend time in the original prison from 300 years ago (bottom photo) and he helped deliver ice cream and pizza with the skateboarding gnome.
The Ratusz (Town Hall) is listed as one of the most outstanding late-Gothic secular architecture buildings in Europe. Built in stages from the 1th to 16th century, it is a striking sight in the midst of the impressive town square.
