Around the Old Town - Following the former fortifications on the Old Town Promenade

Our walking tour may take up to 5 hours, and we have to make a distance of almost 5 kilometres. We begin in Świdnicka Street at the place where the Świdnicka Gate was still standing in the early nineteenth century. Unfortunately, not much is left of its former grandeur – a rather small, square guardhouse and, closing the perspective from the north, the former church of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, built during the fifteenth century in the Gothic style.

When, in 1807, the Napoleonic army, under the command of prince Jerome Bonaparte, occupied Wrocław, the first decree issued was an order to demolish the city walls. Naturally, the walls weren’t pulled down right away- it took more than 20 years. There were discussions concerning the moat – whether to fill it up or retain it, and further discussions about what to do with the grounds after demolishing the fortifications. At last it was decided that the moat would stay, and along it a green belt would be arranged, as a place for walking and rest for the public. Thus the Old Town Promenade came into being.
We propose to start our walk going east. On the left hand appears the ornate building of the Puppet Theatre which was constructed in the second half of the nineteenth century. Next to it is a fountain - a remanent of the former entrepreneurs’ club garden. Today this area of greenery, originated in the second half of the nineteenth century, abounds in old beeches, oaks, chestnuts and plane-trees. The Old Town Park is a popular destination for the walks of mothers and children.
We then pass the statue of Cupid on Pegasus, 1914, according to the design of Theodor von Gosen, a professor the Academy of Art in Wrocław. The eyes of Pegasus were made of topaz, and Cupid’s eyes of marble. Cupid holds a bow, but has no arrows – in this way the sculptor took revenge on the god of love for the heartbreaks he blamed him for.
Next we walk along the moat to the monument of Nicholas Copernicus. The monument was placed here in 1974 (just after the celebration of the great astronomer’s 500th birthday) thanks to the efforts of the Association of Astronomy Lovers. It is a reminder of Copernicus’ ties with Wrocław - he was a canon-scholastic at the collegiate church of the Holy Cross.

Crossing Piotra Skargi Street, we are at the foot of Partisan’s Hill (Wzgórze Partyzantów) - a remanent of the sixteenth century fortifications. The hill, also called Saddlebag Bastion, is worthy of interest not only for its historic past, but also for the architecture which, in spite of the neglect of the present owner, merits attention. Numerous garden sheds, romantic recesses, water holes and rich, especially well-chosen greenery are just tailored for strolling lovers. In the spring of 1945 the military command of Festung Breslau was located in the casemates of the bastion. Air raids and artillery fire caused serious damage and, in spite of reconstruction, the old splendour of this place did not come back. However, a walk among the old trees and greenery makes everybody feel better and is an aid to recuperation.

Across the hillside or along the bank of the moat, turning north, we head towards the former Gate of Oława. On the right side, across the moat in Podwale street, is a view of a row of late nineteenth century buildings in the Vienna Secession style and the German Consulate General.

At the Gate of Oława we take the underpass and see the remnants of city walls from the fifteenth century and a scale model of this section of the city fortifications. Emerging from the underground passage we pause at the entrance to Galeria Dominikańska. To the left (west), viewed in the distance is the small St. Christopher church belonging to the Augsburg-Evangelical commune.

The eastern panorama is closed by of the church of St Mauritius, a former parish church of the Oławskie suburb dwellers. This church played an important role during the siege of Breslau in spring 1945. Paul Paikert, the parish priest, carried great spiritual aid to the people, gave confession to the soldiers, distributed Communion, visited labour camps, and wrote a daily chronicle of the siege documenting the fate of the population and the terror of the SS and Wehrmacht command.

Now we walk next to the moat, near the Galeria Dominikańska shopping center. Across the water towers the enormous edifice of the Main Post Office, built in 1927, and today housing the only Museum of Post and Telecommunication in the country. Visiting it, one may learn about history of telegraph, telephone and Polish stamps.

Now we are reaching Juliusza Słowackiego Avenue, on the left is a partly reconstructed fragment of the fifteenth century city fortifications with a round tower. Crossing the street, we enter Juliusza Słowackiego Park. On the left is the late fifteenth century St. Bernard Friars cloister complex - today it houses the only Museum of Architecture in the country. In front of the Museum is a fragment of the “Monument of the Shot” by Władysław Hasior, displayed here since 1971. From here we may go straight to Polish Hill (Wzgórze Polskie) and the Gulf of the Gondola or follow the avenue to the east, passing two eclectic stone garden vases from the second half of the nineteenth century. After a while we stop at the Julisz Słowacki monument (the work of Wacław Szymanowski – the sculptor of the famous Frederic Chopin monument in Warsaw’s Łazienki Park).

Along the broad boulevard lined with hundred year-old plane trees, we approach the edifice of the National Museum. In the place where the park walkways meet there are four garden sandstone statues from the eighteenth century: Pallas Athene, Rea, Ceres and another Athene. Right next to them are two contemporary (1980) outdoor figures creating the composition “Expectation” by Anna and Ryszard Zamorski.

We are on J.E. Purkyniego Street at the Neo-Renaissance edifice of the National Museum, housing rich collections of painting, graphic art, Silesian sculpture, art handicraft and Polish contemporary art. At the foot of the building there are three cast-bronze monuments: figures of Michelangelo and Albrecht Dürer – the works of Robert Haertl of 1831–1832 - and the “Allegory of Fishery” designed by Christian Behrens and Albrecht Dürer.

We return to the Park on a wide avenue going in a western direction to a clearing where, placed among the trees, is the monument to the Victims of the Katyń Massacre – the design of Tadeusz Tchórzewski unveiled in October 2000. It commemorates the 22 thousand Polish army officers and policemen murdered in Kozielsk, Ostaszków, Starobielsk, Katyń, Miednoje and Kharkov during World War II.

Following the avenue among trees and shrubs we arrive at the rotunda of the “Panorama Racławicka”. In front of the building is an obelisk of the Third of May Constitution (M. Dziekoński’s work of 1993). “Panorama Racławicka” – a section of the National Museum – is a place particularly worth seeing. The unique canvas of 120 metres x 15 metres is the work of a team of painters led by Jan Styka and Wojciech Kossak. The painting was produced in Lwów in 1894. After a 38-year odyssey it has again been available to the public since June 14, 1985.

Now our walk leads on to Polish Hill (Wzgórze Polskie). After crossing Purkyniego Street we stroll uphill along the asphalt path. On the right side is a portion of the city moat called the “Gulf of Gondolas". From the top of the hill spreads the splendid right-bank panorama of Wrocław with Cathedral Island (Ostrów Tumski) and Sand Island. Along the riverbank we progress west, leaving the Old Town Promenade along wide Xawerego Dunikowskiego Boulevard and enter Polski Square.

On the left of the square are the buildings of the Academy of Fine Arts. The sculpture “The Head of Worker" was placed on the square in 1982 but was actually made by Dunikowski in 1948 to grace the Exhibition of the Recovered Territories. Very near, unveiled in 1999, the monument to Poles murdered on prewar eastern border lands commemorates the victims of the Ukrainian nationalists in the years 1939–1947.

Next we reach the Sand Bridge, cross the Odra and turn left to Sand Island. We are walking along the Boulevard of Stanisław Kulczyński – the first rector of the Polish University of Wrocław and the last rector of the University of Jan Kazimierz in Lwów.

At present we are strolling across the islands of the Odra where, in the eleventh and twelfth centuries Wrocław was first shaped.

So, we are going through Malt Island and the foot-bridge to Drobnera Street. One can also choose the longer variant – along Old Mill (Staromłyńska) Street to Mill Island, then onto Malt Island and across St. Clara Bridge to Bleaching Island. Next, across the Bleaching foot-bridge to Drobnera Street.

Later, passing the nearby Hotel Park Plaza and across the University Bridge, we will land back on the left bank of the Odra. Walking pretty close to the main edifice of the University of Wrocław – which treasures such jewels as the splendid Baroque interiors of Aula Leopoldina and Oratorium Marianum plus the collections of the University Museum, we arrive at New World (Nowy Świat) Street. We pass the hydroelectric power station, the southern one, and we arrive at the municipal Museum in the former arsenal. This Renaissance building is among the oldest of this type in our part of Europe. The beginnings of the arsenal reach back to the year 1459. It houses military items and archaeological exhibits.

We walk onto Mikołaja Street passing the former church of St Barbara, today the Orthodox Church of the Birth of the Holy Mother of God – the cathedral of the Wrocław-Szczecin diocese. At the back on the right is the former All Saints Hospital established in the first half of the sixteenth century, now the regional J. Babiński hospital.

Through the underground passage at John Paul II (Jana Pawła II) Square (formerly 1st of May (1 Maja) Square on the place of the medieval Mikołajska City Gate) we return to the Old Town Promenade. Behind the monumental fountain “Fight and Victory", built in 1905, we enter a park area abundant with old trees. On the left we pass the Palace of Weddings, on the right, across Podwale Street we see the edifice of the Musical Academy of Wrocław.

We are going south, passing the wooden St Anthony footbridge and along a wide avenue lined with limes, chestnuts and planes and arrive at a place where the city moat turns east.

Across the water we have Orląt Lwowskich Square and Świebodzki Railway Station built in 1843.

Between rows of old trees we walk to Krupnicza Street. On the right, across the moat, are the Neo-Baroque barracks of the Prussian cuirassiers of 1835, now the abode of Wrocław county authorities. On the left hand, at Krupnicza Street stands the Neo-Gothic edifice of the new exchange, at present the sport-club “Gwardia”. We cross Krupnicza Street and, on the right across the moat, stands the complex of Neo-Gothic buildings serving as courts of law, built in the years 1844-1887.

We reach Wolności Square on a bank of the moat surrounded by greenery. It used to be called Castle Square because the royal castle, corner-stoned in 1750, stood here. Only the oldest Baroque wing of the royal castle remains to our time. It is placed close to Kazimierza Wielkiego Street and now houses part of the Municipal Museum. The wing of the castle touching Wolności Square was demolished in the 1960’s. What is left consists only of a servants’ and court house with an arcaded gallery. In front of the palace was an Exercise Field where, in Prussian times, drills of infantry and cavalry units were performed. On May 27, 1945 a march past of the units of the 10th Sudeten Infantry Division of the 2nd Polish Army took place here. Today Wolności Square is the venue of numerous events and fairs.

On the right side we pass the court foot-bridge leading to the regional police headquarters across the moat. Next to it, at Łąkowa Street used to be the functioning synagogue “On the Pasture” annihilated during Crystal Night, November 9, 1938. Passing the monument to the “Victims of Stalinism”, unveiled in September 1989, we reach Świdnicka Street once again and our walk is at an end.

Author: Bronisław Zathey

English translation: Andrzej Milcarz

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