Following the Wrocław Dwarfs’ Footsteps
Wrocław is a beautiful quiet town which stands on the green banks of the Oder River. It attracts tourists not only with its medieval sites, fantastic bridges (there are more than 200 of them here), but also with small modern figurines of dwarfs. Probably, Wrocław is the only city, where you can find such a great number of dwarfs’ figures.
Nowadays, there are more than 270 miniature bronze dwarfs in the city. Each dwarf is unique: one is reading a book, another is eating an ice-cream, others are washing clothes, the other dwarf is sitting on the lamppost and guarding… The citizens believe that magic dwarfs guard the city from troubles and bring luck and prosperity to it. Tourists like fairy men as well, as they give a lot of positive emotions. Finding the figure of a 20-centimenter high dwarf on busy streets of Wrocław is an interesting quest which is not easy at all.
You can start you quest straight from the Central Railway Station (Wrocław Główny). Go along Hugona Kołłątaja Street to Partisan Hill (Wzgórze Partyzantów). If the weather is fine you can have lunch on the cosy terrace and enjoy picturesque views. From the hill you should turn to Teatralna Street and follow it to Teatralny Square. Here, right in front of the Puppet Theatre, you will see the first dwarfs splashing in the fountain. One of them is feeding birds, the other is sailing a boat, and the third has opened his umbrella to protect The Frog Princess from splash of water. Among locals, the fountain is known as the Fountain of Dwarfs. Nearby, at the library’s entrance, a dwarf-bookworm is reading a book.
If you pass a quarter to Świdnicka Street, you’ll see the legendary Monopol Hotel, where famous Polish celebrities and politicians once stayed. Even Pablo Picasso spent a few nights here. Going up Świdnicka Street, you’ll see the dwarf collecting paper for recycling. Passing the underground walkway, you’ll see one more dwarf on your right – Papa Dwarf – the monument to the Orange Alternative, an underground protest movement which fought against communism in Poland. Papa Dwarf is the main and the most respectable dwarf in the city. It was he, who became the ancestor for all the other Wrocław dwarfs. If you follow the street, you’ll meet two more dwarfs pushing a large ball.
A couple of steps further and you’re at Market Square – the centre of the Old Town. Town Hall is the main attraction here, of course. Three dwarfs meet visitors at its entrance. Their figures were placed here within the social campaign supporting disabled people “Wroclaw without Barriers”. Nearby, at the bank’s entrance, a dwarf-banker is withdrawing his money from an atm. The citizens believe he helps people in financial affairs. To catch luck, you should touch the banknotes in his hand.
In the old part of Wrocław, you can meet dwarfs in very unusual places. But while looking for them, don’t miss a chance to enjoy the beauty of other places of interest in this fantastic city.
