Poland. Wroclaw and Krakow
Wroclaw and Krakow were part of our trip-hike to the Tatras. After trekking through mountain ranges formed millions of years ago by nature, it was fascinating to find ourselves surrounded by the results of human creations from the last few centuries...
The Market Square of Wroclaw greeted us with its most exquisite Gothic landmark - the Wroclaw Town Hall. The Town Hall was built between 1307 and 1504. Initially, its main purpose was trade, but it was later used for administrative purposes.
Today, the building houses the city council, a city museum, and the oldest beer restaurant...
The square impresses with its large size and architecture...
Despite the city's great appeal, there are relatively few tourists on the streets. In my opinion, it is a somewhat underrated city in terms of tourism...
Various monuments are scattered throughout the city, adding unique notes to the local color.
For example, statues of little dwarfs depicting various professions or aspects of local life can be found in the most unexpected places...
Sculptural compositions in non-classical styles always draw a lot of attention and evoke positive emotions...
The fountain-sculpture near Wroclaw University, although not striking with modern creativity, has a very interesting legend and name. Officially, the monument is called "The Swordsman," but the alternative name "The Naked Student" seems to have stuck better. The legend tells the story of a student who lost everything in cards except his sword...
The Tumski Bridge, which connects to the oldest part of the city, is densely covered with love locks...
Crossing to Tumski Island, whose name translates as "Cathedral Island," we headed to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Nearby, on the wall of one of the buildings, we saw a photo from 1945 showing how this historic quarter was destroyed by the greatest human folly, which always has the same name - war...
Panoramic view of Tumski (Cathedral) Island, with the Church of the Holy Cross and the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist...
Returning to Market Square, we came across another square with very cool benches, similar to those we had already seen this year in Tallinn...
Back in Market Square, we decided to climb the tower of St. Elizabeth's Church to see the main square of the city from a height of about 80 meters...
If there is a tower in the city center and you can climb it, we will definitely do it. Narrow passages with stout people going in the opposite direction do not scare us, nor does the huge number of steps to be overcome. We know the principle - to see something really cool, you need to make an effort.
From the tower, we saw another panoramic place - the Church of St. Mary Magdalene. Between the towers of the church, there is a bridge offering views of the square from a different angle.
Views from the bridge of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene...
From Wroclaw, we returned to Krakow, from where we were to leave for Ukraine late in the evening...
We spent most of our time in Market Square, observing its tourist life and being part of it...
St. Mary's Church, or St. Mary's Basilica...
The figure of a poor student in contemplation...
The sculpture "Bound Eros," who lost his head to love...
The Town Hall Tower...
We also witnessed a parade by a Chinese orchestra, marking the relatively new religious movement Falun Dafa (approximately translated as the practice of the Wheel of Dharma). The basis of Falun Dafa is traditional Chinese qigong combined with elements of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Chinese folk beliefs.
During the orchestra's parade, booklets were distributed describing the difficult path of this movement, which is officially banned in China. The booklets depicted the tortured bodies and faces of its active members, leaving a vivid impression. An interesting clash of conventions that breeds violence and conflict. As I understood, this movement actively seeks support from the European community to solve its problem...
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