We went hunting….a hunt for the famous Wroclaw Poland Dwarfs! Within Wroclaw, Poland there are over 300 little dwarf statues located through the city of Wroclaw; and they are literally everywhere! Each dwarf is doing something unique – from drinking beer to eating dumplings. We decided this would be a great activity for the kids, while simultaneously letting us explore Wroclaw, Poland.
History of the Wroclaw Dwarves
As we ventured through the city, we saw people looking for them everywhere. For how popular it was, the dwarf population didn’t really take off in Wroclaw until 2005. However, over the past 15+ years they’ve invaded the city. So much so, that the city has a hard time keeping track of exactly how many dwarfs there are! We saw estimates between 300 to over 400 dwarfs.
Papa dwarf was the first dwarf that appeared in 2001 as a memorial to the Orange Alternative – a movement in Wroclaw during the 1980s that used mockery and ridicule to protest the government. One way they did this was by painting over the communist regime’s graffiti with gnomes/dwarfs, as well as a variety of other ways. In 2005, another local artist created 5 other dwarfs and placed them in various spots in the city. Soon after, many small businesses commissioned artists to create dwarfs to catch onto the growing trend. The dwarfs next to these shops or businesses are often doing something associated with the business - i.e. baking dwarfs at the sweets shop and a dwarf eating dumplings at an Asian restaurant.
Hunting for Dwarfs
We had seen some videos about how there was a deck of cards you could get to search for the dwarfs, so we went to visit one of the four tourist centres around the centre of the Old Town Square. However, we found out that those aren’t being made anymore. Now, there is a map you can get with stickers that guides you around the Old Town searching for 36 specific dwarfs. Each of these dwarfs also has a little story about them. There was a baker dwarf, dwarfs riding a Vespa and a lion, a statue of liberty dwarf and so much more. The little map was perfect for the kids, as they had to find the dwarf and then match the sticker to the spot on the map until they found all 36 dwarfs. [There are some apps out there as well that help you search for the dwarfs on your phone.]
It definitely kept the kids entertained. They would spot it from a distance away and shout, “There’s one!” as they ran towards it. However, it’s amazing how having a goal helped them forget about the walking as we explored around the Old Town. We also couldn’t stop until we had completed the entire map…ha ha! #goaloriented
Seeing Other Sights of Wroclaw
Our time in Wroclaw was quite short (less than 48 hours), as we had some difficulty finding an Airbnb in the right price range with the dates available we needed. (We’re still trying to work out the kinks in the right lead time to book accommodation.) As a result, we didn’t get a ton of time in Wroclaw to explore and see the sights, but the hunt for the dwarfs helped us see many of the main destinations of the city, especially in the Old Town.
As with many of the cities in Poland, especially on the eastern half of the country, the war completely destroyed much of the history and architecture of the Old Town. However, post-war the city and square were rebuilt with the original architecture and plans at the forefront.
Within the Old Town Rynek (Square/Market) we were able to see:
Wroclaw Old Town Hall
A unique Gothic building that is right in the centre of the Town Square. It used to serve as the seat for city authorities and the local court. This building was also mostly destroyed during 1945 during WWII and it was restored after the war.
Hansel & Gretel Buildings
In Polish these are referred to as ‘Jas I Malgosia’ but to foreigners they are commonly known as ‘Hansel & Gretel’ because how the archway is supposed to symbolize a couple holding hands. The buildings are located in the northwest corner of the market square and are an interesting piece of architecture from the 16th and 18th centuries.
Churches
There are a couple of churches around the Old Town that provide beautiful steeples and offer views from their bell towers, including Kosciol Garnizonomy Bazylika Mniejsza pw. Sw. Elzbiety and the St. Mary Magdalene Church. Both of these would provide pretty incredible views of the Square below. We wanted to stop at the some of the churches as we searched for dwarfs, but the kids had a hard time taking a break from their search.
Delicious Polish Donuts
After completing our hunt for all 36 dwarfs, we started to walk towards St. John the Baptist Catholic Cathedral. Along the walk we came across a donut shop called Dobra Paczkarnia. They had all kinds of varieties including Nutella, Kinder Bueno, Marmalade, Rose, pudding and so many more! We of course, had to stop and try them and they were THE BEST donuts we have ever had….they almost just melted in your mouth!
St. John the Baptist Cathedral
Even as we walked in areas outside of the Old Town, little dwarfs still popped up along our walk. The cathedral is actually located on the island located in the central part of the city surrounded by two rivers. The cathedral was ornate and there is a tower to go up to the top for a view of Wroclaw as well; unfortunately, we missed being able to go up by only a minute. It looked like they closed early on Saturday (at 5 p.m.) likely due to evening mass.
Alternative Ways to See the City
Wroclaw has a unique way to explore the city, which I had never seen before – they had little golf carts (we later saw this in Krakow as well). The carts would take groups to different areas of the city to explore as part of a city tour. We also saw some sitting scooter tours as well. While we didn't personally do it, I thought it was an interesting way to explore the city.
We definitely could have used more time to explore in Wroclaw, but we’re grateful for the time we did get, and for the new little Wroclaw Poland Dwarfs we met along the way.
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