***please try to look at these photos on a bigger screen. Your phone will crush all the details***
The last full night and day in Wroclaw revealed some historical gems in the heart of the city…
Neon Side Gallery
A dark alley between old concrete buildings opens up to a narrow courtyard awash with the glow of vintage neon light. Wroclaw’s Neon Side Gallery is a collection of neon signs from the communist era: rescued, restored and put on display in this otherwise nondescript alley.
Even though colour is the main attraction, I thought these might look good in black and white…like they might appear in an old movie.In full colour…former department store, restaurant, business and cinema signs showing the bright colours and characteristic lettering of neon advertising in Polish cities from the 60s to the 80s.Good reflections in the glass here…Communist era neon next to communist era grey cement building. These signs must have been some of the only splashes of bright colour in an otherwise washed out grey cityscape. This alley is worth a visit, especially at night. There are a couple of bars in the courtyard so you can stretch out in a beach chair, sip cocktails and smoke a cigarette in the neon glow. Pretty glamorous!
On the walk home…
Lonely streetlamp on a downtown street late at night.Zabka! (Polish for frog). This is pretty much the only convenience store in the country and they are on every corner. They have everything in these tiny shops, like a Polish version of the Japanese 7-Eleven. “Zabka” stores were recently purchased by “Couche-Tard”, a Canadian convenience store company. A Polish gas station glowing green. This is a BP station, a brand we haven’t had in Canada since I was a kid.The following day we ended up having dinner at this Polish Milk Bar called “Miś”. A “milk bar” is a cafeteria-style restaurant with fresh homemade dishes cooked with local high quality ingredients. You order from a menu board on the wall (no English), pay and stand in line for your food then carry it to your table to eat. When you are done, you bring your own dishes to the dish-pit and move on. There is no service, no washroom, no tipping and you are likely to stand in line for awhile during busy times. Worth it? 100 percent. The food is incredibly cheap but fresh and healthy and home-made. As if your mom cooked it just for you!Kind of a creepy looking statue of Pope John Paul with a big moon over his shoulder.A 19th century monastery, restored beautifully into the Arche Klasztor Wrocław hotel. This was our home base in the city.
Centennial Hall
Designed by Max Berg and built between 1911 and 1913, this is an amazing building made entirely of reinforced concrete. It’s original purpose was to host exhibitions, concerts, theatrical and opera performances and sporting events. It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2006. I thought black and white photos would bring out the geometry and texture of the unique concrete architecture.
From the courtyard. This is a massive building.Domed and windowed ceiling of reinforced concrete. There are no posts inside supporting anything. It is a massive wide open space.Detail of ribs and side windows…
Park Hotel at WUWA Wroclaw
In the late 20’s, several local architects designed and built examples of their vision of “standard” buildings to meet the need for housing in the city. Simple, efficient form and function were key to the designs and this particular building was intended as a “hotel house for childless couples and single people”.
Park Hotel which I thought might look more of it’s era in black and white. I just noticed the Polish woman smoking near the entrance…a perfect detail!These two shots of the lobby lounge are very similar but different enough that I couldn’t decide between them. I love the colour and the placement of furniture and plants and the shadows in both.
The End
I am sitting at a desk in a crappy airport hotel late at night as I write this. My alarm is set to 4am so that I can safely make the first leg of my return trip home. This has been a short trip but it was packed full of great company, good conversations, tons of fresh air and delicious food. Poland is quickly becoming one of my favourite European countries. The people are friendly and polite, the food is top quality everywhere, transportation is easy and Poland’s cities are as pretty as anywhere in Eastern Europe (except Prague of course!) I hope to spend a lot more time here in the future. Thanks to my good friend for keeping me company and making this trip possible : )
A pretty outdoor restaurant in a central courtyard hidden away down a narrow alley. A typical scene in Polish cities.
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