200 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp218–21 and pp222–5
R St Mary Magdalene's
Church
ul. św Marii Magdaleny. Tel (071) 344
9am–noon, 4–6pm daily.
The great Gothic St Mary
Magdalene's Church (Kościół
św Marii Magdaleny) was
erected between 1330 and
the mid-15th century,
incorporating the walls of a
13th-century church that had
previously stood on the site.
Inside the basilica is a Gothic
stone tabernacle, a Renaissance
pulpit made between 1579
and 1581 by Friedrich Gross
and tomb stones of various
periods. The portal on
the north side is a superb
example of late 12th-century
Romanesque sculpture. It
was taken from a demolished
Benedictine monastery in
Olbina and added in 1546.
The tympanum, depicting
the Dormition of the Virgin,
is now on display in the
National Museum (see p199).P Main Market Square
Rynek.
Wrocław’s Main Market Square
is the second largest in
Poland, after the one in
Cracow. In the centre stand
the Town Hall and a group of
buildings separated by alleys.
The houses around the square
date from the Renaissance to
the 20th cen tury. Some still
have their original 14th- and
15th-century Gothic vaults.
The west side of the square is
the most attractive
with the late-Baroque
House of the Golden
Sun, at No. 6, built in
1727 by Johann Lucas
von Hildebrandt, as
well as the House of
the Seven Electors, its
paint work dating from- Also to the south
is Under the Griffins
(Pod Gryfami), at No.
2, built between 1587 and - It has a galleried interior
court yard. On the east side, at
No. 31 and No. 32, is Feniks
Store of 1904 and, at No. 41,
Under the Golden Dog (Pod
Złotym Psem), a rebuilt town
house of 1713. The north side
was recon structed after World
War II. Just off the corner of
the Main Market Square, in
front of the Church of St
Elizabeth (Kościół św
Elżbiety), are two small
acolytes’ houses, the
Renaissance Jaś of around
1564, and the 18th-century
Baroque Małgosia.
P Kameleon Store
ul. Szewska 6–7.
The Kameleon Store (Dom
Handlowy Kameleon) is
an unusual building on the
corner of ulica Szewska and
ulica Oławska. It was built
by the German architect
Erich Mendelsohn as a retail
store for Rudolf Petersdorf
between 1927 and 1928. Its
semi circular bay, formed of
rows of windows, juts out
dramatically. Nearby, at the
intersection of ulica Łaciarska
and Ofiar Oświęcimskich,
an office building built
between 1912 and 1913R Bernadine Church and
Monastery
ul. Bernardyńska 5. Architecture
Museum Tel (071) 344 8278.
10am–4pm Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat,
noon–6pm Thu, 11am–5pm Sun. &
free on Wed. http://www.ma.wroc.pl
This impressive group of
monastic buildings (Kościół i
Klasztor pobernardyński) was
cons tructed by Bernadine
monks between 1463 and
- Rebuilt from their war-
time ruins, they now house
the Architecture Museum
(Muzeum Architektury).
The monastery is of interest
for its late-Gothic cloisters
and the Church of St Bernard
of Siena, a towering Gothic
basilica with a typically
Baroque gable.
Late-Gothic portal of the Bernadine
Church and Monastery
The façade of the House of the
Seven Electors, Main Market SquareRelief, St Mary Magdalene's ChurchWrocław: Old Town
For those who enjoy exploring on foot, the Old
Town (Stare Miasto) of Wrocław is a delightful place.
The restored buildings located around the large
Main Market Square have been given over to an
assortment of bars, restaurants and cafés with alfresco
seating, while the nearby churches contain a wealth
of religious art and ecclesias tical furnishings. The
impressive Gothic Town Hall has a finely decorated
interior. On summer evenings, this bustling square
comes alive as locals as well as visitors gather here,
some to gossip and exchange news, others to
attend the concerts and many cultural events that
are held in the square.
by renowned architect
Hans Poelzig is another
interesting example of
Modernist architecture.