Upon arriving in Wrocław, we first visited Panorama Racławicka, a museum with a single exhibit--a 360-degree painting of the Battle of Racławice which took place on 4 April 1794.  The battle was the start of a Polish uprising led by Tadeusz Kościuszko against the Russian Empire.  While the uprising was ultimately crushed (leading to the Third Partition of Poland and the cessation of Polish sovereignty for 123 years), the Polish victory at Racławice remains a symbol of national pride and was commemorated in the panoramic painting which was completed by a team of Polish painters in 1894.

Our admission ticket to Panorama Racławicka allowed us free admission to a number of other museums in Wrocław, and we next visited the nearby National Museum which contains a large and varied collection of Polish artwork.

After our visit to the museum, we checked into our accommodation at the Centrum Hostel to have a rest before heading out again in the evening to tour Old Town.  While Old Town is admittedly touristy with an abundance of shops and restaurants, it is nevertheless a great place to wander for a few hours and admire some of the historic architecture.  We also delighted in discovering a few of the many little dwarf figurines which can be found throughout the city.  These figurines were initially created in 2005 as part of a social statement against communism, but as more and more of them appeared over the years, they have evolved into one of Wrocław's most popular tourist attractions.  When we finally had our fill of dwarfs and walking around Old Town, we returned to our hostel and retired for the night.

	Sonny listens to a recorded English tour presentation at Panorama Racławicka.  Behind him is a section of the painting depicting the Battle of Racławice. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia stands outside Panorama Racławicka.
	Across the Oder River is Ostrów Tumski, the oldest part of Wrocław.
	Zosia fills in for an absent saint along this wall in the National Museum in Wrocław.
	The skier in the painting is uncannily dressed just like Zosia. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Sonny relaxes in his room at the hostel. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Sonny tries to imitate the Fight and Victory Fountain on Ruska Street. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia finds her namesake dwarf, Zoska, in front of Coctail Bar Max & Dom Whisky. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	These statues located in Jatki Street are a memorial to slaughtered animals.  In the past, this was the location of the town's abattoir.  Note the rooster at upper left. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia stands in front of the Wrocław Town Hall.
	Sonny rubs Breslau Bear's tongue outside the Town Hall for good luck.  Prior to the end of World War 2, Wrocław was known as Breslau and belonged to Germany. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

The next morning, 4 January 2018, Zosia and I checked out of our hostel and walked briefly through Old Town again before heading to Ostrów Tumski, the oldest part of Wrocław.  Formerly an island in the branches of the Oder River, Ostrów Tumski is predominantly occupied by cathedrals and other theological buildings.

Zosia and I were originally scheduled to leave Wrocław on a late afternoon bus, but having visited all the places we wanted to see by noon, we decided to go to the bus depot to see if we could get our tickets changed to an earlier departure.  Unfortunately, the bus company would not allow for ticket changes on the spot even though the earlier bus had plenty of empty seats.  We were told that we had to make the changes online, and we likely would have had to pay extra.

Abandoning our attempt to change our bus tickets, we ended up with about four hours to kill.  Rather than waste that time wandering the shopping mall which stood above the bus depot, we walked about 4 kilometres northeast to the Four Domes Pavilion museum.  This was another museum that we could get into using our admission tickets from Panorama Racławicka.  Despite the long walk to get there, I found the Four Domes Pavilion to be the most interesting of the three museums we visited in Wrocław.  The contemporary art displayed there is probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I quite enjoyed the many thought-provoking exhibits.  Even the museum building itself is quite intriguing with its austere white walls and open spaces.

By the end of our visit to Four Domes Pavilion, we were starting to feel a little weary, but we managed to hike another 4 kilometres back to the bus depot for our scheduled departure to the next city on our itinerary--Kraków.

	Sonny steps outside of the Centrum Hostel in the morning. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Old Town reveals its colours in daytime. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Sonny hangs out in front of a bakery in Market Square. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	The Town Hall looks just as impressive in daylight.
	Strange figures populate the boulevard near Piaskowy bridge. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	This giant bishop stands outside the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the Sand.  The inscription below reads "We forgive and ask for forgiveness" in both Polish and German. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Sonny walks toward a portrait of St. Elizabeth on an overpass in Ostrów Tumski. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia tries to hitch a ride on a dwarf bus. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	The Grunwald Bridge's mix of steel and granite gives it a distinctive look. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Sonny walks along a scenic pathway near the Wrocław University of Science and Technology. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	This steeple in front of Centennial Hall is nearly 100 metres high. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	This is the ceiling of one of the domes at Four Domes Pavilion museum.
	Zosia falls in with a crowd of headless figures made of burlap.

This is one of the larger paintings on display at Four Domes Pavilion.

 

Zosia finds a friend with a similar smile.