Wrocław's townhouses have stories written on their façades.
One compact walk, six real addresses and a reason to look above the shopfronts. Choose your route around Rynek, Wrocław's Market Square.
The Market Square is more than a pretty backdrop.
A medieval plot can carry a Baroque façade; a house that looks centuries old may have been rebuilt in the 1990s. Around Wrocław's Rynek, those layers of history sit only a few steps apart.
This walk takes you from the former cemetery gate beside St Elizabeth's Church to the Golden Dog on the square. At each stop, look for one specific detail. Everything on the route can be seen from public space.
How much time have you got?
The times are estimates for walking and looking. Crowds, photos and your pace will make a difference.
The full story
Follow six addresses from medieval traces to a late-20th-century reconstruction.
- Jaś and Małgosia (Hansel and Gretel)beside St Elizabeth's Church
- House of the Griffins (Pod Gryfami)Rynek 2
- House of the Golden Sun (Pod Złotym Słońcem)Rynek 6
- House of the Blue Sun (Pod Błękitnym Słońcem)Rynek 7
- House of the Seven Electors (Pod Siedmioma Elektorami)Rynek 8
- House of the Golden Dog (Pod Złotym Psem)Rynek 41
Six stops. Six ways to see the square.
The names on the signs are Polish; the explanations below give you the context. Dates and claims are checked against the sources collected at the end.
01 / THE GATEJaś and Małgosia (Hansel and Gretel)
These two small buildings are remnants of houses used by altar priests at St Elizabeth's Church. The arch between them once led into a cemetery that no longer exists. Their fairytale names date from after the Second World War.
Look for: the Latin words Mors Ianua Vitae on the arch: 'Death is the gate of life'.
Why is this easy to miss?
Today's lively square gives little hint that there was once a burial ground beside the church. The arch preserves that older use of the space.
02 / CREATURESHouse of the Griffins (Pod Gryfami)
The house took on its Mannerist appearance in a rebuilding campaign of 1587–1589. Pairs of heraldic animals climb its stepped gable: look for griffins, lions and eagles.
Look for: the creatures high above street level. Step back so you can see the whole gable.
Is the whole building from the 1580s?
No. The National Heritage Institute records earlier fabric, including cellars and a vaulted ground-floor room.
03 / BAROQUEHouse of the Golden Sun (Pod Złotym Słońcem)
Its Baroque façade conceals much older parts of the house. Today Rynek 6 is home to the Pan Tadeusz Museum, making this an optional indoor stop if you want to extend the walk.
Look for: the central entrance with its balcony and the pilasters that span two storeys.
Can I go inside?
The museum has public exhibitions, but opening hours and ticket rules change. Check the museum's own website before planning a visit; the outdoor walk needs no ticket.
04 / HOUSE SIGNHouse of the Blue Sun (Pod Błękitnym Słońcem)
Right next to the Golden Sun is the Blue Sun. The pairing makes a good reminder that house signs helped identify properties before numbered addresses became the norm.
Look for: the name at the entrance to the passage, then compare this frontage with its neighbour at Rynek 6.
Where exactly is it?
The passage called Pasaż Pod Błękitnym Słońcem is at Rynek 7. Keep the Polish name in mind when checking signs on site.
05 / PAINTINGSHouse of the Seven Electors (Pod Siedmioma Elektorami)
The façade depicts Emperor Leopold I and seven electors. What you see today is largely reconstructed polychromy, while the house itself has much older, medieval beginnings.
Look for: the painted figures between the windows and the eagle above the portal.
Are the paintings original?
The National Heritage Institute describes most of the visible polychromy as reconstructed. The age of the house and the age of the surface are different things.
06 / REBUILDINGHouse of the Golden Dog (Pod Złotym Psem)
It looks old, but after wartime destruction the house was rebuilt only in 1993–1994, on historic cellars. Its dog sign recalls the days when a picture could identify a house.
Look for: the dog above the entrance. The original figure survives in the City Museum's collection.
And the story of the loyal dog?
The city's account presents that tale as a legend. The rebuilding dates and the fate of the original figure are documented separately.
How do you 'read' a townhouse?
Start at the roofline.
At Rynek 2, much of the story is on the stepped gable, well above the busy ground floor.
Find the house sign.
A dog, sun or griffin was a recognisable marker before a street number told you where you were.
Look for layers.
An old plot does not mean an untouched façade. Rebuilding is part of Wrocław's architectural history.
Want to see a different side of the city?
The Market Square shows Wrocław at its most ceremonial. In Nadodrze, look instead at longer runs of 19th- and early-20th-century residential buildings, entrance gates and stairwell details.
Many are still people's homes. Enjoy the exteriors from the street; enter courtyards or stairwells only when access is public or residents have given permission.
Practical questions
Is the walk free?
Yes. All the clues are visible from public space. A visit to the museum at Rynek 6 is optional and follows the museum's current admission rules.
Can I enter every building?
No. Some are homes or businesses. You do not need to enter any townhouse to complete the route.
Are these medieval houses?
There is no single answer. Some plots or surviving structures are medieval, but the façades changed in later periods and some were reconstructed.
Where should I start?
We suggest Jaś and Małgosia beside St Elizabeth's Church. Every card has an address, so you can also begin wherever you happen to be.
Sources behind the stories
The historical details come from Poland's National Heritage Institute, Wrocław city materials and the Pan Tadeusz Museum. Checked on 28 September 2026. For current hours and tickets, follow the institution's own site.
- National Heritage Institute: House of the Griffins, Rynek 2
- National Heritage Institute: Rynek 6
- National Heritage Institute: Rynek 8
- City of Wrocław: the Małgosia townhouse
- City of Wrocław: House of the Golden Dog
- City of Wrocław: the Market Square
- Pan Tadeusz Museum: about the museum
