Mosaic Steps in Pyzdry

In Pyzdry, an ordinary flight of town steps leads from the hill with the former Franciscan friary down to the marina on the Warta – except that the risers are covered in a colourful mosaic made of more than 50,000 pieces. Around 50 steps on Nadrzeczna Street form one of the largest mosaics in Greater Poland and the most pleasant way from the historic centre to the river. It is best viewed from the bottom, where the individual strips merge into a single picture.

How the steps came about

The mosaic was made in 2018 as part of the municipality's upgrade of the riverside escarpment, together with the purchase of floating jetties for the marina. First a local builder repaired the steps and fitted new copings on the side walls. The original plan was a ceramic mosaic, but glass tiles were chosen in the end for their stronger colours. They were laid by a team of artists led by Dominik Dziedzina of Poznań, and fired, glazed clay reliefs by Michał Czerniak were set into the mosaic. It was unveiled during the town's Midsummer Night festivities in 2018.

What you will see on the way

The top of the steps marks the start of the friary hill: the former Franciscan friary and church, whose buildings house the Pyzdry Land Museum. At the end of 2018 a viewing terrace of fieldstone with a wooden railing was built on the escarpment, with lighting that picks out the Gothic wall. From above you look down on Nadrzeczna Street and a few small houses with restored façades. At the bottom are the marina and the Warta riverside, and a little further on a mural showing past life on the river.

Tripto tip

This is an ordinary public footpath, open around the clock and free. The steps themselves take 10–15 minutes, but they work best as part of a walk: market square – friary and museum – viewing terrace – mosaic steps – marina and riverside mural. Walk to the bottom, turn round and only then take in the whole mosaic; up close, look for the clay reliefs set between the glass tiles. After rain and in winter the steps can be slippery, and with a pushchair or limited mobility the streets are a better way down.