Market Square in Wrocław

Laid out in the 13th century on a flat rise above the Oder, beside a trade route running across Europe from east to west, this square measures roughly 204 by 170 metres. Wrocław's Market Square covers 3.64 hectares, making it one of the largest old-town squares in Europe, and at its heart stands a block of houses with the Gothic Town Hall. Beneath the Town Hall is the Piwnica Świdnicka, a cellar tavern first mentioned as early as 1303.

History: from market stalls to the city's living room

Duke Henry the Bearded granted the town its charter, square included, around 1232, and its final privileges followed in 1261. The plots around the square were originally divided into 36 equal burgher lots, which were split and merged over the centuries until 60 properties took shape. The centre of the square was filled with a cloth hall, stalls selling iron and spices, bakers' stands and the city weighhouses. The cloth hall was pulled down in 1821–1824 and replaced with Neoclassical houses, and in 1860–1863 the New Town Hall by August Stüler went up next to the old one. The mayor of Wrocław still has an office there.

The Town Hall and the Piwnica Świdnicka

Construction of the Town Hall is first recorded in 1299 and 1301. The tower was raised in 1354 and received its present spire in 1559. In the 19th century the architect Karl Lüdecke restored the Gothic interiors, and in 1890–1891 twelve statues were placed on the south facade. Today the building houses the Museum of Bourgeois Art, a branch of the Wrocław City Museum.

The Piwnica Świdnicka (Schweidnitz Cellar) in the southern part of the Town Hall is one of the oldest restaurants still operating in Europe. Barley beer was sold here from 1332, and from 1519 barrels were rolled through an underground tunnel from a brewery behind the "Golden Jug" house on the other side of the square.

What to see

• The pillory in front of the Town Hall's east facade, a 10-metre sandstone column from 1492. It was taken down in 1947 after wartime damage and rebuilt in the 1980s using conservation records from 1925.
• The Aleksander Fredro monument, made in 1897, which stood in Lviv until 1946. It travelled via Warsaw to Wrocław and was unveiled here on 15 July 1956. Fredro was a celebrated Polish comic playwright, and his statue has been the locals' favourite meeting point ever since.
• The west side, known as the Seven Electors' Side, suffered least in 1945. The "Seven Electors" house (no. 8) dates back to the first half of the 13th century, and its facade recalls the painted portraits of Emperor Leopold and the electors. Next door stands the Mannerist "Griffins" house (no. 2).
• The tiny houses known as Jaś i Małgosia (Hansel and Gretel) in the north-west corner, joined by an arched gateway leading to St Elizabeth's Church.

Destruction and rebuilding

In 1945 more than 60% of the buildings around the square were destroyed and only 17 survived. The decision to rebuild was taken in 1953, though some houses came back earlier: nos. 36/37 on the east side were the first, rebuilt in 1950. The last house reconstructed from scratch, the "Golden Dog", was not completed until 1992–1994. When the paving was renewed in 1995, the foundations of the Great Weighhouse and of the medieval cloth hall and stalls came to light.

Tripto tip

Allow about an hour for the square and a walk around the central block, or around two hours if you visit the Town Hall museum. Start on the west side, then head to Plac Solny (Salt Square) in the south-west corner. Mornings on weekdays are quietest; in the evening the square fills with restaurant terraces. The streets around the square are also a good place to hunt for Wrocław's dwarfs, small bronze figures hidden along pavements and window sills. Ostrów Tumski with the cathedral is a short walk away. Check the museum's current opening hours on the Wrocław City Museum website before you go.

Christmas market 2026

Wrocław's Christmas market runs from 20 November 2026 to 7 January 2027 and fills all four sides of the Market Square as well as Świdnicka and Oławska streets and Plac Solny. It is open daily from 10 am to 9 pm; it is closed on 24 and 25 December and 1 January and opens at 1 pm on 26 December. On New Year's Eve the gift stalls close at 5 pm while food and drink stalls stay open until 2 am. More in our guide Wrocław Christmas market 2026.