Bydgoszcz is one of the largest cities in northern Poland, situated on the Brda River. Because of its location and appearance, it is called "Bromberg Venice" or "Polish Amsterdam". I have always thought to myself that living in a city with a river running through it has a special charm, and Bydgoszcz only confirms my assertion, as you will see in the following post. It really is a wonderful city with something for all lovers of history, art, architecture, cuisine, music, sport, etc. You simply have to walk around and enjoy it.
As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I spent three weeks in Poland in 2018, which I remember very fondly. I stayed in a hotel not far from the Old Town.
I began my journey of urban exploration at the Old Market Square, which is one of the main tourist attractions in the city. When you stand in the middle of the Old Market Square and look around, you don't even know what to look at first, because everything is simply fascinating, and it's hard to focus your attention on just one thing. The square is surrounded by beautiful buildings where you will find many restaurants, cafes, shops, and much more. The Old Market Square is considered to be of historical and architectural value, as most of the buildings were built in the Baroque and Renaissance styles. I guess they are regularly maintained and restored, because they look as if they were built yesterday, even though they have been standing here since the 16th century. In addition, their facades are painted in vibrant colours, which contribute to the picturesque appearance of the whole square. The lively mood of the square is accentuated by the lively young people who study in the city, as Bydgoszcz is also a university town.
A bridge that crosses the Brda River is located a short distance from the square. In the middle of this bridge, you can see a statue called Man Crossing the River. To find it, you will have to look just above the river.
Man Crossing the River is placed above the river, on the steel rope that connects the two river banks. The statue depicts a man crossing the river on a balance rope. It looks so realistic that you really think a man is catching his balance with the help of a pole, and it seems he will fall in the river at the first blow of the wind. Fortunately, this is not the case, as it is an optical illusion achieved by the artist's thoughtful construction of the sculpture.
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I have read that the statue symbolizes man's striving, courage, and perseverance in overcoming obstacles and finding balance in life. Another interpretation is that it symbolizes a bridge between the past and the future, and between the cultural heritage of the city and contemporary art. In my opinion, it can all go together 😊 But the fact is that this beautiful statue over the river is an ideal location for taking photos of the surrounding area and, of course, of the statue itself. When I took the photo, a boat just came down the river, and now it looks like the statue is standing on the boat.
A few minutes walk from Old Market Square you can find the Church of the Holy Trinity, built in the second half of the 18th century. I have not been inside it, but I have read that it has a very beautiful and large organ. For this reason, concerts are also organized here. Not to be confused, I’m talking about classical music concerts, metal concerts are out 🎵😊
I continued my exploration of the city towards the Cathedral of St. Martin and St. Nicholas, one of the oldest buildings in the city. It was built in the 15th century. The interior of the church is very picturesque and colourful, a feast for the eyes. You can also climb to the top of the bell tower, where you can enjoy a magnificent view of the city.
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The Basilica of St. Vincent de Paul was the next and last church on my itinerary. It is one of the largest and newest churches in the city. It was built in the second half of the 19th century. The interior of the church is really spacious and richly furnished with various artistic and sacred objects. But what fascinated me the most were the pillars that stand in front of the entrance to the church.
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One of the city bridges is called the Lover's Bridge, where couples in love hang locks to immortalize their love. It's definitely a picturesque spot to photograph this motif.
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As I was walking along the river, I saw the granary. Aligned along the river, the building in the 18th century served as a warehouse for storing grain and other agricultural products. They were built in a way to provide adequate ventilation for the grain and protect it from moisture and pests. One of the warehouses is today transformed into a museum.
In the city park, I came across the Flood Fountain. It shows scenes from the cosmic flood taken from the Bible. The Poles are a very religious people, which is also reflected in their art. The play of water and light conjures up stunning scenes.
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Not far away, there is a statue, which I overlooked at first sight because I thought it was a real person resting on a park bench. To my surprise, this was not the case 🙃. The sculpture presents the famous Polish inventor in the field of telecommunications, Professor Zygmunt Mackiewicz, sitting on a bench. You can sit down with the inventor and take a photo with him 😊
At the time of my visit, the Ster to Bydgoszcz Festival was taking place in the city. This is a water sports festival where sports and entertainment activities are organized along the river. People row boats down the river, and there is also a competition with home-made boats made out of plastic bottles. It is all about raising awareness about environmental protection. It was definitely fun, but the boats were not very safe and trustworthy 😳.
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The festival was spiced up by the abundance of stands that were set up around the city. In the evening, there were also music concerts.
The day was coming to an end, and I was getting pretty hungry. I went to one of the many restaurants and ordered a popular Polish dish called pierogi. These are a kind of baked dumpling filled with a variety of fillings such as meat, potatoes, cabbage, ham, cheese, mushrooms, etc. Together with the dumplings, they serve a variety of sauces in which you can dip the dumplings. Yummy! On top of everything, the prices were more than reasonable! To complete my day, I had a tasting of excellent Polish beers...cheers 😊
If you are on your way to Poland, I can only advise you to take the time to experience Bydgoszcz. This friendly and picturesque river town will not disappoint you. It will delight you beyond expectation, as it did with me!
Thanks for reading,
feel free to leave a comment, I will be glad to reply to.
Best regards, @miljo76
