The Magic of Polish Cities
What if you could feel a gentle breeze in your hair, gazing out across the picturesque panorama of rooftops, church towers, town halls and mysterious streets? Poland’s cities, both big and small, have plenty of these viewpoints, offering an idyllic introduction to the city below. Considering many of Poland’s cities are enshrined in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list, including the old towns of Warsaw, Kraków, Zamość and Toruń, what better way to check them out than from than the skies?
Or maybe try to look at the architecture of Polish cities from a slightly different point of view, say, the water? For instance, in Warsaw, Kraków, Toruń, Wrocław or Gdańsk, you can admire them from a tranquil river cruise. Rivers dissect many of Poland’s cities, creating an amazing urban atmosphere where bustling boulevards, beautiful beaches and pleasant promenades line the banks. Panoramic snapshots of city skylines taken from overhanging bridges can act as a wonderful souvenir from your trip.
You will find a special and unique atmosphere in each district of Poland’s cities. Due to their individual history and cultural heritage, unique architecture and independent values, lesser-trodden areas are becoming increasingly popular places to visit among locals and visitors. Each area features tasty cuisine in restaurants, a wide selection of local favourites from street food stands, food-trucks and fresh food stalls and quirky breakfast markets or food fairs offering local delicacies. Whether it’s soaking in the nightlife of edgy clubs and hidden pubs, exploring mysterious side streets, or seeking out architectural gems, there are endless delights to be found throughout unsung areas of Poland’s cities. You will particularly love Warsaw’s Praga, Kraków’s Kazimierz and Katowice’s Nikiszowiec.
Polish cities are full of magic and a unique atmosphere, offering attractions that appeal to every kind of person! Sleep well and comfortably, eat tasty and varied meals, enjoy some retail therapy, and take advantage of the culture and entertainment on offer. Visit museums, relax in parks, get to know people and their habits. Enjoy all of this at your fingertips. Poland’s cities have an incredibly extensive tourist infrastructure, with a large selection of diverse accommodation facilities, making them the perfect base for exploration.
With such a large variety of urban offerings, you might need a guide to make sure you don’t miss a thing. Tytus Brzozowski is an artist and architect known across the world for his watercolours and drawings that tell extraordinary stories about magical cities and fantastic events. You will find pianos floating in the clouds, levitating tenement houses or trams bursting directly through buildings. Dice are hidden among the roofs and chimneys, and people walk between houses or fly, lifted by colourful balloons. In the paintings, one can find lovingly rendered existing buildings or those that were here years ago! All his works are packed full of interest and intrigue, colours and details that are worth seeking out in the cities they depict. Walking in the footsteps of inspiration is the perfect motivation for exploring Poland’s cities and can help you see them through a whole new lens.
Specifically, the lens of Brzozowski, who provides a dream-like portrayal of 13 Polish cities he has visited and documented, capturing the very essence of their character. Let these colourful, charming paintings be an inspiration and a guide to your city breaks in Poland!
Warsaw is the main inspiration for Tytus Brzozowski, who painted its many faces. Graphics allow you to rediscover the capital city and get to know its secrets. The Warsaw depicted in the paintings of Tytus Brzozowski is ambiguous and full of. And just like in reality, Brzozowski’s watercolours of Poland’s largest city depict a wonderfully varied landscape: from green villa districts, through the cobbled and narrow streets of the old town, to towering modern glass skyscrapers. You can visit Warsaw many times, but there is always something new to discover!
As is the case for many who visit the ancient royal city, Kraków is one of the artist's most beloved cities. Tytus Brzozowski's watercolour is a collage of Kraków’s characteristic tourist buildings. You’ll soon discover the Old Town with the Cloth Hall, the Town Hall Tower, and the Church of St. Wojciech, while in the distance you’ll spot the misty Wawel Hill. There are buildings from Kraków's Kazimierz and Podgórze, places that must not be missed when visiting the city. You can also see the characteristic blue trams and the Dragon - the most famous of Kraków's inhabitants.
Wrocław is a city that demands attention! It doesn’t take long to understand why Wrocław is listed as one of the most beautiful in Poland. Spend time hunting the city’s famous dwarf statues - their sculptures are in every corner and, of course, in the painting by Tytus Brzozowski! The watercolour shows, among other things, over 100 iconic islands that are connected by bridges along the Oder River.
Katowice is another city where the traces of the past integrate seamlessly with present day. Tytus Brzozowski's painting is one of the most magical in the series and clearly shows how Katowice’s historical architecture harmonizes with its modern aspirations. The artist presents former Katowice with its mining history, but also elegant tenement houses, Mariacka Street and neo-Gothic churches. Above, however, there is a green meadow with hints of modern architecture. We can easily find there not only the famous Spodek but also other buildings, including the Silesian Museum.
Łódź is a city with an extraordinary history - filled to the brim with traces of its industrial workers, but also full of the dreams of its creators and first inhabitants. This is the Promised Land where anything could happen and Brzozowski's graphics reflect this magic - spectacular tenement houses levitate above characteristic factories and churches. While in Łódź, one must see the palace of Izrael Poznański depicted in the picture, not forgetting, of course, Piotrkowska Street.
Poznań with its flying tenement houses, was also included in the magical watercolours by Tytus Brzozowski. Instead of standing beside the Town Hall, the famous builders’ houses soar above other buildings and people lifted by balloons.Iconic churches stand out among the many characteristic buildings, including the oldest Polish cathedral. When visiting Poznań, you can go back to the beginnings of Polish history, but you will not end up getting to know the Middle Ages ...
When coming to Gdańsk, Gdynia or Sopot, it is worth discovering the wealth of each of the cities that make up the Tri-City. Despite being part of a collective, each city has retained its own identity. In the painting by Tytus Brzozowski, they form a coherent whole in a collage of historical and contemporary buildings. At first glance, you can spot the famous pier and Monciak in Sopot, as well as the shipyard fragments of Gdańsk accompanied by a stadium called "amber". The perspective is complemented by many famous buildings and monuments, including St. Mary's Basilica, the Museum of the Second World War, Granary Island and many others. There is a lot to see in the Tri-City!
In Szczecin, the mighty Wały Chrobrego is the central element of Tytus Brzozowski's work. It is one of the port city’s top attractions, offering an interesting urban layout and scenic walking routes. The painting is accompanied by other characteristic buildings, including the philharmonic hall, which has won numerous architectural awards, and the tower of the Pomeranian Dukes' Castle. The port character of the city is illustrated by historic ‘cranes’, as well as the Szczecin regatta.
Zamość, surrounded by the green hills of Roztocze, is a Renaissance “ideal city”. Built on the model of the Italian Padua, it is a pearl of architecture and urban planning on a global scale. In the painting by Tytus Brzozowski, colourful houses are hidden behind the huge walls of the Renaissance fortress, along with the famous town hall and churches, which are even more beautiful!
Lublin is a city with a magical touch, thanks in part to Carnaval Sztukmistrzów, which takes place here every summer. Visit once the festivals and fairs have finished and you’ll find a city less bustling but no less inspiring. In his work, Tytus Brzozowski supplemented the present city panorama with characteristic gate towers and parish church that were dismantled in the 19th century. The city of inspiration offers visitors some fascinating history as told by its museums, monuments, traditional flavours and legends hidden in the streets, alleys and walls of tenement houses ...
Toruń is a city of huge gothic buildings made of red brick. The city of Copernicus is also a perfect city for historic walks - in the medieval city complex of Toruń, you’ll find a magnificent town hall, numerous churches and the house of Copernicus, where he was born. Brzozowski’s painting also features an object that no longer exists - the old wooden bridge over the Vistula, which was built in 1500 and was only the second bridge to cross the river.
Bydgoszcz is a unique city, offering a connection between Amsterdam and Venice. The orderly architecture of Bydgoszcz is distinguished primarily by beautiful tenement houses, but it also amazes with a wealth of Art Nouveau, eclectic and neo-baroque buildings and friendly green areas. In the painting by Tytus Brzozowski, however, it is primarily depicted as a city by the river, because the Brda River is the greatest treasure of Bydgoszcz.
Picture perfect Przemyśl is a beautiful city whose panorama seems ready made for a painting or photograph! Tytus Brzozowski clearly agreed with this statement - the characteristic view is enriched by a series of soaring towers. In the distance you can see a walking bear - the symbol of the city that also features in the coat of arms. You’ll spot him many times here - on the fountain or the tower of the Museum of Bells and Pipes.
