Locate your stop

Wroclaw dwarfs map: a trail from Swidnicka Street to Tumski Bridge

Quick summary

The Wroclaw dwarfs map that works best on foot runs from Papa Dwarf on Swidnicka Street across the Market Square to Tumski Bridge.

Where to get maps

  • Paper maps at Dwarf INFO, Sukiennice 122
  • City database and planner online3
  • Tumski Bridge is a dozen minutes from the square4

Map of 46 stops

Wroclaw on foot: dwarfs, squares and islands

Select a route, then tap a marker or stop to see its note and open Google Maps.

Map of a dwarf trail through Wroclaw's Old Town from Papa Dwarf on Swidnicka Street past the Market Square, Jatki and Sand Island to Tumski Bridge
  1. Head of the Dwarf Council, on Swidnicka Street since 1 June 2001, once an Orange Alternative activist.

    Google Maps
  2. A pair forever rolling a granite ball meant for the street; made in 2005.

    Google Maps
  3. The Blind One and the Deaf One, on patrol for architectural barriers.

    Google Maps
  4. The kindness dwarf by the fountain; November 21st is his day.

    Google Maps
  5. The glutton on a huge plate; rubbing his belly is said to bring luck.

    Google Maps
  6. By the Hansel and Gretel houses, near the legendary entrance to the Dwarf City.

    Google Maps
  7. Keeps watch in Jatki, the old butchers' lane; among the first figures of 2005.

    Google Maps
  8. Behind bars in Wiezienna Street, by decision of the Dwarf Council.

    Google Maps
  9. Pole climbers peering down from the lamp posts of Salt Square.

    Google Maps
  10. Keeper of the Ossolineum's books, by the railing in the Ossolinski alley.

    Google Maps
  11. The Oder Washer, hero of the flood legend, at the water's edge by the Sand Bridge.

    Google Maps
  12. Once worked at the Maria Mill; lives near Tumski Bridge.

    Google Maps
  13. The Tumski Lamplighter, keeping the island's lights on.

    Google Maps
  14. Dwarf maps, souvenirs and gifts, right next to the Town Hall tower.

    Google Maps

© OpenStreetMap contributors, map data

Use this Wroclaw dwarfs map to walk from Papa Dwarf to the river islands, then find the official database, the paper map and the shop that sells it.

Editorial team, wroclawwalkingtour.quest · Updated November 9, 2026 · 8 mins to read

Basics

  • Densest areaThe Old Town, though figures turn up all over the city.1
  • Paper mapDwarf INFO at Sukiennice 12 sells maps of the Dwarf Kingdom.2
  • OnlineThe city's tourism portal keeps a dwarf database and a sightseeing planner.3
  • Trail endTumski Bridge, a short walk from the square.4
  • With a guideA 2.5-hour group walk from €17.

Where the dwarfs live

Start with a simple truth: the dwarfs are everywhere, but not evenly. Visit Wroclaw says they live in all parts of the city and that their numbers keep rising.1 The family route on the same portal adds that they took over the Old Town first and have lately been turning up in districts far from the center.5 For a short stay, that means the Old Town is where your hunt pays off best.

The best Wroclaw dwarfs map is the one the city keeps itself. Its tourism portal runs a dwarf database in which each figure has a name, an address and a short story, and the pins on our map use its locations wherever it gives an exact address. The database grows through a public form: anyone who helped put up a new dwarf can submit it, with a description of up to 3,000 characters and a photo.6

Our map of Wroclaw dwarfs follows a different logic from the full database. It picks the figures with the strongest stories and puts them on a line you can actually walk, from Swidnicka Street through the Market Square to the river and across to Ostrow Tumski. The other panels show the Old Town sights, the cathedral island and the history stops, so you can mix dwarf spotting with the places around them.

Who stands where

The dwarf trail at a glance

DwarfWhereLook for
Papa DwarfSwidnicka StreetHead of the Dwarf Council18
SyzyfkiSwidnicka StreetA granite ball19
Slupniki SolneSalt SquareLamp posts above you8
Slepak & GluchakRynek 1Barrier patrol20
Butcher dwarfJatkiNear the bronze animals21
Pracz OdrzanskiSand Island boulevardA cap of sand12
GazusTumski BridgeKeeper of the lights13

Locations from Visit Wroclaw's dwarf database; tap the pins on the map for each figure.7,8,20,21,13

The official map, the paper map and the app question

If you like paper, go to Dwarf INFO at Sukiennice 12, right next to the Town Hall tower.2,14 It sells maps of the Dwarf Kingdom along with souvenirs and gifts, and it is the obvious first stop for a family. The city's main information desk is at Rynek 14, open from Monday to Saturday with hours of 09:00-19:00.15,16 Ask there for the printed dwarf monthly too, which the city hands out while copies last.15

People often search for a Wroclaw dwarfs app. The official tool we found is the city's own tourism portal: besides the dwarf database, it lets you add attractions to a personal sightseeing plan and keep them in order.3 The family route on the same portal points visitors to a special map that covers both the celebrity dwarfs, such as Zyczliwek, Papa Krasnal and the Syzyfki, and the shy ones tucked into corners.17

A practical tip: decide before you set out whether you want a long list or a good walk. A complete list of every figure is huge and scattered across the whole city, so trying to tick every figure turns a pleasant stroll into an errand. Choose a district, follow a line, and let the surprises happen. You will spot plenty of dwarfs that are on no list you carry, which is half the fun of the game.

The trail, stop by stop

From Papa Dwarf to Tumski Bridge

  1. Swidnicka Street

    Papa Dwarf

    On Swidnicka Street since 1 June 2001.7

  2. Salt Square

    Pole climbers

    Slupniki Solne on the lamp posts.8

  3. Market Square

    Kindness and luck

    Zyczliwek by the fountain, Obiezysmak on his plate.9,10

  4. Hansel and Gretel

    WrocLovek

    By the houses and the legendary entrance.11

  5. Sand Island

    The Oder Washer

    On the boulevard, hero of the flood legend.12

  6. Tumski Bridge

    Gazus

    Keeper of the island's lights.13

A dwarf trail through the Old Town

Begin on Swidnicka Street with Papa Dwarf, who appeared there on 1 June 2001.7 Walk north toward the square and look for the Syzyfki, the pair forever pushing a granite ball, which the designer dates to 2005.22 Before you reach the Town Hall, turn left to Salt Square and look up: the Slupniki Solne peer down at passers-by from the lamp posts there.8 Then cross to Rynek 1, home of a blind dwarf and a deaf dwarf who look out for barriers.20

On the square itself, Zyczliwek waits near the fountain, and Obiezysmak sprawls on an enormous plate, his belly polished by visitors hoping for luck.9,10 At the north-west corner, WrocLovek stands by the Hansel and Gretel houses, close to what the legend calls the main entrance to the Dwarf City.11 A few steps on, the Butcher dwarf keeps watch in Jatki, the old butchers' lane, and the Prisoner sits behind bars in Wiezienna Street.21,24

From there head north-east toward the river. Ossolinek, who guards the books of the Ossolineum, perches on a railing near the library.25 On the boulevard along Sand Island, the Oder Washer, Pracz Odrzanski, is the hero of the flood legend.12 The Tumski Miller lives near Tumski Bridge, and on the bridge itself Gazus keeps the old quarter lit.26,13 That is your finish line, with Ostrow Tumski just across the water.

Pick your approach

Which dwarf hunt fits your day?

Pick the plan that fits your hours and your companions.

  • If I have under an hour

    Do Swidnicka Street and the square

    Papa Dwarf and the Syzyfki stand close to the Market Square.7,22

  • If I want every famous one

    Follow our trail to Tumski Bridge

    The city puts the bridge a dozen minutes from the square.4

  • If I want a printed map

    Visit Dwarf INFO first

    It sells maps of the Dwarf Kingdom by the Town Hall tower.2,14

  • If I come with small children

    Time it for the festival

    The September search is for ages 5-10.23

  • If I would rather ride

    Take the dwarfs e-car

    A 1-hour tour from the Tourist Information Center.

Three ways in

How to find the dwarfs

Free, online

City database

Visit Wroclaw portal

  • CoversEvery registered dwarf
  • ExtraSightseeing planner3
  • Best forPlanners
Start the walk

Printed

Paper map

Dwarf INFO, Sukiennice 12

  • WhereNext to the Town Hall tower14
  • AlsoSouvenirs and gifts2
  • Best forFamilies
Start the walk

With a guide

Guided walk

Old Town and Ostrow Tumski

  • Length2.5 hours
  • MeetsFredro monument
  • GuideEnglish
Start the walk

Look up, look down, look at the water

The most common mistake is to look only at the pavement. Several dwarfs live above eye level: the Slupniki on Salt Square climb lamp posts, and a few more of these pole climbers sit along Swidnicka Street.8,77 Others hide in doorways, on ledges, under benches or behind railings, and a few stand so low that crowds hide them. Slow down at every corner, glance at pillars and ledges, and you will find far more than a map shows.

Water is the other hiding place. The designer's own site describes the Washer by the Sand Bridge, on the Ostrow side, as a figure that keeps appearing and vanishing beneath the surface of the river, and notes that a pile of laundry was added after 11 years.29 On a high-water day you may only see his cap. His boulevard follows the edge of Sand Island all the way to Tumski Bridge, so he fits neatly into the end of the trail.52

Light matters too. Midday sun flattens the bronze, while early morning and late afternoon bring out the faces. If you reach Tumski Bridge around dusk, you may also meet the human lamplighter who lights the gas lanterns of Ostrow Tumski by hand at sunset, the real-life counterpart of Gazus the dwarf.76 Our Ostrow Tumski page explains where and when to catch him.

Price a guided hunt

What a guided dwarf outing costs

Select a tour, then the size of your party.

Compare 3 alternatives

What a guided dwarf outing costs

Select a tour, then the size of your party.

2 people
  1. Old Town walk2.5 hours · for one person from €15

    ≈

    View
  2. Dwarfs e-car1 hour · for one person from €11

    ≈

    View
  3. Segway tour3.5 hours · for one person from €74

    ≈

    View

These from-prices come from GetYourGuide and are converted using the ECB reference rate; the exact price shows at checkout.

Hunting with children

Children are the natural experts here, closer to the ground and quicker to spot a bronze hat. Give them the map, let them choose the next dwarf and count the finds; the walk takes care of itself. If you can, come in September for the Wroclaw Dwarf Festival, which Visit Wroclaw calls the largest family event in the city.78 Its joint dwarf search around the Market Square, for children aged 5-10 with their guardians, starts at the Fredro statue.23

Between festivals, the city keeps children busy with stories. Its podcast of Dwarf Tales has 8 episodes, including the story of why Zyczliwek set out on a dangerous journey.79 The legends on the portal give you material for the walk: the goblin who came down the Oder on a small raft, or the hidden entrance to the dwarfs' underground world, which is said to be an inconspicuous mouse hole that nobody can find.80,81 Ask your children to look for it.

Plan breaks. The Market Square has plenty of benches and cafes, and the boulevards along Sand Island are quieter for a snack by the water. The cobbles are uneven in places, so a sturdy buggy or a sling helps on a long walk. Keep an eye on the river side of the boulevards with small children, and remember that the busiest stretch of the square fills up in the afternoon, when spotting low figures gets harder.

Video

Gnome hunting in Wroclaw, the city of dwarfs

TheSlowTraveler on YouTube · Playback files load only once you tap play.

Use the special map, thanks to which you will get to know not only the dwarf celebrities, such as Życzliwek, Papa Krasnal or Syzyfki, but you will also find the more shy ones
Visit Wroclaw, the City of Wroclaw tourism portal17

Pack for the hunt

Dwarf map checklist

Before you start3

  • Buy a paper map at Dwarf INFO, Sukiennice 122
  • The information desk lists hours for Monday to Saturday only16
  • Save the dwarf database on your phone3

On the trail4

  • Check lamp posts on Salt Square8
  • Watch the river by the Sand Bridge for the Washer29
  • Finish at Tumski Bridge around sunset76
  • Let children lead the way

Souvenirs, figurines and ordering your own dwarf

Dwarf INFO next to the Town Hall tower is the place for dwarf souvenirs, gifts and maps.2,14 For something closer to a real figure, check the windows of the Lower Silesian Tourist Center, 44 Swidnicka St, where the artist Monika Pola displays dwarfs she designs herself.82 People also search for Wroclaw dwarfs for sale: the bronze figures on the street are not for sale, but the city's portal publishes a list of studios that make them to order.

Commissioning a dwarf is a real craft job. The city lists sculptors and studios, including Marta Mirynowska and Piotr Makala, who handle everything from design and casting to installation.83 The workshop article says some dwarfs have been made in 2 weeks, but it is usually best to allow about 1-2 months for a finished bronze figure.84 If you want it on a street in Wroclaw, you need the landowner's consent but no arrangement with the city.85

A small resin or bronze souvenir travels better, of course, and fits in hand luggage with room to spare. Whatever you take home, the figure that matters most is the one in your photo, standing in the spot it was made for. The city encourages that sense of ownership: its database invites anyone who helped put up a new dwarf to add it, so the map keeps growing with each new resident.6

How long a dwarf hunt takes

There is no official time for a dwarf hunt, because there is no single fixed route through the city. What the city does give is distance: by its reckoning, the walk from the Market Square to Tumski Bridge, the end of our trail, takes about a dozen minutes.4 Add the stretch from Papa Dwarf on Swidnicka Street, stops for photos and a detour to Salt Square, and the walk grows to suit the time you have.

Prefer to let a local plan the route? Guided options exist for every budget and pace. Our group walk gathers at the Fredro monument and spends 2.5 hours between the Old Town and the cathedral island, in English. An electric car tour built around the dwarfs runs for 1 hour from the Tourist Information Center, from €12. A Segway option needs 3.5 hours and keeps groups to 9 riders at most.

Whatever you choose, end on the island. Ostrow Tumski is the oldest part of the city, and its cathedral, gas lamps and quiet lanes make a calm finish after the bustle of the square.86 Cross Tumski Bridge, look for Gazus on the railing, then keep walking toward the cathedral. Our Ostrow Tumski guide carries on from there, and the famous dwarfs page fills in the backstories of the figures you just passed.

FAQ

The short answers to your questions.

Is there an official map of the Wroclaw dwarfs?
Yes, online and on paper.

The city's tourism portal keeps a dwarf database, and Dwarf INFO at Sukiennice 12 sells maps of the Dwarf Kingdom.3,2

Where do I buy a paper dwarf map?
At Dwarf INFO, by the Town Hall tower.

It sells dwarf maps, souvenirs and gifts.2,14

Where is the Tourist Information Center?
On the Market Square.

Find it at Rynek 14; it is open Monday to Saturday.15,16

Where should a dwarf hunt start?
With Papa Dwarf on Swidnicka Street.

He has stood there since 1 June 2001, on the street of the Orange Alternative's happenings.7,87

Can I add a dwarf to the official database?
Yes, through the portal's form.

You send a name, location, photo and a description of up to 3,000 characters.6

Can I buy a real bronze dwarf?
Only by commissioning one.

Studios on the city's list make them to order, usually in about 1-2 months.84

Is there a dwarf search for children?
Yes, at the September festival.

It is for ages 5-10 and starts at the Fredro statue.23

Sources

  1. Visit Wroclaw, the City of Wroclaw tourism portal · How many dwarves are there in Wroclaw? ↩
  2. Visit Wroclaw, the City of Wroclaw tourism portal · Attractions database: Dwarf Information, Dwarf INFO ↩
  3. Visit Wroclaw, the City of Wroclaw tourism portal · Your plan ↩
  4. Visit Wroclaw, the City of Wroclaw tourism portal · Attractions database: Tumski Bridge ↩
  5. Visit Wroclaw, the City of Wroclaw tourism portal · Family adventure ↩
  6. Visit Wroclaw, the City of Wroclaw tourism portal · Add a new dwarf to the map ↩
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  9. Visit Wroclaw, the City of Wroclaw tourism portal · Wroclaw dwarfs database: Zyczliwek (Kind-One) ↩
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