Solny Square (Plac Solny)

Square in Wrocław

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Emil1234

Located just west of Wrocław’s Market Square (Rynek), Solny Square (Plac Solny) is a picturesque and historically rich part of the city. Originally built in 1242 during Wrocław’s reconstruction after the Mongol invasion, the square was originally a hub for the salt trade, which gave it its name—“solny” meaning “salt” in Polish. Over time, it evolved into a bustling marketplace where merchants also traded honey, fish, leather, and textiles, making it one of the city’s most important commercial centers.

In 1453, while Wrocław was under Bohemian rule, the city’s inhabitants were strongly influenced by the teachings of Jan Hus, a Czech reformer and forerunner of Protestantism. Outraged by what it considered heresy, the Vatican sent inquisitor John of Capistrano, a zealous preacher who later led a crusade at the age of 70, to suppress these religious ideas. His fiery sermons were so compelling that worshippers willingly dragged furniture and valuables from their homes to be burned in a massive bonfire on Solny Square. However, this fervor soon escalated into a brutal act of persecution, as local Jewish residents—deemed the ultimate heretics—were burned at the stake alongside the belongings of their neighbors.

A striking monument of Prussian field marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, renowned for his victories against Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig and the Battle of Waterloo, once stood proudly in Solny Square. Unveiled in 1827, the statue depicted Blücher draped in a Roman toga, symbolizing his military prowess and legacy. In his honor, the square was renamed Blücherplatz. However, as Wrocław faced heavy bombardment in 1944, the statue was removed and buried in the Botanical Garden for safekeeping. After World War II, when Wrocław became part of Poland, the buried statue was unearthed and promptly melted down, marking the end of Blücher’s physical presence in the city’s landscape.

Today, while it no longer serves as a traditional marketplace, Solny Square remains a vibrant gathering place, blending medieval charm with modern life.

One of its most distinctive features is the 24/7 flower market, which operates day and night, year-round.

Surrounding the square are beautifully preserved Baroque and Renaissance-style townhouses, many of which house cafés, restaurants, and galleries. The Old Stock Exchange (Stara Giełda), an elegant 19th-century neoclassical building, stands as one of the most prominent structures, reflecting the square’s long history of trade and commerce.

Beneath Solny Square lies a lesser-known part of its history—underground World War II-era bunkers, which were once used as air-raid shelters.

The Solny Square (Plac Solny) appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Wrocław!

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