The Strange Republic

My trip to Vilnius took place during the winter break, after my plans to go to Prague and Vienna were spoiled by a cold I managed to catch in Krakow. After returning to Elblag, and spending a few days recovering, I attempted to salvage what remained of the break by traveling to Lithuania's capital by bus to explore for a few days. Vilnius is an interesting place which, while full of stark remnants of its communist past, is also filled with amusing surprises. 

Gediminas Tower

The Old Town

And the new town

St. Anne's Church

While in Vilnius, I managed to visit an entirely new state. Nestled within the city and separated from the Old Town by the Vilnia River is the Republic of Užupis, a wonderfully strange and unusual district full of eclectic and mystifying scenes. Užupis, which used to be one of the most neglected and run-down areas of the city has become a popular haunt for artists in Vilnius. In 1997, it declared itself a republic, complete with its own flag, president, currency, and army (totaling 12 men). They celebrate independence day on April Fool's.

And here we have a giant rocking horse...

...and some cryptic signs

I think someone needs more fabric softener

The Republic of Užupis also had its own constitution with thirty-nine humorous, ironic, or just plain bizarre articles. For example, article 26 notes that "Everyone has the right to celebrate or not celebrate their birthday." Another reads, "Everyone has the right to appreciate their unimportance." There are several that also take animals into account such as one that reads, "A dog has the right to be a dog."

According to a Lithuanian student I spoke with, you can apply to be an ambassador in Užupis, and you don't need any particular citizenship or government credentials. All you have to do is write a letter to the Užupis officials stating what you would like to be ambassador of and why, have a brief meeting with the president, and voila - you are named an official ambassador of whatever you like. If I had had more time in Vilnius, I probably would have seriously considered attempting to get myself named the ambassador of cookies or sloths or something. I'd love to put that on my resume.

Every year they add a version of the constitution in a new language to this wall

In case you're interested in your Užupis rights

Back in the Old Town (though it wouldn't seem out of place in Užupis) is a long wall speckled with plaques and pictures and small inscriptions. These items commemorate every mention of Vilnius in literature, film, and culture that the Lithuanians are proud of.

I spent the remainder of my time dodging the rain by hopping in and out of coffee shops and chatting with people at the hostel. Vilnius was the perfect destination for a spontaneous trip.

The Legion of Gnomes

Wrocław is on my list of 'Polish Cities You Are Most Likely to Mispronounce.' It's number three, right after Bydgoszcz and Tczew. (It's supposed to sound like Vrote-swahv). Anyway I decided to visit Wrocław and have a look at the city I had been mispronouncing basically since I came to Poland. It was named the 2016 European Cultural Capital, so I even had an extra incentive to go explore.

I thought Wrocław was very charming. It has a lovely old town square (which is more like an old town rectangle) called Market Square. Wrocław's market dates back to medieval times when it was founded by the monarch, Henry the Bearded (the only reason I remember that is because of his name. I'm assuming he must have had a very impressive beard). It was largely rebuilt after 1945 when the city, then a part of Germany, endured an 80-day siege during the war, resulting in a great deal of destruction. The restoration process was undertaken with great attention to detail; The townhouses that delineate the square are supposedly very historically accurate, down to the flourishes on each facade's coat of arms. The bright yellows, reds, and greens certainly make it one of the most cheerful old town squares I've ever visited.

The Old Town Rectangle

Flower markets in January

Tumski Bridge

The centerpiece of the old town is the Ratusz, the old Town Hall. The town hall is a Gothic-style building, but it was built and changed over a period of 250 years, so it also looks a bit pieced-together. Luckily, it only suffered minor damage in the war, so it is mostly original. These days it's used as a museum, not a site of civic life.

The Ratusz

Interestingly, it so happens that there are also 300 gnomes that live in Wrocław. One of the funniest little quirks of the city are the gnome statues that can be found all over the place. If you go to the tourist center, you can even get a map and go on a 'gnome hunt.' But the gnomes are actually connected to a protest movement from Poland's communist era and are more than just a gimmicky tourist attraction. In the 1980s, under the restrictive government, a group of protesters went around graffiting little gnomes all over public spaces. The idea was to make the authorities look foolish as they had to spend their time painting over and censoring images of seemingly harmless little gnomes, or be seen arresting people for painting pictures of gnomes. Once, the protesters all dressed in orange and wearing homemade gnome hats, marched through Wrocław protesting for 'gnomes rights.' The authorities were shown on the news chasing and arresting people dressed as gnomes and looking ridiculous. The protesters, known as the Orange Alternative, were supported by the Solidarity movement as they organized their various absurd protests. Three decades later, the little gnomes are now the playful, permanent inhabitants of the city (and they can rest assured that their rights will be protected in Wrocław).

Gnomes, or 'krasnale' in Polish

Gnomes drinking beer

And gnomes eating pierogies!