Dwarf riding pigeon

Ultimate 2024 Guide & List of the Wrocław Dwarves

ByJeremy Caldeira

Wrocław is an amazing city! One of the best things to do while visiting is to look for the Wrocław Dwarves! The first dwarf appeared in 2005, and since then, over 600 dwarves have been placed around the city! Even if you do not want to look for dwarves, everyone who comes to Wrocław will see at least a few. They have become an important symbol of the city, and an important part of tourism. There are many locals and tourists dedicated to seeing as many of the 20-30 cm (8-12 in.) dwarves as they can in one trip.  

However, as you search online, you will find it is hard to find a full list of all the Wrocław Dwarves. While hunting for the dwarves should be a great free activity, paying for a guide to find them might take away from it. So, I have put in effort to make as comprehensive of a list of the dwarves I could find! Additionally, this blog contains the history of the dwarves, tips and tricks for finding them, as well as why you should find them, and some information on other available guides beyond this one. 

This guide contains over 150 Wrocław dwarves, including some of the most famous ones. As you start your journey to find all the Wrocław dwarves, I hope you will find this guide useful! 

Our List & Gallery of Dwarves

The following list is not a comprehensive one. You will find over 150 of the Wrocław Dwarves in this list, ordered alphabetically. There are still hundreds more not included on this list. However, I have done my best to include every dwarf that has a clear location on Google, with certifiable reviews of its existence, and that is easily accessible. Also, I have focused only on locations in Wrocław in the city center, within an easy 15–20–minute walking radius, and near other key city attractions.  

Butcher dwarf

Butcher dwarf

Dwarf riding pigeon
Dwarf riding pigeon
Holiday refresher dwarf
Holiday refresher dwarf
James the dwarf
James the dwarf
Leszko the guitarist
Leszko the guitarist
Lock cutter dwarf
Lock cutter dwarf
Random dwarf
Random dwarf
Random dwarf 2
Random dwarf 2
Recycling dwarf
Recycling dwarf
Siermierz the dwarf
Siermierz the dwarf
Sisyphus dwarves
Sisyphus dwarves
Sleepyhead_dwarf
Sleepyhead_dwarf
Tekla martynka
Tekla martynka
Veteran dwarf
Veteran dwarf
Wotus the dwarf
Wotus the dwarf
Wroc Lovek
Wroc Lovek
Wrocław Dwarves
Slepak
Our Wrocław dwarves gallery – taken by Poland Insiders writer Jeremy.

One thing to note about this list is some of the dwarves may be in private locations that you have to pay to enter! If you are eager to find all the dwarves, you may find it worth paying to enter, such as at a public pool. However, some of the dwarves are inside schools, and according to my research, you would most definitely have to go and ask permission from a school worker in Polish. I would recommend skipping these dwarves, and they are not on my list.  

Those of the Wrocław dwarves that are especially famous are underlined in the list for easy finding. This is a long list, so feel free to use the “find” function (using CTRL + F) to search for specific keywords, which include locations and occupations. Additionally, click on the name of each of the Wrocław dwarves to see the location on Google. Good luck as you make your list to see the Wrocław dwarves! 

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🛣️Renting a car in Wrocław: Discover Cars is the platform we use when renting a car in Poland.

History of the Wrocław Dwarves

Why are the Wrocław dwarves a symbol of the city? It is due to a very important part of the recent history of Wrocław. From WWII until the first free and fair elections of the Third Polish Republic in 1989, Poland was its own country, but under the careful eye of the neighboring USSR. Thus, throughout these years, Poland was under one party, the Polish United Workers’ Party, a communistic nationalistic party characterized by authoritarian rule.  

After many years of brutal rule and constant surveillance, the 1980s brought new energy to protests against the ruling party. Lech Wałęsa and his Solidarity Movement in Gdańsk was the start of such movements. Young people and those in the anti-communist underground movement in Wrocław also wanted to achieve something. However, these protestors took a less direct protest than striking in a shipyard. Instead, they started the Orange Alternative, a peaceful seemingly non-political movement of absurd actions that still acted as protests of the ruling party. 

“Protests” by the members of the Orange Alternative ranged from the “Burning of Tubes” to distributing toilet paper, to dressing as Santa Claus. However, the most enduring symbol of the movement was graffiti art to cover up anti-government slogans. In this way, the group was doing nothing wrong, but still protesting. The most important symbol painted was that of a dwarf, with an orange hat. These appeared all over the city and eventually became a symbol of the movement in Poland, and even globally. Thus the Wrocław dwarves were born.

While other cities also had dwarves appear on their walls, no city had as many as Wrocław. After Poland became fully free and democratic once again, Wrocław looked to commemorate those who had fought back against the communist government. The obvious choice was to make a monument using a small dwarf, with this monument being Papa Dwarf, a plump dwarf on a human fingertip near the Old Town. However, soon after, there was a demand for more, as the first ones were so popular.  

Soon, every business in Wrocław wanted to have a dwarf. The meaning behind each of the Wrocław dwarves stays as a symbol of the Orange Alternative, but now also they have become a status symbol of success in Wrocław. Now, there are, by some accounts, over 600 dwarves spread throughout the city, with the number growing each year. Thus, the story of one of the symbols of Wrocław, and one of the most popular tourist attractions, was born.  

Why Should I Look for the Wrocław Dwarves?

Why are the Wrocław dwarves worth visiting? There are a variety of reasons! Firstly, the historical aspect and symbolic nature make this activity an important one to understanding the history of Wrocław. Additionally, because the Wrocław dwarves are in so many important parts of the cities, from museums to landmark buildings, a search for the Wrocław dwarves equates to a self-guided tour of the city! Along the way, you can see the Rynek, the Oder River, Ostrów Tumski, Centennial Hall, ZOO Wrocław, Szczytnicki Park, and many more important places in the city. 

Additionally, searching for the Wrocław Dwarves is a great activity because it is free, and child-friendly! While child-friendly museums or ZOO Wrocław can be quite expensive, and your child may not be interested in going to the National Museum or some other great museum in the city, this activity combines the interests of every age! Children are the perfect size to spot the Wrocław dwarves, and in the process, you may be able to take a tour of the city complaint-free! Especially in the winter, when the Wrocław dwarves are dressed up, your children should be easily engaged! 

Beyond that, looking for the Wrocław dwarves is a great photo opportunity. It is also a chance to find a dwarf that represents you! There are dwarves of many occupations to find, with many different names, and personalities, and some representing minorities and disabled persons! Snapping a picture with a dwarf that represents you is a great souvenir to take home with you.  

Not convinced yet that this activity is worthwhile? That is okay! Just make sure that you keep an eye out for the most important ones in the Rynek and the historic Old Town, and you can then say you have explored and searched for the Wrocław dwarves! This activity may not be for everyone, but it is the most inclusive activity to do in Wrocław! 

Where to Find the Wrocław Dwarves?

The Wrocław Dwarves are scattered throughout the city. However, there are a few places where you can find them. You will find a small list as follows with such details. 

  • Wrocław Old Town Market Square: As the most touristic part of the city, it is not surprising that many of the Wrocław dwarves have their homes in this location. Look especially around the famous Town Hall, where there are at least 5 of the Wrocław dwarves to be found.  
  • Ul. Świdnicka and Ul. Oławska: These two streets lead to the Old Town Market Square. Both are mostly pedestrian-oriented, and thus you will find many dwarves along these two streets. Some are inside restaurants and hotels, so you might have to make a purchase or spend a night to be able to see these Wrocław dwarves.  
  • St. Elizabeth of Hungary Roman Catholic Parish: This landmark church is on the northwest corner of the Old Town Market Square. Within the plaza to the south of the church and near the entrance, you will find half a dozen of the Wrocław dwarves. Also, in the streets surrounding the church, there are many more dwarves.  
  • At famous tourist attractions: Visiting one of Wrocław’s many great attractions? The odds are high that there is at least one of the Wrocław dwarves either at the attraction or right next door. If you want to find more dwarves, making trips to attractions is a great way to make your quest not just about the Wrocław dwarves, but also about exploring the city.  
  • Side streets of the Old Town: Running out of major tourist sites? There are dozens of streets in the grid of the Old Town, and pretty much every single one of them has multiple dwarves on it. By my counting, there are over 100 dwarves just in the historic center of Wrocław itself, if not many more. You could easily spend just a few hours walking up and down every street looking if you wish.   

Tips for Finding the Wrocław Dwarves

Beyond the typical location of the Wrocław dwarves, what else is there to take into consideration as you look to find as many of the Wrocław dwarves as you can manage? Read this next short section for a few short tips that will greatly lower the amount of time you spend looking for the Wrocław dwarves, especially if you are planning to search for them without a map or the help of Google. 

  • If you are looking for the Wrocław Dwarves through Google Maps, the English search results will not return a ton of options. Thus, use the Polish variants of dwarf, including “krasnal,” “krasnalka,” and “krasnale” to find more dwarves than you would initially get from Google. 
  • Additionally, use the “search for here” function in Google Maps to find even more dwarves. If you are very zoomed out in Wrocław, you will only get the most popular results. For the best results, zoom into small sections of the city, and more and more of the Wrocław dwarves will show up with exact locations. You can do this pretty much anywhere in the city (this is how I was able to find the long list of dwarves at the end of this article).  
  • Look for the Wrocław dwarves only during daylight hours. At night, it is very easy to miss them, as the metal they are made of is dark, and easily blends in with the typical street and sidewalk materials of Wrocław.  
  • Additionally, keep your eyes peeled to the ground. The Wrocław dwarves are small! If you are not looking low enough, you might miss it! Additionally, look towards the walls of buildings, as they are often right next to them to avoid being in the way of pedestrians. Also, some dwarves might be on walls or above your eyesight! To be helpful, I have shown such dwarves in the list at the end of this article.  
  • Look outside any major institution in the city. From banks to restaurants, to schools and museums, the Wrocław dwarves are a status symbol of success, and each business aspires to have its own. If you do this, you will likely find many of the Wrocław dwarves! 
  • If you notice someone, or a small group of people, squatting on the floor, this is a giveaway where there is a dwarf there! Take advantage of the help other people give you!  

Available Guides for Finding the Wrocław Dwarves

While I have aspired to find as many of the Wrocław dwarves as possible, and included them in the previous list, maybe you would like to find even more of the dwarves than I provide. There are two good options for finding as many dwarves as possible. The first is to pick up a map from the Wrocław Visitor’s Center, linked by clicking the name. This specific visitor’s center is dedicated to the dwarves, and as such you can pay a small fee for a map. This map is available in many languages and provides some context for each dwarf.  

However, the number of the Wrocław dwarves shown on these maps is limited. So, a better choice might be to use the Wrocław Dwarves App. This app is privately developed and should have almost every dwarf in the city, as well as some information about each dwarf. There is a free version available in the Google store, but it has limited capabilities compared to the paid version. The paid version for Android costs $3.49 (I am only able to see the price in my currency). On Apple products, there is no free version, and the app costs $3.99.  

Finally, there are some free options too. You can use Google to search extensively for the Wrocław dwarves. Some other blogs may have a small list, and the same goes for some YouTube videos and news articles. Additionally, there are some user-created Google Maps, such as this one, which pinpoint a bunch of the dwarves. However, these options only have a small list of the Wrocław dwarves. But, if you only want to see a few, these are great options. 

Some Final Notes about the Wrocław Dwarves

Firstly, note that the list provided is not exhaustive. There are hundreds of more dwarves out there, and new dwarves are added each year. Additionally, dwarves are also taken away, and many dwarves with Google pages have been moved elsewhere or put where no one can see them. So, if you cannot find a specific dwarf after a certain amount of time, you should expect that the dwarf no longer exists. Also, make sure to use the links I provided above! Sometimes, searching for the names of dwarves in English will work, sometimes it will not.  

But, overall, I hope this guide is useful as you try to find all the Wrocław Dwarves! It is truly one of the most entertaining things to do in the city for all ages, and most tourists to the city spend at least a little bit of time looking for dwarves. Good luck as you search! 

Migration Researcher

Hi everyone! My name is Jeremy, and I am a staff writer for Poland Insiders. I first came to Poland in May of 2022, fell in love with it, applied to go to university here, got accepted, and have now been living in Warsaw since September 2022! I love traveling and sharing about what I find along the way, whether food, culture, or events. Being born and raised on the West Coast of the US, I also love nature, Asian food, and a good (non-alcoholic) beer. I am happy to share my adventures in Poland as I continue to live and work here for the near future.

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