Four Denominations District

In a few streets west of Wroclaw's market square stand a Roman Catholic church, a Lutheran church, an Orthodox cathedral and the White Stork Synagogue, all within a short walk of each other, and since 1995 their communities have run a joint programme of concerts, festivals and dialogue that gave the area its name, the Dzielnica Czterech Wyznan. It is a deliberate use of an accident of city history: this was a mixed quarter before the war, the buildings survived, and the district was run down for decades afterwards. The synagogue of 1829, the only one in Wroclaw to survive, was derelict into the 1990s and has been restored, with a museum and a concert programme. The streets around have filled with bars, restaurants and courtyards, which has made the district lively and, some argue, blurred the original point. All four buildings can be visited, subject to service times.

What you actually see

• Four faiths in four streets - Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox and Jewish.
• The White Stork Synagogue - of 1829, the only survivor in the city, restored.
• A joint programme - concerts and festivals run by the four communities since 1995.
• Courtyards and bars - the nightlife that has grown into the same streets.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Each building has its own hours and closes for services. The synagogue museum is ticketed and closed on Saturdays. The district is noisy at night. Dress and conduct expectations vary between the four.

Nearby

The market square and Aula Leopoldina are a short walk east.