Since the beginning of its existence Gdańska Street was an axis of residential development, located on the opposite side of the Brda River from the Old Town. The start of the street (about 2 km long) is a representative urban track with five-storey and three-storey houses. The buildings gradually lose the character of a regular frontage – there is a section of about 1.5 km where military barracks stretch. The last section of Gdańska Street – about 4 km long - runs through the Forest Park of Culture and Recreation - Myślęcinek. When visiting Bydgoszcz, however, we will focus on the first - southern section of this street.

The route starts at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary [1], which by the inhabitants is called the Church of St. Clare - from the name of the Poor Clares convent that for centuries operated in the church facilities. The building with a characteristic Gothic tower crowned by a Baroque cupola was erected at the end of the 16th century. The historic interior of the church will give us respite from the urban hustle and bustle: we can see the Renaissance polychrome coffered ceiling, beautiful 17th c. wrought iron grille between the chancel and the nave and the main altar from 1636 in the style of late Mannerism . With a bit of luck we'll have an opportunity to hear the bugle call of Bydgoszcz based on the themes of a Kashubian dance that resounds from the tower of the church every day at: 9.00, 12.00, 15.00 and 18.00.

Here we should also pay attention to the buildings at the intersection of Gdańska, Jagiellońska and Focha Streets. The building at 4 Gdańska Street, which constitutes part of the former nunnery of the Poor Clares, houses the Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum [2]. The establishment gained its present shape in 1878, when it was extended by an additional wing designed in accordance with the neo-Renaissance and neo-Mannerism trends. Opposite the “Drukarnia” gallery [3] there is a building with a distinctive golden swan [4] above the entrance – its interior is home to one of the oldest pharmacies in Bydgoszcz and to the Museum of Pharmacy. Just a few yards away we will see an extraordinary, richly decorated house, over which an impressive eagle spreads its wings [5]. In the building, designed by the greatest builder of Bydgoszcz, Józef Święcicki, there is the city's oldest hotel – the four-star: “Hotel pod Orłem” ("Hotel Under the Eagle") (1896). The charms of this eclectic building with a predominance of neo-Baroque forms were appreciated by its guests: Marshal Józef Pilsudski, Gen. Edward Rydz-Śmigły and Gen. Józef Haller, President Mościcki, and the composer Arthur Rubinstein.

You might also have a look at the historic department store called ”Jedynak” [6],  erected to the design of the Berlin architect Otto Walter in the years 1910-1911. In the construction of this modernist building reinforced concrete was used for the first time in Bydgoszcz. At the intersection of Gdańska, Pomorska and Dworcowa Streets there is an interesting sculpture of a wanderer by a Bydgoszcz artist Michał Kubiak [7]. Our attention is also attracted by a corner building from the early 20th century, harking back to medieval architecture [8]. On the ground floor there are two shops that for many years have been very popular tourist destinations: "Cepelia" - with folk art and the gallery "85" - with contemporary art. The life of one of the longest streets of Bydgoszcz focuses round the  Wolności Square [9], where in September of each year there is the  Festival of Gdańska Street. We need at least 10 minutes to get to know the main buildings of the square. The western part of Wolności Square is marked out by a row of buildings, with a distinctive eclectic building from 1909  [10] – today it is the editorial office of "Gazeta Wyborcza". The eastern part is bound by the park of Casmir the Great and the Church of St. Peter and Paul [11]. The church was built in the years 1872 - 1878 in Neo-Gothic style with elements of eclectic and Romanesque styles. A characteristic feature of the architecture is a cupola with an octagonal base and a tall tower topped with a spire.

In the nearby park we can relax while listening to the sound of water from the "Deluge” fountain designed by the Berlin artist Ferdinand Lepcke.   [12]. Originally the fountain was unveiled on July 23, 1904. Unfortunately, in January 1943, this unique fountain was melted down for war purposes. Today, the eyes of tourists and locals enjoy the view of a renewed bowl, antique mosaics adorning the fountain's surroundings and the sculpture of a Mother Bear. The process of the reconstruction of what were once Europe's largest bronze sculptures will be completed in two years. In the park of Casmir the Great, we can also find a high-class restaurant called "Veranda" [13] and the five-star “Hotel Bohema” [14]. From the north Wolności Square is crowned by a house [15] that is very often considered the most beautiful one in the city. This corner, eclectic building with rich architectural details was designed by an eminent architect from Bydgoszcz - Józef Święcicki. The southern part of the square is marked out by a building that belongs to the Academy of Music (1887) [16] and, set back from Gdańska Street, the Municipal Gallery BWA [17].

Continuing along Gdańska St., we go past a small square with a monument commemorating Marian Rejewski [18] – a brilliant cryptologist who, before World War II (1932), broke the Enigma code. The sculpture in the form of a man sitting on a bench, stands just in front of a historic villa [19] from 1866, home of another one of Bydgoszcz's outstanding inhabitants, founder of the sculpture "Archeress" - Lewin Louis Aronsohn. If we want to get to know the downtown of Bydgoszcz a bit more we have to leave Gdańska Street for a while. We go past two historic villas (48, 50 Gdańska Street): Heinrich Dietz’s one (1898) [20] and one that belonged to Wilhelm Blumwe (1904) [21]. The first villa was built in eclectic style with elements of neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance, while the latter has the form of a classicistic palace. Currently, both buildings are occupied by the Polish Radio of Pomerania and Kujawy. Then we turn into Słowackiego Street.

At the end of the street there is the neoclassical building of Jan Paderewski Pomeranian Philharmonic (1958) [22]. The building, designed by Stefan Klajbor, has two halls: for 880 and 150 seats. [23] The main concert hall is considered to have acoustics that are among the best in Europe. The Interiors of the Philharmonic, especially the foyer, are decorated with numerous works of art including Tadeusz Brzozowski’s tapestries and paintings of Zdzisław Beksinski, Jerzy Nowosielski and Jan Tarasin. Numerous festivals, including the Musica Antiqua Europae Orientalis and Arthur Rubinstein in Memoriam, concerts and musicological congresses attract music lovers from Poland and abroad to Bydgoszcz.

The Pomeranian Philharmonic, together with the adjacent Jan Kochanowski park is the centre of the so-called musical district. On a small area - less than 12 hectares -  the musical life of Bydgoszcz is concentrated. The district begins with the 19th century, neo-Baroque building of the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music (1906) [24].  Above the entrance to the building there is a Roman maxim: Musica spiritus movens (Music moves the spirit), which may be regarded as the motto of this part of our walk. The unique atmosphere of this part of the city is also present in the so called small architecture, specifically 15 statues and busts representing famous composers, among them: Frederick Chopin, Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven. The architectural complex is complemented by the edifice of the Arthur Rubinstein State Complex of Schools of Music.

After a short rest in the park we head towards Kopernika Street, where we come across a university building - Copernicanum [25]. The building of the Kazimierz Wielki University was designed by two Berlin architects Carl Zaar and Rudolf Vahl and built in the years 1905-1906. The attention of passers-by is drowned in particular by a detail contained in its facade - a sundial. In the vicinity of Copernicanum, we can see a building with quite similar and equally interesting architectural form - the building the High School No. 6 [26] from 1910.

The reason why we moved slightly away from Gdańska St. was to get to see the Sielanka district [27]. The garden-city complex, characterized by an abundance of greenery and the interesting architecture of villas, was designed in the early 20th-century by Joseph Stüben. Since that time Bydgoszcz has been called little Berlin. The most interesting buildings with eclectic, Neoclassical, Neo-Baroque and Modernistic features can be admired along Staszica St., Reymonta St, and then when we go across Turwida Sq. [28] to Wyspiańskiego St. Here we will see St. Vincent a'Paulo Minor Basilica Church [29] (1925-1968). This Neoclassical building was modeled on the Roman pantheon and is now the largest church in the city; it can accommodate about 12,000 people. During his last pilgrimage to Poland, Pope John Paul II honored the church the title of Minor Basilica. Noteworthy is the entrance to the church with monumental columns. Inside there is an interesting dome decorated with important rosettes with 32 motifs depicting Polish flowers.

We will walk back towards Gdańska Street along modernistic villas on Ossolińskich Av. Our attention will be drawn particularly by the historic building of the former Keiser Wilhelm Agricultural Institute (1903-1906), in front of which there are beautiful magnolias - a monument of animated nature [30]. At Weyssenhoffa Sq. we can take a look [31], at the  most magnificent of the buildings, which is now part of the Kazimierz Wielki University. From the square there is a good view of the entrance to the botanical garden from 1930, which at the end of the 20th century received the status of an arboretum, a comprehensive natural monument. (More in the section: Green Bydgoszcz)

At the end of our walk round Bydgoszcz it is time to see the second part of Jan Kochanowski park, where in front of the Polish Theatre (1949) [32] there is a sculpture of an “Archeress” [33].
The statue is nowadays one of the symbols of the city and was most likely created in the years 1898-1908. A smaller copy of it was presented at the exhibition of the German Society of Arts and Sciences in May 1910 in Bydgoszcz. Then the banker and philanthropist Louis Lewin Aronsohn decided to finance the purchase of the original sculpture for Bydgoszcz. The ceremonial unveiling of the monument, designed by Ferdinand Lepcke, was performed on 18 October 1910. It is still not clear, however, who the posing model was (More: section Bydgoszcz legends).

Mickiewicza Av. where we are now, is one of the most impressive big city style urban solutions. Its frontage is composed of very tall houses from the early 20th century and most of them still have a nouveau decor. The most interesting one in terms of form seems to be the house located at the intersection with Gdańska St. – the house designed by Rudolf Kern [34]. The building was erected in 1904 and features very interesting art-nouveau decor, and also – something unique - a well-preserved interior stairwell. It is worth mentioning in particular the relief portal and the cupola crowning the house. On the strip of land between the two traffic lanes there is a historic wind rose.

Going back towards the start of Gdańska St. we go past a chapel of the Poor Clare Nuns. [35]. The building from 1901 began its sacred function only 25 years later. Then the modernistic shape with classicistic elements gained a small bell tower topped with a cross.

Our walk around the City Centre we will end at Augusta Cieszkowskiego Street [36], which fully reflects the artistic trends of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The compact frontage of one of the most beautiful streets of the city was constructed in a very short time during the years 1896-1904. Eclectic facades are decorated with neo-baroque, neo-gothic and in particular Art Nouveau details. The creators of the "pearls of Bydgoszcz architecture" are some of the most prominent designers and builders and include Józef Święcicki, Fritz Weidner and Karl Bergner. The townhouses from Cieszkowskiego Street feature unique rich ornamentation based on finesse shapes and motifs borrowed from the world of fauna and flora [37].

Depending on our sightseeing route we can either catch any tram in order to get to the vicinity of Jagiellońska Street, from where we will go to the Old Market; or we can continue going out of town by taking tram No. 1 or 2 and end up in the Forest Park of Culture and Recreation in Myślęcinek (More  in the section: Green Bydgoszcz).

• From the airport straight to the Old Market