Cross a branch of the Oder River and enter picturesque Sand Island, or Wyspa Piasek. Ahead stands the impressive Baroque building of the former Augustinian monastery. Following the dissolution of the order, the complex was converted into the University Library. It also served as the final headquarters of Fortress Breslau and was badly damaged during wartime bombing. Carefully restored after the war, it now houses valuable university library collections.
Adjoining the monastery is one of medieval Wroclaw’s most impressive churches, the Gothic Augustinian Church of Our Lady on the Sand. Across the street stands the Baroque Church of St Anne, now used by Wroclaw’s Orthodox community and dedicated to Saints Cyril, Methodius and Anne.
Behind the church, follow the path to the right towards Tumski Bridge, a stone and iron structure built in 1890. Sculptures of St John the Baptist and St Hedwig decorate its approaches. Crossing the bridge brings you to Ostrów Tumski, Cathedral Island, the historic heart of Wroclaw.
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