I didn’t plan to write this post. I just wanted to update the previous one, which was getting quite old. But Bydgoszcz has so many great murals that I decided to share my must-see list with you instead. I know how it is – there’s not always enough time (or energy) to see everything we’d like to. So of you find yourself in that situation, I believe this list will make your life a little bit easier.

Table of Contents

Street Art in Bydgoszcz, Poland: Murals

Mural by Cekas & Pain (📌 Bocianowo 24)

Most of Bydgoszcz’s incredible murals were created thanks to the work of the LAS Centre for Cultural Activities, which organized community-based art workshops combined with anthropological research. The murals themselves were based on the experiences and field research gathered during these projects.

And judging by the artworks that came out of it, they did an amazing job.

One of the murals created as part of LAS’s initiatives is the bear in the Bocianowo district. It was designed and painted by two artists: Bartosz Bujanowski (PAIN) from Bydgoszcz and Łukasz Berger (CEKAS) from Wrocław.

Breakfast of Champions by Spectrum, Bezt, Sainer, Pain (📌 Księdza Piotra Skargi 6)

This mural is best viewed in winter or you’ll need carefully peeking through the leaves. There’s a lot going on in it. Titled Breakfast of Champions, the mural references Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Breakfast of Champions, or Goodbye Blue Monday. The book is a sharp critique of the American way of life, especially the relentless pursuit of the so-called American Dream. At least, that’s description says. I haven’t read the book myself, but I still enjoy this mural, even without knowing the full story behind it.

Samookreślenie (Self-Determination) by Autone, Pain, Bezt, Sainer, Pener (📌 Księdza Piotra Skargi 7)

Another mural created thanks to the LAS Centre for Cultural Activities is Self-Determination. It’s one of several murals painted not by a single artist, but by a group of the most important names in the Polish street art scene.

Whenever I look at murals like this, I always find myself thinking about two things. First, how did they even manage to get so many outstanding artists to paint the same wall? And second, who painted what? Take this mural, for example. Every artist involved has their original style that’s usually easy to recognise. But here? Looking at this wall, I’m never quite sure which part belongs to whom. Not that it’s a bad thing. It just means I still have a lot to learn about art.

Ptasiek (Birdy) by Sainer, Bezt, Keks, Minus, Proembrion, Pener, Boier, Kometa, Pain (📌 3 Maja 14)

What is happening on this wall?! Especially on the bottom. This mural was inspired by the book Birdy. I actually read it, but… yeah, that was a looong time ago. Anyway, should Bydgoszcz get a new title: the city of literature-inspired murals?

Peter Pan by Boier, Chylo, Kome, Pener, Proembrion (Spectrum group), Sainer, Bezt, Tone, Pain (📌 3 Maja 16)

So this one is the famous one. It’s huge, but for me, that’s not the most important thing. Look at the details: this dreamlike world, the perspective, the characters, the colours. Everything is right here. And it wasn’t actually obvious that this mural would ever be created. While researching this article, I found out that Self-Determination (Samookreślenie) was supposed to be the final piece in a series of murals started by the LAS Cultural Centre and Marcin Płocharczyk. However, it’s very possible that because of one sentence said by the right person at the right moment, the story took a different turn.

You can read more about it in Małgorzata Szczepańska-Piszcz’s article (but it is in Polish and behind paywall).

Zamilcz (Be Silent) by Tone, Maniac, Scoby, Poza, Pain, Okaz, Miłość under the guidance Twożywo Group (📌 3 maja 14)  

One of the first murals created thanks to the efforts of the LAS Cultural Centre. It shows a face swallowing a glowing light bulb attached to a long cable that forms the word “ZAMILCZ” (Be Silent). The beginnings weren’t easy, as one of the mural’s authors, Pain, recalled:

“This mural isn’t cohesive because everyone wanted to show their own style, their own lettering. On top of that, we clashed a lot with Libel (one half of the Twożywo duo). We were all very immature back then.”

Despite that, the mural was warmly received by the people of Bydgoszcz.

Winter’s Tale by Etam Cru (📌 Karpacka 29)

This mural is one of the few socially engaged works created by Etam Cru. It was painted at a nursing home in Bydgoszcz, where Sainer and Bezt spent several hours getting to know the residents before starting the project.

At first, the residents suggested fairly predictable ideas (such as a portrait of Polish general – Józef Piłsudski). But after spending time together, the artists and the seniors came up with something completely different: an Inuit walking through the snow with dogs. The mural became a metaphor for a shared journey, with the dogs representing the friends who accompany us along the way.

Pozytywka (Music Box) by Chazme, SEPE, PAIN, Bezt, Sainer (📌 Wyszyńskiego 5)

I couldn’t find any more information about this mural, but to me, its composition feels very similar to the Jazz w wolnych chwilach mural in Szczecin. Unfortunately, there’s no point looking for that one anymore, it no longer exists.

Mural by Adam Kłodziński & Sebastian Tkaczyk (📌 Toruńska 49)

This one I saw also during my first trip to Bydgoszcz.

So, if you want to learn more about piece, check out my previous post about street art in Bydgoszcz.

Bydgoszcz, Poland. The City That Should Be Talked About More.

Bonus: The Circle of Fickle Fortune by Sepe & Chazme (❌ no longer exist)

Like many works by these artists, this mural plays with the idea of a loop. I spotted it during my first visit to Bydgoszcz, and it’s still one of my favourites. Unfortunately this one no longer exists. It was obscured by the buildings of the Nowy Port development. Well, perfect name for the mural, right?

Street Art in Bydgoszcz: The Map

So, above you have everything you need to plan your street art trip to Bydgoszcz.

But if you want to make sure you don’t miss anything, I share with my supporters my private Google Maps. And trust me, there’s more than what you’ve seen here. I added “a few” extra spots to the map. And in my case, “a few” rarely means just a few.

Street Art in Bydgoszcz: A Few Tips Before You Go

Getting to Bydgoszcz by train is easy, and I really recommend choosing this way to arrive here.

It’s not a huge city, so most of the murals can be reached on foot. There are a few exceptions, of course — for some of them, it’s worth taking a tram or a bus. You save your time getting there by public transport, because there is usually nothing interesting to discover along the way. Unless you are into expressways…

Don’t focus only on street art! Bydgoszcz is a beautiful city, so leave some time to explore its classic attractions, wander around, and discover places without a plan. Sometimes the best finds are the unexpected ones.

You can also easily combine a trip to Bydgoszcz with a visit to Toruń, where street art lovers will find plenty of murals too. A lot of amazing artworks have appeared on the streets of Toruń, so it’s definitely worth adding it to your route.

Made it this far?

That’s impressive. Maybe you should reward me with a good damn coffee? 👀 

So, will you add Bydgoszcz to your travel list?

Karolajn