Aleja Róż and the Former Stylowa Restaurant

Why is it significant?

Walk along the expansive pedestrian concourse of Aleja Róż, bordered by stately linden trees, manicured lawns, and newly restored flowerbeds.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Walk along the expansive pedestrian concourse of Aleja Róż, bordered by stately linden trees, manicured lawns, and newly restored flowerbeds. During the 1960s and 1970s, this central avenue was planted with tens of thousands of fragrant rose bushes in dozens of vibrant varieties, earning its name the Avenue of Roses. At number 1 stands the iconic Restaurant Stylowa, where metallurgical engineers, factory foremen, and visiting foreign delegations gathered for strong coffee, cream cakes, and weekend evening dances. Its preserved interior of etched crystal mirrors, wood paneling, and retro brass chandeliers offered workers a comforting taste of prewar European cafe glamour.

In April 1973, party officials unveiled an immense seven-meter bronze monument to Vladimir Lenin in the center of the avenue, sculpted by Marian Konieczny. Depicting the Bolshevik leader striding forward in a heavy bronze coat, the statue was universally loathed by residents who viewed it as a blatant symbol of foreign domination. Biting satirical jokes circulated through the steelworks, and cheeky locals regularly left worn leather boots beneath the pedestal with notes reading: Here are your boots, take your passport, and run back east. The monument required round-the-clock armed police guards and closed-circuit cameras to prevent vandalism.

In the dead of night between April 17 and 18, 1979, a deafening explosion ripped through the avenue when a powerful explosive device detonated beneath Lenin's bronze feet. The blast shattered apartment windows hundreds of meters away, yet the massive statue remained standing, losing only a chunk of its right heel. The daring solo saboteur was a young local worker named Andrzej Szewczuwianiec, acting out of profound anti-communist conviction. In December 1989, amid jubilant cheering crowds, the despised monument was finally dismantled and subsequently sold to a Swedish collector who placed it in an amusement park near Stockholm.

A comprehensive municipal revitalization completed in 2023 removed the gray concrete slabs from the communist era, returning thousands of vibrant rose bushes, benches, and fountains to the avenue. Aleja Róż has recaptured its welcoming, human-scale atmosphere, serving once again as the community's beloved living room. Civic life ultimately outlasted ideological propaganda.

Continue northward along the tree-lined path toward the lush green foliage of Ratuszowy Park. Ahead lies a peaceful forested park hiding the fascinating story of a grandiose town hall that was never built.