As good a place as any to begin exploring the Old Town is ul. Piwna - incidentally the district's longest street at a whopping 260m. Laid out at the turn of the 13th/14th century, the street takes its name - 'Beer Street' - from the abundance of breweries operated here in the 1400s, the spirit of which is kept alive by numerous cafes, restaurants and drinking holes today. The real beauty of Piwna, however - and all of the Old Town's historic streets, for that matter - is the architectural details and elaborate motifs of the facades, for example the flock of pigeons on the portal of number 6.

The street's oldest building is St. Martin's Church, dating back to the 14th century. A shining example of Baroque aesthetic extravagance when it was destroyed by the Nazis, the interiors were sadly not restored and are today rather sparse and modern, with the only surviving original element being the partially burned crucifix in the main nave. The church played a part in the resistance movement of the 1970s and 80s where opposition members would gather for meetings, or run for refuge following police actions to disperse protestors. The charming and underrated Pharmacy Museum can also be found at number 31/33, but hang a left on ul. Piekarska, at the end of which once stood small square used for executions. Nicknamed ‘Piekełko’ (Devil's Den), this is where witches and other ne’er-do-wells were burned at the stake, hanged or beheaded.