Gilbert Grape

Story

Gilbert Grape is a cheerful dwarf who carries a basket of grapes in front of the Grape Hotel at ul. Parkowa 8. He looks as if he has just come back from the harvest, proud of his fruit and ready to share it. Legend says he took the job of hotel mascot because the hotel's name sounded just like his own, and no dwarf can ignore a coincidence like that. On a quiet morning in the park district you can almost smell the grapes, and children love to guess how many are in his basket.

History & Significance

Gilbert Grape was unveiled on 9 July 2014 at ul. Parkowa 8, at the Grape Hotel. He was made by sculptor Beata Zwolańska-Hołod, one of the best-known creators of Wrocław dwarfs, with well over a hundred of them to her name. He stands at the hotel and shares its name, so the hotel is clearly the story behind him. The dwarf tradition itself began with the Orange Alternative, the 1980s protest movement whose members painted dwarfs on city walls, and since 2005 the city has filled its streets with bronze figures.

Inspiration

Gilbert Grape is a mascot for the hotel he guards, and his name will ring a bell for film fans: it is the same as the hero of the 1993 film 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape'. The hotel's name, Grape, gave the sculptor an easy and charming idea, a dwarf with a basket of grapes. The hotel stands near the Szczytnicki Park, one of the greenest corners of Wrocław, so the dwarf fits the leafy neighbourhood nicely. Fruit and gardens suit a city that loves its parks.

Fun Facts

• Film fans will notice that his name is the same as the hero of the 1993 film 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape'.
• Grapes in the basket are a wink at the name of the hotel where he stands.
• Szczytnicki Park and the Centennial Hall are only a few minutes' walk away.
• Ebi, the detective dwarf of the Centennial Hall, stands about 360 metres to the south-east.
• Sculptor Beata Zwolańska-Hołod has made well over a hundred Wrocław dwarfs.

How to Find This Dwarf

The hotel is about 3 km east of the Rynek, near the Szczytnicki Park. A tram from the city centre towards the Centennial Hall gets you close, so check the current line in a transport app. Gilbert Grape stands in front of the hotel at ul. Parkowa 8. Pair him with Ebi at the Centennial Hall, about 360 metres away. Your mission: guess how many grapes are in his basket, then count them together and see who in the family guessed closest.

Nearby Dwarfs

Frequently Asked Questions

Accessibility

Outdoor

He stands outdoors by the hotel at ul. Parkowa 8. The wromap database notes that access may be limited by a gate or barrier, so he may be best admired from the pavement. Please check on site.