Katowice

Gliwice
At a Glance
Exploring one of
Silesias most
surprising cities
Katowice
Train Station
Prepare to be knocked
off your rails
Hotels Restaurants Bars Sights Shops Events Maps
KATOWICE
March - June 2013
N18 - 5z (w tym 8% VAT)
katowice.inyourpocket.com
ISSN 1899-0215
& THE SILESIAN
METROPOLIS
3
CONTENTS
March - June 2013 katowice.inyourpocket.com
Feature
Gliwice 6
Arrival & Transport 10
The Basics 13
Culture & Events 16
Where to Stay 20
Restaurants 25
Cafes 38
Nightlife 39
History 46
Sightseeing
Essential Katowice 47
What to See 48
Silesian Uprisings 56
Autonomus Silesia 58
Defending Katowice 59
Further Afield
Nikiszowiec & Giszowiec 60
Auschwitz 62
Tyskie 65
Leisure 66
Park of Culture & Recreation 68
Shopping 70
Directory 73
Maps & Indexes
Katowice Map 74
Chorzw Map 76
Gliwice Map 77
Zabrze Map 78
Country Map 79
Street Indexes 80
Features & Listings Indexes 82
Contents
Meet Gliwice all over again or for the first time. This
seemingly sleepy Silesian city is much more than meets
the eye. The perfect place for a romantic weekend break,
explore this rapidly changing and incredibly charming town
from top to bottom with our mini-guide starting on page 6.
The training wheels are officially off and the ribbons been
cut on the brand spanking new Katowice Train Station.
This has been one of the most anticipated pieces of
architecture in Katowices history and the final product
will knock you off your rails. As the photos suggest,
almost nothing inside the sleek and stylish main hall
even remotely resembles the dingy, dirty and downright
depressing station that was a black mark on Katowice for
more than 30 years, and its re-opening was a landmark
event not only for its functional role as the citys modern
transportation hub, but as its showpiece and symbol of a
new era. For more turn to page 10.
/KatowiceAirport
4
Katowice In Your Pocket
FOREWORD
katowice.inyourpocket.com
Without a doubt, 2013 is gonna be a banner year for
Katowice. Much to the elation of the huddled masses
(this writer included), the city is finally going to witness the
completion of some of their huge construction projects
and long term investments. In fact, the first and biggest
was finished before the year even began. If you havent
yet strolled through the new Katowice train station (p.10),
jaw-dropped in awe, then make for this spacious place,
post haste!
Katowice proper isnt the only city in the Silesian
Metropolis to upgrade its digs. On March 1st Katowices
little sister Gliwice rolled out the red carpet and cut the
ribbon for one of the largest and most modern shopping
complexes in all of Poland: Europa Centralna (p.70).
Strategically located near the crossroads of the A1 and
A4 motorways, this massive mall will inevitably draw
hundreds of thousands from near and far. To coincide with
this occasion, our Gliwice feature (p.8) - the first in a series
focussing on a different Silesian city or district - highlights
the handsome hamlets epic history, super sights and top
notch nightlife, restaurants and hotels. Much like the rest
of Silesia, Gliwice is changing at an alarming pace and if
youve never been, its the perfect moment to catch this
Silesian star on the rise.
For many visitors it is hard to grasp the size and scope of
Upper Silesia. One of the many things that connects this
metropolitan matrix is culture. In recent years Katowice
and the whole Silesian region has emerged as one of the
leading music, art and film destinations in Europe. Many
consider Silesias post-industrial landscape to be one
of its biggest downfalls, however a score of progressive
festivals have turned this frown upside down, including
Augusts Tauron Nowa Muzyka festival - held on the
premise of an old coal mine, or the upcoming Street Art
Festival (p.19) which takes over Katowices streets, walls
and weird places, brightening up many of the citys unused
industrial spaces. Visit our Events section (p.16) for the
specifics of whats on when.
As always, we welcome your comments on our website
- katowice.inyourpocket.com - or drop us a line at
editor_poland@inyourpocket.com to let us know how much
you love Silesia. Its okay now, you can admit it. Go on...
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Editorial
Editor Garrett Van Reed, Thymn Chase
Research Manager Anna Hojan
Researchers Maria Rulaff, Oli wia Hojan,
Micha Albrychowicz
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Katowice In Your Pocket katowice.inyourpocket.com
GLIWICE GLIWICE
Welcome dear reader to one of Silesias most interesting
and indeed historical cities. The times are indeed chang-
ing and the city is growing into a more modern version of
itsel f as it slowly but surely shakes off the shackles of its
industrial past. Much sets Gliwice apart from other cities in
the Upper Silesian Metropolitan area, but perhaps nothing
more than its historic cultural centre with a proper Rynek
(Market Square) as its nucleus. The center is surrounded
by a wealth of spires, monuments, fountains and turn of
the century masterpieces. Certainl y, Krakw this aint,
but a journey from Katowice to Gliwice, though it wont
overwhelm you, is still likely to summon the declaration,
Alright, this is a bit more like it. I f youre searching for a
diamond amongst the debris and dross of the sometimes
depressing Silesian landscape, youll find yourselves richly
rewarded in Gliwice. Besides the various museums and
landmarks to explore there is a bevy of new bars, cafes
and restaurants to explore so pull up your boots and pull a
Gulliver through Gliwice.
One significant leg Gliwice has up on its neighbours is his-
tory. Some 500 years before even a hundred families had
made the communal mistake of moving to Katowice, Gliwice
was building fortifications around its already well-developed
medieval city centre. Today traces of the citys ancient past
can be seen in the 14th century defensive walls along
Plac Rzeniczy (M-2/3) and ul. Grodowa (M-3), and Piasts
Castle (M-3) which now houses a branch of the Gliwices
well put together city museum.
Gliwices primary historical claim to fame didnt come until
modern times however. Most with even a cursory knowledge
of 20th century history can tell you that the first shots
of WWII were fired on Westerplatte, a peninsula outside
Gdansk in northern Poland. But only the most committed
boffin can claim to know the story of Hitlers spurious ex-
cuse to launch his offensive into PL. That narrative can be
found here, in little Gliwice, which at that time was a border
town under German rule known to locals as Gleiwitz. Looking
to legitimise his intended hostile takeover of Poland, Hitler
crafted a mock attack on the Gliwice Radio Tower using SS
units dressed as Polish soldiers to seize the tower on the
night of August 31, 1939. American journalists were taken
to the site of the charade the following day and shown
the bodies of soldiers supposedly killed during the attack
(in fact the dead were inmates of Dachau concentration
camp). Hitler now had the perfect pretext to roll his troops
eastwards into Poland, and the rest, as they say, is history
- of which you can learn more at the Gliwice Radio Tower
Museum (ul.Tarnogrska 129).
Thanks to the discovery of mining minerals in the area, at
the turn of the century Gliwices population had grown to over
60,000, with the city home to four catholic churches, two
protestant and one synagogue. Facing Pl. Inwalidw (M-3),
the synagogue came to a fiery end when it was torched on
Kristallnacht in 1938, and over the course of the next several
years the towns Jewish population was decimated as part
of the Nazis final solution. Today traces of Jewish heritage
are limited to two overgrown cemeteries on ul. Na Piasku
(O-2) and ul. Poniatowskiego. Dating from 1815 and 1902
respectively, the two now stand as haunting and poignant
epitaphs to the past.
Though it was one of only three Silesian cities (along with
Bytom and Zabrze) to have remained in German hands after
WWI, Gliwice was transferred to the map of Poland in 1945
after the Second World War, the Germans were purged
and the town was rechristened. The post-war Polonisation
of Gliwice saw the city emerge as an important centre of
science, with the town frequently finding itsel f dubbed as
the chemical capital of Poland. Yet for all this, and the
communist mismanagement that followed WWII, modern
day Gliwice is surprisingly easy on the eye and makes a
pleasing diversion from Katowice. A wander about the
ancient streets of the Old Town reveals a large number of
bars and restaurants well worth investigation, and Gliwice
boasts a solid live music scene for a city of its size; dont
be afraid to let the nightli fe - which arguably rivals that
of Katowice - extend your visit. Lastly, i f youve the good
fortune of amicable weather, a day spent in Chopin Park
(N-1/2) is always a pleasure with the Palm House (N-2)
standing out as its primary highlight.
Hotels
Diament Economy Gliwice N-2, ul. Zwycistwa 42,
Gliwice, tel. (+48) 32 231 18 21, www.hotelediament.
pl. A splendid art nouveau facade hides some of the best
value accommodation in Gliwice, and it comes as absolutely
no surprise that were to thank the chaps behind the Diament
brand. Expect the uniform three star trimmings, including
free internet access and a separate floor for non-smoking
finger-waggers. A hairdresser and beauty salon have also
been opened inside. Q27 rooms (7 singles, 20 doubles).
TA6ULGKW hhh
Diament Plaza Gliwice N-2, ul. Zwycistwa 30,
Gliwice, tel. (+48) 32 721 70 00, www.hoteledia-
ment.pl. The Diament empire is responsible for some
of the best hotels in the Katowice region, and this one
is the j ewel in their crown. Set inside a fairytal e 19th
century tenement i ts al most possi bl e to i magi ne Mr.
Kipling carving the faade out of marzipan. But while this
looks like a piece of history from the outside, from the
inside it stands out as one of the most modern hotels in
the city. Recently retouched rooms come in earth tones,
and feature amenities such as free internet, satellite TV
and spacious bathrooms. The fourth floor features rooms
with an even higher standard and a new area for billiards
and a currency exchange have recently been added. Q67
rooms (29 singles, 31 doubles, 5 suites, 2 apartments).
PTHA6LGKW hhhh
Restaurants & Cafes
Dobra Kasza Nasza M- 3, Rynek 3, Gliwice, tel.
(+48) 533 52 32 46. Heres something new for you: an
entire restaurant devoted to the humble groat in all its many
shapes and forms. Kasza (aka kasha or kashi) has been
a staple of the Polish diet for the better part of a millenium,
although it often gets a bad rap for being boring. The cre-
ative grain brains at DKN designed an elaborate menu of
simple sauce and side pairings that show off this wonder-
grains delicious versatility. Try the barley kasha with bacon,
dried plum and horseradish sauce or the chicken curry and
black olives on pearl kasha with garlic sauce. Choose from
a dozen kasha creations or order from the full menu of more
traditional Polish soups, salads, sides and mains. The warm
and tastefully arranged lounge atmosphere will beckon you
back for more and more. Say it with me now, groats are
great! QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 23:00.
(17-29z). TAUGBSW
Mita M-3, ul. Dworcowa 40, Gliwice, tel. (+48) 798
299 259. If you happen to arrive to Gliwice by way of a trains
caboose and in need of a caffeine boost, make this bright
bistro your first roost. Start off with a fantastic foundational
cup of joe (have it there or take it to go). If youve got an
appetite, grab a bite of sugary delight in cupcake, cookie or
even pie form. If youre feeling a bit more peckish then dig in
to one of their savory soups, salads, sandwiches or specials
(offered daily). The crisp white design and layout is easy on
the eyes and soothing on the soul. So whether youre coming
or going, this friendly and fragrant space is sure to leave you
with a huge smile on your face. QOpen 07:00 - 19:00, Sat
10:00 - 19:00. Closed Sun. (5-30z). AUVGBSW
Papaya ul. Bankowa 5, Gliwice, tel. (+48) 796 55
83 77, www.papaya- gliwice.pl. Yet another exoti c
sign that Gliwice is shrugging off its provincial palate and
embracing more cosmopolitan cuisines. But this slick Thai
restaurant (slash) sexy sushi bar is much more than just
an empty status symbol and is light years ahead of other
Asian mashups. The food is exhaustively authentic on both
accounts and the atmosphere refreshingly cool and relaxed
without a hint of oriental kitsch. The food itsel f is simply
impressive. They offer every type and variety of sushi you
might care to try (from Nigiri to Futomaki and back again)
with plenty of mixed platters for couples or groups. From
the Thai side they offer loads of spicy soups, creamy curries
and rocking rice dishes plus plenty more in between. The
worst part of Papaya is having to pick! Go hungry. QOpen
12:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00.
(22-355z). PTAVGSW
Secesja M-3, ul. Grodowa 5a, Gliwice, tel. (+48) 32
332 18 51, www.secesja.gliwice.pl. Relive the time of
Art Nouveau inside this masterpiece. The decorations could
have been taken straight from a game of Cluedo what with
all the parlour plants and Ti ffany lamps, and its almost
tempting to dust off the smoking jacket before bowling up
here. For dinner pick from the likes of rabbit, duck, boar and
other regional and European dishes. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00.
(35-59z). PTABXSW
Supernova M- 3, ul. Grnych Waw 42, Gliwice,
tel. (+48) 32 400 42 30, www.supernova.gliwice.pl.
Walk through their doors and immediately be teleported
to another space and thyme where food and wine inter-
twine to approach the celestially divine. Their experienced
gastronauts have crafted a unique menu that is intriguing
without being intimidating. We studied the menus many
microcosms before settling on our culinary constellation
of choice. The seasonal special of two-way goose was
perfectly matched with a crisp glass of white whine. The
tender meat was delicate and delectable and the sides
and sauces si mpl y soared. The servi ce was superbl y
swi ft and suitably subtle making for a stellar experience
overall. This is one of the brightest stars in the Silesian
gastronomic galaxy and we cant wait to further explore
their culinary universe. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. (18-59z).
PTA6UGBSW
Suplement M-3, ul. Plebaska 9, Gliwice, tel. (+48)
534 34 00 11, kawiarniasuplement.pl. A breath of fresh
Silesian air. This thoroughly modern cafe/bar/bistro/lounge
fills in a lot of the gaps missing in the Gliwice culinary and
nightlife scenes. Besides offering organic tea, coffee, fresh
juices and even chai, they also serve up hearty and healthy
breakfasts, humus plates, sandwiches and savoury meals
plus a wide range of wines and beers. The relaxed and
bright environs invite you to stay and while away the day.
Judging from the sparse clientele during our visits, they
are a bit ahead of their time. Then again, considering how
fast the winds of change are blowing across Silesia, we bet
the crowds will get hip to their tune very soon. Its time to
Suplement your diet. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 -
19:00. PGSW
Zoty Osio (The Golden Ass) N-2, ul. Kodnicka
2, Gliwice, tel. (+48) 533 53 22 07, www.wegebar.
com. Gliwices alternative lifestyle grubbing grounds: ap-
parently there are people in Poland that dont eat pork
cutlets everyday and you can meet them here - a friendly
ensemble of pasture grazing young revolutionaries, yoga
instructors, buddhists, musicians and middle-aged school
teachers. The walls and windowsills of Zoty Osio have been
thoroughly flyered and the delicious meat-free meals cost
the same as a kebab, while being significantly more indy
and digestible. QOpen 11:00 - 20:00, Sun 12:00 - 17:00.
(12z). TA6GSW
Gliwice Town Hall
Getting to Gliwice is pretty straightforward as the city
is easily accessed by frequently running trains from
Katowices main station. Lying another 10 to 15 minutes
beyond Zabrze, the journey takes about 30-45 minutes
depending on your choice of train and should cost you
between 7 and 15z. Gliwices train station is a small,
efficient affair comprising little more than a bankomat,
newsstand and kiosk. Ticket windows are open 05:30-
22:00 and they even accept credit cards. The bus station
is in the same building and a bit more grisly consisting
of one small shabby room. Here, ticket windows are only
open on the first five and final five days of the month
from 07:00-16:00, and they dont take plastic. Dont
bother, you can buy tickets from the driver. The building
hasnt been renovated in decades and is rumoured to
be up for replacement by a fashionable new EU-funded
number in a few years, but we wont be holding our breath
that long. Just northeast of the centre at ul. Bohaterw
Getta Warszawskiego 12 (O-1), a 7 minute walk down ul.
Zwycistwa will send you straight into Gliwices Rynek.
If travelling by car, getting to Gliwice is a snip. Only 27km
west of Katowice, Gliwice is just off the A4 freeway, the
stretch between Katowice and Gliwice of which is free.
So whichever direction you are coming from, hop on the
A4 and get off at the Gliwice exit following the signs to
the Centrum. Boom.
Getting to Gliwice
8 9
Katowice In Your Pocket March - June 2013 katowice.inyourpocket.com katowice.inyourpocket.com
GLIWICE GLIWICE
Nightlife
4Art Klub Muzyczny ul. Wieczorka Jzefa 22, Gliwice
(rdmiecie), tel. (+48) 32 337 54 70, www.4artgliwice.
pl. Visually 4Art is about as stimulating as a snail race, so its
something of a surprise that this transpires to be one of the
best nights out in town. This is where the local beatniks come
to do their drinking, their journey to enlightenment made all
the easier by fantastic live jazz performances - some of the
biggest names in Polish jazz have graced the stage here, so
its well worth checking out whats in store in advance. QOpen
15:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 15:00 - 02:00. PAUEBXW
Cafe Iglo M-3, ul. Rynek 18, Gliwice, tel. (+48) 32
231 42 36, www.gwarek.gliwice.pl. A Gliwice landmark,
its hard to miss this domed beer garden squatting squarely
on the Rynek year round. Owned by the same people as the
legendary Gwarek nightclub, aside from the subpar service
the two have almost nothing in common: Iglo is a thoroughly
relaxing oasis of wicker furnishings and palm trees, ideal for
a beer with friends any time. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat
09:00 - 04:00. AGW
Hemingway M-3, ul. Raciborska 2, Gliwice, tel. (+48)
32 332 74 60, www.hemingwayclub.pl. The best bar in
town comes with maritime paraphernalia attached to the
vaulted walls, and even a bust of the man himself. Absurdi-
ties include a metal shark head sticking out of a wall, while
the club downstairs has been known to get seriously lively.
Though its hard to imagine Hemingway overly enraptured by
the mojitos served here, its most certainly a destination to
stick on your agenda. QOpen 08:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 08:00
- 04:00, Sun 10:00 - 24:00. PAXW
Ministerstwo ledzia i Wdki (The Ministry of
Herring and Vodka) M-3, ul. Raciborska 2, Gliwice,
tel. (+48) 668 31 78 69, www.msiw.eu. This govern-
mental fish dishes out what for the masses really wish: small
portions of throwback snacks and beverages at scandalously
low prices. This nostalgic nationwide trend has officially
reached Gliwice and we couldnt be happier. Judging from the
standing room only crowd at the bar, locals tend to agree.
With Litovel and Bracia on tap, Passport whisky on the rocks
plus a bevy of top grade polish vodkas all for just 4pln, you
might want to get comfortable. Tiny plates of slippery Baltic
fish are the star of the snack show along with several other
bread and meat based chasers for 8z. Perhaps the best bit
is the laid back atmosphere and stylish design (no half-baked
socialist-realist decor here). This Ministry is turning drinking
into artistry. QOpen 10:00 - 08:00. GW
Piwiarnia Warka M-3, ul. rednia 10, Gliwice, tel.
(+48) 32 231 00 24. A large bar owned by the Warka
brewery, theres a certain comfort to be had from this Polish
take on an English sports pub full of exposed bricks, wooden
booths, beer and sports signage and several TVs. How long
before it turns to discomfort may depend on your ability to
resist the gratuitous quantities of beer available here by the
pitcher or even the metre (as measured out in pints). The
guaranteed hangover begs the question of how much you like
the taste of Warka in the first place. Stop by Monday nights
to join in their weekly foosball and dart tournaments. QOpen
14:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 14:00 - 02:00. PAEXW
Pub Gramofon M-3, ul. rednia 12, Gliwice, tel. (+48)
32 270 40 80, www.pubgramofon.pl. One of Gliwices
best venues, Pub Gramofon follows the Krakowian model of
hip hangouts with eclectic antique furnishings, candlelight,
classic wallpaper and newspaper clippings all over the walls.
Add to that a large menu of local food and two bars over two
levels, with a small upstairs dance-floor that gets hot and
heavy on weekends. As you might expect, the bohemians have
come to roost beneath the battered lampshades and strange
chandeliers in such numbers that finding a table might prove
impossible. With so much atmosphere in one place, you kind
of wish Gramofon would spread the love around the region a
bit. QOpen 13:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 13:00 - 04:00. PAXW
lski Jazz Club M-3, Rynek 18 (entrance from Pl.
Inwalidw Wojennych 1), Gliwice, tel. (+48) 503 80 65
35, www.sjc.pl. Much like 4Art the lski Jazz Club looks
like its had ten zoty spent on it. Thats surely because the
bulk of the budget has gone on booking some of the top
names in Polish jazz, a fact that frequently leads to momen-
tous nights. In business since 1956 this place has seen it
all, and the concerts here are the stuff of legend. Q Open
during concerts only. EGW
Sightseeing
All Saints Church (Koci Wszystkich witych)
M-3, ul. Kocielna 4, Gliwice, tel. (+48) 32 230 83
48, www.wszystkichswietych.org. The 15th century All
Saints Church is one of the defining landmarks of Gliwice,
and though modified through the ages it remains a stunning
example of Gothic architecture. Recent excavations suggest
that the immediate surrounds functioned as a cemetery from
as early as the 12th century, while the brick church itself is a
feast for the eyes, and stuffed with intricate statues of the
saints. The tower offers sweeping views of the city, but is only
accessible with a PTTK guide on Sundays between May and
September at precisely 16:00 and 17:00; cost 5z. Q Open
08:30 - 18:30. No visiting during mass please.
Piasts Castle (Zamek Piastowski) M-3, ul. Pod Mu-
rami 2, Gliwice, tel. (+48) 32 231 44 94, www.muzeum.
gliwice.pl. Dating back to the 14th century, Piasts Castle is
thought to have been erected in concert with Gliwices city
wall and other fortifications. Changing owners and undergo-
ing several stages of reconstruction and renovation over the
centuries, the castle is today a bit of a hodge-podge of styles
and materials. In the 1950s it was renovated to become part
of the city museum and has since been called Piasts Castle,
though there is no evidence to suggest it ever belonged to
the Silesian Piast dynasty. Thanks to a little love from the EU,
the castle completed a major 3-year renovation in 2008 and
now has a multimedia permanent exhibition on the life and
times of the city and its people. Visitors are given a thorough
presentation of the regions primeval history from the Stone
Age to the Middle Ages with a bevy of archaeological findings,
including the crowd-pleasing skeletons of a wooly mammoth
and shaggy rhino. The history of Gliwice from its 13th century
founding to 1989 is also on display via a variety of media, as
well as an ethnographic exhibit portraying village life and a
tourist info centre. QOpen 11:00 - 16:00, Wed 09:00 - 15:00,
Thu 10:00 - 16:00, Fri 12:00 - 18:00, Sat 12:00 - 17:00, Sun
11:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Last entrance one hour before
closing. Admission free.
SS Peter & Pauls Cathedral (Katedra p.w. w.
Apostow Piotra i Pawa) M-4, ul. Jana Pawa II 5,
Gliwice, tel. (+48) 32 230 89 45, www.katedra.gliwice.
pl. Not to be confused with Katowices similarly-named
church which it was built right before (from 1886-1900 to
be exact), this fearsome cathedral is a striking example of
neo-Gothic architecture, and comes replete with mesmeriz-
ing stained glass windows, glazed bricks and a mosaic above
the entrance featuring the saints who gave their name to this
structure. Elevated to the status of cathedral in 1992, Peter
and Pauls is home to what is recognized as the best organ
in Upper Silesia, a Rieger, making it the venue of choice for
organ recitals and other such sacral concerts. QOpen 08:30
- 17:30, Sun 13:30 - 16:30. No visiting during mass please.
St. Mary of the Assumption Church (Koci
Wniebowzicia NMP) ul. Kozielska 29, Gliwice
(rdmiecie), tel. (+48) 32 231 09 50, www.wnmp.
gliwice.pl. Poland is known for its wooden architecture,
and you wont find many better examples than this church.
Originally built in 1493 in the town of Zbowice, and without
using a single nail, the church was transported and rebuilt
in its current location in the last century. Q Open 08:00-
12:00, 17:00-19:00.
Willa Caro N-3, ul. Dolnych Waw 8a, Gliwice, tel.
(+48) 32 231 08 54, www.muzeum.gliwice.pl. Con-
structed between 1882 and 1885 at the behest of local
industrialist Oscar Caro, this renaissance style villa has
been operating as a museum since 1934 when it came
under the stewardship of the Silesian Museum of Gliwice.
Fully restored at the end of the last century the villa is a
supreme example of the architecture of the day, featuring
elaborate woodwork and neo-baroque ceilings. The lavish
interiors are a great peek at how the bigshots of yesteryear
once lived, with the first floor and half of the second expertly
preserved as it once was. Features of note include splendid
chandeliers, as well as paintings, copperplates and 18th
century trunks. The third floor and the other half of the second
are now turned over to rotating temporary exhibitions, and
the villa is surrounded by gardens befitting one of Silesias
most prominent capitalists. QOpen 11:00 - 16:00, Wed
09:00 - 15:00, Thu 10:00 - 16:00, Fri 12:00 - 18:00, Sat
12:00 - 17:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Last entrance
one hour before closing. Admission 8/4z, familly ticket 16z.
Sat free. Guided tours 80z.
Gliwice Palm House N-2, ul. Fredry 6, Gliwice,
tel. (+48) 32 231 32 39, www.mzuk.gliwice.pl. In
addition to being one of the only cities in the region to
have retained its medieval layout and character, Gliwice
- the yellow rose of Silesia as we like to call it - is also
the greenest city in an area famous for being about as
lovely as a lump of coal. The corsage on the wrist of this
blue collar beauty is Chopin Park and the Municipal Palm
House. The history of the Palm House dates back to 1880
when a private conservatory of greenhouses was first
built. Gradually transformed to house exotic non-native
flora, the Palm House was made public and had already
become a popular and widely marketed tourist attraction
by the 1930s. The complex featured a 120 cubic metre
heated pool - the first in Silesia - and was filled with water
lillies, a high water mark for exotica at the time. A zoo was
also added, featuring cold-blooded reptiles like alliga-
tors and anacondas, as well as red-bottomed baboons.
Becoming a popular leisure and meeting point for locals,
the Palm House successfully combined the character of
a regal winter garden with an educational venue. Today
the Palmerie is housed in one of the citys most dazzling
pieces of modern architecture, with an area of 2000
square metres over four pavilions focussed on different
climatic conditions. Totalling some 5600 plants - some
specimens of which are well over 100 years old - visitors
can see tropical and subtropical plants, usuable plants
and succulents from all over the world, in addition to an
aviary and slimy-thinged aquariums and terrariums. The
price of admission is a bargain, and if you get too humid,
the cafe is a great place to cool off with great views of
Chopin Park. Exceptional flora, put in your palm. Hooray
for biodiversity. Q Open 09:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 -
17:00. Closed Mon. From March 31 open 09:00 - 18:00,
Sat, Sun 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Last entrance 1 hour
before closing. Admission 5z, students 3.50z.
Gliwice Palm House
Radio Station Gliwice (Radiostacja Gliwice)
ul. Tarnogrska 129, Gliwice (erniki), tel. (+48) 32
300 04 04, www.muzeum.gliwice.pl. Head Gliwice
way, namely to ul. Tarnogrska 129, to take a look at
the 110.7 metre radio tower, which actually rates as the
worlds tallest wooden structure and the last wooden
telecommunications tower in existence - and it still works!
Constructed between 1934 and 1935 by the German
Lorenz company (with a helping hand from Siemens
and Telefunken), the Silesian Eiffel Tower has survived
the vicissitudes of time, which is something of a miracle
bearing its history in mind. On August 31, 1939, this site
became the centre of what was to become known as the
Gleiwitz incident. On the orders of Reinhard Heydrich
(who would later achieve infamy in his brutal role as SS
commandant of the regions of Bohemia and Moravia), a
crack team of SS troops dressed in Polish army uniforms
staged a mock attack on the tower (which was then on
German soil). To make the assault all the more convinc-
ing the bodies of numerous enemies of the system were
left scattered around, and the pretend operation was
then used as the pretense Hitler needed to launch an
attack on Poland the next day. With that WWII kicked off.
Unlike the majority of German communications towers
it survived the war intact and in peace time was utilized
by the communist authorities, its many purposes includ-
ing the jamming of western radio programs. In 2005 a
museum was opened, its exhibits serving as a tribute
to the events of 1939. Q Open 09:00 - 16:00. Closed
Mon, Sun. Admission 5/2z. Sat free. Guided tours in
English and German are available for 200z per group.
Radio Station Gliwice
11
ARRIVAL & TRANSPORT
10
ARRIVAL & TRANSPORT
By Bus
While the citys train station is under major construction
buses have become an option that requires signi ficantly
fewer hurdles to jump, though the station itself wont win
any prizes for design.
Bus Station (Dworzec Autobusowy Katowice) C-2,
ul. Skargi 1, tel. (+48) 703 40 33 15, www.pks-katowice.
pl. To call Katowice Bus Station (C-2, ul. Skargi 1) a bus station is
a bit of a misnomer. In reality travellers will find themselves faced
with a small tin shed; give a child ten minutes with some Lego
pieces and they are sure to construct something more durable.
Its in here youll find a small waiting room, a Eurolines counter
and all departures (odjazdy) and arrival times (przyjazdy) noted
up on the board (all tickets have to be purchased directly from
bus drivers). Outside the few departure lanes offer no shelter
from the elements. At least you find yourself in the heart of town:
all you have to do is walk forward and take a swift left turn at ul.
Mickiewicza (C-2) and within three minutes youll find yourself
staring at the principal main street, ul. Stawowa (C-2). Youll
have to go further onto the Rynek (C-3) to find the nearest tour-
ist information point, however. While it doesnt offer tickets or
phone cards, it does offer maps and advice and there is also
internet there. If you want to buy a phone card or to connect to
the Polish mobile network youll need to go to one of the many
kiosks dotted around. For info on local city buses see Public
Transport. Q Ticket office open 06:15 - 17:45.
By Car
Poland is one of Europes leading nations in road fatalities, a
statistic that will surprise few who have had the pleasure of
using the roads here. A lethal combination of poor road sur-
faces, networks unsuited to the volume of different traffic and,
most of all, frustrated and aggressive driver behavior result
in the common sight of mangled wrecks around the country.
Be cautious and keep a safe distance between you and the
vehicle in front. The speed limit in Poland is generally50km/
hr in cities (60km/hr between 23:00 and 05:00), 90km/hr
outside urban areas, 120km/hron dual carriageways and
140km/hr on motorways. All cars must have their headlights
switched on at all times and carry a red warning triangle, first
aid kit, replacement bulbs, a national identity sticker and
proper registration and insurance documents. Poland also
has strict drunk-driving laws: 0.2 is the maximum blood/
alcohol limit, so forget about having even a single beer. You
can use your home driving license or an international driving
permit for six months from the entry date on your passport.
Carry your license and passport at all times when driving.
Katowice is a straight 75km drive west from Krakw along the
A4 highway, one of the better stretches of road in the country,
but its smooth asphalt doesnt come free. Toll gates can be
found at either end at which you will need to pay 9z if driving
a car. This brings you in on Al. Grnolska (F-5). The other
major route in will bring you along route 79 onto ul. Chorzowska
(B-1). Driving around Katowice can be a bit hellish for those
uninitiated to the complexity of the citys oneway streets and
the constant presence of roadwork, so we recommend you
ditch your vehicle at the earliest opportunity. Car crime is not
unheard of and youll be safest leaving your ride in one of the
guarded parking lots listed below. Street parking is also avail-
able and generally operates under the control of a local parking
warden. He will be wandering along his patch wearing a bib of
some colour and will charge you around 1.50z per hour to park.
Guarded Parking D-3, ul. Wojewdzka 14, tel. (+48)
500 04 51 98.
Guarded Parking D-3, ul. Wojewdzka 44, tel. (+48)
508 83 73 44.
For decades Katowice
had a serious PR prob-
l em i n the menaci ng
shape of its own cen-
tral trai n stati on - a
truly ghastly architec-
tural abomination that
shel tered al l manner
of strange smells and a
host of dubious charac-
ters. Having ourselves
survived many a close
encounter wi th tunnel dwelling ri f fraf f and several
existential dilemmas while commiserating in the com-
munist era cafeteria, we are overjoyed to announce that
those days are gone and no longer will travellers have
to live in fear of drawing near to this huge communica-
tion hub. The loooong awaited, fully renovated and
totally reconceptualised Katowice train station officially
opened in October 2012 and will be fully operational
from April 2013. The finished product is indeed a thing
of beauty (wait, are we still in Katowice?), and while it
will undoubtedly take time for some people to fully scrub
the industrial stain of the old train station from their
memory, those arriving in the city for the first time will
find themselves greeted by a fully modern metropolis
that exceeds expectations. Congrats Katowice, its
nice to meet you.
Katowice Train Station (Katowice Dworzec
Kolejowy) D-2, Pl. Szewczyka, tel. (+48) 22 39
19 757 (from foreign mobile phones), www.pkp.
pl. With a total investment estimated at 240 million
Euros, the newly opened Katowice train station plans to
handle 12 million passengers per year with 520 trains
running through it every 24 hours. The new station
will eventually incorporate a large shopping complex
(Galeria Katowicka) and underground parking lot, with
addi ti onal shoppi ng and entertai nment venues on
Szewczyk Square. The regional bus station under the
station is already operational so i f you are travelling
somewhere in Silesia beyond Katowice, or on your way
to the airport, head down one of the escalators in the
main train terminal to grab a bus. Many of the streets
surrounding the new train station and shopping centre
complex are still undergoing a process of re-routing
in order to create a fully integrated transport hub. All
construction to the station and shopping centre should
be wrapped up by the third quarter of 2013.
Besides the bevvy of modern conveniences and prestige
the new station brings, perhaps the greatest advantage
is its location and full fledged integration as a local,
national and international transport hub. Direct trains
to Krakw run 2-3 times per hour from platforms 1
and 2, taking about 120 minutes to make the journey.
It is also possible to travel between the cities of the
Silesian Metropolis by local train: starting at 05:03 and
running until 22:38, trains run 2 to 3 times per hour
from platforms 1 and 2; the trip to Zabrze is about 25
minutes, to Gliwice 35 minutes. Station departure boards
(odjazdy) are indicated by their yellow timetables while
arrivals (przyjazdy) are white. For connections to other
destinations in Poland or abroad make sure to check the
website or call the infoline. Q Open 24hrs. Note that due
to system maintenance seat reservations cannot be
made from 00:00 to 01:00.
The Train Station
By Plane
Katowice International Airport (Miedzynarodowy
Port Lotniczy Katowice) ul. Wolnoci 90, Pyrzowice,
tel. (+48) 32 392 73 85, www.katowice-airport.com.
Katowice International Airport is located 34km north east of
Katowice in Pyrzowice, with frequent shuttle bus connections
to and from Katowice. Two terminals, A and B, are situated
side by side. Both feature spotless toilets, money exchange
counters, ATMs, refreshment stops, pharmacy and car
rental counters. There is an airport information point on the
ground floor of terminal A. Phones can be found in terminals
A and B and you can buy cards for them at the Relay news
kiosk there. Taxis wait directly outside and can deliver you
to Katowice for 100-150z. Airport Bus Service/Matuszek
shuttle service makes the same journey for only 25z (to
Krakw for 50z), and departure times from in front of both
terminals are coordinated with flight arrivals. Dropping off at
Pl. Andrzeja (D-2), you can pay cash to the driver on the spot
or book ahead on their website: grey.turystyka.com.pl.
While the train station is under construction buses to the
airport will leave from Pl. Andrzeja behind the station roughly
every hour and you can find their schedule here: http://www.
pkm.katowice.pl/pyrzowice.php. Full schedules for flights, as
well as other essential travel information can be found at the
user-friendly www.katowice-airport.com.
Public Transport
An extremely well developed system of trams and buses
operated by the wonderfully named KZK GOP provide a simple
and fast way of getting around Katowice and its surrounding
towns. The tickets for the network are valid for both buses and
trams. A three-zone system is used, of which Katowice is in
zone-one and Chorzw in zone-two. Accordingly, a one-zone
ticket is required for the former and a two-zone ticket for travel-
ling between the two. A one-zone ticket costs 3.20z and now
also serves as a 15min ticket allowing you to swap forms of
transport (bus to tram and onto a different tram for instance)
within that time period. A two-zone ticket costs 3.80z and also
serves as a 30min ticket. There is also a three-zone/one-hour
ticket available for 4.80z. A 18z 24hr ticket allows travel
within all three zones, though its hard to imagine getting your
moneys worth out of this without spending the whole day on
the tram. Okay, we admit, theres not much reason to get off.
Almost all travel within Katowice and Chorzw can be accom-
plished using trams, most of which run through the stop at the
Rynek. Tram number 6 runs between the Rynek and Chorzw via
the Park of Culture & Recreation and is the most useful tram for
getting there and back. Tickets can be bought from any kiosk, or
from bright yellow machines found at many tram stops around
the city. Make sure you validate your ticket when entering
the tram or bus. The penalty for riding without a validated ticket
is 90z (plus the price of the ticket) on the spot.
Katowice Public Transport Company (KZK GOP),
tel. (+48) 32 743 84 46, www.kzkgop.com.pl.
Neinver Polska
9
8
13
BASICS
12
ARRIVAL & TRANSPORT
Territory
Poland covers an area of 312,685 square kilometers
and is the ninth biggest country in Europe. It borders
the Baltic Sea (528km) and seven countries, namely
Belarus (416km), Czech Republic (790km), Germany
(467km), the mysterious Russian exclave of Kaliningrad
(210km), Li thuania (103km), Slovakia (539km) and
Ukraine (529km).
Longest River
The river Vistula (Wisa) is Polands longest river at
1,047km and flows through Krakow and Warsaw before
reaching the Bay of Gdask (Zatoka Gdaska).
Highest Point
The highest peak is Rysy (2,499m) in the Tatra Mountains
along the southern border with Slovakia. In comparison,
Katowices landscape rolls a bit more gently with the
citys elevation between 266-352m above sea level.
Population (2011)
Poland: 38,538,447
Warsaw: 1,708,491
Krakw: 759,137
d: 728,892
Wrocaw: 631,235
Pozna: 554,696
Gdask: 460,517
Katowice: 310,764
Local time
Poland is in the Central European (CET) time zone
(GMT+1hr). When its 12:00 in Katowice its 05:00 in
Chicago, 06:00 in New York City, 11:00 in London, 12:00
in Paris and Berlin and 19:00 in Tokyo. Polish summer
time (GMT+2hrs) starts and ends on the last Sundays
of March and October.
Facts & Figures
Climate
Poland has a temperate climate with hot summers and cold
winters. Seasons tend to be more pronounced than in the
west and temperatures can get down as low as -20 C in winter
and as high as +30 C in summer. The coldest weather tends
to hit around February.
Customs
If you are travelling within the EU those over 18 can now take
10 litres of spirits, 90 litres of wine and 110 litres of beer.
Most countries will not allow more than 800 cigarettes from
Poland. If purchasing art or books, you need to consider their
age and value. In order to leave the country, art must be less
than 50 years old and under a certain value (varies depending
by type; photos 6,000z, other art 14,000z, for example); if
one of these conditions is met, the gallery curator can then
provide you with a zawiadczenie (permission document)
describing the artworks price and when and where it was
created. If the work exceeds the permitted age and value,
you must get permission from the Wojewdzki Konserwator
Zabytkw (Regional Curators Office) to take it out of Poland;
bear in mind that this process will likely take 2-3 months.
Books must be less than 100 years old and under 6,000z in
value in order to leave the country; if neither applies, permis-
sion must be obtained from the National Library. Obviously,
problems arise when purchases are made at bazaars or flea
Taxis
Taxis are more honest than they were once were in Poland but
it still pays to be on your guard especially when getting into a
taxi at the main train station or airport. Make sure you choose
a clearly marked taxi with a phone number displayed as well
as a sticker showing its prices which you should find in the
window. Check the price with the driver before setting off and
make sure he turns his meter on. Taxis are now legally obliged
to give you a printed receipt for your journey. Most firms will
charge you 7z to get in and then a further 3z per kilometre
when travelling in the city. Travelling outside of city limits
and at night is likely to cost up to 50% more than normal.
Airport TAXI Service, tel. (+48) 784 84 68 66,
www.taxipyrzowice.pl.
City Taxi, tel. (+48) 32 203 77 77,
www.citytaxi.katowice.pl.
Tele-Taxi, tel. (+48) 32 196 21, www.teletaxikatowice.pl.
Car Rental
Avis E-2, ul. Powstacw
12, tel. (+48) 32 257 20 71,
www.avis.pl. Avis is Polands
biggest car rental company and offers an complete
range of vehicles for rent throughout Poland. Also at ul.
Wolnoci 90, Pyrzowice (Airport), tel. (+48) 601 35 48
12. Open 08:00 - 00:30. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00, Sat
09:00 - 13:00. Closed Sun.
Europcar B-2, ul.
Chorzowska 50, tel.
(+48) 32 209 57 45,
www.europcar.pl. Eu-
ropcar offers a full range of vehicles from small hatchbacks,
through Mercedes and up to mini-bus and vans. Check
the website for additional offers. Also at ul. Wolnoci 90,
Pyrzowice (Airport), tel. (+48) 32 284 50 86, Open 09:00 -
23:30. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. The offices
can be staffed outside of these hours for extra payment.
Joka C-3, Al. Korfan-
tego 9 (Katowice Ho-
tel), tel. (+48) 32 350
14 50/(+48) 601 54
53 67, www.joka.com.pl. A wide range of cars from
the baby Ford Fiesta to the spacious Audi A6. Satellite
navigation systems available. Order through the website
for special rates. Q Open 09:00 - 17:00, Sat 09:00 -
12:00. Sun open on request.
markets where vendors cannot provide the necessary docu-
ments; if there is any doubt about the value or age of your
purchase, we suggest you visit an Antykwariat (antiques
dealer - see shopping) for advice.
Electricity
Electricity in Poland is 230V, 50Hz AC. Plug sockets are round
with two round-pin sockets. Therefore i f you are coming
from the US, UK or Ireland you are definitely going to need a
plug convertor. The best place to pick these up is at home,
though if you arrive without one try your hotel concierge or
reception; they should be able to point you to the nearest
electrical store if they fail to provide a convertor themselves.
Health & Emergency
In case of an emergency those dialling from a land line or
public payphone should use the following numbers: 999
for an ambulance, 998 for the fire brigade and 997 for the
police. Mobile phone users should call 112 to be forwarded
to the relevant department. English speaking assistance
is not necessarily guaranteed, and rests on the linguistic
capabilities of the call operator.
Between June 1st and September 30th however, English,
German and Russian speakers have the option of using a
separate line specifically designed for foreigners in distress:
dial 800 200 300 from a land-line or 608 599 999 from a
mobile phone for troubles during high-tourist season.
Further help can be provided by embassies and consulates, of
which a comprehensive list can be found in the directory section.
If youve run out of money, however, then silly you. No embassy
will bail you out, and and your hopes will rest on a Western Union
money transfer. Most banks and many exchange bureaus (kan-
tors) can now carry out such transactions, just keep an eye out
for anywhere displaying the Western Union logo.
For a list of clinics and hospitals check the directory section
at the back of this guide.
Internet
Internet access is typically free and widely available in Poland,
with practically every caf and restaurant offering wi-fi to
customers with laptops and smartphones. Getting on the
network often requires nothing more than a password, which
you can request of your favorite bartender or barista with a
simple, Poprosz o haso do internetu? If you dont have
your own gadgets we offer a few Internet cafe options below.
Caf Kontakt C-2, ul. Stawowa 3, tel. (+48) 513
01 35 73, www.cafekontakt.net. A centrally located
industrial-look place with several fast machines, CD burn-
ing and photocopying services. QOpen 08:00 - 23:00, Sun
10:00 - 22:00. 4z per hour.
Law & Order
In general Katowice is safer than most Western cities, and
visitors are unlikely to face any problems. Petty crime does
exist however, and travellers should be aware of where their
wallet is, guarding against pickpockets and opportunists.
Those travelling by car are advised to use a guarded car park.
Robberies on overnight trains are not unheard of, especially
on the routes connecting Warsaw and Krakw with Prague
and Berlin; book a couchette or a sleeper cabin if possible.
Also avoid being ripped off by opportunistic taxi jockeys by
using clearly marked cabs, something to bear in mind around
the train station and airport.
Staying on the right side of the law is significantly easier for
tourists who accept that Polish beer and vodka are rocket
English Service Taxi, tel.
(+48) 607 61 51 21, e-taxi.
katowice.pl. This is a totally
new standard of taxi service
in Katowice. All of their experienced drivers are fluent
in English and all of the taxis in their fleet are Audis and
Mercedes. Of course each car also comes equipped
with air-conditioning and on board credit card terminals
(Visa, Mastercard, American Express). Whether you are
going to and from the airport or travelling to a meeting
across town, your comfort and ease of travel is always
paramount. So forget about being overcharged by a
shady driver barking demands in languages you cant
understand. This is a taxi you can truly trust.
-taxi
your nglish srvic taxi
14
BASICS
15
BASICS
French (and only French). When you get to the head of that
insufferably long queue, dont be surprised to be sent to
another or back to the end, paperwork in hand.
If sending something of any monetary or sentimental value,
please, make sure you do so by using priority mail or better;
magic word: Priorytet. Choosing the cheapest overseas
option available will ensure that your package is used as
a football, opened and resealed with or without all of its
contents before it arrives after a minimum 90-day journey.
Were not exaggerating, and, yes, we are still very angry.
There are several post offices around Katowice, with the
main building at ul. Pocztowa 9 (D-3) being the largest and
most incomprehensible. All post offices close early on
Saturday, if open at all, and all will be closed Sunday. Good
luck, gringo.
Central Post Office D-3, ul. Pocztowa 9, tel. (+48)
32 359 45 88, www.poczta-polska.pl. If youre in need
of stamps, they can be purchased at any of the windows.
However there is no organised queuing system so sharpen
your elbows and brace yourself for the fight of your life. Q
Open 24hrs.
Religion
For over one thousand years Poland has been a bulwark of
Catholicism, fighting against the horrors of pagan invasion
and looking to Catholicism for a sense of social and national
unity. When Poland was partitioned in the 19th century, many
turned to the church for solace and during the communist
era, underground resistance meetings were surreptitiously
held in churches.
The deceased Polish-born Pope John Paul II remains a
genuine source of pride for all Poles, and is beloved in a
way more profound than cynics in the West can understand.
Many Pol es genuinel y beli eve that John Paul II singl e-
handedly started the overthrow of Communism in Central
and Eastern Europe. Small wonder then that your average
Pole takes Catholicism very seriously. Those used to the
more easy-going habits of the West may find the Polish
enthusiasm a bit unnerving at first, particularly the solemn
and opulent processions that occur from time to time and
the droves that flock to mass.
Water
Water in Poland is officially safe to drink although the qual-
ity of plumbing in many places can affect the quality of the
water that is delivered from your tap. We therefore recom-
mend that you use bottled water which is widely available
and inexpensive. The best known bottled local brands are
ywiec, Cisowianka, Kropla Beskidu and Naczowianka. In
restaurants many tourists are surprised to find a glass of
water is not compulsory, and ordering some typically results
in the receipt of a tiny glass bottle that will barely wet your
whistle. Beer is often a better bet since its cheaper and ar-
rives in larger quantities, but if youre set on having water its
best to learn the difference between gazowana (carbonated
water) and niegazowana (still water).
years but the trend is that you will be receiving less for your
euros, dollars and sterling than in years past. Having said
that prices for food, drink, cultural venues and transport still
remain comparatively cheap in contrast to Western Europe.
A ticket to the cinema will rarely cost more than 20z while
admission to most museums costs around 5-10z.
Credit Card Charges
If youre visiting Poland and plan to pay for any purchases
with a credit card whose base currency isnt Polish zloty (and
unless youre Polish, this probably means you) odds are you
may find merchants asking whether you want to be charged
in your home currency or zlotys. At times (though this is more
rare) its not even a question - the merchant will simply take it
upon himself to charge your credit card in your home currency,
no questions asked. Dont fall into the trap of thinking your
credit card company wont charge a foreign transaction fee
if you opt to be charged in your native currency; crossing the
border is what they care about, not the currency. And thats
just one of the reasons why, when given the choice, its in the
best interest of your wallet to choose zlotys.
Why? Because the companies that process credit card
transactions typically tack on fees for converting the money,
and then do so at a lousy exchange rate. Depending on the
size and number of your purchases while in Poland, the cost
can really add up. Visitors will have to be vigilant and monitor
receipts when paying with a credit card, and should you be
charged in a different currency put your foot down. Merchants
dont benefit from those additional fees, only the company
that processes the transaction does. So be firm about asking
to have your purchase refunded and done over again in zlotys.
Post
A bureaucratic nightmare buried under incomprehensible
paperwork, there is no indication that Polands postal ser-
vice - Poczta Polska - will be automated or computerised
during our lifetimes. There can be no doubt that the post
office is one of the most frustrating places to be a foreigner
in Poland, as youre guaranteed to not understand a damn
thing happening there. Your best ally is the person in line next
to you; if theres one person in the room who speaks not a
word of English, its the qualified clerk at the service window.
Also, dont expect any signs to feature English translations,
though all paperwork has been mystifyingly translated into
March 31, 2013 Easter Sunday
April 1 Easter Monday
May 1 Labour Day
May 3 Constitution Day (May 3, 1791)
May 19, 2013 Pentecost Sunday
May 30, 2013 Corpus Christi
National Holidays
PLN US$ Euro Pound
3.10z = $1 4.14z = 1 4.81z = 1
1 z $0.32 0.24 0.21
2 z $0.65 0.48 0.42
3 z $0.97 0.72 0.62
4 z $1.29 0.97 0.83
5 z $1.61 1.21 1.04
6 z $1.94 1.45 1.25
7 z $2.26 1.69 1.46
8 z $2.58 1.93 1.66
9 z $2.90 2.17 1.87
10 z $3.23 2.42 2.08
20 z $6.45 4.83 4.16
50 z $16.13 12.08 10.40
100 z $32.26 24.15 20.79
150 z $48.39 36.23 31.19
200 z $64.52 48.31 41.58
250 z $80.65 60.39 51.98
1 000 z $322.58 241.55 207.90
Quick Currency Convertor
fuel and drink accordingly. If youre determined to make an
idiot of yourself then make sure its not in front of the law. In
recent years visitors - ranging from geniuses in Chewbacca
costumes to complete fools whove thought its perfectly
acceptable to drop their trousers and urinate in a city centre
fountain - have tested the patience of the local law enforce-
ment, which is decidedly low so dont push your luck.Those
who do may well be treated to a trip to Katowices premier
drunk tank (ul. Macieja 10), a chastening experience which will
set you back 250z for a 6-24 hour stay. In return for your cash
expect a strip search, a set of blue pyjamas and the company
of a dozen mumbling vagrants. Those resisting arrest may
well find themselves strapped down to a bed, One Flew Over
The Cuckoos Nest-style. Refreshment comes in the form
of limitless coffee, though the mug sometimes comes with
a smell of urine for a reason. Credit cards are not accepted.
The other well-known ways tourists can cross cops is by
jaywalking. If you are from a country which has no (or doesnt
respect) jaywalking laws, youll be surprised to see a crowd
of people standing obediently at a crossing waiting for the
lights to change. This peculiarity has extra effect if you are
aware of how little Poles respect the rules of the road in a
vehicle, where it often feels like a survival of the fittest. The
reason for the obedience of this particular rule is the fact that
the local city police (Stra Miejska) will quite freely give you a
100z fine for crossing a road at a place where no crossing
is marked or a 100z fine when the walk light is red. And
dont think you are exempt by being a foreign visitor. You are
subject to the law too and your non-residency means you will
need to pay the fine on the spot.
Money
Thinking of paying for your tram ticket with one of the 100z
notes in your pocket? Think again. Small shops, newsagents,
public toilets, even the occasional fast food franchise and
bar will refuse to break a large note for you. As annoying as
coins can be, do carry small change for such moments. Notes
come in denominations of 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10 zotys,
and there are 1, 2 and 5 zoty coins. One zoty equals 100
groszy which come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 groszy coins.
Currency can be exchanged at airports, hotels, banks and
anywhere with a sign proclaiming it to be a Kantor and you will
also be able to withdraw currency at a bankomat using your
ATM card. A Kantor will often provide better value than the
banks in your home country or the ATM although for obvious
reasons be very wary of Kantors in the airports, bus stations
and close to tourist sights - by in large, these guys will charge
the earth. Shopping around will reward you with the best
rate. The Polish currency has been up and down in recent
Pri ces i n Poland are still fai rl y competi ti ve despi te
increases over the last couple of years particularly in
the prices of cigarettes. Here are some typical everyday
products and prices.
Market values as of February 18, 2012 based on
1 = 4.14z
Product Price (z) Price ()
McDonald's Big Mac 9.40 z 2.27
Snickers 1.29 z 0.31
0.5ltr vodka (shop) 22.90 z 5.53
0.5ltr beer (shop) 2.89 z 0.70
0.5ltr beer (bar) 6.00 z 1.45
Loaf of white bread 2.29 z 0.55
20 Marlboros 12.90 z 3.12
1 ltr of unleaded petrol (98) 5.80 z 1.40
Local transport ticket (1 journey) 3.20 z 0.77
Market Values
Many Poles, particularly young people, have a healthy
command of the English language. Many are also
adept at other European languages with German being
the most commonly spoken. Older Poles will fiercely
contest that they have forgotten the Russian taught
to them at school but most will still have a reasonable
understanding.
Mastering the Polish tongue can be a terrifying ordeal,
often resulting in personal degradation as shop
assistants laugh at your flustered attempts. That aside,
learning a few key phrases will smooth your time in
Krakw and may even win you friends and admirers.
On the downside, Polish is one of the most difficult
languages for native English speakers to learn. On the
upside, unlike in English, words in Polish are spelled
the way they are pronounced. This is a great help once
you know how to pronounce each letter/combination of
letters. While many letters represent the same sounds
as they do in English, below we have listed those
particular to Polish, followed by some basic words and
phrases. Powodzenia (good luck)!
Basic Pronunciation:
sounds like on in the French bon
sounds like en as in the French bien
is an open o sound like oo in boot
c like the ts in bits
j like the y in yeah
w is pronounced like the English v
like the w in win
like the ny in canyon
cz and like the ch in beach
dz like the ds in beds
rz and like the su in treasure
sz and like the sh in ship
drz like the g in George
r is always rolled
Yes Tak (Tahk)
No Nie (Nyeh)
Hi/Bye (informal) Cze (Cheshch)
Hello/Good day
(formal)
Dzie dobry (Jen doh-bri)
Good evening
(formal)
Dobry wieczr (Doh-bri vyeh-choor)
Good-bye Do widzenia (Doh veet-zen-ya)
Good Night Dobranoc (Doh-brah-noats)
Please Prosz (Prosheh)
Thank you Dzikuj (Jen-koo-yeh)
Excuse me/Sorry Przepraszam (Psheh-prasham)

My name is... Mam na imi... (Mam nah ee-myeh)
Im from England. Jestem z Anglii (Yehstem zanglee)
Do you speak
English?
Czy mwisz po
angielsku?
(Che moo-veesh po
an-gyel-skoo?)
I dont speak
Polish.
Nie mwi po
polsku.
(Nyeh moo-vyeh po
pol-skoo.)
I dont understand. Nie rozumiem. (Nyeh row-zoo-me-ehm.)
Two beers, please. Dwa piwa prosz. (Dvah peevah prosheh.)
Cheers! Na zdrowie! (Nah zdrovyeh!)
Where are the
toilets?
Gdzie s toalety? (Gdjeh sawn toe-letih)
You are beauti ful. Jeste pikna. (Yes-tesh pee-enk-nah.)
I love you. Kocham ci. (Ko-hahm chuh.)
Please take me
home.
Prosz zabierz mnie
do domu.
(Prosheh za-byesh
mnyeh doh doh-moo.)
Call me! Zadzwo do mnie! (Zads-dvoan doh
mnyeh!)
Airport Lotnisko (Lot-nees-ko)
Train station Dworzec PKP (Dvoar-jets Peh Kah Peh)
Bus station Dworzec PKS (Dvoar-jets Peh Kah
Ess)
One ticket to Jeden bilet do (Yeh-den bee-let doh)
Language Smarts
17
CULTURE & EVENTS
16
CULTURE & EVENTS
Cinemas
Cinema City Silesia A-1, Silesia City Center, ul. Chor-
zowska 107, tel. (+48) 32 605 05 55, www.cinema-city.
pl.QBox office open from 09:30 to 15 minutes after last
show. Tickets 16-30z.
Helios C-3, ul. Uniwersytecka 13, tel. (+48) 32 603
01 05, www.helios.pl. Q Box office open depending on
repertoire. Tickets 16-28z.
IMAX C-1, ul. Gliwicka 44, tel. (+48) 32 359 59 59,
www.cinema-city.pl. Q Box office open depending on
repertoire. Tickets 19-30z.
Rialto D-3, ul. w. Jana 24, tel. (+48) 32 251 04 31,
www.rialto.katowice.pl.QBox office open 13:00 - 20:00;
Sat, Sun open one hour before first showtime. Tickets
10-15z.
wiatowid C-2, ul. 3 Maja 7, tel. (+48) 32 258 74 32,
www.swiatowid.katowice.pl. Q Box office open 10:00 -
21:00, Sat, Sun 13:00 - 21:00. Tickets 10-16z.
Cultural Centres
Spodek B-3, Al. Korfantego 35, tel. (+48) 32 258 32
61, www.spodek.eu.
Galleries
BWA Contemporary Art Gallery (Galeria Sztuki
Wspczesnej BWA) C-3, Al. Korfantego 6, tel. (+48)
32 259 90 40, www.bwa.katowice.pl.QOpen 10:00 -
18:00. Closed Mon. Admission 5.50/3z.
Rondo Sztuki (Galeria ASP Rondo Sztuki) B-3,
Rondo gen. Zitka 1, tel. (+48) 32 720 11 32, www.
rondosztuki.pl. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 -
18:00. Closed Mon. Admission free.
Wilson Shaft Gallery (Galeria Szyb Wilson) ul.
Oswobodzenia 1 (Nikiszowiec), tel. (+48) 32 730 32
20, www.szybwilson.org.QOpen 09:00 - 19:00. Admis-
sion free.
Opera Stages
Silesian Opera (Opera lska) Bytom, ul. Moniuszki
21-23, tel. (+48) 32 281 34 31, www.opera-slaska.
pl.QBox office open 10:00 - 18:00, Mon 08:00 - 16:00, Sun
two hours before performance. Tickets 10-60z.
Philharmonic
Silesian Philharmonic (Filharmonia lska) ul.
Zacisze 3, Katowice Academy of Music, tel. (+48) 32
351 17 13, www.filharmoniaslaska.pl.QBox office (C-2,
Opolska 9) open 10:00 - 17:00. Tickets 5-110z.
Theatre Stages
Ateneum Puppet Theatre (lski Teatr Lalki i
Aktora Ateneum) D-3, ul. w. Jana 10, tel. (+48) 32
253 82 21 ext. 115, www.ateneum.art.pl. Q Box office
open 09:00 - 13:00, 14:00 - 16:00, Sat 13:00 - 17:00, Sun
an hour before performance. Closed Mon. Tickets 14-19z.
Rozrywki Theatre (Teatr Rozrywki) I-3, ul. M. Ko-
nopnickiej 1 (Chorzw), tel. (+48) 32 346 19 31, www.
teatr-rozrywki.pl. Q Box office open 09:00 - 20:00; Sat,
Sun two hours before the performance. Tickets 15-80z.
Silesian Theatre (Teatr lski) C-3, ul. Rynek 10,
tel. (+48) 32 259 93 60, www.teatrslaski.art.pl. Q
Box office open 10:00 - 13:00, 13:30 - 19:00, Mon 10:00 -
18:00, Sun two hours before performance. Tickets 15-60z.
Ballet
15.03 Friday
Swan Lake
P-3, Zabrze, Dom Muzyki i Taca, ul. Gen. de Gaullea
17. Heard of this one? Tchaikovskys famous ballet per-
formed by the Royal Russian Ballet company. Formed in
Kharkiv (thats actually Ukraine) in 2007, this prestigious
troupe of Ukrainian and Russian performers has travelled
the world over, collecting many awards en route. Q Event
starts at 19:00. Tickets 90-140z. Available at www.eventim.
pl and Empik (C-2), ul. Piotra Skargi 6, Katowice (Open 08:00
- 20:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00).
Concerts
06.03 Wednesday
Abba The Show (The Ultimate Tribute To Abba)
B-3, Spodek, Al. Korfantego 35, www.abba-the-show.
com. If you love Abba - the 70s Swedish Europop group that
continues to sell millions of records a year - then appar-
ently this experience is better than the real thing ever was,
playing a big role in the fact that the bands popularity has
never waned. Performed by the Swedish group Waterloo,
with the National Symphony Orchestra of London conducted
by Matthew Freeman and original members of Abba, the
show comprises not only 2 hours of all the greatest hits
of Abba, but also theatrical elements with a narrative that
follows Abba from their late 60s beginnings through their
meteoric rise to fame, which this show will convince you only
continues to crest. Playing sold out shows for millions of
people all over the world, Abba lives on. Q Concert starts
at 20:00. Tickets 79-200z. Available at www.ticketpro.pl
and Empik (C-2), ul. Piotra Skargi 6 (Open 08:00 - 20:00,
Sun 10:00 - 16:00).
18.03 Monday
Alexander Pustovalov Army Choir
I-3, Chorzw, Rozrywki Theatre, ul. M. Konopnickiej 1.
During its heyday, the Red Army Choir won countless med-
als, honours and prestige as it toured the world under the
direction of Alexander Pustovalov, who rose to the rank of
colonel just by showing off the superior pipes of the Soviet
boys. After the break up of the USSR, Pustovalov continued
his work as i f it never did, and his entourage of about 60
singers, soloists, symphony musicians and more, dressed
in full military pleats and epaulettes continue to perform
their nostal gic mix of marches, Russian and Ukrainian
national songs and folk ballads. Like nothing youve ever
seen, were quite certain. Q Concert starts at 19:00.
Tickets 120z. Available at www.ticketpro.pl and Empik
(C-2), ul. Piotra Skargi 6, Katowice (Open 08:00 - 20:00,
Sun 10:00 - 16:00).
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
(Koncerty Narodowej Orkiestry Symfonicznej
Polskiego Radia) E-3, Pl. Sejmu lskiego 2, tel.
(+48) 32 251 89 03, www.nospr.org.pl. Considered
the leading Polish orchestra, the Polish National Radio
Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1935 in Warsaw.
In September 2000 Joanna Wnuk-Nazarowa became
the general and programme director. Recently Alexan-
der Liebrich became the Orchestras artistic director
and chief conductor. For years the Orchestra acted
as a cultural ambassador representing Poland on the
international art scene and has cooperated with some
of the greatest composers of the second half of the 20th
century presenting first performances of their works.
They have also recorded more than 190 compact discs
for many Polish and foreign labels (Decca, EMI, Phillips,
etc.) A must for all classical buffs.
The latest programme goes like this:
8 March 2013, 19:30
Grzegorz Fitelbergs Concert Hall
conductor: Junichi Hirokami
soloist: Radek Baborak
Takemitsu - Three Film Scores
Glire - Horn Concerto
Rimsky-Korsakov - Sheherazade
26-28 April 2013
The 5th Festival of World Premieres
POLISH MODERN MUSIC
More info: www.festiwalprawykonan.pl
19 May 2013, 12:00
The International Harp Festival
conductor: Tomasz Bugaj
soloists: Catrin Finch, Elinor Bennett
Wagner - Introduction and Isoldes Love Death from
Tristan and Isolde
Jenkins - Tros y Garreg for 2 harps and orchestra
Wagner - The Mastersingers of Nuremberg, Overture
2 June 2013, 12:00, Park Kosciuszki (Katowice)
Lutosawski not only for adults
14 June 2013, 19:30
The 200th Anniversary of Richard Wagners Birthday
conductor: Alexander Liebreich
soloists: Jrg Widmann (klarnet), Anja Kampe (Sieglinde),
Christopher Ventris (Siegmund), Reinhard Hagen (Hund-
ing), Experimental Studio SWR
Boulez - Dialogue de lombre double for clarinet solo
and tape
Wagner - The Valkyrie (1st Act)
QBox office open two days before each scheduled event,
15:00-17:00. Tickets 15-40z.
Radio Symphony Orchestra
Katowice Cultural Centre (Centrum Kultury
Katowice im. Krystyny Bochenek) E-3, Pl.
Sejmu lskiego 2, tel. (+48) 32 251 79 25, www.
ck.art.pl. The Katowice Cultural Centre was founded in
1991 and promotes the development of culture in the
Katowice region and holds educational courses about
the history of art and literature. The centre runs a concert
hall, 5 galleries, an education centre and a chamber
music stage. Jazz i Okolice festival and the Letni Ogrd
Teatralny (The Summer Garden Theatre) are their key
events in the calendar. Q Galleries open 11:30-19:00.
Closed Mon. Admission free.
Katowice Cultural Centre
PHOTOGRAPHY...
Waldemar Jama
05.04 - 07.05.2013
Pusta Gallery

SOUTH
Carini
Mora
Ocn
04.04 - 07.05.2013
Pitro Wyej Gallery
Krystyna Bochenek Katowice Cultural Centre
P|ac 8ejmu |sk|ego 2 | 40-032 Katow|ce
www.ck.art.p| | www.facebook.com/CKK.im.K.Bochenek
Media Patronage
S
R
18
CULTURE & EVENTS
19
CULTURE & EVENTS
20.03 Wednesday
An Evening with Chris Botti
P- 3, Zabrze, Dom Muzyki i Taca, ul . Gen. de
Gaullea 17, www.go- ahead.pl. Perhaps the worl ds
most popul ar smooth j azz trumpeter, Chri s Botti has
been nomi nated for numerous Grammy awards and
had three al bums hi t number 1 on the Bi l l board j azz
al bums chart. Throughout hi s career hes col l aborated
wi th Sti ng, Aretha Frankl i n, Bob Dyl an, Di ana Kral l, Rod
Stewar t and countl ess others, whi l e Andrea Bocel l i,
Mark Knopfl er and Vi nce Gi l l are al l featured on hi s
sol o al bum Impressions rel eased earl i er thi s year.
Other accol ades i ncl ude bei ng named one of People
magazines 50 Most Beauti ful Peopl e in the Worl d back
i n 2004, when apparentl y smooth j azz was consi dered
sexy. Nice j ob, Chris. Q Concert starts at 20:30. Tickets
159-259z. Avai l abl e at www.ti cketpro.pl and Empi k (C-
2), ul. Pi otra Skargi 6, Katowi ce (Open 08:00 - 20:00,
Sun 10:00 - 16:00).
23.03 Saturday
Vaya Con Dios
17, www.goodmusic.com.pl. Belgian band Vaya Con
Dios is losing their lead singer, Dani Klein, who is ending
her career following this concert tour. Polish fans have a
chance to say goodbye and enjoy one last performance of
popular songs like Whats a Woman, Puerto Rico, and
Nah Neh Nah. I f you caught them in 1996 at the Sopot
Festival consider tonights show the perfect bookend per-
formance to that experience. Q Concert starts at 20:00.
Tickets 120-260z. Available at www.ticketpro.pl and Empik
(C-2), ul. Piotra Skargi 6, Katowice (Open 08:00 - 20:00,
Sun 10:00 - 16:00).
20.04 Saturday
Dem
B-1, Mega Club, ul. elazna 9, www.megaclub.pl.
Taki ng i nspi rati on from Cream, Free and The Al l man
Brothers Band, the Polish jam-rock band Dem (Jam)
has become one of the most legendary bands in PL with a
career that has entered its fourth decade. After rocketing
to stardom in 1980 wi th their turn at the Jarocin Musi c
Festi val, tragedy struck in 1994 when their charismati c
frontman and vocalist Ryszard Riedel died suddenly. After
a year in mourning the band deci ded to carry on, and is
touring PL once again in 2013. Come al ong and hol d a
li ghter up in the air. Q Concert starts at 19:00. Ti ckets
43-50z. Availabl e at www.ti cketpro.pl, Empik (C-2), ul.
Piotra Skargi 6 (Open 08:00 - 20:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00)
and before the concert.
08.05 Wednesday
Michael Bolton
17, www.makroconcert.com/pl. Well well well... the
one and only Michael Bolton is finally performing in Po-
land. Although his two concerts in Poland are a good 15
years after the height of Mr. Boltons popularity, there will
certainly be crowds of soccer moms queuing up that are
nostalgic about their teenage years. After all, there were
high school dances in Poland as well. The reigning king
of Adult Contemporary will surely bring his A-game and
you will surely never forget the night When A Man Loved
A Poland. Your move Brian Adams. Q Concert starts
at 19:00. Tickets 150-250z. Available at www.eventim.
pl and Empik (C-2), ul. Piotra Skargi 6, Katowice (Open
08:00 - 20:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00).
If youd told a Varsovian or Cracovian ten years ago that
within a decade Katowice would become THE centre for
innovative and trend-setting cultural festivals in Poland,
they would probably have scoffed and rolled their eyes.
Well, in 2013 the jokes on them. While no one was looking,
Katowice slowly crept up on Polands many other supposed
cultural capitals to emerge as THE premier music, art and
film festival destination in Poland, bar none.
For almost two decades in the 80s and 90s the only
cultural festivals of any note happening in Katowice were
the Rawa Blues Festival and Ars Cameralis. Granted,
both of these are fascinating festivals in their own right,
however it was only in the last decade that things really
started to get rolling.
The tipping point came in 20010 when the Off Festival
officially moved its location from Mysowice to Katowice
and with it came tens of thousands of festival goers
from all over the world. In the same year the Tauron
Nowa Muzyka won the prestigious award for Best Small
European Festival. Suddenly, Katowice was cool! Every
year since, festival line-ups have gotten bigger and better
and the city, along with its many cultural organisations
and residents, has wholeheartedly embraced the influx
of culture and visitors. Now instead of rolling their eyes
at the mention of Katowice people roll out!
19.04 Friday - 28.04 Sunday
Katowice Street Art Festival
www.katowicestreetartfestival.pl. The newest festival
on Katowices rapidly expanding cultural calendar. Started
in just 2011 it has quickly grown from a small gathering
of mostly Polish wall-scrallers to a full blown international
festival featuring graffiti and graphic artists from around
the world. The 3rd edition boasts a wide range of interac-
tive events that include mural installations, exhibitions,
debates, workshops and concerts. Katowice has one
of the most vibrant street art scenes in Poland and this
festival helps to show the cities true colours. Dont miss it.
26.04 Friday - 01.05 Wednesday
Katowice JazzArt Festival
www.jazzartfestival.eu. Now in its second year, this
festival was brought to life to celebrate World Jazz Day - as
declared by UNESCO to be April 30th. In Katowice things will
be sounding off four days earlier as some of the worlds best
improvisational jazz artists blast off on 5 stages around the
city. This years confirmed performers include the New Tide
Orchestra - who recently gained attention for their music
in the acclaimed documentary Searching for Sugar Man -
and renowned Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca. Check the
website for more details. Q Ticket prices were undecided
at the moment. Please check our website for updates.
Silesian Festivals
15.05 Wednesday
The Australian Pink Floyd Show
B- 3, Spodek, Al. Korfantego 35. To mark the 40th
anni versary of the rel ease of The Dark Si de of Moon
the Pink Fl oyd show is coming back to Poland to gi ve two
shows, in Katowi ce and Pozna. This show is enti tl ed
Ecl i psed by the moon, expect the usual mi xture of
spl endi d visual and li ghting ef fects. Q Event starts at
20:00. Ti ckets 115-330z. Availabl e at www.ti cketpro.pl
and Empik, (C-2) ul. Piotra Skargi 6 (Open 08:00 - 20:00,
Sun 10:00 - 16:00).
25.06 Tuesday
Coal Chamber
B-1, Mega Club, ul. elazna 9, www.metalmind.
com.pl. Af ter a decade of sol i d output over three
al bums, thi s 90s LA metal band took a decade l ong
hi atus, duri ng whi ch foundi ng member Dez Fafara
formed Devi l Dri ver, wi th whi ch he sti l l tours. I n 2011
these veterans of al ternati ve metal reformed wi th new
bassi st Chel a Rhea Harper and began recordi ng new
songs, i n addi ti on to touri ng wi th ol d road mates Sev-
endust. Q Concert starts at 20:00. Ti ckets 100-120z.
Avai l abl e at www.ti cketpro.pl , Empi k (C-2), ul . Pi otra
Skargi 6 (Open 08:00 - 20:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00) and
before the concert.
Exhibitions
04.04 Thursday - 07.05 Tuesday
South
E-3, Katowice Cultural Centre, Pl. Sejmu lskiego 2,
tel. (+48) 32 251 79 25, www.ck.art.pl. The 11th exhibit
in the cycle Silesian Collection of Modern Art presents the
work of three artists from Granada, Spain: Miguel Carini,
Manuela Mora and Al fonso Ocn. Q Open 11:30-19:00.
05.04 Friday - 07.05 Tuesday
Waldemar Jama
E-3, Katowice Cultural Centre, Pl. Sejmu lskiego
2, tel. (+48) 32 251 79 25, www.ck.art.pl. Born in
1942, this graduate of Poznas Academy of Fine Arts has
been the subject of numerous photography exhibits in both
Poland and abroad. These days Waldemar Jama teaches
photography workshops at the Katowice Academy of Fine
Arts, at the present exhibit will display his latest cycle of
works - entitled The Bellmeriada Series and Pandoras
Box - to the public for the first time. Q Oopen 11:30-19:00.
Theatre
11.05 Saturday
Lord of the Dance
17, www.makroconcert.com/pl. The I ri sh musi c/
dance show extraordinaire is on tour again. Produced
and directed by the multi-talented Michael Flatley, whose
lightning-quick footwork set two Guinness World Records
for tapping speed (28 and 35 taps per second, i f you were
wondering), the musical tells a classic tale of good vs evil
based on ancient Irish folklore. I f you miss them in Zabrze,
the troupe will also be performing in d, Pozna, Gdynia,
and Warsaw. Q Event starts at 16:00 and 19:00. Tickets
120-170z. Available at www.eventim.pl and Empik (C-2),
ul. Piotra Skargi 6, Katowice (Open 08:00 - 20:00, Sun
10:00 - 16:00).
21
HOTELS
20
HOTELS
Katowice is first and foremost a business destination for
anyone likely to be reading this guide and while we dont think
thats the way it should be, for the moment thats the way it
is. Reflecting this fact is the presence of an ever expanding
choice of business class hotels, while the budget and hostel
end of the market simply hasnt got off the ground. Still, you
can find some decent low-price options especially if youre
willing to lay your head a bit further from the action. With
the business crowd disappearing off to home at the end of
the week, most hotels offer substantial discounts over the
weekend. In fact, with the increasing irrelevance of official
rack rates these days due to online booking discounts,
special offers and other price variations, we no longer find it
particularly instructive to list room prices in our guide. Case
in point, anyone who uses the Hotel Calculator function
on our website - katowice.inyourpocket.com - will find a
better rate than the official prices we once printed; as such,
we encourage you to do just that and you can thank us later.
As in other parts of this guide the hotels covered here are
located throughout the Silesian conglomeration. If the hotel
is not in Katowice itself, we have added the name of the
town it is in to the address after a comma along with a map
reference if applicable. Districts of Katowice are shown in
brackets. Dobranoc!
Cream of the Crop
Monopol D-3, ul. Dworcowa 5, tel. (+48) 32 782 82
82, www.lhr.com.pl. From the original 1903 mosaic floor
in the lobby to the exquisite walnut furniture, Monopol gets
everything right and more. Taking the occasional risk such
as covering the walls in photographs of abandoned factories,
the hotel shows a confidence that most others wouldnt
dare flaunt. The rooms are individually designed and most
make you want to live in them for much longer than a night,
with extras including a fabulous swimming pool and fitness
centre in the basement. Good enough for Paris the heiress
Hilton during her October visit to Katowice, and quite simply
the best hotel in Katowice. Also the only one in town to have
earned that vaunted fifth star. Check their website for special
deals. Q108 rooms (12 singles, 93 doubles, 3 apartments).
PTHA6UFLGKDCW hhhhh
Upmarket
angelo Hotel Katowice B-2, ul. Sokolska 24, tel.
(+48) 32 783 81 00, www.angelo-katowice.pl. Brand
new as of March 2010, Angelo is a fantastic addition to Ka-
towices feeble accommodation offerings - a market which
could use a breath of fresh air. Angelo does just that with a
distinctive and appealing colour palette of black, white, red
and gold, and modern suites and rooms which - with the
substitution of the bed for a couple drafting tables - could
competently pass for the office of an architectural firm. In-
side them find amenities such as DVD players, plasma TVs,
adjustable AC and that coveted new hotel smell; facilities
include fitness studio and sauna, restaurant, a jazz club, un-
derground parking and conference facilities with something
called sunlight. Add to it a great location and youve got a
winner. Q203 rooms (181 singles, 181 doubles, 5 suites, 17
apartments). PTHAR6UFGKDW hhhh
Arsenal Palace K-5, ul. Paderewskiego 35, Chorzw,
tel. (+48) 32 606 84 84, www.stylehotels.pl. In the
grand guise of Arsenal Palace, Chorzw has an exclusive
hotel that stacks up against the very best of the entire region.
And why not? With Chorzws high street and the immaculate
Park of Culture and Recreation within stumbling distance
and the centre of Katowice only a quick tram ride away, this
living room and a business suite with a conference room for
a more intimate business meeting environment. The more
suburban location of the hotel offers a lot of privacy and
true tranquility. With the ability to host up to 120 people
at incredibly competitive prices, whether youre planning a
conference or just planning a weekend getaway, M Hotel
should be at the top of your list. Q54 rooms (50 singles,
50 doubles, 4 suites). PTHA6UFLGKW
Noma Residence (Promnice Hunting Lodge)
Zameczek Myliwski Promnice, tel. (+48) 32 219 46
78, www.promnice.pl. Perhaps Silesias most opulent,
intimate and atmospheric hotel, this rustic 19th century
manor is like nothing youve ever seen and makes for one
of the most unique and romantic weekend getaway desti-
nations anywhere. Formerly host to grand hunting parties
in the surrounding forests attended by Kaiser Wilhelm I
and Tsar Alexander II, today the small castle known as
Promnice Hunting Lodge hosts a hotel and restaurant
in its virtually unaltered interiors sumptuously adorned
with mounted beasts, ri fles and weaponry, royal hunting
regalia, oil paintings, period furnishings and stained glass
windows. Guests also have access to the sauna and jacuzzi,
plus canoes and boats for enjoying the lake it overlooks.
Hidden in the forest 30km south of Katowice, you need a car
to get there, but the rates are a steal and the rewards are
great. Q13 rooms (13 singles, 13 doubles). THAR
6GKDW hhhh
Novotel Katowice Centrum C-4, Al. Rodzieskiego
16, tel. (+48) 32 200 44 44, www.accorhotels.com.
The classic Novotel experience, this modern box of a hotel
in the heart of the new city development area features qual-
ity business-class rooms with all the trimmings, add-ons
such as excellent conference facilities and a decent lobby
bar. The rooms at the top of the building provide some
superb views of the sprawling mish-mash of competing
architectural styles in the surrounding area. Q300 rooms
(216 singles, 84 doubles). PTHAR6UFLG
KDCW hhhh
Park Hotel Diament F-2, ul. Wita Stwosza 37, tel.
(+48) 32 720 00 00, www.hotelediament.pl. A cut
above its city-centre sister hotel, the more business-minded
Park Diaments slightly out-of-bounds location may make
it a less attractive proposition to those not bringing a car
to Katowice. However, this comfortable masterpiece of
minimalist straight lines has (sadly) been the highlight of
several trips to Katowice. The rooms are bright, coming with
everything youd expect from a hotel of this calibre including
free wifi. The apartments have baths, plus theres a top floor
bar-restaurant with a decent view of the city at the bottom
of the hill. The conference facilities see regular use and the
recently opened Golf Pub makes its claim to fame as PLs
first bar with a virtual golf course. One of the best sleepers
in town. Q186 rooms (181 singles, 173 doubles, 5 suites).
PTHA6UFGKW hhhh
Qubus Hotel Prestige Katowice C-3, ul. Uniwersy-
tecka 13, tel. (+48) 32 601 01 00, www.qubushotel.
com. Top class modern business facilities inside the Altus
Centre. Occupying the top few floors of the unmissable city-
centre building, facilities include cable television, minibars,
safes and internet connections in every room. Cashing in on
the lofty location, as well as splendid views of the city from
any of the 150 rooms the hotel also has a great cocktail bar
on the 27th floor which is free to enter for guests staying in
the hotel. Q150 rooms (94 singles, 14 doubles, 36 suites,
6 apartments). POTHAR6UFGKDW
hhhh
four-star effort has placed itself perfectly inside and outside
the urban tangle at the same time. Handsome hand-crafted
furnishings, carpets and wallpaper give the rooms an elegant
antiquated style, while the impressive conference facilities
(seven different rooms, with the largest holding 500 people)
are the best around. Add to that a restaurant, a bar, Turkish
bath, a summer terrace, and full recreation centre (hello
jacuzzi) and suddenly the prospect of a visit to Chorzw is
a more than welcome one. Q115 rooms (111 singles, 83
doubles, 1 apartment). PTHAR6UFLGK
DCwW hhhh
Best Western Premier Katowice Hotel ul.
Bytkowska 1a, tel. (+48) 32 721 11 11, www.
bestwesternkatowice.pl. For a city currentl y thriving
on business investment, the hotel market has been a bit
slow to develop, but Katos Best Western is good news
for out-of-towners looking for accommodation to be less
of an adventure. I f youve stayed with the worlds biggest
hotel chain before, chances are you havent enjoyed it this
much. Thats due to the same familiar high-quality rooms
and amenities (including conference and fitness facilities,
a library and car park) being boosted by the absolutely
excell ent Restauracj a Autorska Adama Gessl era from
Polands well-loved celebrity restaurateur, Adam Gessler.
The location near the Park of Culture and Recreation puts
you within easy striking distance of Chorzw, Katowice and
Siemianowice lskie while being beyond the hubbub of
all three, and makes this a great location from which to
experience the best of Silesia. Q168 rooms (61 singles,
74 doubl es, 30 sui tes, 1 apartment). PTHAR
6UFGKDW hhhh
Diament Plaza Katowice D-3, ul. Dworcowa 9, tel.
(+48) 32 746 70 00, www.hotelediament.pl. A great
upscale option whose lobby even comes decorated with
a few famous they stayed here photos. Granted youre
unlikely to recognise any of the celebs whove lodged here
but dont let that stop you from booking in. Close to the train
station and just around the corner from the Rynek, what
Diament lacks in panache it more than makes up for with the
personal touch. Extremely friendly and helpful receptionists
manage a series of simple but comfortable rooms, recently
renovated to include wi fi, mini-bars, air conditioning and
satellite television. I f you like the paintings on the wall then
go ahead, buy them. Q45 rooms (9 singles, 32 doubles,
4 sui tes, 1 apartment). PTHA6ULGKW
hhhh
Hotel Szafran ul. Bdziska 82, Czelad, tel. (+48)
32 784 31 00, www.hotelszafran.pl. This convenient
venture located midway between the city and the airport
easil y earns all four of i ts stars wi th comfortabl e, air-
conditioned single and double rooms and apartments, free
wi-fi, safes and mini-bars. A popular choice with business
travellers, here youll find 4 conference rooms including a
multimedia salon for 400 people. Q116 rooms (2 singles,
85 doubles, 22 triples, 7 apartments). PTHAR
6UGKW hhhh
M Hotel Sosnowiec ul. Wojska Polskiego 199,
Sosnowiec, tel. (+48) 32 363 63 00, www.mhotel-
sosnowiec.pl. M Hotel is the first business hotel and
conference centre to open up i n Katowi ces northern
neighbour of Sosnowiec. This brand new facility offers
top notch services, superior slumber selections, a gym
and even a fine dining restaurant. All of their single and
double bed rooms include all of the modern amenities
and creature comforts you would expect from a first class
business hotel. They have a separate family suite with full

41-250 Czelad, ul. Bdziska 82
T: +48 32 784 31 00 F: +48 32 784 31 03
E: rezerwacja@hotelszafran.pl
www.hotelszafran.pl
109 COMFORTABLE DOUBLE ROOMS
7 LUXURY SUITES
PERFECT LOCATION - 11 KM FROM KATOWICE
7 SPACIOUS CONFERENCE ROOMS
RESTURANT & GRILL BAR
LOBBY BAR
FREE WI-FI
FREE PARKING
22
HOTELS
23
HOTELS
guaranteed to be absolutely pristine, with soundproof doors
and extra-strong curtains ensuring your sleep faces no
interruption. Everything here comes geared to making your
visit as smooth as possible, from the shoe-shine machines
in the corridors to windows that actually open, should you
have a natural distrust of air-conditioning. Q114 rooms
(114 singles, 114 doubles). PTHA6UGKW hh
Olympia Spodek B-3, Al. Korfantego 35, tel. (+48)
32 606 85 85, www.stylehotels.pl. Located inside
Katowices most random and recognisable landmark - the
inimitable Spodek - this is a great choice for combining
strange with style. Dont mistake it for a Soviet throwback,
however, this new hotel is modern throughout, combining
comfortable rooms with great facilities, including a stylish
foyer with leather furnishings and a glass ceiling, conference
rooms, a fitness centre, mini-golf, billiards, bar, club (free
drink for guests), restaurant and spa with sauna, Jacuzzi and
a large indoor heated pool. All are at your disposal and you
stand a good chance of seeing whatever sports teams or
performers are in town as you explore the premises. Q30
rooms (29 singles, 26 doubles, 1 apartment). PTHA
R6UGKDCW hhh
Senator D-5, ul. 1 Maja 3, tel. (+48) 32 258 60 81,
www.senator.katowice.pl. All the rooms were completely
renovated in the spring of 2007 and feature good-looking
furniture, cable television, some bathrooms with showers
only and others with a bath. The spacious apartment is an
excellent value but the location means it comes with a rather
nasty view, and despite all the improvements the rest of the
hotel still needs a bit of work. Just east of the centre on a
busy tram line, Senator offers an interesting balance of price,
facilities and location. Q48 rooms (47 singles, 47 doubles, 1
apartment). HAR6UGKW hhh
Mid-range
Blues Hotel I-1, ul. Wolnoci 15, Chorzw, tel. (+48) 32
771 94 36, www.blues-hotel.pl. Impressive. These shock-
ingly stylish rooms right on Chorzws high street have to be the
hippest place to hit the sack in town. Carrying over the blues
theme from the Szuflada15 restaurant and jazz club housed
in the same old tenement building, Blues has nailed the birth
of cool aesthetic; all thats missing (gratefully) is the poster of
Miles Davis. Modern rooms in shades of steel gray, silver and
deep blue come with fashionable furnishings, satellite TV, free
wireless and slick bathrooms. Choose between 2 singles, 6
doubles and 2 triples, all of them handicap accessible and in
danger of making you extend your visit. Q10 rooms (2 singles,
6 doubles, 2 triples). PAR6UKW hhh
Campanile F-5, ul. Sowiskiego 48, tel. (+48) 32
205 50 50, www.campanile.com.pl. Great value in a
city where accommodation is still very limited in choice.
Modern, Identikit rooms come with shower room, cable
tv, wireless internet and comfortable beds. The breakfast
buffet is as good as you will find in a Polish 2-star hotel and
the competitive pricing policy means that Campanile have a
winning formula. You are advised to book ahead if planning
on staying during the week when the citys hotels fill up with
business travellers. Q77 rooms (77 singles, 77 doubles).
PTHA6UGKW hh
DeSilva Inn Katowice Airport ul. Rwnolega 2, Pyr-
zowice, tel. (+48) 32 393 88 88, www.desilva.pl. With
Katowice airport located some way from the city centre, this
new business hotel is ideally located for those with an early
flight. 77 air-conditioned rooms come fitted out with all mod-
ern cons and large, comfortable beds while the in-house bar
and restaurant and impressive conferencing facilities make
it a very handy business choice. Q77 rooms (77 singles, 77
doubles, 77 triples). PTHAR6ULGKW hhh
Diament Zabrze ul. Cisowa 4, Zabrze (Zaborze
Poudnie), tel. (+48) 32 721 10 00, www.hoteledia-
ment.pl. Set inside a powder blue building the Diament is
a no-nonsense mid-ranger with a tiled lobby that appears
to double as an art gallery. Rooms come decorated with
pleasant neutral colours and feature spotless bathrooms,
satellite TV and wireless internet access. They recently
opened a brand spanking new restaurant called Atmosfera.
Considering the location the restaurant might be your best
bet for a good bite to eat. Q38 rooms (12 singles, 22 doubles,
4 suites). THA6LGW hhh
Hotel Rycerski (Knights Hotel) ul. Bdziska 53,
Czelad, tel. (+48) 32 763 58 88, www.hotel-rycerski.
pl. Nestled on the road between Czelad and Bdzin, this
sleeper has been made to look like a Polish mountain hut
from the outside, but harbours spacious, well-equipped,
modern rooms set out on the inside. Youll need a car to
get around, but youre compensated with very good accom-
modation at affordable rates, with a recommended Polish
restaurant and bar meaning you dont need to go anywhere
else to eat like one of the aforementioned knights. Modern
conference, meeting and banqueting facilities, plus an adja-
cent childrens playground, seem to have made it a success
from the word go. Q26 rooms (24 singles, 19 doubles, 1
suite, 1 apartment). THAR6GK hhh
Ibis Katowice - Zabrze R-1, ul. Jagielloska 4,
Zabrze, tel. (+48) 32 777 70 00, www.accorhotels.
com. Opened with a swipey card, the rooms at the Ibis are
everything one expects from these middle-bracket stalwarts.
Plain and identikit it might be, but your accommodation is
Silesian Hotel Quality and Economy G- 4, ul.
Szybowcowa 1a, tel. (+48) 32 606 88 00, www.
silesianhotel.pl. Yet another re-branding doesnt really
change the fact that Silesia Hotel is more like two di fferent
hotels, with two di fferent standards, attached at the hip
by a conference centre. Though all the rooms have been
emblazoned with three stars, theres still a conscientious
pari ty i n room standard, wi th the new terms Quali ty
and Economy now being applied. Constantly changing
nomenclature and debatabl e star systems aside, this
hotel still distinguishes itsel f with great facilities, good
value and extra perks which include free use of the indoor
pool, sauna and Jacuzzi. Six elegant suites on the upper
floors offer panoramic views of the surrounding area for
those with the spare change. Q181 rooms (18 singles,
157 doubles, 6 apartments). PTHAR6UFG
KDCW hhh
Budget
Gociniec Stajnia C-2, ul. Wawelska 1, tel. (+48) 32
204 85 95, www.noclegi-katowice.com.pl. About as
basic as it gets, Stajnia offers 25 private rooms and suites of
varying quality, from the bare bones hostel rooms (tiny room
with a bed, towel, shelf, poster tacked to the wall, bathroom
somewhere else) to the tacky apartments (clashing colour
palettes, private bathrooms, poorly-equipped kitchenettes,
unframed posters). High-standard they certainly arent, but
the advantages are one of the best locations in town, plus
free coffee, tea and water anytime, and discounted dinners
(5-15z) in the Stajnia restaurant on the ground floor. Ideal
for students and budget travellers who are eager to enjoy
Katos nightlife and dont care where they pass out at the
end of the party. Q19 rooms (15 singles, 15 doubles, 4
apartments). A6GKW
76 AIR-CONDITIONED ROOMS WITH
TV AND BATHROOM
FREE WIRELESS INTERNET HOTSPOT
RESTAURANT WITH
INTERNATIONAL CUISINE
COMFORTABLE CONFERENCE ROOMS
MONITORED CAR-PARK
SOWISKIEGO 48, 40-018 KATOWICE, TEL: +48 (032) 205 50 50, FAX: +48 (032) 209 06 06
EMAIL: KATOWICE@CAMPANILE.COM
Palm Sunday (24/03/2013) marks the official begin-
ning of Polands Easter festivities perhaps the countrys
most sacred holiday. Leading up to the season youll see
decorative handmade palms for sale all over Krakws
market square. These traditional decorations made
from a variety of dried flowers and plants are crafted in
villages all over Poland. Palms are taken to church on
Sunday to be blessed before decorating homes for the
duration of the season.
As a deepl y Catholi c country, Poland takes i ts Eas-
ter cel ebrati ons seri ousl y; throughout the peri od,
the vi si ti ng forei gner can expect most shops and
many bars and restaurants to be ei ther empty or
cl osed beginning on Good Friday (29/03/2013).
A tradi tional day of abstinence, duti full y observing
Catholi cs visi t church to attend stations of the cross
a seri es of prayers foll owing Jesus Christs route
to his cruci fi xion.
On Easter Satur day
(30/03/2013) Pol es,
typi cal l y chi l dren, bri ng
bri ghtl y decorated bas-
kets of food to church
to have them bl essed.
These baskets tradition-
al l y contai n a pi ece of
sausage, bread, egg, mazurek cake (a traditional Easter
cake), some salt, some horseradish and a symbolic ram
made from dough. In addition pisanki are included -
painted boiled eggs which have been prepared in the
lead-up to Easter by the whole family. Each of these
components of the basket has a symbolic meaning.
The eggs and meat symbolise new li fe, fertility and
health, the salt protects against bad spirits and helps
you foll ow the ri ght path, the bread symbolise the
body of Christ and by this future prosperity in terms of
always having food to feed yoursel f, the horseradish
represents strength and physical health and the cake
represents skills and talents needed for the coming
year. Rezurekcja (Resurrection), a traditional mass with
procession, is held Saturday night or Easter morning
depending on parish tradition.
On Easter Sunday (31/03/2013), families gather
together to celebrate with an Easter breakfast of urek
(Polish rye soup), bread, eggs, sausage, horseradish and
poppy seed cakes. Each person places a small piece
of the blessed food on their plate before exchanging
wishes with other members of the family. The symbolic
dough ram is placed on the table to symbolise the resur-
rection of Christ.
Things take a more light-hearted twist on Easter Mon-
day (01/04/2013). Known as mingus Dyngus the
day is dominated by public water fights and everyone
is given carte blanche to drench anyone they see with
water. You, as a foreigner, are not exempt from this
practise, so move fast i f you see someone armed with
a water pistol or bucket and a grin. Although its never
pleasant to have a jug of water thrown over your head,
this is an improvement from the past when young
peopl e were beaten wi th sticks from Palm Sunday
trees explained away as bringing luck and strength
for the year ahead.
A Polish Easter
25
RESTAURANTS
24
HOTELS
has a private bath and is fitted with LCD televisions and
refrigerators, while apartments and studios include a private
kitchenette. The conference facility amenities include air
conditioning, Wi-Fi, surround sound and high-end AV and
lighting central-control systems. Q34 rooms (1 single, 21
doubles, 5 triples, 3 quads, 4 apartments). HARG
Willa Ambasador ul. 3 Maja 78, Zabrze (rdmiecie),
tel. (+48) 32 271 50 44, www.mosir.zabrze.pl. Accom-
modation options in Zabrze arent known for their daring,
so Ambasador presents a refreshing break from the norm.
Housed inside a detached villa dating from the 18th cen-
tury rooms range from sterile, department store furnished
lodgings filled with plastic plants, to reasonably salubrious
studios decorated with some semblance of flair. Rooms come
hooked up to the internet and also with limited satellite TV;
good news if you want to pass time by watching Big Brother
in your underpants. Youre not going to find many diplomats
volunteering to spend the night here, but this remains a
pretty good deal if that big win on the lottery continues to
prove elusive. Q28 rooms (26 singles, 26 doubles, 7 triples,
2 apartments). PHA6UGKW
Hostels
Jopi Hostel E-2, ul. Plebiscytowa 23, tel. (+48) 32
204 34 32, www.jopihostel.pl. Jopi holds the illustrious
honour of being Katowices first (no longer only) hostel. As
such youll find its quality and services to be below some of
the better hostels you may have bedded in around Europe.
Its decidedly a basic affair: 32 bunks, a kitchen, wifi and one
public computer. The perks are primarily the cost, location
(right in the centre) and the presence of plenty of bathrooms,
though we can hardly imagine this place being packed with
backpackers. Go ahead and bogart that jam and toast
breakfast. Q9 rooms (3 singles, 4 doubles, 2 quads, 32
Dorm beds). A6GW
Twj Hostel Bytom ul. Strzelcw Bytomskich 87A,
Bytom, tel. (+48) 32 782 17 00, www.twojhostel.
pl. Twj Hostel (Your Hostel) is a relatively new chain of
hostels and hotels offering a wide variety of accommodation
throughout Silesia. Their Bytom hostel offers a huge range
of rooms on the super cheap. Choose from singles, doubles,
triples, quads and dorms with the price range stacking up in
the opposite order (dorm beds start at 20 PLN!). With over
200 beds on offer they specialise in bigger groups. What
you may lose out on in privacy you gain in savings. They are
conveniently located near the intersection of the A1 and A4
highways so a perfect option if youre just passing through
Silesia. For school groups, students and families on a budget
- you want find a better deal in the entire region. Q93 rooms
(15 singles, 25 doubles, 27 triples, 17 quads, 9 five-person
rooms, 54 Dorm beds). TARUG
Twj Hostel Katowice ul. Klimczoka 7, tel. (+48) 32
202 30 25, www.twojhostel.pl. With Katowice being the
hub of the region there are more and more diverse sleeping
options opening up in the city seemingly every day. The
Twj Hostel (Your Hostel) group is leading the charge for
new cheap accommodation in Silesia. Their new Katowice
Hostel fills a big gap in the market offering 66 beds total with
a mix of singles, doubles, triples, quads and dorms. Rooms
are bright and clean and they offer full kitchen facilities plus
much coveted parking spots. With prices starting as low 24
PLN for a bed, you may not find a lot of bells and whistles but
youll sure save a lot. This is the perfect place for students,
groups, budget travellers and families on a budget. Q66
rooms (10 singles, 15 doubles, 19 triples, 15 quads, 43 Dorm
beds). AUGKW
Paac Saturna (Saturns Palace) ul. Dehnelw
2, Czel ad, tel. (+48) 32 290 13 90, www.
palacsaturna.pl. Located 7km north of Katowice in
Czelad, this historic palace and former headquarters
of the Saturn mining company has been beauti fully
renovated and turned into a world-class spa resort
in the style of a Roman bath house. With the confer-
ence facilities and virtual offices aside, 11 exclusive
upstairs apartments make this a fantastic romantic
retreat for couples, who will enjoy free access to the
plethora of di fferent saunas, pools and baths below,
plus 10% off additional spa treatments and massages.
I f they dont mind the obligatory nude policy and group
seances, that is. Still, theres plenty of privacy to had
in the fine apartments - all of which are named after
Roman Emperors and fully equipped, with living rooms,
large beds, wi fi, and whirlpool baths in most cases.
An excellent choice for business, romance and relax-
ation i f you have a car. Q11 rooms (11 apartments).
THAGKDCwW
Sleep City A-1, ul. Johna Baildona 22e, tel. (+48)
509 75 29 35, www.sleepcity.pl. An expanded offer
sees 12 apartments representing great value over local
hotel offers for anyone who values space and privacy.
All apartments come with fully-fitted kitchens, balconies,
wi fi, local television, DVD players and a collection of
films for those rainy days. Booking is available online
through their website. Q12 rooms (12 apartments).
TARULGW
Apartments
Unfortunately for your palate, Silesia is better known as
an agglomeration of undesirable industrial towns than a
centre of world-class cuisine for connoisseurs. However,
with the gradual improvement of the service industry now
joining the esteemed ranks of the coal and steel industries
in the area, the restaurant scene has been buoyed as well.
Katowice is certainly seeing its offerings improve, though in
many ways its still slim pickings - especially when it comes
to ethnic food which, regardless of claimed country of origin,
will invariably contain cabbage and shredded carrots. As
in other parts of this guide the places covered here are
located throughout the conglomeration. I f the venue is not
in Katowice town itsel f, we have added the name of the
town it is in to the address after a comma along with a map
reference i f applicable. Districts of Katowice are shown in
brackets. The prices we list here reflect the cheapest and
most precious main dishes on the menu. Tipping at least
10% for table service is customary, though it may not always
be deserved. Smacznego!
American
City Rock B-2, ul. Chorzowska 9b, tel. (+48) 32
201 05 05, www.cityrock.pl. I f you crossed Hard
Rock Cafe wi th a cl assi c Ameri can di ner i n a Pol i sh
laboratory, you might end with something like City Rock,
where motorbikes, guitars, 50s pinups, Elvis and even
a full-sized Formula 1 car are attached to the walls. The
pre-pubescent boy in you will love i t and thats before
the team of local beauties appears to present you with
the easy English menu of Tex-Mex, fried food, ice cream
sundaes, milkshakes, pasta, pizza and obligatory Polish
dishes - choose from lame-named items like Easy Chick
and Grinch Spaghetti, or why not try to push your luck
and ask the Miss Polska serving you for a Porky Party?
The food is uni formly average, but includes comforting
sel dom seen perks like hal f-li tre Cokes and barbecue
sauce. Incredibly popular and kind of great for all the wrong
reasons. QOpen 13:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 13:00 - 24:00.
(17-59z). PTA6UVBXSW
Caucasian
Fantasmagoria C-1, ul. Gliwicka 51, tel. (+48) 32
253 00 59, www.restauracjafantasmagoria.pl. A bit geo-
graphically perplexing for those of us who havent gotten the
history lesson, Fantasmagoria specialises in zakaukasko-
wileska cuisine, which would refer to the Caucasus region
and the Lithuanian lands around Vilnius (a journey between
which would take several days as far as we can tell). The res-
taurant itself has the homely feel of a grandmothers kitchen
and the wood-burning oven where various meat dishes are
grilled to perfection adds to the atmosphere. Expect gener-
ous portions cooked simply and well with a range of Georgian
wines available to wash it all down. QOpen 13:00 - 22:00.
(15-43z). TA6GBSW
Chinese
A Dong C-2, ul. Matejki 3, tel. (+48) 32 258 66 62,
www.adong.com.pl. Equally ostentatious and tatty, this
huge and decidedl y strange restaurant comes compl ete
wi th a coat-check grandpa, groups of of fi ce workers
tucking into plates of good-l ooking food, red lanterns
and authenti c Chi nese musi c. The menu is large and
packed wi th equall y authenti c Chinese dishes at bargain
pri ces. Hi ghl y recommend for both i ts novel ty as well
as serving the sort of food youll find all over China but
almost never in the UK. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. (20-60z).
PTAGSW
I bi s Budget Katowi ce Centr um C- 4, Al .
Rodzieskiego 18, tel. (+48) 32 350 50 40, www.
ibisbudget.com. The Ibis Budget (formerly the Etap brand)
presence in Katowice is smashing news for budget travellers
tired of sleeping in hotels that smell of old socks and steamed
turnips. Clean and modern this is exactly what the lower end
of the market needs, with facilities including prim flatscreen
satellite TV, air-conditioning and bathrooms that dont need
a dose of Dutch courage prior to entry. Great value right in
the centre of town. Q124 rooms (124 singles, 124 doubles,
4 triples). PTA6UGW h
Katowice C-3, Al. Korfantego 9, tel. (+48) 32 258 82
81, www.hotel-katowice.com.pl. Caught somewhere
mid-way between communist-era throwback and space
station, evidence that Katowice might be slowly catching
up with the world includes the addition of such necessities
as wireless internet in the lobby and smiling receptionists.
The rooms are pleasant enough, with some offering amaz-
ing views of the citys less-than-amazing panorama, plus
the restaurant and conference rooms have recently gotten
a much-needed touch up. The city-centre location is made
even more convenient by the bus stop in front, which serves
as a major Silesian transit point. Q230 rooms (136 singles,
78 doubles, 16 suites). THAR6UGKW hh
Orodek Konferencyjno-Szkoleniowy INNOWAC-
JA (Conference & Training Centre Innovation)
ul. Jagielloska 38A, Zabrze, tel. (+48) 32 278 75
55, www.oks.polsl.pl. Located in the centre of Zabrze,
Innowacja offers professional and quality service within
their tech-savvy conference centre and hotel. The Centres
location houses amenities including apartments, studios,
and single or double rooms for up to 78 guests. Every room
Polish tipping eti quette can be a bi t confusing for
foreigners. While in other civilized countries its normal
to say thanks when a wai ter coll ects the money,
youll be horri fied to learn that in Poland uttering the
word dzi kuj e (thank you), or even thank you i n
English, is an indication that you wont be wanting
any change back. This cultural slip-up can get very
embarrassing and expensive as the waiter/waitress
then typically does their best to play the fool and make
you feel ashamed for asking for your money back, or
conveniently disappears having pocketed all of your
change, no matter what the cost of the meal and size
of the note it was paid with. We suggest that you only
say thank you i f you are happy for the waitstaff to
keep all of the change. Otherwise we advise you to
only use the word prosz when handing back the bill
and the payment.
Despi te the fact that the average wai tress in PL onl y
makes a pal try 10-15z/hr, a customary tip is still
onl y around 10% of the meals total (though being
a forei gner may make staf f expectant of a bi t more
generosi ty). As such, we encourage you to reward
good servi ce when you feel i ts deserved. Fi nal l y,
i t is not common to add the tip to your credi t card
payment because wai tstaf f are forced to then pay
tax on the gratui ty; most likel y you will not even be
abl e to l eave a tip on your card. Have some change
handy so you can still l eave a cash tip, or ask your
server for change.
Tipping Tribulations
A bl ue- col l ar regi on of
mi grant s, mi ner s and
mi ners daughters, few
places are as well suited
to the nations traditional
peasant fare of potatoes,
cutl ets and cabbage as
Si l esi a. So what have
the locals contributed to
national cuisine? Well, you
can put Silesian noodles,
knownly locally as kluski lskie at the top of your
culinary itinerary. Essentially a pierogi with no filling,
these pillowy potato flour doughballs are served as a
side dish almost everywhere, often with mushroom gravy
or fried fat and bacon bits on top. With a chewy texture
and typically bland flavour, kluki literally stick to your
ribs and set like cement in your stomach. We love em.
If youre particularly down and out, you cant do better
than a 4-6z side dish that stays in your stomach for two
days. As for main courses, your pervasive regional entre
for the brave has to be Silesian beef rolades, or rolada
lska a rather turd-like rolled beef patty filled with
onions, bacon and pickles. This surprisingly tasty dish
with some kluki and red cabbage or fried sauerkraut on
the side is as Silesian as it gets and exactly how they
serve at Chata z Zalipia (who have even won awards for
their rockin rolada!) alternatively give it a try at Wiejska
Chatka or SITG in Nikiszowiec. Wash it all down with a
ywiec or Tyskie Polands most popular national beers,
both from Silesia.
Silesian Grub
26
RESTAURANTS
27
RESTAURANTS
Hungarian
Zaklty Czardasz D-2, ul. Kopernika 9, tel. (+48) 32
257 01 32, www.czardasz.com. Certainly one of Katowices
finest and most unheralded restaurants, this aromatic Hungar-
ian effort serves excellent ethnic cuisine in elegant surround-
ings hung with garlic and pepper garlands, wicker lampshades,
latticework and vines. The enticing menu offers a dozen ways
to enjoy their delicious goulash (trust us, youll be licking the
cutlery), plus stuffed peppers, potato pancakes, pork loin,
fish and more - all complemented ideally by Hungarian wines
and tokajs from their adjoining shop. Portions are positively
huge, with food practically spilling over the edges of the plate,
and its worth noting that you can ask for many of them in a
smaller amount. A new year round patio and cellar wine bar
only make us more enthusiastic to recommend this place than
ever before. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 23:00,
Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (28-49z). PTAUIGBSW
Indian
Buddha E-2, ul. Drzymay 9, tel. (+48) 32 608 00 50,
www.buddha.info.pl. No need to drive to Sosnowiec for
Indian cuisine, in what surely must be a landmark event for
Katowice, the Indian owned and operated Buddha has brought
authentic ethnic food to a city more often known as culinarily
bizarre than a culinary bazaar. Marked by great service and
richly furnished with elegant antiques, tapestries, tiles and gold
silk place-settings, Buddha has a head start before the food
even arrives and fails to disappoint in that department as well.
If it says its spicy (gasp!) it actually is, though slightly small
portions mean youd be wise to take a side of rice. Overall a fine
effort and worth the total on the check, which arrives in a hand-
crafted box. Theres also a newly-opened club downstairs if
you want to stick around for some non-food spiciness. QOpen
12:00 - 22:30. (20-50z). PTAGBSW
Hurry Curry D-3, ul. w. Stanisawa 8, tel. (+48) 511
43 36 63, www.hurrycurry.pl. Bringing some heat to the
street and some spice to Kato-vice, this new hot spot is turning
heads and filling stomachs. Started by a couple of travelers
with the simple idea of offering a selection of curries from
all over Asia served up quick and sold for cheap. Fancy fast
food with a curry kick! The results are utterly delicious and
borderline revolutionary for the citys budding ethnic restaurant
scene. With a limited but diverse menu, youll find something
new just for you. The Butter Chicken is a sure bet and the
Devils Balls are, well, deviously delicious. The atmosphere is
friendly and the service quick so even if youre in a hurry you
can make time for their curry. Top marks all around. QOpen
12:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:00, Sun 12:00 - 20:00.
(11-24z). A6GBSW
International
Akolada D-4, ul. Zacisze 3, tel. (+48) 32 201 03 46,
www.akolada.pl. Set inside a glass-roofed red brick atrium
in the atmospheric Music Academy, this is a splendid venue
in which to enjoy the finer side of life. As far as restaurants
go, there is hardly anything typical about this place and its
abundant space. As you settle into your table the trickling
sounds of distant choirs and quivering quartets slowly
wash over you. The sonorous environs work to heighten
the senses and tempt the tastebuds. The food picks up on
that note and the modern international fair proves fit for the
philharmonic. With dishes such as beetroot carpaccio with
goat cheese, pork and artichoke salad and succulent duck
with seasonal fruits, youll be singing their praises by the end
of your melodious meal. QOpen 08:00 - 21:00. (10-39z).
PTAUGBSW
Bierhalle A-1, ul. Chorzowska 107 (Silesia City Cen-
ter), tel. (+48) 32 605 01 61, www.bierhalle.pl. Dining
in a shopping mall usually consists of being queue barged by
tracksuited teens ordering burgers and putting the finishing
touches to their acne, so Bierhalle is quite a bonus for all
who find themselves exploring the guts of the Silesia City
shopping mall. The best beer in Katowice should be the
primary reason for your visit, but the food is by no means a
poor relation; especially in a city where eating out is usually
followed by a prompt and painful trip to the toilet. The menu
here is pretty much as youd expect: big piles of dead animals,
perfect for lining the innards before putting their range of
microbrews to the test. Order the likes of sausages, herring,
and even tortillas, delivered without incident by staff dressed
like theyve just finished milking cows. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00,
Fri 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 11:00 - 23:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00.
(15-40z). PTAUGBSW
Bohema F-2, ul. Bratkw 4, tel. (+48) 32 202 51 80,
www.restauracjabohema.com. Entirely elegant, theres
little bohemian about Bohema - with its wine glasses and
white tablecloth approach to fine dining - except maybe the
surprisingly moderate prices. Appear in-the-know by taking
your date to this obscure restaurant on the south side and
choose from a wide range of Polish and European meat and
fish dishes; curiosities include the goose stomach in Proven-
cal sauce (has to be specially ordered), tenderloin in forest
mushroom sauce and an entire page of veggie side dishes
entitled Vitamins at the top - indicative of the character of
the main courses. Classy with a creme interior of black and
white photos of 50s starlets, the separate downstairs bar
offers something a bit more relaxed and the open upstairs
terrace is a delight in summer. QOpen 12:00 - 20:00, Sun
12:00 - 18:00. (17-72z). PTAVGBSW
,QJRRGVW\OH
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ul. Dyrekcyjna 3 tel: +48 781 373 000 cherry@cherry.katowice.pl www.cherry.katowice.pl
Camelot D-2, ul. Batorego 2, tel. (+48) 32 781 80 62,
www.camelot-katowice.pl. Not a round table in sight, but
there is a vague knights-in-armour theme to this large, highly
likable restaurant and pub. Dimly-lit and full of dark colours
over two floors with a small garden out back, Camelot hits
the right balance as one of your best options in town for
casual dining, a business meeting or beer with friends. The
menu of solid, affordable pub grub includes regional favou-
rites (salmon and spinach stuffed crepes, 17z), pasta, and
steak fillets. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00.
(18-38z). PTA6GXS
Cherry Restaurant & Caffe D-3, ul. Dyrekcyjna 3,
tel. (+48) 781 37 30 00, www.cherry.katowice.pl.
Put on your pumps, ruby red lipstick, maybe give yoursel f
a little mole near your upper lip, and channel your inner
starlet before sashaying into Cherry - Katowices attempt
to capture the atmosphere of a cinematic 1960s Manhat-
tan cafe. With large bright red diner booths and portraits
of Audrey and Marilyn looking on, this is the perfect place
to play breakfast at Ti ffanys (you know, i f Ti ffanys had
actually been a cafe in the film). Breakfast is served week-
days 10:00 - 12:00, drop in for their daily lunch specials,
or settle in for a supper of some of the best meat and fish
dishes in town. Cherry manages to do what many thought
impossible, make Polish food sexy! QOpen 10:00 - 22:00,
Fri 10:00 - 23:00, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00.
(18-48z). PTA6BXSW
Czech
NEW
Hospoda C-1, ul. Gliwicka 6/1 (entrance from ul.
Sobieskiego), tel. 504 443 007. History and geography
have preordained close ties between Silesia and the Czech
Republic. While close doesnt always mean friendly, this
hopping Hospoda could downright double as the Czech
Embassy for all the love it shows to their southern neigh-
bors. Of course the first test of a true Czech pub is its
beer selection. Hospoda passes with flying colours with
delicious Bohemian brews like Cerna Hora, Kozel Dark,
Lobkowicz, Rychtar and Pilsner on tap plus at least 30
other bottles on deck (Gambrinus, Radogast, Budvar and a
boatload more). I f youre wondering about the grub, czech
out their classic fried cheese, garlic soup and goulash with
dumplings. I f youve never been to Prague, just throw on a
walkman with some Jaromir Nohavica, curl up in a corner
with a dark Kozel or two and prepare to be telePortered.
QOpen 15:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 15:00 - 02:00. (13-15z).
AXW
French
Cest Si Bon E-2, ul. Ligonia 4, tel. (+48) 32 781 68
48, www.cestsibon.pl. Certainly one of Katowices finer
restaurants, the service may not be as cheerful as the
interior full of lavender plants, lilac tableclothes, dried flow-
ers, candleholders and sun icons, but the food is top-notch,
as testified by the long list of companies Cest Si Bon does
regular catering for. The menu is in Polish, French and English,
and still full of rich, delicious dishes from the French onion
soup with croutons and Gruyere cheese, to veal escalopes
served with foie gras. A great way to forget youre in Kato-
wice. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 20:00. (38-59z).
PTAUVGBSW
Fusion
Restauracja Sunlight B-2, ul. Sokolska 24 (angelo
Hotel Katowice), tel. (+48) 32 783 81 56, www.
angelo-katowice.pl. Located on the ground floor of the
Angelo Hotel, its worth getting a room upstairs just for
convenient access to this exquisite restaurant. A perfect
cure for seasonal Silesian depression, Sunlight justi fies
its slightly hokey name with a modern, spirit-li fting interior
of warm colours and wall to floor length windows. No ef-
fort is spared with the food, including regularly reinvented
seasonal menus whi ch we heartil y recommend taking
advantage of, in addition to the regular card full of creative,
locally-inspired fusion dishes. Each plate is presented as
a work of art and the menu even includes accompanying
wine recommendations. Two or three course business
lunches (Mon-Fri 12:00-16:00) are a bargain for 38 or
45z respectively, and the entire experience is one worth
basking in. Q Open 06:30-10:30, 13:00-22:00. (25-90z).
PTAUGW
German
WunderBAR D-3, ul. Plebiscytowa 2, tel. (+48) 32
781 76 90, www.wunderbar.pl. A pleasing bar-restaurant
kitted out with pots, pans, chiming clocks and all manner of
assorted country trumpery. The menu here is pretty much
as you expect from a Bavarian themed eatery, hunks of
deceased animal served in masculine portions. If you really
mean business then look no further than the Trough Wun-
derbar; a monster meal that includes pork, ribs, bratwurst,
sauerkraut and potatoes. QOpen 13:00 - 23:00. (33-69z).
TAGBS
28
RESTAURANTS
29
RESTAURANTS
Cinnamon D-1, ul. Mikoowska 9, tel. (+48) 32 701
55 94, www.restauracja-cinnamon.pl. Smart looking
restobar located close to the centre of Katowice. The bare-
bricks, comfy sofas and black-clad staff give the venue a
classy feel and the laid-back sounds, shiny bar and eclectic
menu all win points if you like the place youre in to look as
good as you. The food ranges from steaks to pasta, and the
duck breast baked in honey with carmel sauce and potatoes
comes recommended. Food is prepared in an open kitchen
which tends to fill the place with cooking smells, but shows
off the skill of the chef. The skills of the barmen are also
on display via a great cocktail list and on weekends people
come out to party as much as to clean their plates. QOpen
12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00. Closed Sun. (18-68z).
PTA6GSW
Felicidad C-1, ul. Sobieskiego 10, tel. (+48) 507 04
27 61, www.felicidad.pl. Overseen by a team of older
women, Felicidads strange, somewhat tatty interior incor-
porates elements of an Irish pub (including the misleading
four-leaf clover they use as a logo), a medieval tavern and
a grannys attic before the yard sale. Supposedly this is
an opportunity to taste some Portuguese cuisine, but the
overpriced menu hardly makes Portugal seem the exotic
culinary destination you might expect, with highlights being
the small selection of port wines and the garlic soup - strong
enough to set you right after smoking a pack of cigarettes
the night before and vamp-proofing you for the night ahead.
Very popular wi th businessmen incessantl y answering
their phones. QOpen 11:00 - 21:30. Closed Sun. (38-59z).
PT6IVGBSW
Finezja C-3, Al. Korfantego 5, tel. (+48) 32 206 40
44, www.restasuracjafinezja.com. Since taking over for
Sphinx, this budget sit-down restaurant in a dumpy building
at a major busstop has gone international, redoing the decor
a bit to reflect that with European maps and African animal
prints. The menu hits several continents with cheap, speedy
Asian, Mexican and American offerings, Polish, Italian and
European mainstays, and you can round it all off with creme
brulee for dessert. In the end, the less-than-authentic food
and atmosphere arent that dissimilar from what Sphinx
used to be: hardly a revelation, but you could do worse in
these parts; we know we have. Also at ul. Chorzowska 107
(A-1, Silesia City Center). QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (15-49z).
PTA6UGSW
Grill Bar ul. Bdziska 82, Czelad (Hotel Szafran),
tel. (+48) 32 763 80 13, www.szafranowydwor.pl. A
part of the Szafranowy Dwr complex offering a canteen
style grill for those on the move. Located between down-
town Katowice and the airport, it makes a perfect stop
i f you are on your way to or from the airport in your own
transport. All manner of meat is grilled up including steaks,
pork and chicken fillets and fish. A range of salads and a
kids menu make this one of the better family options in
the conurbation as well. QOpen 07:00 - 24:00. (12-50z).
PTAUGSW
Kamienny Kasztel Al. Gwna 3, Chorzw (Park
of Culture & Recreation), tel. (+48) 501 78 05 30,
www.kamiennykasztel.pl. Inside the Park of Culture &
Recreation, the astonishing interior features nods to ev-
erything from the Stone Age to the Renaissance. Bursting
with oil paintings and boasting a wonderful garden during
the summer, food comes courtesy of a large selection of
Polish dishes plus a few international favourites. By far
the best place to eat when enjoying the sights and at-
tractions of the park. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (16-120z).
PTAUGBSW
Lataj ca wi ni a (The Fl yi ng Pi g) D- 3, ul .
Staromiejska 3, tel. (+48) 530 32 85 58, www.
latajacaswinia.pl. Thi s modern bi stro-pub of fers a
compel l i ng sel ecti on of l ocal pork del i caci es and an
excel l ent array of l ocal mi crobrews to compl ement
them. Specialisi ng i n upscal e appetisers for carni vores,
the Pol i sh-onl y menu wi l l pose a chal l enge for forei gn-
ers, but perseverance i s wel l rewarded by the qual i ty
and taste of al l on of fer. The schni tzel i s great and the
col d pl atters of mi xed meat snacks can be ordered i n
porti ons for 1-4 peopl e. To wash down what we coul d
essenti al l y descri be as Pol i sh pork tapas youve got
one of the best beer l i sts around, and even a speci al
breakfast menu served weekdays 09:00 - 12:00. The
smal l, cheeki l y decorated i nteri or i s a bi t cramped, but
wal l -l ength wi ndows al l ow you to prop up your el bows
and do some peopl e-watchi ng, or take a seat i n the
seasonal garden. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Fri 12:00 -
24:00, Sat 16:00 - 24:00, Sun 16:00 - 22:00. (10-30z).
AGBSW
Maana Bistro & Wine Bar I-1, ul. Wolnoci 15,
Chorzw, tel. (+48) 508 29 36 40, www.bistroma-
nana.pl. Another excellent destination in Chorzw, this
ace cafe bistro hits all the bases with delicious coffee, fine
wines and a great menu thats presented as a magazine
full of savoury sandwiches and creative mains like egg-
plant and zucchini rolls stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes
and ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Its all
stylishly presented and the modern Parisian atmosphere
of the small casually elegant interior makes this a great
spot to stop for a light lunch or some after work down-
time with a friend. Recommended. QOpen 09:00 - 21:00,
Fri, Sat 09:00 - 22:00, Sun 09:00 - 20:00. (17-45z).
PTA6GSW
Pan de Rossa ul. Trzech Staww 23 (os. Pa-
derewski ego), tel . (+48) 32 256 05 52, www.
panderossa.com.pl. Located i n the Val l ey of Three
Ponds ( j ust east of F-5 on the map) - one of the ci tys
most popul ar recreati on areas, Pan de Rossa makes
more t han j ust an appeti si ng di ver si on for t hose
creaki ng around on thei r bi cycl es. Unfor tunatel y i ts
gi ven up i ts fantasti c terrace overl ooki ng the pond and
moved across the road and i nto the trees. However i t
has substi tuted the vi ews for a fresh, modern dcor
wi th l ots of l i ght through i ts l arge wi ndows. The menu
remai ns a di ssertati on on l ocal gri l l ed fi sh and game
di shes but has upped the Pol i sh sel ecti ons, l i kel y to
cater to a more l ocal audi ence. The i nteri or i s certai nl y
more upscal e and busi ness ori ented, so cycl i sts and
wal kers i n the warmer months are l i kel y to sti ck to the
covered outdoor patio. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. (20-50z).
PTAUGBSW
Patio C- 2, ul. Stawowa 3, tel. (+48) 32 781 55
55, www.restauracjapatio.pl. One of Katowi ces
most popul ar restaurants wi th an extensi ve menu
of pi zzas, past as, gri l l ed meat s and f i sh, Pati o s
provi si ons are now of fered i n Engl i sh, maki ng i t much
easi er for you to successful l y order what some cl ai m
to be the best steak i n town. The i nteri or i s desi gned
to l ook l i ke an exteri or, wi th a wooden l at ti ce cei l i ng
ful l of l i ghts, fake f l owers, bi rd nests, pi necones,
t wi gs and ot her t hi ngs you d sweep up f r om t he
yard; though when the summer terrace i s open, i ts
a bi t of mute poi nt. For a bar gai n, vi si t bet ween
11: 00 and 16: 00 Mon-Fri , when l unch i s onl y 20z.
QOpen 10: 00 - 23: 00, Sun 12: 00 - 23: 00. (16- 66z).
PTAVGBSW
Born in Sosnowiec, Upper Silesia, in 1911, Wladyslaw
Szpilman studied the piano in Berlin before embarking on
a successful career as a composer and concert pianist for
Polish National Radio. By the time German bombs fell on
Warsaw, he had achieved the status of a musical celebrity.
Imprisoned inside what was to become the largest ghetto
in Europe when the Nazis occupied Warsaw, Szpilman
continued to scrape out a living as a musician in ghetto
cafs before he and his family were rounded up during a
selection in August 1942. Szpilman managed to escape
the transportations to Treblinka death camp when he was
hauled out of a cattle truck by a policeman who recognized
him as the famous pianist; the rest of his family was not so
lucky. Szpilman slaved away in a labour camp before es-
caping and hiding in various locations around Warsaw. The
dying days of the war saw him living in increasing despair,
weakened by starvation and ill health, and he was only
saved from certain death when a Nazi officer discovered him
scavenging in the ruins and fed and watered him. In a surreal
twist of irony, Szpilman resumed his career as a successful
composer after the war - even founding the Sopot Song
Festival in 1961, while his German guardian angel died in the
captivity of a Soviet labour camp. Szpilmans book, originally
titled Death of a City, was published shortly after the war
but censored by the communists and was soon forgotten.
It was only when his son, Andrzej, discovered his fathers
dusty manuscripts that the book was re-published in 1998.
In 2002, Roman Polaski brought it to the screen as The
Pianist, which won three Oscars and was nominated for
four others, including Best Picture. Szpilman passed away
in Warsaw on July 6th, 2000.
Wadysaw Szpilman
A lot has changed over the years since communism got
kneecapped and Poland joined the EU. Today a destina-
tion as popular as Poland hardly seems any more alien
or adventurous to tourists than well-frequented France
or Italy. And while many of the old ways of the old days
have disappeared or become slightly disneyfied, one
relic remains steadfastly un-Western: the Polish milk bar.
These steamy cafeterias serving traditional cuisine to
an endless queue of tramps, pensioners and students
provide a grim glimpse into Eastern Bloc Poland and
have all the atmosphere (and sanitary standards) of a
gas station restroom. We love them. For the cost of a
few coins you can eat like an orphaned street urchin,
albeit an extremely well-fed one. Put the museums on
hold, a visit to the milk bar (bar mleczny in Polish) is a
required cultural experience for anyone who has just set
foot in the country.
Polands first milk bar - Pod Bak (Under the Milk Churn)
- was opened on Krakws market square on May 30th,
1948. Originally no hot dishes were served; bar mleczny
were places where you went simply to enjoy milk (hence
the name), humbly served in .25 litre glass with a straw
(so classy). Run by the government, this was the new
partys clever attempt at popularising milk-drinking (as
opposed to moonshine), inspired by Polands large surplus
of dairy products. As restaurants were nationalised and
then shut down by PLs communist authorities, more and
more milk bars appeared across the country and began
offering cheap, dairy-based meals to the masses and
especially workers; quite often meals at the local milk bar
were included in a workers salary.
By the mid-60s milk bars were widely prevalent across
Poland as the party concept was to provide cheap, fast
food to everyone (as cheerlessly as possible apparently).
In addition to milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese and other
dairy concoctions, milk bars offered omelettes and egg
cutlets, as well as flour-based foods like pierogi. Times
were so desperate under communism that many bar
mleczny resorted to chaining the cutlery to the table to
deter rampant thievery; by this same reasoning youll still
notice today that most milk bars use disposable dishes
and the salt and pepper are dispensed from plastic cups
with a spoon. Similarly, the orders are still taken by blue-
haired, blue-veined, all-business babcias -and the food
is as inspired as ever, the only difference being meat
isnt rationed any more in modern PL. Indeed, todays
milk bars evoke a timelessness to be savoured just as
the milk soup with noodles served to schoolchildren in
PL in the 1980s was. With the collapse of communism
most bar mleczny went bankrupt, however, fortunately
for us all, some of these feed museums were saved and
continue to be kept open and dirt cheap through state
subsidies. The range of available dishes begins to fall
off as closing time approaches, so go early, go often.
Bar Uniwersalny C-2, ul. Stawowa 7, tel. (+48)
32 206 98 24. QOpen 09:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 10:00
- 18:00. (10-18z). 6GS
Dworcowy O-2, ul. Okopowa 8, Gliwice, tel. (+48)
32 231 26 81. QOpen 08:00 - 18:00, Sat 08:00 -
15:00. Closed Sun. (9-12z). GS
Europa C-3, ul. Mickiewicza 8, tel. (+48) 32 259 66
96. Q Open 07:00 - 19:00, Sat 08:00 - 15:00. Closed
Sun. (3-12z). GS
Milk Bars
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RESTAURANTS
31
RESTAURANTS
Stekhouse Da Da E-1, ul. Gen. Zajczka 17 (entrance
from ul. Poniatowskiego), tel. (+48) 32 205 61 03. If
there were such a thing as the beaten path in Katowice,
Stek House would certainly be off it, but its worth seeking
out if youre feeling particularly rapacious. With a variety of
choice cuts for carnivores, including the Argentine variety
and beef carpaccio; the soups are also delicious, highlighted
by the goulash and creme of broccoli with smoked salmon
and roasted almonds. Theres now an English menu, and the
pleasant staff are happy to help out. The intimate courtyard
in front of this ivy-covered building is a delightful spot to dig
in and drink the German beer on tap (Tucher), making an
excursion to Dada even more worthwhile during the warm
weather months. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 13:00 -
22:00. (33-115z). TA6GBSW
Szafranowy Dwr ul. Bdziska 82, Czelad, tel.
(+48) 32 763 80 00, www.szafranowydwor.pl. Found
13km from downtown Katowice, the Saffron Manor (to give
it its English name) forms part of an attractive, modern
complex including a hotel. Inside youll find a series of rooms
of which this is the more formal dining area. Find a rather
impressive menu consisting of meats, pastas, salads and
fish dishes with the steaks and the desserts both receiving
top marks, in a modern, rustic setting with a fireplace and
fountain setting off the whole look. QOpen 13:00 - 22:00.
(35-70z). PTAUIGSW
Tatiana D-3, ul. Staromiejska 5, tel. (+48) 32 203 74
13, www.restauracjatatiana.pl. A long, thin restaurant
with elegant, cleverly designed wooden floors and ceilings,
the organic design is enhanced with enough bamboo and
random reeds to attract a wild panda. One of Katowices
finer and suitably popular establishments, the menu features
an extensive range of Slavic and European dishes including
steaks (the best in the city?), Moscow borscht and duck
breast in moustard and honey sauce, and also changes every
three months with the seasons. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00, Sun
11:00 - 23:00. (20-90z). TAUVGBSW
Za Kulisami Pub-Restauracja C-3, ul. Teatralna 8,
tel. (+48) 32 258 50 80, www.za-kulisami.pl. We were
told this place had been given a facelift under new ownership
but well be buggered if we could spot the difference in dcor.
Bare bricks? Check. Wicker seating? Check. Dim lighting?
Check. The one thing that did appear to have changed was
the menu. A decent selection of dishes considering that this
is a restaurant/cafe/bar in Katowice, ranging from salads,
pastas and seafood to a selection of meat dishes that saw
our chicken stuffed with mushrooms and bacon get a thumbs
up while the T-Bone for 65z looked like a decent enough
value. Located opposite the theatre this is clearly one of the
citys more trendy resto-bars and a welcome break from the
adjacent Rynek. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 16:00 - 22:00.
(14-65z). PTAGBSW
Italian
Cristallo D-3, ul. Dworcowa 5 (Monopol Hotel), tel.
(+48) 32 782 82 09, www.lhr.com.pl. Climb a grand
marble staircase to reach Cristallo, the stunning show-piece
restaurant of the Monopol Hotel. A glass roof allows guests
to watch the evening unravel above them, while the discreet
interiors of bare brick walls and steel tubing lend a minimal-
ist aesthetic to the experience. Select from the imaginative
Italian-inspired menu with choices such as beef sirloin with
ginger sauce and confit vegetables. You pay for the quality
here, and it comes as no surprise that diners trek across
Silesia to do so. QOpen 17:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 -
23:00. (50-85z). PTAUEGSW
that it even makes delicacies out of the local Silesian fare. Start
things off with salmon Carpaccio, fois gras fried in butter with
honey and apples or cold borsch with shrimp before graduating
on to a range of juicy steaks, veal, venison, lamb loin chops or
a fillet of grilled salmon in caper sauce: hats off to the chef. The
desserts are to die for and you can finish the evening in the cellar
cigar bar. Very impressive start to finish. Q Open 07:00 - 10:00,
12:00 - 23:00. (25-110z). PTAUGBSW
Restauracja Tamarynd ul. Wojska Polskiego 199
(M Hotel Sosnowiec), Sosnowiec, tel. (+48) 32 363
63 00, www.mhotelsosnowiec.pl. Located in the ground
floor of the new M Hotel Sosnowiec, the Tamarynd takes the
hotel dining experience to a new level. Serving up a mix of
Mediterranean classics highlighted by separate tapas and
pizza menus plus a huge selection of starters, soups, salads
pastas and mains. They also offer daily fixed lunch specials
so make sure you call ahead. With supremely elegant interi-
ors accentuated by chandeliers and a black and beige plush
decor, the only question youll be left asking is Are these
prices for real? Tamarynd gives you yet another reason to
visit the up and coming North Eastern borough of Sosnow-
iec. QOpen 06:30 - 22:00. (19-39z). PTAUXSW
Stara Szkoa S-1, ul. Grunwaldzka 46, Zabrze, tel.
(+48) 32 273 01 30, www.stara-szkola.pl. A superb
garden with a landscaped pond and bbq pit make this a
great summer destination. Conversely the interior is a warm
warren of timber rooms that include wood-beamed ceilings,
a fireplace and salvaged antique detritus, from rusty cogs
to abacuses. The food served leaves no gap for seconds
with buckle-bursting portions of regional specialties, Ruskie
dishes and the usual collection of animals skewered and
cooked in every way imaginable. QOpen 11:00 - 22:00.
(13-42z). TAGBSW
characterised by family traditions and culinary experience
ul. Stawowa 3, Katowice
tel. 32 781 55 55, fax. 32 259 98 65
Open 10:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 23:00
www.restauracjapatio.pl
biuro@restauracjapatio.pl
characterised by
family traditions
and culinary experience
Patio Park G-1, ul. Kociuszki 101, tel. (+48) 32 205 30
77, www.patio-park.pl. An exquisitely decorated and refreshingly
spacious restaurant at the edge of Kociuszki Park. Reflected
light above the faux trellises give the impression of daylight and
cut branches hang from the trellises so as to give the impression
of dining in a forest on a starry night. Country-style furniture, a
rustic-themed mural, antique objects and elegantly simple table
settings sustain the impression. Wait staff are pleasant and
speedy to respond. The chef takes a creative turn with entrees,
adding garnish to some to resemble trees. The menu is long, but
you may not have to venture past the chefs recommendations
on the first page to find something tempting. A good choice for
business lunches or a stop off before or after a walk through the
park. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00. (20-70z). PTAUBXSW
Restauracja Bergamo ul. Olimpijska 4, Siemianowice
lskie (Vacanza Hotel), tel. (+48) 32 606 83 83, www.
stylehotels.pl. Its rare that a hotel restaurant would warrant
the trip for those not staying upstairs, but Silesian dining is pre-
cisely the kind of perfect storm that makes Bergamo an oasis
of taste in the midst of a culinary wasteland. Warm Mediter-
ranean interiors include a fireplace and sunny timber-beamed
terrace, and it merely follows suit that the excellent menu be an
exploration of southern European tastes and ingredients. With
several banquet rooms on hand, its also worth considering
if youre planning more than a casual dinner. QOpen 11:00 -
23:00. (25-140z). PTA6UGBSW
Restauracja Bonaparte K-4, ul. Paderewskiego 35,
Chorzw (Arsenal Palace Hotel), tel. (+48) 32 606 84
40, www.stylehotels.pl. Not much surprise that in Chorzws
finest hotel you would also find its finest restaurant. Wonderfully
elegant French interiors feature pristine antique furnishings with a
few columns and credenzas to match the fine table settings. The
menu of Mediterranean and Polish dishes is such a masterpiece
32
RESTAURANTS
33
RESTAURANTS
staff work theyd rather not be doing, this isnt such a bad
place for a spot of lunch when exploring the area. Also at ul.
Chorzowska 107 (Silesia City Center, A-1). QOpen 12:00 -
22:30. (22-60z). PTAVGSW
Via Toscana C-3, ul. Uniwersytecka 13 (Altus Tower),
tel. (+48) 32 603 01 91, www.viatoscana.pl. A sensory
delight inside Altus Tower with interiors touting archways,
lampposts, vines and even mock balconies. Its every much
as delightful on the palette as it is on the eye, with a menu
featuring New Zealand lamb, Argentinean beef, a great pick-
led salmon carpaccio and seafood. Equally suited to romantic
trysts or hushed business dinners, Via Toscania is further
proof of Katowices growing stature. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00.
(26-115z). PTAUXSW
Japanese
Hana Sushi A-1, ul. Chorzowska 109, tel. (+48) 32
605 09 77, www.hanasushi.pl. A former swimming pool
attached to one of Katowices closed coal mines, this lovely
brick building has been refitted to house the citys best sushi
house and Japanese restaurant. With the added advantage
of being at the Silesian City Centre, yet sovereign over its own
independent space and atmosphere (they even have their
own separate parking next door), Hana Sushi boasts a rich
menu rife with Japanese delicacies and hot dishes for those
still suspicious of the sushi fad. If you dont feel like making
your way to Silesias biggest shopping mall, enjoy free delivery
by picking up the phone, chop-chop. QOpen 11:00 - 22:00,
Sun 12:00 - 21:00. (28-68z). PTAUVGBSW
Hobu D-3, ul. Plebiscytowa 10, tel. 600 201 265,
www.hobusushi.pl. A trendy venue with green, see-through
plastic seats, pieces of origami and some zebra-print fit-
tings. It looks hi-tech and minimal, and the sushi sets play
their part in winning return customers. Those squeamish of
raw-fish (particularly hundreds of miles from the sea) havent
been overlooked, and the menu includes numerous cooked
dishes including teriyaki duck and teppanyaki. QOpen 12:00
- 22:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. (35-
66z). TA6VGSW
Kyoto Sushi C-3, ul. Uniwersytecka 13, tel. (+48) 32
603 01 66, www.kyotosushi.pl. Located up the first set of
escalators inside the swanky Altus Centre, this large, excellent
Japanese restaurant comes with lots of wood trimmings, a
tinkling tranquility pond in the centre and a sushi canal built
into the fine wooden bar, behind which the masters are at their
work. Choose from Nigiri, Maki, Sashimi and classic Japanese
dishes, washing it down with a Japanese beer or a carafe of
sake. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Fri 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 13:00 -
23:00, Sun 13:00 - 21:00. (42-63z). PTAUGSW
Mexican
El Mexicano D-3/4, ul. Mariacka 18a, tel. (+48) 32
209 01 40, www.elmexicano.pl. If youre anything like us
and youve tried one too many cabbage filled tacos in mexican
kitsch-fiestaurants across Poland, then youll understand
our initial hesitation. But as soon as we saw the tastefully
colourful exterior of El Mexicano, we knew this was something
special. The small and brightly coloured interior balances
perfectly with the straight ahead authentic Tex-Mex they
serve. Mouth-watering spices meld with fresh ingredients,
almost all of which actually belong in Mexican dishes (no
kapusta rancheros here!). They even offer imported chipotle
and habanero sauces if you want to fire up those fajitas.
Besides great food and drink the atmosphere is relaxed and
theres absolutely no risk of being serenaded by a pimply
faced Politechnika student in a sombrero. Muchos Bravos
Mexicanos! QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00.
(19-56z). TAGSW
Kartel H-2, ul. Wolnoci 3/3, Chorzw, tel. (+48) 32
241 25 54, www.kartel-mexican.pl. One of the most
popular restaurants in Chorzw, Kartel benefits from a good
location and creates a classy understated dining atmo-
sphere by not acting like every day is Cinco de Mayo. While
the Mayan-inspired tiles, gaucho graphics and sombreros
dont exactly jive, theyre subtle, and the red-clay interior
is probably Kartels least offensive attribute. In addition to
the tasteless name, the food is completely flavourless and
unimaginative. While we admire the use of corn tortillas,
whats inside them is hardly authentic; generally we could
do better at home, as the coleslaw (!) was the best thing
on our plate. The margaritas are simple and strong, but
the closest thing to Mexican beer on hand is the tequila-
flavoured Desperados (produced in France). The outdoor
atovice , ul. 5taromiej-la ,
tel. ]z/ zo]-;-s]
lontalt_ re-tauracjatatiana.pl
vvv.re-tauracjatatiana.pl
La Grotta C-2, ul. Wawelska 3, tel. (+48) 512 51 74 36,
www.lagrotta.org.pl. Though La Grotta doesnt quite live
up to its lofty reputation, it has a lively, family-friendly atmo-
sphere that helps keep it buzzing with diners throughout the
week. The multi-level interior comes cluttered with bottles,
old adverts and black and white photos of Italy, while the
small but diverse menu features everything from their over-
rated pizza to ravioli to fresh clams. QOpen 12:00 - 22:30.
(10-45z). TAVGBSW
Sicilia D-2, ul. Kochanowskiego 2, tel. (+48) 32 251
79 90, www.sycylia.com. Moody waitresses, three sizes
of pizza plus soup and pasta inside a Mediterranean-feel
restaurant with colourful tiles on the walls and a fairly decent
wine list. The service is far from fast and efficient and the
food isnt going to win any awards, but i f you dont mind
waiting as well as being made to feel like youre giving the
A seemingly straightforward concept, while standing in an
orderly line is probably unconsciously ingrained where you
come, here in Poland queuing is a cutthroat game of cun-
ning and sabotage. It appears that decades of communist
rule, which featured endless necessity-induced queuing
to obtain the most basic goods obliterated any respect
the Poles had for the concept of an organized line. Such
a queue did not bring about any reward during the cold
war era. Sadly, the most courteous family was the family
without toilet paper in those days. Rudeness and results
began an unholy marriage and queue barging became a
common practice that endures to this day. In such situa-
tions patience is both a blessing and a curse as everyone
and (especially) their mother will attempt to oust you in
line. Tactics include confusing and deceptive bursts of
Polish dialogue to the effect of I was standing in front of
you (when they clearly were not), Im late for something,
I have to go before you or more commonly Im older than
you, let me go first. Should you give any space between
you and the person in front of you (a courteous gesture in
most civilised countries) it will be filled by someone who
either completely ignores the fact that you are there, or
spears you with an umbrella and a glare to ensure theres
no protest. Also, if a person feels their needs can be easily
satisfied its agreed that said person need not stand in
line, but march straight to the window, interrupt whatever
is happening there and expect to be assisted. Sadly, this
practice is upheld by clerks who will stop fulfilling your
request to attend to the bargers request. Taking into
account all of these factors, perhaps the only recourse
is indeed a tenacious complacency.
Poor Queuing
terrace is great in summer and Kartel has proven itself to
be a huge success with the locals, but a bit of effort towards
authenticity would go a long way here. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00.
(12-35z). PTAGBS
Polish
Bar Pod Sidemk C-2, ul. Stawowa 7, tel. (+48) 32
258 66 18. A good place to sample the traditional nosh on
one of Katowices most peopled streets. Decked with net-
ting, frayed ropes and funny caricatures of potential patrons
on the walls, here youll find little more than honest people
eating honest food and a cute, chirpy blonde collecting the
orders. Q Open 09:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 19:00.
(10-19z). 6VGBS
Chata z Zalipia D-3, ul. Wojewdzka 15, tel. (+48) 32
205 33 00, www.chatazzalipia.pl. Paying homage to the
specific folk art tradition of the far-away Maopolska village
of Zalipie, the rustic cottage interior of this pleasant peasant
offering features elaborate flower murals on the white walls,
garlic garlands hanging from timber beams and plenty of other
farm fittings This delicious Polish home-cooking is served on
beautifully decorated ceramic dish ware, including the prereq-
uisite pre-meal smalec (see Polish Food box). Waitresses in
traditional dress and disco folk music round out what serves
as one of the best introductions to Polish cuisine in Silesia.
Theyve even won several culinary awards for their delicious
dishes and what is more, many Polish stars of stage and
screen count themselves as regulars. Most recently, the one
and only Slash himself paid them a visit to polish of some
pierogies. Rock and rolada! (If you happen to be in Sarnw
make sure to check out there other location - ul. Podgrna 18
42- 512 Sarnw tel. 32 267 88 77) QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Sun
12:00 - 21:00. (8-42z). PTA6UEGSW
34
RESTAURANTS
35
RESTAURANTS
considering we know several other restaurants closeby
where we could eat far superior food for hal f the price.
Pretty but pretentious. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (38-94z).
PTAGSW
Pierogi wiata E-3, ul. Jagielloska 4, tel. (+48) 32
733 25 51, www.pierogiswiata.pl. Not the greatest look-
ing venue from the street (but then what is in Katowice?),
Pierogi wiata puts a creative spin on that staple of the Polish
menu, filling their dough pockets with something other than
meat, cabbage, cheese or potato (the four essential Polish
food groups). In an interior that weakly attempts to suggest
the Far East, explore such exotic world fillings as chicken,
vegetables and spicy sauce, an Egyptian version containing
mussaca and a Norwegian version containing salmon and
risotta cheese. Theres also a range of other standard Polish
dishes such as fried chicken fillets, and a handy English menu
makes it intelligible enough for informed dining decisions to
take place - rare in a place with prices this low. QOpen 12:00
- 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. (18-26z). PTA6GSW
Polski Smak C-2, ul. Wawelska 1, tel. (+48) 602 12
61 26, www.polskismak.info. Very similar to Krakws
popular Polakowski, but even cheaper, Polski Smak offers
good, affordable food in a clean, classy setting. Here you
can fearlessly introduce yourself to all the staples of Polish
cuisine, with the advantage of seeing them in the buffet line
first. Prices are by weight: 3.10z/100g, with a bowl of soup
going for 4.50z. Though on paper Polski Smak looks like
an unsavory Soviet era milk bar, anyone whos been there
knows that the atmosphere, interior and food are all better
than that, which is why its become popular with everyone
who enjoys a tasty bargain, from students to local business
owners. QOpen 11:00 - 19:30, Sat 11:00 - 18:00, Sun
12:00 - 18:00. (By weight: 3.10z/100g). AUVGBS
Restauracja Autorska Adama Gesslera ul. Byt-
kowska 1a (Best Western Premier Katowice Hotel),
tel. (+48) 32 721 11 66, www.gesslerkatowice.pl.
Weve been a fan of Gesslers from the beginning, and the
arrival of his now well-established and well-loved brand at
Katowices Best Western Hotel is probably the most exciting
Silesian culinary event since the discovery of the potato.
Unfortunately i f youre not staying upstairs youll have to
make a special trip to experience it, but the location near
the fringe of Chorzws Park of Culture and Recreation has
it well-placed to be part of a splendid day out. Serving deli-
cious regional fare, Gesslers trademarks are all intact here,
including the open kitchen and excellent service from the
chefs themselves, who personally bring the food straight
from the pan to your warm plate. Elegance, atmosphere
and a memorable experience are virtuall y guaranteed.
Certainl y the best way to experience Polish food, and
highly recommended. QOpen 13:00 - 23:00. (38-79z).
PTA6UGSW
Restauracja Monopol D-3, ul. Dworcowa 5 (Monopol
Hotel), tel. (+48) 32 782 82 82, www.lhr.com.pl. Its
hard to imagine you could go wrong by choosing the flagship
restaurant of the finest hotel in town. Indeed theres nothing
to be disappointed about at the Monopol - a name which
has become reliably associated with high quality dining,
design and service across southern Poland. Choose from a
changing menu of local and European delicacies that literally
make the mouth water, before perusing the excellent wine
list. The formal belle epoque interior of wooden floors and
marble finishing is adorned with pre-war black and white
photographs of Silesia, giving Monopol an appealing air of
the old days; you know, the good ones. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00.
(45-65z). PTAUGSW
Restauracja u Romana D-2, ul. Kochanowskiego
13 (entrance from Pl. Miarki), tel. (+48) 32 204 82
44, www.uromana.com.pl. Similar to Polski Smak, but
with set prices and more of a university dining hall feel, this
large cafeteria on Plac Miarki is a decent setting for a cheap
self-service meal where your fellow diners are more likely to
be young students stretching their money than middle-aged
alchy shop vagrants pouring hot barszcz on the fire in their
bellies (- essential criteria when restaurant hunting in Kato).
Cheery and clean with exactly the same menu as youre
likely to find in most Polish lunch bars (pork cutlets, pierogi,
stuffed cabbage rolls), U Romana is hardly worth seeking out,
but certainly satisfactory if you need a quick hot meal in the
neighbourhood. Also at F-3, ul. Francuska 34. QOpen 10:00 -
18:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. (11-25z). P6GS
Rycerski ul. Bdziska 53 (Hotel Rycerski), Czelad,
tel. (+48) 32 763 58 55, www.hotel-rycerski.pl. Located
in what appears to be a wooden mountain chalet (but is in
fact the Hotel Rycerski), this is a very decent place to take
in the Polish food experience. Heavy wooden bench-style
furniture, waitresses dressed up as mountain wenches and
large servings of well-prepared Polish grub are actually worth
the trip out here, even if youre not staying in the adjacent
hotel. Lots of seating and a well-stocked bar mean that the
atmosphere often develops into that of a thriving beer hall.
QOpen 07:00 - 22:30. (20-60z). PTAUVBXSW
SITG ul. Krawczyka 1 (Nikiszowiec), tel. (+48) 32
707 59 19, www.sitgrestauracja.com. At long last a
restaurant has finally opened in the uniquely preserved
industrial neighborhood of Nikiszowiec. And what a place it
is indeed. SITG is an upscale Polish restaurant specialising in
Silesian dishes. Where else will you get a chance to try some
pogaskie krupy ze szpyrk i kwane mlyko (pagan groats
/$&2&,1$'(0e;,&2
Variacka 18a, Katowice, tel. J2 209 01 40, www.elmexicano.pl
Dworek Pod Lipami Pl. Pod Lipami 1 (Giszowiec),
tel. (+48) 32 793 95 51, www.dworekpodlipami.
katowice.pl. Yet another feather in the cap of Sil esias
cul inary l andscape. Located in Giszowi ec, one of Ka-
towi ces more quaint and quiet quarters, this maj estic
manor specializes in large banquets, conferences, out-
door parti es and weddings fi t for a king. The full -servi ce
restaurant is the heart of the operation and its divine din-
ing room is open dail y for groups of any size and shape.
The menu is trul y a sight to behold highlighted by Silesian
special ti es, classi c Polish dishes and International fine
dining stapl es. How about shrimp cocktail, escargot and
steak tartare to start things of f foll owed by a sil esian
bread and garli c soup and then roast pork knuckl e and
lobster?! Few restaurants this side of Paris offer this kind
of worl d class sel ection of food, drink and atmosphere.
I f youre l ooking to be the host wi th the most, bring your
guests to the best.QOpen 10: 00 - 22: 00. (17-45z).
PTAUGSW
NEW
Krzysztaowa C-3, ul. Warszawska 5, tel. (+48) 32
200 98 70, www.krysztalowa.com.pl. This crystal
palace right off the square is a gorgeously gaudy orgy of
Polish folkish kitsch and deliciously overpriced food. This is
the newest franchise of the Grand Dame of Polish celebrity
chefs, Magda Gessler. And the place is dripping with her
over the top curlicue style. Dont get us wrong, the food is
tasty and we happily worked our way through a small portion
of barley soup with goose stomach and a roasted salmon
(which was actually boiled) that worked nicely with a light
sauce and ratatouille. The rest of the menu is exhaustive,
extravagant and expensive with a comparably costly yet
comprehensive wine list. The service and atmosphere are
adequate but the experience as a whole was bittersweet
ul. Uniwersytecka 13, Katowice
mobile +48 512 020 808
tel +48 (32) 603 01 91
katowice@viatoscana.pl
www.viatoscana.pl
Let us take you to a Mediterranean
climate where you can feel the
rhythm of a sunny day.
Our restaurant can be found in the
ALTUS BUILDING (QUBUS),
FIRST FLOOR.
Mediterranean
Cuisine
THE BEST MEDITERRANEAN
RESTAURANT IN THE REGION
36
RESTAURANTS
37
RESTAURANTS
with sour milk)? If youre looking for some more traditional
delights have no fear for their kitchen is well stocked with
Polish staples like stewed pork ribs and the indomitable pork
knuckle. While you dine you may not help but notice the space
in the place. In fact it can fit just about the number of people
you might want to invite to a certain nuptial affair... Hosting a
conference? They can also take care of all your off-site cater-
ing requests. QOpen 09:00 - 20:00, Mon 12:00 - 20:00, Sun
11:00 - 20:00. (12-40z). PTA6UGS
U Renarda ul. Zamkowa 2 (Sielecki Castle), Sosnow-
iec, tel. (+48) 32 294 09 71, www.urenarda.pl. This
particular restaurant is also one of the biggest wineries
in Silesia and just happens to be located in the cellar of a
gorgeously renovated medieval castle. I could probably stop
writing here... No? Ok Ill keep going. The entrance to this
enchantingly romantic establishment opens up onto a pris-
tine park where theres a summer terrace to lounge on while
you leisurely sample the gourmet cuisine sipping a vintage
Pinot Grigio. Get the picture? Good. Now imagine that you
can experience all of this at unbelievably affordable prices
and its located probably less than a 20 minute train/taxi/
drive from where youre sitting right now... Consider that, dear
reader. Oh and one more thing, Renards is open for lunch
and is also available for weddings, banquets and other such
large scale events. Now off you go. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Fri,
Sat, Sun 12:00 - 20:00. (12-76z). PA6UGBSW
Wiejska Chatka (The Rustic Hut) A-3, Pl. Grunwaldz-
ki 4, tel. (+48) 32 350 30 10, www.wiejskachatka.com.
pl. A cavalcade of over the top, country-style adornments such
as old farming tools and painted flowers on the walls inside a
fairytale interior make Katowices only truly classic traditional
Polish restaurant the place to head to if youve not experienced
such nonsense before. In true Polish style the music policy
was devised by a steering committee of five-year-olds, but
the overall kitsch effect and the decent local dishes on offer
make Wiejska Chatka an experience not to be missed when in
town. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. (15-50z). PTA6GSW
Russian
Fanaberia D-3, ul. Dyrekcyjna 1, tel. (+48) 32 609 87
84, www.restauracja-cinnamon.pl. A beautifully deco-
rated, sumptuous cellar restaurant with an extraordinary
glass-fronted, white teracotta stove as its centrepiece,
featuring immaculately turned-out waiters on hand to ferry
dishes including potato pancakes with caviar and sour cream,
delicious casseroles in earthenware pots and the prereq-
uisite blini offerings to your table. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00.
(22-67z). TA6GBS
Vegetarian
Dobra Karma D-4, ul. w. Jacka 1, tel. (+48) 784 90
36 62, www.dobrakarma.com. Combining healthy food
with hospitality, Good Karmas vegetarian kitchen follows the
principles of the Five Transformations - an age-old Chinese
eating philosophy that endows their food with good energy.
Fear not, theres nothing self-righteous or spiritual about the
atmosphere, which has found favour with families, students
and hipsters alike. Set over two levels, the brick interior full of
folk touches and worn timber feels more like a home than a
restaurant and makes for a great place to work or relax. The
menu is mostly veggie reinterpretations of Polski classics
(lentil-stuffed pierogi, the popular veggie cutlets), pastas and
some surprisingly stellar pizzas, while to drink theres delicious
coffee, organic sodas, and some primo beers from the Czech
Primator brewery. Well-hidden, but certainly worth seeking out.
QOpen 09:00 - 22:00. (7-24z). T6GBSW
Lorneta z Meduz D-3, ul. Mariacka 5, tel. (+48)
32 200 06 60, www.lornetazmeduza.pl. Modern
European in style, stubbornly Soviet in concept, Lorneta
z Meduz has revived the 1975 business plan of flat rate
prices pegged at 8z and 4z for food and drink, respec-
tively. Your drink - be it beer, coffee, vodka, wine, tea or
juice - comes in a quantity proportional to that price, while
the limited food options would all appear to be answers
to the Jeopardy category Snacks That Go With Vodka:
namely, herring in oil (ledz), bread smeared with lard
(smalec), and the Double Jeopardy winner - pig trotters
in gelatin (galaretka). Egads. Though the interiors are
respectable enough - with two old maps of Kattowitz
dressing up the walls and the stools of the window bar
making a decent place for people watching - the take-
away coffee would seem the safest bet for food or drink if
its too early to start boozing. Q Open 24 hrs. (8z). GS
Stajnia C-2, ul. Wawelska 1, tel. (+48) 32 204 85
95, www.noclegi-katowice.com.pl. If you find yourself
in need of a more substantial, even sit-down meal in the
middle of the night, these folks are right in the centre and
ready to accommodate you at all hours. Home to an enor-
mous year-round terrace with a few rural touches, Stajnia
isnt a bad spot to stop by in the afternoon either, though
the food is pretty straightforward and unlikely to win any
awards: burgers, zapiekanki and quick eats in addition to
local and Euro main courses. Theres beer from Germanys
Tucher on tap as well, though when we stopped by on the
way home on a Saturday night we didnt find any reason to
hang around. Q Open 24hrs. (5-35z). PAUBXW
Late Night Eats
Spring ushers in the arrival of not only fair weather to
Poland, but also the countrys National Holiday Season,
which in addition to Easter offers two other dates to note
down in the diary:
First up is May 1
st
, otherwise known as Labour Day,
and a direct l eftover from the communist lurch. In
those days it was dominated by parades, concerts
and coordinated gatherings to celebrate the glories
of socialism, and while Poland was gradually edging
further and further away from Moscows manipulation,
the people were damned i f they were going to give up a
well-deserved day off from work. Despite the political
and social changes Poland has since experienced, and
the sour memories of Stalinist posturing, the post-
communist government opted to keep the plebiscite
happy and maintain May 1
st
as a public holiday only
without any red flag and party badge nonsense. As
such, it resembles the American Labour Day, which
is basically a day off for the sake of having a day off.
Amen to that.
Adding to the good news is that Poles find themselves
wi th another day of f before Labour Day has even
become a memory. May 3
rd
is Constitution Day,
whi ch in contrast to the history of May 1st, is one
of the most important annual cel ebrations of Polish
independence and nationalism. It was on this day that
the Polish Sejm (parliament) proudly signed what was
to become Europes first national consti tution (and
second in the worl d) in Warsaws Royal Castl e back
in 1791. A ground-breaking document that introduced
poli ti cal equali ty between the bourgeoisi e and the
nobili ty, i t also placed the peasant class under the
protection of the government, thereby guaranteeing
them safety from any nasty ari stocrati c masters.
Stani saw August Poni atowski, the Pol i sh ki ng at
that ti me, descri bed the consti tuti on as founded
pri nci pal l y on those of Engl and and the Uni ted
States, but avoi ding the faul ts and errors of both.
These sweeping social reforms were wel comed by
most Pol es, and i t was such a l andmark event i t
was i mmediatel y decl ared a nati onal hol i day. Not
everyone was happy however, namel y Polands bul -
l ying nei ghbours. Fearing the economi c, mili tary and
patrioti c resurgence of a country so l ong kowtowed
by them, Russian troops invaded Polish soil and in
1795 Poland began what would become 123 years of
partitions. The May 3rd holiday was outlawed and the
short-li ved consti tution was descri bed by two of i ts
co-authors, Ignacy Potocki and Hugo Kotaj, as the
last will and testament of the expiring country. When
Poland regained independence in 1918 May 3
rd
once
more became a day of national cel ebrati on, though
was banned again by the Nazis, and then the com-
munists who followed. The holiday was restored to its
current mantl e in 1990, and today is very much seen
as a triumph of the common good over repression.
Together the May holidays are known locally as Ma-
jwka and are a popular time for Poles get out of town
for a few days. As like Easter before it, those visiting
the country on either May 1
st
or 3
rd
may find efforts
to enjoy themselves thwarted, as a large number of
restaurants and bars choose to shut their doors over
this period.
May Days
Zoty Osio (The Golden Ass) D-3, ul. Mariacka
1, tel. (+48) 32 253 01 13, www.wegebar.com. We
often judge a citys merits on whether or not it has a proper
vegetarian restaurant, and in this regard Katowice scores
some much-needed points. The cheekily named Golden Ass
features laidback music, bright psychedlic wall patterns and
tablecloths, and fertile murals wherein zodiac characters,
Buddha and Grecian urns are able to coexist as peacably as
the aging hippies, young activists, punk rockers, and school
teachers that make up the clientele. The budget food shows
a lot more creative flair than the rest of the local cuisine, and
here you can pick up flyers on everything from yoga classes
to alternative rock concerts. Also at ul. Grota Roweckiego 20,
Sosnowiec (Open 11:00-18:30. Closed Sun) and ul. Kodnicka
2, Gliwice (Open 11:00 - 20:00. Closed Sun). QOpen 10:00 -
22:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (12z). TA6GSW
Vietnamese
Little Hanoi...and more! D-3, ul. Staromiejska 4,
tel. (+48) 886 62 33 88, www.littlehanoi.pl. Set on a
pedestrianised street in the heart of Katowice within walking
distance of the train station and Katowices Market Square,
Little Hanoi is a welcome departure from eating dumplings, or
even the low-standard Chinese restaurants found across the
country. Granted, the minimal dcor containing the obligatory
lanterns, decent Vietnamese dishes and friendly staff are
not unique in Poland, but as far as eating options in central
Katowice go, this is a definite step in the right direction. The
spicy soup was a solid beginning, the ribs were delicious and
the beef Bo Sot Vang was excellent. Wash it down with a
Lime Nuoc Chanh and like us youll be fortified for the evening
ahead with hardly a dent made in your wallet. QOpen 12:30
- 23:00, Mon, Sun 13:30 - 23:00. (20-60z). AUGSW
39
NIGHTLIFE
38
CAFS
Bars & Pubs
Archibar C- 3, ul. Dyrekcyjna 9, tel. (+48) 32 206
83 50, www.archibar.pl. Thi s i s as cool as Katowi ce
gets, so i f you don t l i ke i t you may as wel l take the
rest of those sl eepi ng pi l l s. Groovy l i ttl e Archi bar i s
set i nsi de the Archi tects Uni on wi th an i nteri or that
makes use of green l i ghti ng, l ots of pl asti c and bl ack
and whi te photos. I n the background i ts al l ambi ent
grooves, arty proj ecti ons and a l oad of Meccanno-styl e
contrapti ons supporti ng the l i ghts. I t l ooks good and
so do the patrons, many of whom appear to be busi -
nessmen tryi ng to i mpress babes hal f thei r age. From
November this trendy bar will begin of fering l ocal cuisine
as wel l. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 02:00,
Sun 14:00 - 23:00. A6GW
Biaa Mapa (The White Monkey) C-2, ul. 3 Maja
38, tel. (+48) 881 22 80 48, www.bialamalpa.pl.
This alabaster ape drapes itsel f in cool and drowns itsel f
in sudsy pools of amber nectar nightly. Open less than
a year, this premium primate has already achieved cult
status. Youll see why as soon as you squeeze through
its monkey bars. Warm woods, exposed brick and inviting
design greet you and direct your focus to the star of the
show... the wall of beer! Over 100 bottled varieties of Pol-
ish, Czech, Belgian, English and Irish artisanal beers and
ales on hand plus a rotating cast of 6 brews on tap. And
dont fear the beer, the knowledgeable staff is eager to of-
fer advice and help you navigate their seas of suds. Come
for a coffee and sandwich during the day and fight with
all your might to order that first pint of the night. QOpen
12:00 - 24:00, Fri 12:00 - 01:00, Sat 16:00 - 01:00, Sun
16:00 - 24:00. ABXW
Bierhalle F-1, ul. Chorzowska 107 (Silesia City Cen-
ter), tel. (+48) 32 605 01 61, www.bierhalle.pl. No
matter how many hangovers you endure drinkers will find
themselves returning to the scene of the crime, Bierhalle,
time and time again. The reason for this is the best beer in
the city. Theres a number of brews to choose from, ranging
from pilsner to Dunkel with the wheat standing out as our
personal fave, but we encourage you to have a go at them
all. Primarily a restaurant, the design is all heavy timber,
bare brick and industrial flourishes, while efficient staff
dressed as peasant wenches work miracles hoisting heavy
tankards and keeping track of the deluge of food and drink
orders. You wont want to leave. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00,
Fri 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 11:00 - 23:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00.
PAEGBW
BOB C-2, ul. Chopina 8, tel. (+48) 32 726 10 65,
www.bob.katowice.pl. A bi t of a l egend round these
parts, BOBs interior is reminiscent of an American rocker
bar and you almost expect everyone to be drinking out
of pi tchers. Theres a good, cheap sel ection of pub grub
on hand - including tacos and nachos - to compl ement
the cheap beer and a foosball tabl e for showdowns wi th
the shaved heads that favour this place. Known for i ts
lunati c Fri day karaoke ni ghts, weekend benders end at
BOB and youl l fi nd hi gh-heel ed casual ti es stumbl i ng
around the ci ty centre aski ng strangers where i t i s.
QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 05:00, Sun 14:00
- 24:00. PAXW
Katowice is miles away from Krakw (roughly 53) in terms
of its cafe culture although it has come a long way in a short
time. Of course a lot of inspiration has been taken from
Krakws cafes, particularly in the sense that it is often
difficult to differentiate whether or not that cool candlelit cafe
youre in is actually a bar considering the copious amounts
of beer and alcohol your fellow patrons are consuming. The
places weve recommended here reside more in the realm
of classic cafes slinging coffee and cakes, and tend to close
up shop by the time the clock strikes midnight.
Bellmer Caf C-3, ul. Warszawska 2 (basement of
the Silesian Theatre), tel. (+48) 607 94 20 19. This
hidden gem in the basement of the Silesian Theatre is
where elegantly dressed young people go to drink beer in
the afternoon. Paying homage to local gothic/erotic sur-
realist Hans Bellmer through an abundance of seriously
oddball paintings and posters, mismatched furnishings and
fabrics, this isnt the nachtkabaret one might wish for, but
Bellmer Cafe still stands out as a curious cult venue, the
likes of which Katowice could use a few more of. QOpen
12:00 - 24:00. 6GW
Caf Paterman I-1, ul. Wolnoci 18, Chorzw, tel.
(+48) 32 241 43 43, www.cafechopin.pl. A comfortable,
classy caf off Chorzws high street, Cafe Chopin makes
a perfect diversion for those with a sweet tooth. Serving
decent coffee, good cakes and deliciously extravagant
ice cream concoctions, chocolate is a proven paci fier of
the stress attributed to a trip to Chorzw, so we suggest
you take a time-out here. The spirits and beer will also
do the job. QOpen 09:00 - 21:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00.
PA6UEGBSW
Chopin Frykasy Fryderyka D-3, ul. Dyrekcyjna 6,
tel. (+48) 32 253 77 55, www.chopin.katowice.pl. A
microscopic venture popular with elderly ladies and their
laptop-wielding granddaughters in need of a quick caffeine
injection, the coffee here is some of the best to be found in
the city. Theres also a fine selection of cakes, which they
will give you a 10% discount for take-away and, best of all, a
large refrigerator full of good-looking and even better tasting
ice cream. Also at ul. 3 Maja 40 (H-2). Open 09:00 - 18:00.
Closed Sat, Sun. Q Open 09:00 - 20:00, Sat 09:00 - 18:00,
Sun 11:00 - 18:00. PTAGBS
Fanaberia E-2, ul. Wita Stwosza 6, tel. (+48) 32 200
01 67, www.fanaberia.katowice.pl. Swap your shoes for
a Turkish water pipe and a backgammon board, lounging
on the colourful carpets and cushions of the glass atrium,
or drink a Polish microbrew in one of the fantastic hang-
ing wicker basket seats of this groovy tea house. Full of
oriental ambience, Fanaberia features bright red and blue
walls, elegant chandeliers, curtains and wall-hangings and
offers coffee, cakes and a large selection of teas from all
over the world. I f youd rather steep yoursel f in alcohol,
you wont find a better selection in the city than here with
meads, wines and sake available alongside the regional
beers. And now theres a comic book library; honestly,
Katowice makes us proud every time we walk in this place.
Recommended. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Sun 15:00 - 24:00.
PA6GSW
Gaudi C-2, ul. Wawelska 2, tel. (+48) 32 253 87 75.
Colourful reptiles, freaky chairs, mosaics galore and weird,
white moulded walls inside a fitting tribute to the Spanish
genius. Strip away the fun and youre left with a good cellar
caf serving strong coffee, sticky cakes and a large range
of herbal teas. QOpen 09:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 22:00.
PAGBS
Kawiarnia Wawelska C-2, ul. Wawelska 1, tel. (+48) 515
51 96 00. On what has developed into Katowices coffee and
cakes corridor, this cafe stands out as a beacon of warmth and old
school charm. Offering a wide range of coffee drinks and tantalising
ice cream concoctions you can enjoy your sweet treats either in the
comfort of the soft red interior or show off on the seasonal terrace.
Recently they also jumped on the cupcake bandwagon and offer
freshly baked goods daily. But its not just sugar and spice and
everything nice... When night falls this cafe bares its inner bar and
the drinks start flowing like the Vistula past the Wawel. QOpen
09:00 - 22:00, Sun 11:00 - 22:00. T6GBSW
Klubokawiarnia Redakcja (The Editorial Office) C-3,
ul. Korfantego 6 (BWA Contemporary Art Gallery), tel. (+48)
32 209 77 57, www.redakcjakatowice.pl. Its official, Kato-
wice is cool! If you want the proof then head over to this hip new
cafe-club in the lobby of Katowices Modern Art Museum (BWA).
If youve travelled much around Poland in the last couple of years
youll immediately recognize the telltale signs of a post-modern
hipster hang. The open and minimal design, Fritz Cola, ads for
Lomo vintage cameras plus an ever-changing menu which only
exists in chalkboard form and touts various tarts, salads and
sandwiches. Redakcja is more than just a clever name as this
is also the headquarters of the new monthly fashion and culture
magazine Kato Magazyn and also serves as the lobby of a new
co-working office. It all seems too good to be true. This editor will
certainly keep his pencils crossed for this action packed Redakcja.
QOpen 09:00 - 22:00, Fri 09:00 - 24:00, Sat 11:00 - 24:00, Sun
13:00 - 22:00. PA6GSW
Miss Cupcake C-2, ul. Sokolska 9, tel. (+48) 531 98 40
80. For a spell we thought Katowice might actually miss out on
the latest confectionary craze to conquer Poland. I speak of the
current cupped cake invasion in all its tiny frosted fury. For the
last few years in every major city across Poland cake-cupperries
have been popping up like mushrooms after a storm. This cozy
cafe officially puts the Silesian cupcake drought to an end as
theyve made it their daily mission to serve up freshly-baked
snack-sized cakes. They boast a total of 27 flavors and counting
with seasonal, holiday and themed cakes making timely appear-
ances. Grab a coffee while you munch or take a coupla cakes
for lunch. If youre tooth is sweet then shuffle them feet over
to this Lil Miss for a quick fix of American confectionary bliss.
QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Mon, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 20:00. AGS
Monopol D-3, ul. Dworcowa 5 (Monopol Hotel), tel.
(+48) 32 782 82 82, www.lhr.com.pl. Inside the hotel
of the same name the Monopols in-house caf bar offers
decent coffee and plenty of class with an interior that recalls
Katowices golden age. Here its all parlour palms, marble
surfaces and sepia images of the city in its industrial heyday.
Floor-to-ceiling windows encourage hurrying passersby to
gaze in with envy. Hotel guests receive a 10 percent discount
on their bill. QOpen 08:00 - 23:00. PTA6UGW
Rebel Garden Al. Gen. J. Zitka 7 (WPKiW), Chorzw,
tel. (+48) 504 443 007, www.garden.republikarebel.pl.
Wheres the last place youd look to find a rocking resto-bar with
great food, a huge beer selection and a jam packed calendar of
cultural events? How about in front of the gates to a Zoo?! This is
exactly where youll find this rebellious and rambunctious culture
garden. Theyve been operating from this little corner of paradise
for just over two years and, not so surprising, theyve managed
to attract quite a lot of attention. Local bands, national acts,
poetry festivals, belly dancers, travel photography, art exhibi-
tions and the list goes on... In the warmer months it becomes the
Rebel Beer Garden and the parties and concerts move outside,
presumably so the animals can hear better. Theres always
something going down so look them up if youre around. Its
time to heed the Rebel call. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00. TUGB
If you have an opinion about any of the venues listed
in this guide, let the two million regular unique visitors
to our website, www.katowice.inyourpocket.com,
know about it. Every venue on our website now has a
function for comments, be they critical, complimentary
or comical, so spill it.
Biaa Mapa
Biala Malpa is one of the best bars, if not the best,
in town.
Jason Murray from Katowice, Poland
Chata z Zalipie
Great location, excellent staff! Loved the food.
Sabine from Germany
Miss Cupcake
Been there, eaten that! :) Warning: you can absolutely
fell in love with those delicious little buggers and want
to stay in Katowice forever!!
Joanna from York, UK
Just read the first few pages of the Jul-Oct issue of Kato-
wice IYP, and must congratulate you on a very well written
report, and a great read!!! At first I was put off by the jokey,
sardonic style, but then I warmed to it and found the report
on the Uprisings absolutely fascinating. Your phrase As
you do at the end of the first and second uprisings section
matched perfectly my dry British sense of humour, and
made me laugh outright in the breakfast room.
Allan Saunderson from UK
Have Your Say
40
NIGHTLIFE
41
NIGHTLIFE
C4 D-3, ul. Wojewdzka 26, tel. (+48) 504 48 48 89.
Rail slide into this alt dive thats filled with bass music, skate
culture and heady micro brews. If none of these things grab
your attention then you best walk on by... But if you checked
off any of these boxes, follow the pedestrian underpass to
the wrong side of the tracks and get ready to get jacked.
Lotsa love for artisanal beer here offering dozens of bottled
beer from all over the world and 5 microbrews on tap. C4
nights are soundtracked by DnB, dubstep and/or reggae
DJs. Even in the colder months the parties spill out onto the
impromptu beer garden and expertly placed staircase. Rub
elbows with all sorts of sordid characters from the K-vice DIY
underground... light years away from your Hotel bar. Come
C4 yourself! QOpen 16:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 03:00,
Sun 17:00 - 24:00. AGBW
Cafe Zaszyta C-2, ul. 3 Maja 19, tel. (+48) 603
59 81 42, www.cafezaszyta.pl. Confusingl y touting
two names - Club Roc and Cafe Zaszyta - this two-level
establishment is your quintessential Polish rock bar: very
dark with no ventilation, a jukebox playing Polish rock hits,
a guitar on the wall, and a slightly alternative crowd in
leather or denim. Though the idea of rolling up to a rock bar
full of bikeless bikers and their busty dames in Katowice
may sound like a decidedly daunting prospect, the young
patrons plays nice and the barman is always up for a game
of chess. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 05:00, Sun
16:00 - 24:00. GW
Carpe Diem C-2, Pl. Wolnoci 14, tel. (+48) 669 99
85 81, www.carpediem.pl. With continents painted on the
walls and antique motorbikes with sidecars you can drink in,
Carpe Diem seems to embrace a sense of travel. Ironically,
youre in Katowice; and while you could probably do better
than this bar in Krakow where its sister venues are located,
you could certainly do worse here. This candlelit dive pos-
sesses a grotty charm and youthful, devil-may-care attitude
befitting the name, keeping its sticky tables and floor popu-
lated with students early evening to late night. The upside is
neverending drink specials (3.99z beers on Mon and Weds);
the downside is it took about 2.5 minutes for someone to
spill beer on us (at 19:30!). QOpen 12:00 - 04:00, Sat, Sun
16:00 - 04:00. PUEBX
City Pub C-2, ul. 3 Maja 23, tel. (+48) 32 253 97 99,
www.citypub.pl. The pub that always comes up when en-
quiries are made about the best places to drink in town, City
Pub has an impressively long door queue, but its legendary
status doesnt really fit whats essentially a series of large
rooms stitched together with a collection of bored-looking
people. On the plus side, the two bars both serve Guinness,
and its an as-advertised heaving den of sweaty delinquency
on any Friday or Saturday night; however it must be said that
the place is a bit gloomy and could do with some fresh air.
QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 03:00, Sun 14:00 -
24:00. PAUXW
Cocktail Bar D-3, ul. Mariacka 6, tel. (+48) 32 250 30
49, www.lemoniada.pl. A more pragmatic albeit unimagi-
native name would be hard to find. Long and narrow like a
fashion runway, the dark drapes, white leather upholstered
walls and limited seating give Cocktail Bar that extra air of
exclusivity that the expensive and expansive list of expertly
prepared drinks just couldnt accomplish on its own. Utterly
elegant, sophisticated and civilised, Cocktail Bar is for those
who value the art of a good drink, the virtue of being able to
hold and hear a conversation among friends and makes a
great escape from the drunken din just beyond the threshold.
Recommended. QOpen 17:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 05:00.
PAGBW
Gugalander E-3, ul. Jagielloska 17a (entrance from
ul. Krlowej Jadwigi), tel. (+48) 505 82 89 88, www.
gugalander.art.pl. A cult venue draped in darkness and
filled with wobbly tables and chairs, Gugalander is an ideal
place to meet Katowices idle artists and queens of the
scene. With a sporadic repertoire that includes club nights,
jam sessions and proper rock concerts, its a veritable
cultural centre, though the main occupations remain heavy
drinking, chain-smoking and fierce foosball matches. Its
also one of the cheapest places to drink, highlighted by 6z
mad dog shots, and the Katowice bar we long for on those
nights when were running around writing about places we
cant stand. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00, Fri 10:00 - 02:00, Sat
12:00 - 04:00, Sun 16:00 - 24:00. AUEXW
NEW
Hard Cock C-2, ul. Sowackiego 22, tel. (+48) 32 790
435 155. Soo... This is indeed the name of one of Katowices
newest bars and well, its hard to get around the, uhm, name.
All signs point to this being the least tactfully named gay bar
of all time, and then you see their inevitable rooster logo and
pretend to chuckle. Despite a few racy posters winking at
the bars clever double entendre, the place is quite tame
and even a bit posh. The dim lighting and slick decor suggest
a higher class of clientele who enjoy some electro mixed in
with their Cock-tails. This is only part of the story though.
They clearly have their wing on the pulse of the latest nightlife
trends as they also offer a selection of burgers and other
sandwiches to snack on and a variety of local microbrews
to wash them down. So have no fear, this cocky fowl just
wants to dance and chug a beer. QOpen 14:00 - 24:00, Fri
14:00 - 04:00, Sat 16:00 - 04:00. Closed Sun. AEXW
Kato C-1, ul. Mariacka 13, www.kato.shwrm.com. Once
a discreet DIY bohemian art bar, since moving from the city
fringes to front and centre on Katowices main street, this
hipster hangout has become the place to be seen, losing
some credibility and sensibility in the process. Despite being
inside a perfectly sound structure, the bar is made almost
entirely of unpainted plywood, from the tables to the wheat-
pasted walls covered in graphic nonsense, all in an attempt
to convince the shabby-chic clientele that they havent gone
mainstream on Mariacka, but are merely squatting. Since a
recent expansion, tattooed, counter-culture queens and their
jacks continue to spill onto the seasonal sidewalk tables as
Kato has developed into one of the most defining alternative
nightlife venues in town, bolstered by a solid selection of Czech
and Polish microbrews. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00. GBW
Kredens (The Cupboard) D-4, ul. w. Jacka 9, tel.
(+48) 32 785 91 63, www.kredens-pub.com.pl. Stuffed
with broken-spined books, old luggage, dusty sewing ma-
chines and springy sofas, Kredens dishevelled bohemian
spirit wouldnt be out of place in jazzy Krakw, where antique
furnishings, candlelight and newsprint collages have become
par for the course. In Katowice it stands out as one of the
most interesting places in town, and one of the few that you
might actually want to return to. With a menu of low budget
eats from pierogi to pizza and shockingly cheap Murphys
on draft, you may not have any reason to leave. Q Open
08:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 08:00 - 02:00. PAXW
London Pub J-3, ul. Katowicka 58, Chorzw, tel. (+48)
32 771 31 00. A traditional British policeman complete with a
pointy hat guards the door of this small bar celebrating the sights
and sensations of Old Blightys smokey capital. Cheeky bar-
maids pour Guinness and other drinks for a friendly local crowd
in a sea of miniature telephone boxes, paintings of the Houses
of Parliament, red double-decker buses and other Londonesque
detritus. Recommended. QOpen 16:00 - 02:00. PAG
No its not an equestrian sport involving bell-bottomed
jockeys... Disco polo is a rather peculiar and uniquely
Polish sub-genre of dance music. In fact you may have
already been exposed to it without even realising it. It
could have been blaring from a suped-up Fiat Duze rolling
by, pulsing from a radio in a abka convenience store or
been the soundtrack to that local wedding you attended
a few months back.
This cult genre first emerged in the early 90s as folk mu-
sicians and wedding bands finally were able to upgrade
their antiquated audio gear and buy some shiny new
keyboards with built in drum machines (with 70s disco
presets). By mixing a little Italo Disco (read: Eurotrash
Techno) into their Casiotone folk-anthems, a music
revolution was born. Disco polo quickly conquered every
wedding hall, village disco and nightclub throughout the
land. The mainstream media soon piled on and it was
celebrated as a uniquely Polish form of pop. By 1995
there were disco polo programmes on every major radio
and television station and even former Polish President
Aleksander Kwasniewski used a disco polo song during
his presidential campaign that year. Times were good
and disco polo labels like Blue Star and bands such
as Bayer Full, Boys and Shazza were pumping out the
hits and rolling in the zlotties. But alas, the good times
couldnt last forever.
Disco polo was scoffed at from the very beginning by
the likes of intellectuals, music critics and professional
musicians who viewed it as hokey and primitive. The
tide began to turn for the genre as a whole when a few
scandals involving disco polo artists and local mafia
bosses started to make headlines in 96 and 97 (it
was estimated that at the height of the disco polo boom
upwards of 70% of the disco polo market was controlled
by the Polish mafia). These scandals coincided with a
huge drop in cassette and CD sales. By the late 90s the
wedding party was officially over and the long national
hangover had begun. Public opinion and the mainstream
media quickly turned and openly derided and lampooned
the jovial genre.
Nowadays, the Disco Polo genre is about as respected as
Country & Western or Smooth Jazz. Nonetheless, much
like these similarly maligned musical outliers, disco polo
artists continue to break album sales records and tour
regularly despite being the butt of almost every musical
joke. The truth is, while its been officially cool to make
fun of disco polo for the better part of a decade, its every
red-blooded Poles guilty pleasure. If you want to see for
yourself, watch what happens when a DJ spins the Boys
smash hit Jeste Szalona [Yes-Tesh Shah-lone-uh] at a
wedding, disco or nightclub near you. Viva la Disco Polo!
Disco POLO!
Fanatic band Wikipedia/User: FxJ/CC BY-SA 3.0
Katowices nightlife is improving steadily, with more and
more bars and clubs opening that hold themselves to a
higher creative standard. While there was a time when
a Saturday night on the town felt like creeping quietly
through a cemetery, that has all changed in a hurry with
the emergence of ul. Mariacka (D-3/4) as the citys
nightli fe headquarters. A pedestrianised three-block
stretch that was once all strip clubs and shady gay
saunas (ok, those are still there), the city has put a lot
of energy into cleaning it up and turning it into the high
street it should be. Despite some dreadful urban design
decisions including ugly, uncomfortable benches and
strange sculptures, the city is finally seeing results with
a plethora of restaurants, cafes, cocktail bars and clubs
moving in to give the city centre some buzz. In summer,
Mariacka is full of outdoor seating and flooded with
people, but there are plenty of other hedonist hideouts
to discover elsewhere with the help of this guide. The
venues we list below are located throughout the Silesian
Metropolis, with the name of the town added to the end
of the address after a comma (with a map reference
if applicable) if it is not in Katowice proper; districts of
Katowice are shown in brackets. The opening hours
we list are flexible; basically if people are drinking, the
barman is pouring. Below is a list of recommendations
depending on what youre looking for.
ELITE: Katowice isnt exactly the place to take your
twenty-something arm trophy for a romantic weekend,
but you can probably pick one up while youre here.
To that end try the smart Archibar, sophisticated
Cocktail Bar or taxi out to Chorzws catty Czekolada.
Early evening recs go to the always classy Monopol
(see Cafes) and sunset views from the top of Altus
Tower in Sky Bar.
LADS: Foreign funboys can mix with the locals in the
context of their own culture in the likes of Longman and
Spencer, before drinking enough Guinness to lurk across
the lively dancefloors of the newly opened Rajzefiber,
the classic City Pub (more Guinness!), or lascivious
Lemoniada. Bierhalle microbrewery is also ideal for
team piss-ups.
STUDENTS: Not the most discerning demographic,
students will go anywhere theres fun music and cheap
drinks, namely Klub Pomaracza, Carpe Diem and
Cotton Club; those with more intent to impress will try
Lemoniada, City Pub, Genesis or Trendy Club.
COUPLES: Couples looking for romance should find it by
sneaking up to 27th floor of the Altus Tower for a sunset
drink in Sky Bar, or ruby your lips in Chorzws Manana
(see International Restaurants), before retreating to
the fashionable confines of Cocktail Bar or the cosy
cushions of Fanaberia (see Cafes).
ALTERNATIVE: Katowice has a fair number of cult
venues with the hard-living ruba i Przyjaciele, careless
Gugalander, sepia-spirited Kredens and artsy-DIY
Kato being among the best offbeat boozers in the city.
Leatherheads and rockers will flock to Caf Zaszyta
and hipsters and beer loving backpackers gravitate to
Redakcja and Biaa Mapa respectively. Those with
more elevated musical tastes will find few finer clubs
than Hipnoza, whether theres a live concert on or not.
Nightlife At a Glance
42
NIGHTLIFE
43
NIGHTLIFE
Longman Club C-1, ul. Gliwicka 10, tel. (+48) 32 253 78
62, www.longman.katowice.pl. Katowices likeable London-
theme pub, Longman has all the requisite trappings, from those
bloody red telephone boxes to the double-decker bus, plus that
well-deserved pint of Guinness youve been working towards
since you made that first fateful step into the local train station.
Theres even a menu of proper local pub grub if drinking your
dinner is ill-adviced (not by us, mind you). Weekends see Long-
man come to life with scores of students descending to take
advantage of the cheap alcohol and quite often each other;
keep an eye out for occassional theme parties. QOpen 13:00
- 24:00, Fri, Sat 13:00 - 03:00. Closed Sun. PABXW
NEW
Mad Mick C-3, ul. Warszawska 13, tel. (+48) 535 46
68 66. The requisite Hipster Burger Bar and Bistro has finally
planted its flag firmly in Silesian soil. The trend has spread like
wildfire across the Polish plains and now Katowice has its
own jumping joint to boast about. Mad Mick (the actual name
of the owner whose likeness doubles as their logo) sticks to
his guns and serves up thick slabs of juicy steaks and mouth
watering burgers day and night. With a vast array of Polish/
Czech microbrews and English ciders to chase down your chow
of choice, settle into a comfy seat before you meet your meat.
Besides the full menu of carnivorous treats, Mick also offers up
salads, snacks, and sandwiches and a boatload of breakfasts
to boot. Youve been warned... a quick early lunch can easily
turn into a long late night munch. Come early, come often.
QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 01:00, Sat 12:00 - 01:00,
Sun 12:00 - 21:00. (17-64z). TUGSW
May Kredens D-3, ul. w. Stanisawa 5, tel. (+48) 509
49 46 51. A great little bar in the spirit of its sister venue,
full of wobbly furnishings, candlelight, clutter and clippings on
the wall. Less space means there are less intriguing nooks
to fold yourself into, and the slightly more central location
means it can get absolutely packed. No surprise considering
May Kredens offers one of the best bar atmospheres in
Katowice, with two enormous additional incentives: Murphys
and Paulaner - on tap and at the lowest prices weve ever seen.
QOpen 09:00 - 24:00, Fri 09:00 - 03:00, Sat 10:00 - 03:00,
Sun 10:00 - 24:00. PABXW
Sky Bar C-3, ul. Uniwersytecka 13 (Qubus Hotel Pres-
tige), tel. (+48) 32 601 01 00, www.skybar.pl. A display
of model aeroplanes, cocktails galore and impressive views
of the city from the 27th floor of the Altus Centre mark this
interesting adventure inside the Qubus Prestige hotel out
as one worth further investigation. Though entry is free on
weekends between 16:00 and 18:00, note that theres gener-
ally a 10z fee for non-hotel guests. QOpen 18:00 - 02:00,
Sat, Sun 16:00 - 02:00. PAGW
Spencer Pub D-3, ul. Wojewdzka 21, tel. (+48) 32
251 54 73, www.spencerpub.com.pl. A stylish English
pub with smart wood furnishings, classic black and whites
and plenty of green, Spencer is an ideal place to loosen
the tie after a grueling week of powerpoint presentations,
whiteboard marker fumes and breathmints. Making the deci-
sion easier is the amiable English-speaking staff, solid line
of pub grub like steaks and fish and chips, one of the best
selections of whiskey in town, and the black gold commonly
referred to as Guinness on draught. Weekends see live bands
entertaining a full house, so get there early to get a seat.
QOpen 12:00 - 01:00, Sat, Sun 14:00 - 01:00.. PAGW
ruba i Przyjaciele (Screws and Friends) D-3, ul.
Mariacka 16, tel. (+48) 504 06 79 03. Katowices official
dive bar seems to be one of the last sauce-slingers standing
on what was once a street full of sleaze and spirits. Three
basic brick rooms with chairs on the ceiling, shot glasses
and ashtrays glued upside down above the bar, darts, a
foosball table and small garden out back, this rocker bar
of friends throwing their hair to Aerosmith, Korn and Pol-
ish punk bands is a great place to meet people you wont
remember in the morning. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat
10:00 - 03:00. BXW
Stary Port I-2, ul. Rynek 13 (entrance from parking
lot), Chorzw, tel. (+48) 32 760 67 67, www.stary-
port.com.pl. Seems the further one gets from the sea, the
more passionately one pines for it, which might explain this
shipwrecked sailor bar in landlocked, industrial Chorzw.
Not quite as salty as its sister bar in Krakw, Stary Port
Chorzw is still a welcoming walk off the plank into good
company, cheap beer and shanty singalongs. Decked with
old nautical maps, fishing nets, lanterns and torn sails, this
ship-in-a-bottle is great for getting stuck in on a Friday night
when the stage gets rummy with rogues and rovers. QOpen
15:00 - 24:00, Fri 15:00 - 02:00, Sat 16:00 - 02:00, Sun
16:00 - 24:00. AEXW
Szuflada 15 I-1, ul. Wolnoci 15, Chorzw, tel. (+48) 32
771 94 35, www.szuflada15.pl. Our favourite place to go
out in Chorzw and certainly one of the best in the region, this
veteran music club and restaurant still feels as fresh as ever.
Modern and understated in design, half-open psuedo-shelves
protrude from the dark walls, while the upstairs smoking sec-
tion (dubbed the Ice Lounge) features some creative touches
with silver icicles angling across the room and a sweet roof
deck. The downstairs is given over more for dining from the
extensive menu of international dishes with an emphasis
on Mexican (nachos, chili, quesadillas), pasta and pizza, as
DJs spin Girltalk-esque mashups from the stage area on
weekends. With no proper dance-floor, the patrons dictate
the energy level, though occasional live acts do come through.
Worth reserving a table on crowded weekends. QOpen 15:00
- 24:00, Fri, Sat 15:00 - 02:00. PAEBXW
Wcieky Pies (Mad Dog) C-2, ul. Sowackiego 16,
tel. (+48) 698 63 56 16. Full of bare bricks and dangling
chains, drawings of blood-drinking rottweilers and other
canines too menacing to be kitsch, its a pretty docile atmo-
sphere for a place desperate to bare its teeth. The streetside
terrace never seems to be open and its mostly couples drink-
ing the cheap beer in the basement bar interior which has
absolutely no romantic value, leaving one to wonder whos
going to drink all those 6z mad dog shots. Drop the leash,
please. QOpen 15:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 15:00 - 02:00. BX
WunderBAR D-3, ul. Plebiscytowa 2, tel. (+48) 32
781 76 90, www.wunderbar.pl. German restaurant by
day, lively bar by night. Trust the Paulaner and Warsteiner
lager to get your night rolling, and dont be shy in checking
out their food menu either - feast-sized helpings of pigs and
cows. Clink your tankards inside a homey interior featuring
the obligatory rustic keepsakes and antique trappings.
QOpen 13:00 - 24:00. AGS
Clubs
2B3 E-3, Pl. Sejmu lskiego 2 (entrance from ul.
Henryka Sienkiewicza 28), tel. (+48) 32 785 78 77,
www.2b3.com.pl. 2B3 has undergone a recent style
renovation, and the new design is sharp and suits the vibe
quite well, especially if you are a huge fan of Absolut vodka.
While adding a second bar and graduating from student club
to yuppie abode, 2B3 has remained a popular nightspot.
QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri 12:00 - 04:00, Sat 16:00 - 04:00.
Closed Sun. PAUGBW
Like the Czech koda and
the East German Trabant,
the Pol i sh Mal uch has
served several purposes
during its li fetime; a God-
send for families behind
the Iron Curtain, source
of amusement for smirk-
ing forei gners and now,
as a cult icon for nostalgists. Through the years Polish
exports have won world acclaim, from expertly cut glass
to dangerously delicious vodka, so this flimsy tin death-
trap on wheels is something of an unlikely hero of Polish
engineering. Manufactured between 1973 and 2000 in
Bielsko-Biaa and Tychy, the car was produced under the
Italian Fiat license with its official title being the Polish
Fiat 126p. Its diminutive size earned it the moniker of
Maluch (Little One), a name so widely used that the
manufacturers of fi ciall y re-christened the brand in
1997. When first produced in June 1973 it was priced
at 69,000z (approximately three times the average
annual wage), and became the first popular family car
in Poland, despite being the size of a small refrigerator.
Throughout communist times the car could only be pur-
chased by joining a lengthy waiting list, though diligent
workers would often be rewarded with special vouchers
allowing them to jump the queue. Though production
came to a halt in 2000, the surprisingly reliable cars
have achieved a remarkable staying power, and youll
still find scores of them coughing smoke as they zip
around Polish cities. Today a used Maluch retails for
about 300-500z, so theres little stopping you from
becoming a proud owner yoursel f.
The Maluch
Christophe Gruszka
After a dozen or so hangovers (and extra trips to the shop
for bog roll), Polish beer generally leaves one with an un-
derstanding of why vodka is so popular in Poland. Silesia
has the honour of being home to the two worst offenders
Tyskie and ywiec which enjoy ubiquitous national
distribution and sadly also bear the mantle of Polish beer
abroad. Put a half-litre of each in front of you, blindfold your-
self and we doubt your palate can discern the difference.
Locals will argue that since international buyouts the quality
of both has declined, but thats beside the point. Basically a
diet of these two gets boring fast for anyone with a real af-
finity for beer. What too often goes unrealised is that Poland
actually has hundreds of independent microbreweries that
produce delicious beer. While their available in Katowices
shops and bars is still the exception to the rule, that culture
is now changing and there are more and more places to
enjoy good beer in the city than ever before.
Biaa Mapa has perhaps the largest selection of draft
and bottled beers in Katowice and will even please the
fairer sex with their offerings of enhanced beers (think
berry beer, chocolate beer and lemon beer). They offer a
constantly changing selection of craft beers from around
the globe so make sure to stop in often to discover some-
thing new from near or afar. Beer experts, buckle up!
Sure, its super trendy, but the beer in ul. Mariackis Kato
is also super tasty. The selection of bottled microbrews
is always in flux but there are plenty to choose from; we
recommend Magnus, a sweet dark beer from the Jagieo
Brewery in far eastern Poland. If youre looking for something
more local, head to Latajca winia (see International
Restaurants) to try a draught from the Castle Brewery in
Raciborz. 80km southeast from Katowice, Raciborz is about
as far from the city as you can go without leaving Silesia, but
Silesian beer it is, and their quality brews include a honey
lager, dark bock beer and the mysterious green pilsner. In
addition to Raciborz, Latajca winia also offers Fortuna
Porter (from outside Pozna) and fruity ales from Olstyns
Kormoran Brewery and Cornelius Brewerys Grapefruit
Wheat beer (produced south of d).
If you want to stack these national ales against their Czech
counterparts make sure to stop into Hospoda and im-
merse yourself in a sea of Czech suds from Kozel Dark
to Rychtar to Radogast. Dobra Karma (see Vegetarian
Restaurants) offers beers exclusively from the Primator
Brewery, including a pale ale, wheat, and double porter.
Finally, we have to mention that Katowice actually has an
impressive microbrewery of its own in Bierhalle, where
the beer is produced on site and certainly worth drinking
(see Microbreweries). Unfortunately, the former is located
in a shopping mall, but its worth overlooking that fact.
Still, in Katowice there are plenty of ways to stay off the
ywiec, so take advantage or start conditioning yourself
to be a vodka drinker. Na zdrowie (to your health); literally.
Katowice For Beer Lovers
Sure, it started out as
a joke: In 1990 satirist
Janusz Rewinski formed
the Pol i sh Fri ends of
Beer Party (Polska Par-
tia Przyjaciol Piwa or
PPPP in Polish) to pro-
mote the countrys sec-
ond most beloved bever-
age during the new shift
in government. The concept was popular enough, in fact,
to inspire a similar party in Russia as well. And thanks to
some disillusionment with Polands democratic transition
after the end of communism a number of Poles voted for
the prank party, and in the 1991 parliamentary elections
16 seats were nabbed by the PPPP. What started out as
a joke their slogan regarding the party running Poland:
it wouldnt be better but for sure it would be funnier
evolved into a semi-serious platform thanks to the newly
acquired seats. Of course, the divided cannot conquer,
so when the party split into Large Beer and Small Beer
factions it signalled the end of the jokey era, and eventu-
ally the Large Beer faction transformed into the far less
humorous Polish Economic Program. Today little remains
of the group except for well-earned entries in top ten lists
of most ridiculous political parties and Facebook groups
celebrating the original idea: that consuming quality beer
is a symbol of freedom and a better standard of living.
Polish Friends of Beer Party
polskapartianarodowa.org
44
NIGHTLIFE
45
NIGHTLIFE
Sztuki Gallery and overlooking a major tram stop, this mod-
ern venue is all exposed silver beams and ductwork, with
a superb little balcony in the front and a terrace out back.
QOpen 09:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 09:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon.
PAUGBW
Old Timers Garage ul. Gen. Jankego 132, tel. (+48)
605 41 84 06, www.old-timers.pl. Much in character
with the industrially eccentric nature of Katowice, a private
collector has built a shrine to classic automobiles from near
and far. Old Cadillacs, a model T-Ford, a rare Russian ZiL and
even a Delorean - Great Scott! But dont get the wrong idea,
this is no transportation museum. This funky garage was built
for bands, with live rock or blues two or three nights a week,
plus regular theatre events and even some poetry readings
for you overachievers out there. In keeping with their vintage
style, the bar is bedecked in Buicks and offers a wide variety
of classic cocktails, beers and a hearty helping of whiskeys
to get your engine started. Katowice may not be the Motor
City but its got plenty of rubber soul so jump in your roadster
and hit up this jumping joint. Good ole times guaranteed!
QOpen 17:00 - 01:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed. AEGW
NEW
Rajzefiber ul. 3 maja 23/3, tel. (+48) 32 201 70 59.
Theres a new king in town and just a few months after lower-
ing his drawbridge he already has legions of loyal subjects
crashing his castle nightly. Rajzefiber has truly achieved a rare
and almost impossible feat by successfully filling a huge gap
in Katowices nightlife with serious style and enviable ease.
No other club in town has thought to offer an ambitious lineup
of great live music AND hot DJs plus offer a menu of quick
bar food and rocking cocktails. Upon entering the second
floor club for the first time we had the feeling wed been
coming here for years. The place was totally packed and
already jumping at 7pm on a Saturday. When we came back
at 11pm there was a line 30 people deep waiting to get in!
Theres a rising fever for Rajzefiber. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00,
Fri, Sat 10:00 - 05:00. PAXW
Sofa Club C-1, ul. Sdowa 9, tel. (+48) 600 92 78
27, www.klubgenesis.pl. This club/lounge connected to
Genesis employs a strict face- and especially shoe-check,
so take a pencil-eraser to your once-white sneaks before
you face those humourless bouncers. Next comes the
obligatory coat-check before entering the promise of the
posh, slightly pulsating pink and gold interior prominently
displaying Fashion TV above dark leather sofas and booths.
For moneyed locals who fancy themselves fashionistas,
Sofa also has a gay-friendly reputation, but the apex of the
action is in the adjoining Genesis club, where you stand a
better chance of being rubbed the right way regardless of
your orientation. With its lounge layout, Sofa would provide
a nice escape from the madness of Genesis if one were able
to talk over the table-rattling techno music, but alas. Q Open
Thu 20:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 18:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Tue,
Wed, Sun. PAGW
Trendy Club C-2, ul. Opolska 8, tel. (+48) 604 87 36
39, www.trendyclub.pl. Trendy Club has hit the Katowice
scene with black-light abandon. Youll be struck by the jux-
taposition of modern cocktails and decor with what seems
like a late 1980s homage to what we could imagine it would
be like to hit an after-party at Princes house. The first-floor
lounge area has a cool cosmic aquarium feel and the dance
floor upstairs is like a Caribbean oasis in Silesia. Open Thurs-
Sat only, expect typical DJ dance-mixes, with an occassional
live surprise. With the kitchen open until 04:00 on weekends,
you wont need to make a food run in the middle of your night
out.QOpen Fri, Sat only 22:00 - 04:00. PAEXW
no reason not to get armpit deep in the action, joining the
neighbourhood nymphs who go epileptic on the dance-floor
deep into the pink daze of dawn. Q Open Fri, Sat only 21:00
- 04:00. PAXW
Inqbator D-3, ul. Dworcowa 2, tel. (+48) 668 37 24 33,
www.inq.pl. Hit them on a Saturday and youll struggle to
find a better venue in town for electro sounds. As such its a
highly charged crowd youll find staring into space with cartoon
smiles while repetitive beats shoot fireworks into what is left
of their brain. The walls quite literally drip with sweat, while the
murky interiors look like theyve been thrown together as an
afterthought by a stoned student with time on his hands. Com-
pletely excellent. Q Open Fri, Sat only 16:00 - 06:00. AXW
Klub Pomaracza C-2, ul. Matejki 3, tel. (+48) 513
60 03 00, www.klubpomarancza.pl. Continuing the
Katowice trend of mistaking a club for an airport, this mega-
fun factory may have the most intimidating security weve
seen. But if club hoppers can get past the metal detector,
the cover-charge turnstile and jackbooted guards redirecting
the herd to the mandatory coat check, their senses will be
overwhelmed. A massive dance floor beset with all manner of
synchronized lighting effects greets guests. Dancers wiggle
away on a central mini stage, lovely ladies watch from the
balcony above and couples cuddle in the plush booths. At the
top, tucked inside a glass-enclosure is the RNB Klub, home
to another DJ, a second bar and deafening bass amps. A
third DJ spins in the Tropicana Room somewhere a half-level
below. Enough entertainment to justify the effort at the gate
and the line spilling onto the street. QOpen 21:00 - 06:00.
Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. PAUXW
Lemoniada D-3, ul. Mariacka 4, tel. (+48) 883 99 53
72, www.lemoniada.pl. The cult of Lemoniada has captured
Katos party crowd. After conquering Wrocaw and Warsaw, the
club has newfound flocks willing to wait 90 minutes in a queue
stretching onto the Mariacka promenade. Professional security
patiently weeds out the impatient and the underdressed even
as VIP-card members and the moneyed whos who float up the
stairs and through the glass door with ease. Inside, the cellar-
style labyrinth is pimped out with bright, trance-inducing colours,
the dance floor is packed wall to wall and a team of bar staff
struggles to understand shouted orders. Velvet curtains screen
off privately reserved rooms tucked into nooks and corners all
around. A passage allows access to the Fashion TV lounge.
Bring loads of cash and your A-game. QOpen 22:00 - 05:00.
Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun. PAUBXW
Mega Club B-1, ul. elazna 9, www.megaclub.pl. Es-
tablished in 1993 this venue is a dinosaur in clubbing years,
though still manages to stand out as the Big Boss in terms
of Katowice club options. Let the list of performers who have
appeared here speaks for itself, with cult names like Smolik,
Gus Gus, New Model Army and The Legendary Pink Dots all
having taken the stage. Vast, and though some may accuse
the interiors of lacking imagination, the parties and concerts
that go off here are the stuff of legend. Years of experience
have contributed to a smoothly run operation, with everything
in place from a bite-yer-ears sound system to seriously
impressive lighting. Check out their facebook page to see
whats on tap while youre in town. Q Open during events
only, hours depend on concert schedule. AUEXW
Oko Miasta (Eye On the Rocks) B-3, Rondo gen.
Zitka 1, tel. (+48) 698 65 57 96, www.okomiasta.
pl. Playing lady of the night to the good little housewife act
it puts on when operating as a restaurant by day, Eye On the
Rocks ditches the apron in the evenings with DJ sets and
occassional live concerts on weekends. Above the Rondo
Hipnoza Jazz Club E-3, Pl. Sejmu lskiego 2, tel.
(+48) 32 785 71 31, www.jazzclub.pl. This intimate,
laid-back concert venue books some of the citys best
international gigs, the reputation and subsequent turnout
for which often exceeds the size of the space. Packed
with interesting characters sitting on truly comfortable
couches and lazyboys beneath foil-wrapped ducts and
rotating psychedelic spirals on the walls, theres also a
decent food menu and DJs on Fri and Sat from 20:00 if
the stage is empty that night. Recommended. QOpen
10:00 - 02:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 02:00. PAUXW
Katofonia D-3, ul. Mariacka 18a, tel. (+48) 32 201
01 84, www.katofonia.pl. If youre looking to catch some
live music in Katowice, its worth dropping by this solid jazz
and blues venue on the high street to see whats on for the
evening. From 10z entry for top touring blues rock bands to
free entry for student jazz jam ensembles, you never know
wholl be rocking the large stage in the corner of this dimly
lit bar, but the autographs of all of them are scribbled on
the wall as you head up the stairs. As you might expect,
the decor consists of guitars, trumpets and photos of BB
King on the wall, though there are a few nice touches like
the saxophone beer tap and drum light fixtures. Overall the
vibe is chill and the crowd primarily students and musicians
supporting their pals, plus older couples seeking a relaxed
evening of entertainment. If youre looking for a bit more of
an aged and smokey snifter sipping type of vibe, check out
their new upstairs whisky bar (open Wed - Fri 19:00- 01:00
and Sat 19:00 - 04:00). QOpen 14:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat, Sun
16:00 - 04:00. PAEXW
Jazz Clubs
Queens ul. Ceglarska 35, Gliwice (Ligota Zabrska),
tel. (+48) 32 305 30 20, www.queensnightclub.pl.
This well-regarded club featues two bars, one wherein
girls go-go dance on a table in the middle and it would be
difficult to stand up from some of the seats without pick-
ing a stripper up on your shoulders. In summer theres
also a Jacuzzi, sauna and outdoor pool, but the highly
suggestive massage services are year round. Queens
also seems to operate an escort service, making their
girls, who have been charmingly described as no pros,
simply girls of next door, study or are housewives, avail-
able for business and family functions, movie dates and
birthdays (their suggestions). This could be the way to
finally become the cool uncle at the next family barbe-
cue. QOpen 18:00 - 05:00. PAUBX
Adult Entertainment
Winiaria Burgundia C-2, ul. 3 Maja 23, tel. (+48)
32 253 75 19, www.burgundia.com.pl. Hidden away
down the same dark alleyway as City Pub, Wineria Bur-
gundia features both a shop and bar in which to indulge
ones taste for the grape. By far the best of the citys wine
bars, find a slightly snobby albeit enjoyable and relaxed
atmosphere. A really admirable selection of world wines
for all tastes and budgets. Another location in the Altus
Centre (H-3, ul. Uniwersytecka 13). QOpen 10:00 - 22:00,
Sat 11:00 - 22:00, Sun 15:00 - 22:00. PAGW
Wine Bars
Buddha E-2, ul. Drzymay 9, tel. (+48) 32 608 00 50,
www.buddha.info.pl. You may already know Buddhas
delicious food; now its time to meet their dance floor. Head
downstairs to the newly designed dance club that is the
perfect extension of the high standards and sophisticated
style the restaurant is already known for. Every corner,
every pillow and every light has been tastefully placed and
delicately designed. This is more than a bar for after din-
ner drinks Buddha Club has all kinds of surprises like belly
dancing, Bollywood nights, an arsenal of shisha pipes and
other such unknown delights. Restaurants that expand to
clubs can sometimes be flubs. But this bouncing Buddha is
a sure fire floor filler. Dont miss it. QOpen 16:00 - 24:00,
Fri, Sat 12:00 - 04:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. PAEGW
Club Garage C-1, ul. Dbrwki 10, tel. (+48) 32 781
08 60, www.clubgarage.pl. Essentially three venues in
one, Club Garage is the flagship of the enormous under-
ground entertainment centre that also includes the Krgielnia
Galaktyka bowling club and Black 8 billiards hall (see Leisure
for both). Designed with a clever-corny automotive theme, the
dozens of actual car seats remounted on platforms, plus a
mock convertible you can actually climb inside with a drink
are nice touches, though theres nothing original about the
ubiquitous chrome, leather, license plates and airbrushed
corvettes on the walls. Tons of seating, a large stage and a
dance-floor with a projector (being used for FIFA 10 during
our visit) make Garage a versatile venue for concerts, week-
end student rave-ups and their legendary Thursday karaoke
nights with a live band (start 21:00). QOpen 17:00 - 24:00,
Fri, Sat 17:00 - 04:00. PAEXW
Cotton Club C-2, ul. Matejki 2, tel. (+48) 664 14 55
73, www.cotton-club.com.pl. A huge club hailing itself as
a modern speak-easy, the decor delivers a muddled hom-
age to gangsterism full of anachronisms, Italian/American/
Caribbean confusion and questionable political correctness,
with a long wraparound bar and a plethora of nooks to hide
out in during the next unexpected Prohibition raid. Overall, a
decent design idea that falls flat, unlike the patrons who have
plenty of bounce. The decibel levels are drum-shattering and
the dance-floor is packed full of wasp-waisted sweeties who
should probably be home studying for the Polish equivalent
of the SATs. QOpen 17:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 20:00 - 05:00.
Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. PABXW
Czekolada H-1, ul. Dworcowa 6, Chorzw, tel. (+48)
32 771 84 46, www.klubczekolada.pl. Absolutely the
last thing youd expect to find in Chorzw, its easy to be
sceptical of a place that tries as hard as Czekolada. A look-
at-me-please lounge featuring Fashion TV and a barstaff that
seem to have borrowed their dispositions from the catwalk,
Czekolada backs it up with expertly made chocolate drinks.
Dark patterned walls and no overhead lighting create an
intimate atmosphere, offset by street-side wall-length win-
dows. Thoroughly impressive, it doesnt take long to realise
that this modern, seductive locale is the real deal. Q Open
Wed, Fri, Sat only 20:00 - 02:00. PAXW
Genesis Music & Dance Club C-2, ul. Matejki 3,
tel. (+48) 602 71 71 22, www.klubgenesis.pl. Genesis
has grown up a bit without really changing at all. While the
shenanigans next door at Pomaracza now siphon off most
of the students, a slightly more mature crowd heads here to
hike it up, let it hang out and have some real fun. A cover gets
you into this amazing multi-coloured assault on the senses
with strobing lights, a receded dance-floor and a very sexy
VIP section; alternatively you can escape to the adjoining
Sofa Club for a bit more space and pseudo-sophistication.
In Genesis, the music may not be cutting edge but thats
46 47
ESSENTIAL KATOWICE HISTORY
The fact that Katowice hasnt grown into a popular tourist
destination can probably be explained by the brevity and
slightly dubious nature of our Katowice sightseeing sec-
tion - an earnest attempt to cover Katowices main (ahem)
attractions. Nope, no castle, no palace, no hip bohemian
district. No pedestrian shopping avenues, bridges or scenic
riverside. Uh, no, no ancient ruins. No Old Town per say.
Alas, a trip around Katowice may call to mind the old adage
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder (with the coal dirt and
other particulates, in this case).
No, Katowice wont be winning any European beauty pag-
eants, and unlike other urban casualties (hello to our friends
in Warsaw), the city cant claim to have been beaten by the
Ugly Stick during World War II. No, Katowice was born with
that heirloom in its hand and the Nazis probably snatched
it from here as they rumbled east to the capital. And while
the Soviets returned with it after the war, destroying many
of the buildings on the Rynek in the 1950s to make room for
their modern monuments to concrete, for example, it was
predestiny that Katowice would never be belle of the ball.
A blue collar city to this day, Katowice and its neighbours
in Upper Silesia were born into the working class, growing
up during the industrial revolution and put to work in sooty
Katowice can count itsel f
as one of Polands newer
cities, and a direct result of
the industrial age. Thats not
to say the region was a bar-
ren wasteland prior to the
age of steam. The history
books suggest the area was
inhabited by ethnic Silesians
centuries earlier, with the
first recorded settl ement
being the village of Krasny
Dab, whose existence was
officially chronicled in 1299.
In 1598 a village called Villa Nova was also documented to
stand in the area now taken up by Katowice. By this time the
region had changed from Bohemian hands to the domain of
the Habsburg dynasty.
Things started hotting up in 1742 when the area changed
hands once more, this time as the property of the Prus-
sians. 1788 saw Karolina - the areas first mine - opened,
and by 1822 historic documents note 102 homesteads
in the village of Katowice. Two years later the first school
was opened and Katowice started making its first steps
into adulthood. What really set the ball rolling was the
construction of a railway station in 1847. Industrialist and
mining mogul Franz Winkler saw this as an opportunity to
build up the mines he owned in the region, and Katowice
was quickly developed as an industrial town. September
11, 1865, saw Katowice awarded municipal rights and by
1875 it had grown to hold over 11,000 residents, of which
hal f were of Polish ethnicity. The city continued to prosper
as an industrial heartland, with coal and steel industries
flourishing. By 1897 it was officially designated as a city,
though the streets were anything but a happy place; the
even split in population between Germans and Poles was
already causing friction.
After the defeat of Germany in WWI, and the founding of a
newly independent Polish state, native Poles - inspired by
the rhetoric of Woj ciech Korfanty - staged three uprisings
between 1919 and 1921 in a bid to have the Silesia region
incorporated into the Second Polish Republic. To prevent
outri ght war from breaking out the League of Nations
finally intervened and in 1922 divided the region beween
both Pol es and Germans. Kattowi tz, as i t was known
before this date, fell on the Polish side of the divide and
inexplicably became an autonomous voivodeship - a priv-
elege unique from any other province in PL. The inter-war
years marked a golden age for the city, with the building
of the Silesian Parliament complex and one of Polands
first skyscrapers (Cloud Scraper) being symbolic of the
march into the future.
Bad news was lurking around the corner though, and in spite
of a heroic defence the city fell under German control on
September 6, 1939. Aside from the savage destruction of the
synagogue and the Silesian Museum, physically speaking the
city escaped the fiery fate of many eastern cities, and found
itself used as a major centre of manufacturing by the Nazis.
Liberation came in the form of Soviet tanks in 1945, and the
city was once more Polish - in theory. Between 1953 and
1956 it was renamed Stalinograd, and a period of thoughtless
development followed; the primitive exploitation of the regions
natural resources saw it marked out as an environmental
blackspot with horrific pollution problems. Although there was
plenty of work in the mines and steel mills, popular unrest with
the communist system was growing fast. Living standards had
plummeted, with empty shop shelves and round-the-block
queues a common sight. In 1980 a series of strikes inspired by
the Gdask born Solidarity movement quickly spread around
the country. Demands for better living conditions were initially
met, but Solidarity continued to lobby for further reforms and
free elections. The Kremlin was furious, and with Soviet inva-
sion a looming threat, appointed communist president Jaru-
zelski declared a state of martial law on December 13, 1981.
Tanks roared into the street, subversives were arrested and
telephone lines were cut. On December 16 a military assault
was launched on striking miners in Katowices Wujek mine,
resulting in the deaths of nine workers. With Solidarity officially
dissolved and its leaders imprisoned, discontent was growing.
John Paul II visited Poland, and Katowice, once more in 1983,
his mere presence igniting hopes and unifying the people in
popular protest. The people would not back down. Over the
next few years - buoyed by a Gorbachev-inspired relaxation
of Soviet foreign policy - the Polish people continued to batter
on the door of freedom.
Renewed labour strikes and a faltering economy nosediving
towards disaster forced Jaruzelski into initiating talks with
opposition leaders in 1988, and the following year Solidarity
was once more granted legal status. Participating in Polands
first post-Communist election the party swept to victory, with
former electrician Lech Wasa leading from the soapbox.
Fittingly it was Wasa who unveiled a monument in Katowice
to the miners killed in 1981 on the tenth anniversary of the
event. Polands transition to a market economy has since
been tough, though the signs seem to point to a bright fu-
ture for Poland. Katowice itself has done much to repair the
environmental damage caused in the post WWII years, and
the city is once more booming, with a huge influx of foreign
investment marking a reversal of the citys recent fortunes.
1299: First recorded settlement in Silesia, ruled by
Polish Silesian Piast dynasty
1335: Territory becomes part of Crown of Bohemia
1526: Territory passed to Austrian Habsburg Monarchy
1598: First documented settlement in Katowice area
1742: Territory becomes part of Prussian empire during
First Silesian War
1788: Areas first mine opens
1822: Katowices population hits 100 homestead mark
1847: Railway station built
1865: Municipal rights awarded to Kattowitz
1871: Kattowitz is incorporated into German Empire
1875: Kattowitzs population records 11,000 residents
1897: Granted rights as a city
1922: Katowi ce becomes par t of Second Pol i sh
Republ i c after WWI and Si l esian Upri si ngs
(1918-21). Granted autonomy by the Polish Sejm.
1939: Occupied by Nazi Germany
1945: Katowice is Liberated by Soviets after WWII
1953: City is renamed Stalinogrd by Polish communist
government
1956: Former name of Katowice restored
1981: Martial law declared, Wujek mine strike and massacre
1983: The Pope visits Katowice
1989: Party-free el ecti ons i n Pol and; Communi st
regime crumbles
2004: Poland enters the European Union
2006: Pigeon Fair Disaster - 65 killed and 170 injured
when Katowice convention centre roof collapses
2010: Polish President Lech Kaczyski and 95 other
Polish del egates di e i n a plane crash near
Smolensk, Russia, plunging the country into
mourning
Katowice Historical Timeline
mineshafts, factories and railway yards. The areas history is
inextricably entwined with the manufacture of coal and steel
and the stacks, shafts, slagheaps and massive waves of
migrants that followed the discovery of the regions mineral
resources. As such, any mention of tourism in the district is
usually preceded by the word, industrial. Indeed the derelict
factories and foundries, blackened chimneys and abandoned
maintenance yards of Silesias industrial boom represent the
hulking bulk of Silesias tourist offerings, and the region is ripe
for renegade tourists eager to explore evidence of a bygone
era. Those interested in industrial tourism are advised to get
their creased hands on a copy of Silesias Industrial Monu-
ments Route - which can be picked up free of charge in any
Silesian tourist information office - and while weve covered
many of the entailed sites in this very guide, the region has
plenty more to offer than we have space to include here.
Katowice, for its part, has become a growing business centre
as youll glean from the glittering capitalist monoliths built
in recent decades. Those seeking more conventional inter-
pretations of the word attraction will find plenty of churches
including Christ the King Cathedral - the countrys largest,
one of the best museums in southern Poland in the Katowice
Historical Museum, and anyone paying attention will notice
a number of discreetly handsome townhouses, particularly
along ulica 3-go Maja between the Rynek (C-3) and Plac
Wolnoci (C-1). Conventional charm has obviously never
been a strength of Katowice, however, as best evidenced by
the bonkers Spodek building (B-3) and the offbeat outland
districts of Nikiszowiec and Giszowiec. The citys most
bonafide attraction is the immense Park of Culture and
Recreation, which is techincally located in Chorzw. Yes, its
always been the shaft (literally) for Katowice, and while being
a tourist in this city may feel a bit like getting dressed for the
theatre and ending up at a Board of Education meeting, we
hope you enjoy it for its oddities, and remember that some
things look most beautiful through beer goggles.
Katowice Historical Museum Jan Mehlich
Spodek and downtown Katowice UM Katowice
Christ the King Cathedral PetrusSilesius
Nikiszowiec
49
WHAT TO SEE
48
WHAT TO SEE
red brick, between 1862 and 1870 to a design by the famous
Breslau (Wrocaw) architect Alexis Langer. Originally planned
on a far grander scale than it was eventually built, the 43m-
long, 31m-wide neo-Gothic building features an eye-catching,
trademark Langer 71m octagonal tower and a feast of good
things inside. The altar in the transept supposedly dates from
the 15th century, whilst the wonderful stained glass windows
on either side of the nave representing sin and virtue are
the work of Adam Bunsch (1896-1969). The Chapel of the
Holy Sacrament includes a likeness of Father Emil Szramek
in traditional Silesian dress. Szramek was the parish priest
from 1926 until his arrest by the Gestapo in April 1940. Sent
to a number of concentration camps including Dachau, where
he quickly became a spiritual leader for other incarcerated
Silesian priests, he was murdered on January 13, 1942.
QOpen 07:00 - 19:00.
Monuments
Jzef Pisudski D-3, Pl. Chrobrego. The work of the
Croatian sculptor Antun Augustini (1900-1979), most
famously remembered for his Monument of Peace sculpture
outside the UN headquarters in New York, the dashing statue
of Polands greatest modern military hero dates from before
WWII but didnt make it to Poland until the collapse of Polish
Communism, a system in which Pisudski was strictly taboo.
Shipped from its creators Croatian museum in 1990 and
renovated before finally being placed where it is today in
1993, the statue sees our hero astride a stallion when its
a well known fact he always favoured his mare, Kasztanka
(Chestnut). Originally planned to form the centrepiece of a
series of statues relating to the Silesian insurgents which
never came to being, the monuments sword vanished in
1994 and was later found in some nearby bushes by a
bunch of nosy kids.
Garrison Church of St. Casimir (Koci w.
Kazimierza) D-2, ul. M. Skodowskiej-Curie 20, tel.
(+48) 32 251 35 11. Polands first Functionalist Catholic
church, Leon Dietz dArmy and Jan Zarzyckis breathtakingly
simple design is worthy of further investigation. Built between
1930 and 1933, the plain exterior, which can also claim to
have the only single corner tower on any church in the city,
hides a sumptuous Art Deco interior including some fine
sculptures, pews, lamps and stained glass. The church is
also notable as being Katowices official garrison church.
Q Open by prior arrangement.
St. Annas Church (Koci p.w. w. Anny) S-3, ul.
3 Maja 18, Zabrze, tel. (+48) 32 271 36 74, www.kuria.
gliwice.pl. After spending some time wandering Silesian
urban centres searching for the soul within all that commu-
nist concrete, its the sight of something like the Church of
St. Annes that can put your heart at ease. Standing at the
end of a long, picturesque lane of maple and linden trees,
this beauty takes pride of place in downtown Zabrze as the
citys finest sacral building. Built in the years 1897-1900
in neo-Romanesque style with neo-Gothic elements, the
cross-shaped church features a clock in its belltower and
a fine interior full of red brick arches with ornamental stone
detailing and gold leaf wall highlights. Take a look at the nu-
merous semicircular stained glass windows depicting saints.
Q Open 06:30 - 19:00. No visiting during mass please.
St. Josephs Church (Koci p.w. w. Jzefa) ul.
Roosevelta 102, Zabrze, tel. (+48) 32 271 05 68, www.
swjozef.zabrze.pl. If youve been in Poland even for just an
hour, chances are youve seen your share of churches. But you
havent seen one like this. Looking less like a church and more
like the result of an unholy union between an old shoe factory
and a Roman aqueduct, this monumental brick behemoth
owes its brutal design to Dominik Bhm of Cologne and was
completed in 1931. One immediately notices several un-
church-like characteristics about the building: it has no steeple
(in the traditional sense of the word), it completely lacks
outside ornamentation, it has a window deficiency, and all of
the roofs are flat. The strange faade of this boxy monstrosity
features three rows of four empty arches - the buildings only
design motif - with no windows in the square flanking chapels,
only two tall faceless slabs of red, irregular brick on either side
of the entrance. Its an imposing sight and it has to be seen
to be understood. To do so follow ul. Roosevelta west to just
beyond the pale of the IYP map (P-4). Q Open 07:00 - 18:30,
Sun 07:30 - 18:00. No visiting during mass please.
St. Marys Church (Koci Mariacki) D- 4, Pl.
ks. Emila Szramka 1, tel. (+48) 32 258 77 44, www.
mariacki.wiara.org.pl. Katowices oldest existing Catholic
parish church was built from Silesian dolomite, not the usual
Churches
Christ the King Cathedral (Katedra Chrystusa
Krla) E-2, ul. Plebiscytowa 49a, tel. (+48) 32 251
21 96, www.parafia.katedralna.katowice.opoka.
org.pl/. Bui l di ng work began on Zygmunt Gawl i k and
Franci szek Mczyskis i mpressi ve neo-Cl assi cal Ca-
thedral on June 5, 1927 wi th the di ggi ng of a symbol i c
spade of di rt, al though i t wasn t unti l October 30, 1955
that i t was fi nal l y consecrated. A seri es of mi nor hi c-
cups i ncl udi ng WWII and some typi cal i nter ference from
the post-war communi st regi me meant that there was
no shortage of setbacks for arguabl y whats the most
beauti ful bui l di ng i n the ci ty and, somewhat surpri s-
i ngl y, the l argest cathedral i n Pol and. I ts fi rst 12 years
l eadi ng up to the outbreak of the war saw the wal l s go
up and l i ttl e el se, wi th the end of hosti l i ti es heral di ng
a new burst of acti vi ty numberi ng some si x years and
i nvol vi ng the arrest of the pari sh pri est, the l ocal bi sh-
ops bei ng thrown out of the di ocese and a communi st-
approved pri est brought i n to supervi se the bui l di ngs
compl eti on. The l atters l egacy to the Cathedral was
hi s deci si on to al ter the desi gn of the dome, droppi ng
i t by some 38m from i ts ori gi nal desi gn and turni ng
what promi sed to be a trul y spl endi d l ooki ng church
i nto somethi ng a l i ttl e more compact and comi cal. I n
1957 the di spl aced bi shops returned, and duri ng the
peri od 1962-65 the i nteri or was adapted to the way i t
more or l ess appears today. Al though somewhat pl ai n,
the i nteri or i s trul y breathtaki ng. Of parti cul ar i nterest
i s St. Barbaras Chapel on the l eft-hand si de of the
nave. The patron sai nt of mi ners, Gerard Grzywaczyks
scul pture of Barbara overl ooks an al tar made from coal
and a monument to l ost mi ners. Hi dden away above the
l arge dome are fi ve bel l s, of whi ch the l argest wei ghs
i n at a mammoth 3.5 tonnes. The monument of Pope
John Paul I I outsi de commemorates the l ate church
l eaders vi si t to the Cathedral i n June 1983, and a new
chapel i nsi de was recentl y consecrated i n hi s name.
QOpen 06:30 - 19:00, Sun 07:00 - 19:00. No vi si ti ng
duri ng mass pl ease.
City Information Office C/D-3, ul. Rynek 13,
tel. (+48) 32 259 38 08, www.katowice.eu. With
a several-storey, blinking blue and yellow neon sign,
Katowices City Information Office is hard to miss and
isnt it just downright adorable to see them trying so
hard? The super-friendly staff can offer time-killing
suggestions in English or German and they stock a
range of materials about the many things youll prob-
ably never see or do across Silesia. Free maps and
lots of information on daily cultural events, as well
as three new computers. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00, Sat
09:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun.
Nikiszowiec Information Office ul. Rymarska
4 (Industrial Ethnography Museum, Nikiszowiec),
tel. (+48) 32 255 14 80, www.katowice.eu.QOpen
10:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Mon.
Zabrze Tourist Information S-2, ul. Powstacw
lskich 2/1, Zabrze, tel. (+48) 32 271 72 76.
Zabrze actually has a lot to offer, but youre unlikely to
discover much of it simply by tumbling out of the train.
At least make this your first stop after you do so. Only
a couple blocks from the station, Zabrzes new tour-
ist info centre has plenty of handy maps, brochures,
pamphlets and other city info provided by a multilingual
staff who know their city inside-down and upside-right.
Theres even a computer with free internet and t-shirts
with words on them that no one back home has any
chance of pronouncing. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Sat
10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun.
Tourist Information
PTTK Katowice C-3, ul. Rynek 13, tel. (+48) 32
253 03 62, www.pttk.katowice.pl. Feeling a bit lost
or uncertain about Katowice? Take a guided tour with
the citys one and only English-speaking guide and get
an inside perspective on what Katowice has to offer
(sometimes you need a second opinion). Demand for the
service being what it is, dropping by the office wont do;
ring PTTK to make an arrangement and youll probably
make their day as well. Services available year round.
QOpen 09:00 - 18:00, Sat 09:15 - 16:00. Closed Sun.
SilesiaTrip.pl C-3, Rynek 13, tel. (+48) 502 11 63 31,
www.silesiatrip.pl. Silesia Trip is a useful and comprehen-
sive way to comfortably explore much of the region around
Katowice. Offering pick-up services from both the Katowice
and Krakw airports, Silesia Trip has a plethora of tours,
locales, and sights included in their itineraries, including
everyday trips to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Tyskie Brewery.
Tours are available in English, German, Polish, Italian, Span-
ish, French and are targeted for those who have a particular
interest in the history, culture and people of Eastern Silesia.
Their multi-lingual website lists all the details. Look out for
their melex tours of Katowice coming this Spring. QOpen
09:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun.
Tours
Archiwum UM Katowice
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WHAT TO SEE
51
WHAT TO SEE
Si l esi an Insurgents Monument (Pomni k
Powstacw lskich) B-3, Al. Korfantego. Sup-
posedly the largest and heaviest monument in Poland, this
vast bronze edifice is one of Katowices most famous land-
marks, commemorating the three post-WWI Polish armed
uprisings against the German authorities of Upper Silesia
in 1919, 1920 and 1921. The monument symbolizes the
heroism and sacrifice of the insurgents with an enormous
bronze wing for each uprising. Designed by Gustaw Zema and
erected on the site of the citys Red Army cemetery in 1967,
the monument was assembled from 350 parts and weighs
a hulking 61 tonnes. The highest wing reaches 14 metres
tall, making it the tallest monument in PL if you disqualify
the 32-metre high Wujek memorial cross on the other side of
town and probably a dozen other monuments in the country.
But give it a push, its heavy.
Silesian Scouts Monument C-3, Pl. Obroncw Ka-
towic. When the commander of the Polish Army retreated
from the region to avoid entrapment on September 2nd
1939, Katowice was left in the hands of these strapping
young volunteers - the Polish boy and girl scouts. Establishing
critical defence posts throughout the city, the out-numbered,
ill-equipped and inexperienced scouts repelled the advancing
Germans for two days in a valiant, if ultimately suicidal effort
to protect the city. This monument in front of the hideous
Silesia Hotel remembers and honours their martyrdom.
Designed by Micha Brachmaski, the bronze sculpture
stands 4.5 by 4.1 metres and depicts four scouts stepping
out of a broken wall with the inscription, All that is ours to
give, we shall give to Poland.
Museums
Archdiocese Museum (Muzeum Archidiecez-
jalne) E-2, ul. Jordana 39 (entrance from ul. Wita
Stwosza 16), tel. (+48) 519 54 60 23, www.muzeum.
archidiecezja.katowice.pl. Perhaps the sweetest docents
in the world guide tours (in Polish) through a fine and surpris-
ingly large collection of Silesian Gothic-era sacral art. There
are two galleries, the first of which, on the ground floor, hosts
rotating modern exhibits, while the main gallery upstairs has
the permanent exhibition, including wooden sculptures of
Madonna, female saints, Christ and others, several restored
and original triptychs as well as articles used by churches in
the region. Look for the museum sign and entrance below
street level behind the Curia building near Christ the King
Cathedral. During opening hours visitors may need to rap
on the gated door to gain entrance as it usually receives
few tourists, especially on Sundays. Q Open Tue, Wed, Thu
14:00-18:00 only or by prior arrangement. Admission free.
Donations welcome.
Chorzw Museum (Muzeum w Chorzowie) J-1, ul.
Powstacw 25, Chorzw, tel. (+48) 32 241 31 04,
www.muzeum.chorzow.pl. This humble little musuem
never seems to be at full strength exhibition wise and is
quite often inexplicably closed. Set in a handsome build-
ing only a block removed from the high street, should you
make it indoors youll find some oil paintings and furniture,
plus a permanent exhibition on the history of money - the
glass cases packed with old coins and banknotes from the
12th century onwards of which have little directly to do with
Chorzw. QOpen 09:00 - 15:00, Wed 09:00 - 17:00, Sat,
Sun 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Mon. Admission 3/1.50z, families
up to 4, 4z. Sun free.
Katowice Historical Museum (Muzeum Historii
Katowic) D-4, ul. Szafranka 9, tel. (+48) 32 256 18
10, www.mhk.katowice.pl. This outstanding museum
showcasing some of the more interesting aspects of the
life and times of the city and its people is divided into three
main sections. Wearing a pair of silly slippers provided in
the price of the ticket, wander the well thought-out rooms on
three floors including a superb recreation of house interiors
of the middle and upper classes of the city from 20, 50 and
100 years ago, a fine history of the city in all its good and
bad forms from its origins until the present day and a small
gallery of religious art. Sadly the exhibits remain in Polish
only, but thanks either to the cleverness of the curators or
maybe just by sheer fluke, most of the things on display make
a lot of sense. One of the best museums in southern Poland,
and well worth visiting when youre in the city. QOpen 10:00
- 17:30, Tue, Thu 10:00 - 15:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 14:00.
Closed Mon. Admission 8/4z, family ticket 12z. Sat free.
Guided tours 12z per person.
Museum of Mi ni ng (Muzeum Gr ni ctwa
Wglowego) S-3, ul. 3 Maja 19, Zabrze, tel. (+48)
32 271 88 31, www.muzeumgornictwa.pl. Before step-
ping foot inside any mine, a visit to the Museum of Mining
serves as an essential and fascinating primer. Presented
in chronological order are numerous displays documenting
the development of industry in the city. Along the route
youll find everything from lumps of coal extracted from
the ground to lanterns, posters, photographs, religious
iconography and musical instruments formerly blown and
tootled by miners of talent. Linking it up and bringing it all
to li fe is a series of well-constructed dioramas that include
the inside of a typical miner residence, to recreations of the
sort of conditions the lads would have to toil in; theyve even
stuck a trolley-pulling horse in amid all the square jawed,
flat-capped mannequins. The building itsel f is a beauty
and the square across the street features a gloriously
large Soviet-style sculpture of a Silesian miner, replete with
pickaxe and lantern. Also under the museums steward-
ship is the Krlowa Luiza mine; make it the next stop on
your agenda. QOpen 09:00 - 15:00, Thu 09:00 - 18:00,
Sat 10:00 - 14:00, Sun 12:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Last
entrance 30 minutes before closing. Admission 6/5z. Sun
free. Groups over 10 people 3z per person.
The history of Katowices Jews is both short and, like the
fate of the rest of the Jews in Eastern Europe, horrific.
Its been recorded that at the end of the Napoleonic
Wars (1798-1815) there was just one solitary Jew living
in Katowice, who owned an inn on the site of todays
Skarbek department store close to the Rynek, and who
also managed a small brewery and stables. Persecution
under Prussian rule started early, and for a Jew to get
on in life it was expected that he or she should change
their name and write in German. In exchange for this,
Jews were allowed to move freely and settle where they
wished. With the completion of a direct rail connection
to Germany in 1846, German Jews began moving to
Katowice in greater numbers. The first prayer house
opened in 1855, and the first synagogue, at the corner
of todays ul. 3 Maja and ul. Sowackiego, in 1862. By
1870 the Jews made up 10% of the citys population, and
at the turn of the 20th century the Jewish population of
the city numbered some 2,000. As in other industrial
cities, Jews not only prospered in the classic trades of
medicine, law and commerce but also contributed heavily
to the industrial make-up of the city, owning several large
mills and factories. The most remarkable contribution
Katowice made to the history of modern Jewry is that
of the Katowice Conference that took place in the city
between November 6-11, 1884. Although no papers
survive, the general belief is that 22 Jews from Russia,
France, Germany, Romania, Palestine and the UK came
to Katowice (the precise location is unknown) to discuss
the founding of a Jewish nation in the Middle East. The
meeting was chaired by the Polish-born Zionist, Leon
Pinsker, aka Yehudah Leib (Lev Semyonovich) Pinsker
(1821-1891), who proposed that as the Jews were never
going to receive fair treatment in Europe they should all
move to the country he was living in at the time, Palestine.
Pinskers belief was - as history has shown in gruesome
detail - correct, although even he couldnt have imagined
scale of the events that were to take place less than
half a century later. On the day the Germans invaded
Poland in 1939 there were somewhere between 9,000
and 13,000 Polish and German Jews living in Katowice.
Most were sent to Auschwitz via the Zagbie (Sosnowiec)
ghetto. Although as many as 1,500 Jews returned to
the city after the war, most left again soon after. Little
remains to be seen of pre-war Jewish life in the city today,
with the exception of the neglected Jewish Cemetery
(D-1, ul. Kozielska 16, see Cemeteries) and an obscure
monument where the Great Synagogue once stood (C-2,
Plac Synagogi).
Jewish Katowice
Southern Poland is known for its monuments of wooden
architecture, particularly churches, which are an extremely
valuable part of the regions unique cultural heritage. De-
spite the dense degree of industrialisation and urbanisa-
tion in Silesia, many of these churches have survived from
the period between the 15th and 18th centuries when they
were predominantly built. The Silesian section of the Trail
of Wooden Architecture - a tourist track jointly coordinated
between Silesia, Maopolska and Podkarpacie - includes
an impressive 93 places of interest along 1060km of the
trail. Here weve included only a few located most imme-
diately in the areas surrounding Katowice, but more info
about the entirety of the trail can be found at the Katowice
tourist information office. If you have a keen interest in
wooden architecture, also make sure to visit the Upper
Silesian Ethnographic Park in Chorzw (see Leisure).
Church of St. Michael the Archangel (Koci
w. Michaa Archanioa) G-1, ul. Kociuszki 112,
tel. (+48) 32 205 40 61, www.mhk.katowice.pl. Like
the other wooden church of note in the area, this one, which
also happens to be the oldest ecclesiastic building in Ka-
towice, began life elsewhere, in this case in neighbouring
Syrynia way back in 1510. Moved to Katowice in 1938,
and worth a trip to Park im. Tadeusza Kociuszki where
it can be found for that reason alone, access inside is
usually denied by a security guard, meaning that the 17th-
century pulpit, late Gothic 16th-century sculpture of the
Holy Mother and Child from Dbiesko and 17th-century
belfry must be real treasures indeed. Find it close to the
main road at the northern end of the park. Q Open from
dawn till dusk. No visiting during mass please.
St. Jadwigas Church (Koci p.w. w. Jadwigi)
ul. Wolnoci 504, Zabrze, tel. (+48) 32 271 46 77,
www.sw-jadwiga.info. Built much more recently than
most other wooden churches in Silesia, the decision was
taken to construct this highly unique 1929 structure out of
timber instead of brick due to uncertainty over the stabil-
ity of the ground beneath it, which had been stripped by
mining. Designed by Charles Kuttentodta, St. Jadwigas is
large, wondrous conglomeration of polygons with the main
section being a 12-sided oval (what are those called?) sur-
rounded by four low octagonal towers crowned with copper
spires. The interior is full of ornamentation added to and
restored since the time of its creation, including the high
ceiling finished with ceramic tiles which had to be changed
as recently as 2006 due to damage. Unfortunately its a bit
of a trek southeast from the centre down ul. Wolnoci to see
it, but if youve got a car thats on the way back to Katowice
anyway. Q Open during mass and by prior arrangement.
St. Lawrences Church (Koci w. Wawrzyca)
I-5, ul. Konopnickiej 29, Chorzw, tel. (+48) 32 780 99
61, www.wawrzyniec-chorzow.katowice.opoka.org.
pl. Built in 1599 in the village of Knurw, immediately south-
west of neighbouring Gliwice, this charming little wooden
church was abandoned by its congregation in 1926 when
it became too small to accommodate the worshippers in
its parish. Empty and slowly falling to pieces for almost a
decade, the good people of Chorzw adopted it, took it
apart, and moved it to its current location in September
1935. Of special interest, should you be lucky enough to
visit when the doors are open, is the wooden sculpture of
the Beautiful Madonna of Knurw, which is believed to have
been made in 1420. Q Open by prior arrangement only.
Wooden Churches
Janusz Szczepanczyk
52
WHAT TO SEE
53
WHAT TO SEE
Queen Luiza Coal Mine Museum (Skansen
Grniczy Krlowa Luiza) ul. Wolnoci 410, Zabrze
(Zaborze Pnoc), tel. (+48) 32 370 11 27, www.
muzeumgornictwa.pl. The Krlowa Luiza mine first opened
for business in 1791 a year after Salomon Izaak first discov-
ered coal below the ground. Ranked as one of the oldest
mines in the region, visitors to Zabrze will unfortunately be
limited to staying above ground at the moment due to im-
provements being made to the underground safety system.
Your visit will start off on the ground level where youll find
chunky pieces of machinery, pistons, dials, pipes, photo
displays, buildings and other industrial detritus clustered
around the old Karnell shaft. Pride of place goes to a steam-
powered hoist that made its debut in 1915 to a design born
in Duelmen, Germany. Such was the precision and quality of
the workmanship that it continued to be used up until 1990.
Every bit as impressive is the 30 metre hoist next to it; open
to visitors the views at the top allow for sweeping panoramas
of the city. It makes for intriguing exploration with other points
of interest including machinery salvaged from now-defunct
mines, as well as a monument honouring miners from 1850,
and a collection of vintage cars and motorcycles (which is only
open by prior arrangement). Open daily but for groups make
sure to book in advance. For groups over 10 people general
admmission 5 z/person or 8z/person for tours including
the steam-powered hoist. You can book your reservation by
phone. Q Admission groups over 10 people 5z per person.
Silesian Museum (Muzeum lskie) C- 3, Al.
Korfantego 3, tel. (+48) 32 258 56 61, www.muzeums-
laskie.pl. Housed inside a glorious neo-Renaissance turn
of the century hotel, the Silesia Museum dates back to the
1920s and offers a glimpse into the regions archaeology,
ethnography and history by way of a number of temporary
and permanent exhibitions over three floors. As well as
the usual glass cases full of bones and pots, particularly
outstanding and not to be missed is the Gallery of Polish
Painting 1800-1945, showcasing some of the finest Polish
artists of the 19th and 20th century, including no less than
five paintings by the countrys great creative genius Stanisaw
Wyspiaski. Since it moved into the Grand Hotel in 1984, the
tenure of the Silesia Museum has always been considered
temporary and the relocation of the collection to a new site
that is currently under construction on the former grounds
of the Katowice Coal Mine is planned for autumn 2013 (at
the earliest). QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Thu 10:00 - 19:00, Fri
12:00 - 16:00, Sat 12:00 - 18:00, Sun 12:00 - 17:00. Closed
Mon. Last entrance 30 minutes before closing. Admission
12/7z for all exhibits, 9/5z for temporary exhibits only, 6/4z
for permanent exhibits only. Sat free for permanent exhibits.
Parks & Gardens
Though youd hardly know it after a cursory look around,
Silesia actually possesses an extraordinary number of parks
and recreational areas. Known more for its contamination
of the environment, than its preservation, its still a fact that
Silesia has some of the largest urban parks not only in PL,
but all of Europe. Largest of them all is the Park of Culture
& Recreation in Chorzw, with so many attractions that
weve given it its own extensive section under Leisure.
Katowice also possesses several large green spaces, chief
among them the Valley of Three Ponds, and dont miss
Zabrzes Botanical Gardens or Gliwices Palm House if you
find yourself in those parts.
City Botanical Gardens ul. Pisudskiego 60, Zabrze,
tel. (+48) 32 271 30 33, www.mob-zabrze.pl. Some-
times, when the black soot of the coal mines, the unforgiv-
ing greyness of the concrete (and the air), and the unvaried
whiteness of the Polish diet have conspired to give you the
Silesian Blues, its good to get a little green in your life. Thats
what the Zabrze Botanical Gardens are for, and youll find this
6.5 hectare plot of pleasantness one block further west down
ul. Roosevelta from P-4 on the IYP map. Not the most lush
or exotic youve seen, but it is a welcome slice of serenity
with a stream, several picturesque ponds surrounded by
willows, a palm house, cactus house, English gardens and a
childrens playground. A great place to decompress or make a
guest appearance in the background of someones wedding
photos. To get there by bus from downtown Zabrze, hop on
numbers 32, 932 or 720. Q Open from May 11:00 - 19:00,
Sat, Sun 10:00 - 19:00. Admission 2/1z.
Tadeusz Kociuszko Park (Park im. Tadeusza
Kociuszki) G-1, ul. Kociuszki. The most central of
Katowices parks, though it gets outmuscled in acreage by
the Park of Culture & Recreation and Katowice Forest Park,
Kociuszki Park is still an impressively sizable 72 hectares.
Starting life as a mere six-hectare municipal wooded park
way back in 1888 the park has grown in size and variety and
now features over 90 species of trees and shrubs including
linden, beech, cherry, rhododendrons and azaleas. There are
also classic English gardens including an avenue of roses and
typical English flower beds. Other features include sculptures
by local artists, the gorgeous wooden Church of St. Michael
the Archangel, and the extraordinary Parachute Tower
close to its southern border (see sightseeing). Allegedly the
only thing of its kind in the country, it was on top of this tower
that a group of Polish scouts attempted to defend the city
from the Germans on September 4, 1939. A small monument
next to it marks the event.
Valley of Three Ponds (Dolina Trzech Staww) F-5,
ul. Trzech Staww. Katowices most popular recreation
area, Valley of Three Ponds was first established as a 125
hectare leisure space in the 1960s before being absorbed
into the 420 hectare Katowice Forest Park which today
surrounds the small Muchowiec airfield (G-5) south of the
centre. Though Valley of Three Ponds is generally applied to
all of the woodless areas surrounding ul. Trzech Staww and
Forest Parks 11 (not 3) ponds, the name technically refers to
the smaller, more cultivated area located just beyond F-5 on
the IYP map. In this vicinity youll find a seasonal campground,
tennis courts and two fine restaurants (Pan de Rossa and
La Cantina) with inspiring views overlooking the water and
the distant apartment blocks of downtown Katowice. Of
the ponds in the immediate vicinity, the most popular has a
beach for bathing, another is reserved for water sports, and
several are available for fishing (though you need a permit
and the hassle of trying to get one is not worth explaining
or experiencing). The entire park area is also full of marked
trails, making it a popular place for running, cycling, hiking,
sledding in winter, picnicking and generally defeating the
Silesian Blues (as we call it). Most easily accessed by bicycle
(see Bike Hire during warm months) or instead take buses
674 or 910 from the centre, getting off at the Trzech Stawy
shopping mall when you see the Real hypermarket. Its a
short walk east from there.
Places of Interest
Cloud Scraper (Drapacz Chmur) D-2, ul. wirki i
Wigury 15. Flying Saucer and Cloud Scraper: Katowices
landmarks may be lacking a bit of colour but they certainly
have colourful names. Drapacz Chmur is another local icon
whose beauty and relevance may have faded, but perhaps
no building more represents the optimism of Katowices
autonomous inter-war years. Although unimpressive by
todays standards and hardly even able to get its chin
Katowi ce Jewi sh Cemetery (Cmentarz
ydowski) D-1, ul. Kozielska 16, tel. (+48) 32
251 10 22. Established in 1868, Katowices Jewish
Cemetery ( just west of D-1 on our map) is one of the citys
oldest burial grounds and contains almost 1,500 graves.
Largely destroyed by the Germans and their hench-
men during WWII, today a Holocaust memorial inside
remembers those who lost their lives to Nazi genocide.
Like many Jewish cemeteries in PL today, Katowices in
a state of utter disrepair. Though purportedly still in use,
rumours that the site is undergoing renovation works will
appear completely baseless to anyone who visits and
sees the crumbling walls and strands of barbed wire
surrounding the site, beyond which graves are barely
visible beneath the overgrowth of weeds, vines and tall
grass. A sad testament to the history and present state
of Katowices Jewish community, gaining access to this
necropolis through proper channels is almost impossible
without prior arrangement, though an administrator
should technically be on hand nearby. As such, it of-
fers little more than an occasion for some depressing
thoughts and grim photos if you have a camera with a
good zoom lens. Q Open by prior arrangement.
Red Army Cemetery (Cmentarz onierzy Armii
Czerwonej) Park Tadeusza Kociuszki (Brynw).
Moved to its current location at the far southern end of
Park im. Tadeusza Kociuszki to make way for the city-
centre Silesian Insurgents Monument in 1967, this small
Red Army Cemetery is surprisingly well kept compared to
similar cemeteries in Poland. The final resting place of about
300 Soviet soldiers who gave their lives in the liberation of
Katowice from the Germans in 1945, check out the hammer
and sickle fence around the perimeter and the small me-
morial in the centre regularly garnished with fresh flowers.
Zabr ze Jewi sh Cemeter y (Cment ar z
ydowski) S-3, ul. Cmentarna 15, Zabrze, www.
cmentarz-zydowski.pl. Founded in 1871 Zabrzes Jew-
ish cemetery served the local community up until WWII
when the several hundred Jews who resided in the area
were rounded up and packed into cattle trucks destined
for Auschwitz. Within a stroke the towns Jewish popula-
tion almost ceased to exist, however after the war this
cemetery was actually returned to the small surviving
Jewish community and burials continued here until 1953;
these more modern burials consist primarily of Jews
who came to Zabrze from the East during the post-war
period of Silesias heavy Polonization. A unique aspect
of the cemetery is that in addition to Hebrew inscriptions,
many tombs feature texts in German and Polish as well.
The graves of Russian soldiers from both World Wars
who died in the area are also interred here. Existing in
high-contrast to the well-maintained community Catholic
cemetery directly next to it, Zabrzes Jewish cemetery
occupies an over 1 hectare lot of overgrown underbrush
and gnarled trees scattered with over 800 tilting ivy-
covered tombs and sarcophagi. Hard to miss thanks to
a brightly coloured entrance gate which typically remains
locked, entry can still be gained by entering through a
neighbours yard - a slightly intrusive act which we were
given permission for. If that fails, you can still access
the forgotten site through a crumbled back wall off ul.
Tomeczka. A haunting reminder of the past, a visit to this
incredibly poignant memorial place and the surrounding
district of Osiedle Donnermarcka is highly recommended.
Cemeteries
Pr omni ce Hunti ng Lodge (Zameczek
Myliwski Promnice) Zameczek Myliwski
Promnice, tel. (+48) 32 219 46 78, www.promnice.
pl. One of Silesias best kept secrets seemingly since its
creation, this absolutely stunning hunting lodge has dis-
creetly passed the centuries overlooking a picturesque
lake in the middle of a dense forest, down a dirt road
30km south of Katowice, between Tychy and Pszczyna.
Though hardly a challenge to visit for anyone with a car,
Promnices relatively remote location has helped ensure
the survival of one of the areas most unique, unexpected
and astoundingly beautiful architectural monuments. Es-
sentially a small castle, this English neo-Gothic hunting
lodge was built in 1868 when the land fell to Herzog
von Pless, holder of the title Master of the Emperors
Hunt in the Prussian Empire, which occupied the area
at that time. Closely connected to the Prussian court in
Berlin, von Pless built the immaculate lodge to host grand
hunting parties in the surrounding forests, which were at-
tended by rulers from all over Europe, including Emperor
Wilhelm I and Tsar Alexander II. Bison from Biaowiea
forest were even brought to the area to make the regal
outings more exotic and prestigious. Almost unaltered
since the von Pless dynasty passed into oblivion in 1945,
the sumptuous interiors are densely adorned with all
manner of mounted beasts, rifles, weaponry and royal
hunting regalia, original period furnishings, gorgeously
carved wainscoting, English wallpapers and a plethora
of oil paintings depicting hunting scenes. The German-
influenced exterior features a tower embellished with
stag heads, decorative timber framing, stained-glass
windows, and wooden balconies. Aesthetically, Promnice
is unlike anything else in Silesia and its incredibly scenic
location on Paprocaskie Lake surrounded by forests
full of hiking and biking trails makes it a great place to
unwind as well as take photos. Today this historic place
is open to the public as a hotel and restaurant. Walk-ins
are welcome in the restaurant when private functions
arent taking place, and we highly recommend booking
one of the apartments if youre looking for a romantic
weekend getaway. In either case its wise to call ahead
and announce your intention to visit, which we guarantee
you wont regret.
Promnice Hunting Lodge
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WHAT TO SEE
55
WHAT TO SEE
above the neighbours, this was the second skyscraper
built in Poland. The work of architect Tadeusz Kozwoski
and engineer Stefan Brya, the structure was completed in
1934 following five years of work. Measuring 60 metres in
height, it remained the tallest building in Poland until 1955
when it was surpassed by Warsaws monstrous Palace of
Culture and Science. The steel-framed building was touted
as 17 storeys (counting its three subterranean levels), and
was one of the first in the country equipped with garbage
chutes. As the tallest thing in town Cloud Scraper was used
as a sniper station during the short-lived defence of Katowice
against Nazi occupation. Though built during an era when
decent design sense still prevailed, Cloud Scraper was well
ahead of its time and today stands inconspicuously as a
prime example of functionalist architecture.
Donnersmarck Housing Estate (Osiedle Don-
nersmarcka) S-2, ul. Stalmacha, ul. Krakusa, ul.
Cmentarna, Zabrze. Undoubtedly the most picturesque
corner of downtown Zabrze is the tree-lined Donnersmarck
workers colony, composed of over 40 strikingly handsome
multi-family dwellings unique for their traditional timber
framing and Prussian decorative details. Built between 1903
and 1922 for the workers of the nearby Donnersmarck steel-
works, if you have some time to kill in Zabrze a walk through
the area is highly recommended, particularly Krakusa street
where youll find the largest trees. Of note in the area is the
Jewish Cemetery on ul. Cmentarna (S-2) and the bizarre Steel
House (Stalowy Dom) nearby at ul. Cmentarna 7d. A truly
experimental structure, this two-storey building designed
to house four families was completed in 26 days in 1927
when eight massive steel walls cast at the neighbouring
Donnersmarck Steelworks were welded together to create
a crude facade that no paint job would ever adhere to for
more than a year before peeling. A quintessential Zabrze
roadside curiosity.
Maciej Shaft ul. Srebrna 6, Zabrze, tel. (+48) 32 271
24 49. The most modern of Zabrzes industrial heritage
sites, completionists wont be content without exploring
this sterling example of coal mining operations from early
20th century. Of the towns three mines open to visitors,
Maciej has been developed for tourists the least, giving it an
untouched air of authenticity, as if the workers just happen
to have the day off. The primary sights are the hoist tower
with the original twin-drum hoisting machine by Siemens-
Schuckertwerke which visitors have the opportunity to
steer themselves. Unfortunately the pithead tower is under
repair and can no longer be climbed. Call ahead to arrange
a free tour if you simply cant get enough of this stuff. Q
Open for walk-ins Thu only from 10:00-17:00. Group visits
outside these hours can be arranged, but there is a 15
person minimum. The hoisting machine shows at 12:00
only. Admission free.
Parachute Tower F/L-1, Park Tadeusza Kociuszki.
Originally 50 metres tall, the parachute tower was built in
1937 for the training of parachute jumpers, however it found
its place in the Polish national consciousness when for two
days in 1939, Silesian scouts defended the city of Katowice
from this tower. Exchanging fire with German troops into the
evening of September 4th, the tower was finally destroyed
when the foul-playing Germans used an antitank gun to rid
themselves of the darn kids. The tower that stands in the
park now is a 35m reconstruction of the original and the
only parachute tower in Poland today. The scouts heroic
defence of the tower, doomed as it was, grew so legendary
that it became the literary subject of poems and songs. A
granite obelisk commemorates their brief but noble ascent
into adulthood atop that fabled tower.
Rynek (Market Square) C-3. Until recently, one could
easily be forgiven for standing in the middle of the market
square and trying to find the market square. At the mo-
ment, you cant stand in it at all as the entire area is one
enormous construction site. While inconvenient, the current
mess should portend good things to come for Katowice.
Before work got underway, Katowices Rynek was basically
a large traffic roundabout and tram stop surrounded by a
faded collection of mis-matched buildings in architectural
styles that had mostly fallen out of favour, i f they ever en-
gendered any enthusiasm to begin with. For years the city
has known that turning its market square into, you know,
an actual market square would be a crucial step toward
becoming a respectable Polish city and a plan to modernise
and pedestrianise the Rynek that has apparently been in
place since 2008 is now finally being put into action. The
first step is the modernising of the Soviet-era monstrosity
at ul. Myska that uglies up an entire block of the Rynek
and transforming it into the new City Hall. That work has
now almost been completed and is already a huge improve-
ment, though work on the market square itsel f looks like it
will continue indefinitely. Note that the Ryneks construction
has thrown public transit off signi ficantly, so tourists should
check their routes online at rozklady.kzkgop.pl (there is an
English version).
Silesian Parliament E-3, Plac Sejmu lskiego.
A standing testament to Katowices short-lived golden
age, the Silesian Parliament complex covers an entire city
block between Jagielloska, Reymonta, Ligonia and Lompy
streets and was the largest structure in PL before Stalin
gi fted Warsaw with a certain monstrosity. Completed in
1929, the Parliament complex served as the governing
seat of Silesia after the province was inexplicably granted
autonomy following WWI. Unfortunately Hitler failed to ob-
serve the regions sovereignty when he reclaimed it for the
Reich after a short 19 years of sel f-government. After WWII,
the new Polish government stripped Silesia of its prestige,
confused by how Katowice could possibly have ever been
considered the second capital of PL, however briefly. To-
day the Parliament buildings still house the offices of the
Silesian Voivodeship, though many have changed function
and more still are solely occupied by wistful memories of
bygone days.
The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music (Aka-
demia Muzyczna im. Karola Szymanowskiego) ul.
Zacisze 3, tel. (+48) 32 779 21 00, www.am.katowice.
pl. By virtue of being one of the only aesthetically pleasing
buildings in Katowice, the citys Music Academy was recently
voted by locals as one of their top five favourite things about
Kato. This handsome red brick neo-Gothic building was built
at the turn of the century, and in addition to its good looks is
also home to the most modern concert hall and the largest
music library in the country. One of the leading music schools
in PL, it can claim well-known contemporary composer
Henryk Grecki, who both studied and later taught at the
academy, as its most famous alma mater.
Water Tower ul. Zamojskiego 1a, Zabrze. Amongst
Zabrzes more bizarre architectural monuments (and there
are quite a few), is this fearsome tower found just east of S-4
on the IYP map. Constructed between 1907 and 1909 to a
design by August Kinda, this incredibly unique secessionist
structure features eight brick buttresses supporting the
water tank, which is covered with a strange octagonal roof
topped with a lantern. At 46 metres this marvel remains one
of the tallest buildings in Upper Silesia today and were it still
illuminated rather than in disrepair, you might mistake it for
a wacky wayward lighthouse.
Spodek B-3, Al. Korfantego 35, tel. (+48) 32 258
32 61, www.spodek.eu. In 1958 the Association of
Polish Architects ran a competition to design a new
stadium in Katowice. Won by a Warsaw company and
designed by Maciej Gintowt and Maciej Krasiski, the
resulting Wojewdzka Hala Widowiskowo-Sportowa
w Katowicach (translating something like Katowice
Province Spectator & Sports Arena) was built in stages
between 1964 and 1971, and at 246,624 square metres
is the one of the largest, certainly one of the strangest
and, to some, the most beauti ful piece of reinforced
concrete in Poland. Nicknamed Latajcy Spodek (Fly-
ing Saucer) the building was originally going to be built
in the Park of Culture & Recreation but because of its
avant-garde appearance finally landed in the city centre.
Holding 11,000 people part of the building was in use in
1969, though the grand opening only took place on May
9, 1971. The reason for this delay was simple - in their
wisdom the designers had picked a landsite suffering
medium mine damage. That meant the possibility of
cave-ins and collapse so the building was road-tested by
3,500 stamping (and dare we say it, nervous) soldiers.
Given the thumbs-up by equally relieved engineers the
building has been inspiring and amusing people ever
since. A popular basketball venue (it hosted the final
stages of EuroBasket 2009), Spodek is also Katowices
number one place for international rock concerts, having
hosted a disparate collection of stars including Charles
Aznavour, Metallica, Depeche Mode and Robbie Williams
over the years. Today it also houses the Olympic Spodek
hotel, and according to urban legend, the classic tune
from Spielbergs Close Encounters of the Third Kind
plays every time the buildings lights go on. Given the
circumstances we can hardly say the claim sounds
far-fetched.
Spodek
Guido Mineshaft (Zabytkowa Kopalnia Wgla
Kamiennego Guido) ul. 3 Maja 93, Zabrze (Cen-
trum Poudnie), tel. (+48) 32 271 40 77 ext. 51 83,
www.kopalniaguido.pl. Although its the Krlowa Mine
that tends to hog the limelight, a visit to the Guido shaft
is by no means a poor mans substitute. Constructed in
1855 the Guido experience allows hard-hatted visitors
to plunge an initial 170 metres below ground while they
learn about the world of coal extraction. Descent is via
one of those scary-looking cages and from there its
non-stop action as visitors view numerous tunnels and
shafts that have been recreated to look just like they did
at the height of the industrial revolution. The full immer-
sion experience is helped by staged exhibits, like horses
pulling coal-laden carts and a Jesus lookalike puffing
away on a pipe. Along the way are numerous pieces of
clunky, rusty machinery, including drainage pumps from
1914 and various drilling equipment that looks like it
could have played a part in that hangover you had on
New Years Day. This is a full-on interactive masterpiece
that doesnt just settle for displays of Davy Lamps and
long-since-dead equipment. Of course it does that, but
it also goes further with a separate art floor consisting
of multimedia exhibits and cinematic presentations, as
well as sound effects during the tour that include braying
horses and equipment going kerchung, kerchung. The
descent continues to -320m where concerts and other
events are often held, and you might catch one of their
temporary art exhibits. All visits to Guido are conducted
with a tour guide; unfortunately if you would like to take
that tour in English youll have to outlay a hefty fee for
a translator on top of the admission cost: 190z for the
-170m level, and an additional 210z for level -320m
level. Your call; either way let them know in advance if
you intend to visit. To get there from the centre of Zabrze
take tram number 3, or buses 7, 23, 47, 111, 198 or
199, getting off at the Skansen Guido stop; the trip
takes ten minutes. Q Open 09:00 - 20:00, Tue, Wed
09:00 - 14:30, Sun 13:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Please
call in advance. Admission 21-36/18-31z. Prices may
increase when the tourist train starts running.
Guido Mineshaft
57
56
The Silesian Uprisings hold a special place in the Polish
national consciousness, but especially here in Katowice
the city that most benefitted from the insurrectionary effort.
Formerly the German city of Kattowitz, the town played a key
role in the Uprisings and when it became incorporated into
Poland in 1922 the Polish government rewarded Katowice
by making it the autonomous capital of the newly acquired
territories. All of a sudden, what had been a dismal industrial
border-town was the capital of an autonomous province with
its own legislative body, treasury and Parliament. The good
times didnt last, but the memories have. Today one of the
largest and most iconic monuments in Poland honours the
heroes of the Silesian Uprisings in downtown Katowice. To
see the truly colossal Uprisings Monument, take a tram to
Rondo Gen Zitka (B-3). To learn the story behind it, read on.
Setting the Stage
Silesia has been at the geographic and political crossroads
of Europe throughout its entire history - a position which
has seen it sitting ambivalently on the borderlands of this
or that kingdom, or continually placed in the crosshairs
of various land-grabbing empires and nations throughout
history. Going back to the Middle Ages, the region was first
recorded in the history books as a Piast duchy in the late
13th century and was part of the Kingdom of Poland before
King Kazimierz the Great conscientiously spurned it; Silesia
then slipped under the Bohemian Crown in the 14th century,
who passed it like a kidney stone to the Habsburgs in the
16th century before Frederick the Great took a liking to it
and had a little mid-18th century war over the matter until it
was in his Prussian domain. By that time Silesia had passed
hands more than any other territory in Europe, and, as such,
developed a distinctly unique and diverse cultural make-up of
Polish, German, Bohemian, Austrian and Jewish influences,
including its own Silesian dialect of the Polish language
(though some argue it has its own distinct language). By the
time modern nations were being formed across Europe in the
wake of Napoleon, Silesia couldnt be legitimately claimed
as the byrights homeland of any particular nation (though it
remained within German borders).
Silesias true political relevance didnt begin to take shape
until the 19th century when the revelation spread that the
region was rich in natural resources, particularly coal, and it
developed into a hotbed of heavy industry which would largely
enable the German war machine during World War I. When the
Allies agreed to the reconstitution of the Polish nation in the
aftermath of the war, Silesia became a bone of contention
between the two countries where the local population was
an almost even split between Germans and Poles. In drafting
the Treaty of Versailles, the Allies sought to inflict territorial
l osses on Germany and lands east of the Oder Ri ver,
particularly Upper Silesia which had a Polish ethnic majority,
were a natural choice. When the Allied intention appeared
in initial drafts of the treaty, the potential loss of Upper
Silesia sent shockwaves through Germany; widespread
unrest and even famine were predicted and the Germans
found an audience with their claim that the countrys war
reparations woul d be impossi bl e to repay wi thout the
resource-rich region creating revenue for the Rhineland. After
loud German protest, it was finally decided in 1918 that the
territorial matter would be decided democratically when a
mandated plebiscite took place in two years time; until then,
German administration and police would be left in place in
the region. The decision deeply disappointed Warsaw which
had expected the Silesian territories with a Polish majority
east of the Oder River would be incorporated into the new
Polish Republic without debate, and angered the regional
Polish community eager to escape discrimination in Germany.
With the political situation in Silesia extremely precarious,
its curious what the Allies expected to happen in those two
years before the plebiscite if not a lot of bickering turning
to bloodshed. The unrest that the Allies sought to avoid by
delaying a decision was already in place, exacerbated by
Allied inaction. Thanks to Germanisation in the decades
before WWI and anti-Polish legislation during it, tensions
between Silesian Germans and Poles had been high since
well before the armistice and conflict seemed inevitable.
Both sides had formed citizen militias: German war veterans
created Freikorps (Free Corps) specifically to terrorise Polish
activists, most of whom were engaged in their own Warsaw-
supported conspiratorial organization, 'Polska Organizacja
Wojskowa' or 'POW' (Polish Military Organisation) a
precursor to Polish intelligence. In addition to the tough guy
tactics, nationalist propaganda and rhetoric were prolific on
both sides. With the reconstitution of Poland a country which
hadnt been on the map for 123 years Polish nationalism
was at an all time high, spurred locally by the impassioned
speeches of Wojciech Korfanty who encouraged Silesian
Poles to unite and seize control of the region in order to ensure
it would be incorporated into the Second Polish Republic.
The First & Second Uprisings
Tensions finally broke on August 15th, 1919 when rogue
German border guards murdered ten ci vi l i ans i n the
Mysowice coal mine. Polish armed insurrectionists took
several small towns in the region and opened guerrilla
warfare in the countryside against the Weimar Republic
Provisional National Army as Polish miners across Silesia
went on strike. The uprising was short-lived however, as the
German Army quickly summoned a force of 61,000 troops
and easily broke the back of the uprising within ten days. In
response to the horrible reprisals that followed - as some
2,500 Silesian Poles were rounded up and either hanged
or executed by firing squad in February 1920 an Allied
Plebiscite Commission composed of Italians, Frenchmen
and Brits was sent to Upper Silesia to try to keep the
peace. It was soon apparent however that the strength of
the coalition was not enough to establish order, a problem
aggravated by di vi ded sympathi es amongst the Alli es
between the two sides. While the First Uprising had been
largely spontaneous and reactionary (and ineffective), a
second, slightly better organised uprising was staged one
year later on August 19th when most industrial cities in the
region were quickly captured by insurgents or paralysed
by strikes. Polish insurgents were able to seize control of
government buildings in the districts of Katowice, Pszczyna
and Bytom, and fighting spread throughout the region
before being slowly brought to an end through Allied military
involvement and diplomatic success in getting the two sides
to negotiate terms of a ceasefire. The Polish side succeeded
is dissolving the regional police force and creating a new one
which would be 50% Polish, as well as gaining admission into
local administrative positions; in return the dissolution of the
Polish Military Organisation was guaranteed, although this
never actually took place as the Poles slyly continued with
their secret intelligence operations. As you do.
The Third Uprising
During negotiations over the fast-approaching fixed date
of the dubious plebiscite to be held March 20th, 1921,
the Polish side lobbied hard to restrict voting to Silesian
residents only. However, the near-sighted western powers
didnt see it that way and made anyone over 20 who was
born in Silesia eligible to vote in the plebiscite. The result
was an influx of some 200,000 Germans from outside the
region taking place in the crucial vote, which - when it finally
occurred was questioned by the Allies and deemed to be
largely inconclusive, though thats not what the numbers said.
The results which sat before them officially revealed 59.4%
in favour of Silesia remaining in Germany, and only 40.5% for
joining the new Polish Republic. Berlin was claiming it had won
the whole of Silesia, Warsaw was crying foul, and the Allies
seemed confused or perhaps forgetful as to why they held
the plebiscite in the first place. The conversation returned
to what to do with the crucial Black Triangle of important
industrial cities east of the Oder Katowice, Bytom and
Gliwice. The French remained preoccupied with weakening
their aggressive neighbour and unflaggingly supported
Silesias incorporation into Poland; the Brits and Italians
remained recalcitrant about reparations. Day 1,000 of the
debate was sounding a lot like Day 1.
Though the Allies continued their wheel-spinning spat over
the fate of the region, rumours spread that the pro-German
position would soon prevail and the Poles prepared for what
they perceived would be their last chance to seize control
of the region and force its incorporation into the Polish
Republic. To the fore came Wojciech Korfanty, a politician
turned revolutionary, well-known for his defence of Germanys
Polish minorities and inspiring rhetoric. Able to quickl y
organise a volunteer army of 40,000, Korfanty initiated the
Third Silesian Uprising on May 2nd, 1921 with the strategic
destruction of rail bridges, which essentially severed all
connections between Silesia and Germany, thus thwarting
the potential assistance of the German government to the
local Freiburg paramilitary units his men were now pitched
against (all official military troops had been removed from
Silesia by that time). Korfantys surprise offensive pushed the
small German forces he faced westward and by June 4th he
had crossed the Oder River and captured the strategic 400
metre-high hill of Annaberg from which he could apparently
dominate the entire Oder Valley. As the Germans spent the
next two weeks preparing a counter-offensive, Korfantys
insurgents essentially seized all of Upper Silesia and had
things well enough in hand to gain some diplomatic leverage
with the Allied Commission. The Germans would eventually
engage Korfantys men in The Battle of Annaberg - the only
proper engagement during the Silesian Uprisings, which had
up to that point featured mostly skirmishes and positional
guerrilla battles and what ensued was a crude battle of
epic inconclusiveness (a running theme through this story)
lasting several days with large numbers of senseless losses
on both sides. The Allied Commission meanwhile made a few
speeches condemning the Uprising, but generally did little to
curb the violence. In fact in-fighting within the Commission
actually led to the active prevention of Allied troops getting
involved in the conflict to benefit one side or the other.
That Korfanty thought his uprising was sustainable is highly
doubtful. Taking the opportunity for diplomacy while he was
still in a position of strength, Korfanty offered to withdraw
his men behind a demarcation line on the condition that
the released territory be occupied by Allied troops only, not
Germans. Essentially Korfantys strategy forced the Allies
to enter the conflict at a time when his uprising could be
perceived as a success, the Allies agreed to Korfantys
proposal and the move was later given credit for earning
a more favourable Polish result when national boundaries
were finally drawn. On July 1st British troops finally began
the advance into Upper Silesia that would produce a general
amnesty and withdrawal of all the weary combatants who
foolishly expected some sort of decision regarding the
territory to have already been made while they were doing
all of that killing and dying. None was forthcoming. Finally the
Allied Commission could agree on only one solution: pass
the decision on to the council of the League Of Nations. To
continue the comic diplomacy, the League Of Nations then
handed the matter over to an investigative committee of
four representatives, one each from the apparently much
more decisi ve countri es of Bel gium, Brazil, China and
Spain. Gathering their own data and conducting their own
interviews with Germans and Poles from Upper Silesia, in
October 1921 after a mere six week investigation - the
crack committee came down with a decision. It was their
determination that the territory should be basically be split
down the middle following ethnic lines as much as possible.
The earth shook, stars exploded, an angel grew its wings
and Katowice became part of Poland.
At the final tally, Poland had actually obtained less than a third
of the geographic territory, but it was generally considered to
be 'the good part.' Of 61 coal mines, 50 fell to PL; of the 37
furnaces, 22 to PL; of the 16 zinc and lead mines, 12 went to
Poland along with all the iron mines, and on and on. Germany
had lost the war and to Poland went the spoils. In addition to
Katowice, the main towns of Chorzw and Tarnowskie Gry
were also incorporated into Poland, all three of which had
very small to negligible German minorities. Although today it
may not seem like such a great outcome to the disappointed
tourist walking around downtown Katowice, the Silesian
Uprisings were considered a major success for Poland and
are today an extreme point of pride for Silesians.
SILESIAN UPRISINGS SILESIAN UPRISINGS
58 59
A Polish national activist, journalist
and politician, Wojciech Korfanty
(April 20, 1873 - August 17, 1939)
achieved infamy as a paramilitary
leader during the Silesian Upris-
ings. Born the son of a Polish
Silesian miner, in his early li fe
Korfanty studied philosophy, law
and economics at the University
of Breslau (Wrocaw) becoming
involved in Polish nationalist circles as a young man and
joining the secret nationalist society Z, which resisted the
Germanisation of Upper Silesias Polish population in the
decades prior to World War I. In 1901 he became editor-
in-chief of the Polish language paper Grnoslzak (The
Upper Silesian) which he used to try to awaken the national
consciousness of the regions Polish population. In 1903
Korfanty became Upper Silesias first Polish member of the
Reichstag (the German parliament) and used the position
to protect Germanys Polish minority from discrimination
and urge them to move their political allegiances away from
the Catholic Church and towards the Polish national cause.
After World War I, Korfanty was one of the chief advocates
of joining Upper Silesia and other eastern German terri-
tories to the new post-war Polish Republic. As diplomacy
failed Korfanty became one of the leaders of the Second
Silesian Uprising and the primary organiser of the Third
Silesian Uprising against German rule in Upper Silesia, for
which he was accused by Germans of organising terror-
ism against the German population of Upper Silesia. The
revolts were successful in forcing the German authorities
to leave Upper Silesia and Korfanty was largely credited
by Poles for his role in the outcome when Silesias most
valuable industrial districts were granted to Poland after
the war, despite Poland losing the plebiscite vote meant
to determine the destiny of the territories.
After the war Korfanty was elected to the Polish Sejm
from 1922 to 1930, conversely defending the rights of
the German minority in Upper Silesia and opposing the
post-war autonomy of the Silesian Voivodship, which he
saw as an obstacle to its re-integration into Poland the
very cause he had fought for. He became a political op-
ponent of Jzef Pisudski, who he considered a threat to
Polish unity, and after the May Coup that put Pisudskis
government in power he was arrested and tossed in the
Brest-Litovsk fortress with other political opponents
of the new regime. Forced to leave Poland in 1935 he
emigrated to Czechoslovakia and then France, but at-
tempted to return to Poland after Nazi Germany broke
with the Polish-German Non-aggression Pact, hoping
that the national threat would bring an end to domestic
political rifts. Those rifts remained and Korfanty was im-
mediately arrested upon entering the country. In August
1939, he was released from prison due to bad health and
died days later, only two weeks before the Nazi invasion
of Poland which began WWII; it is generally accepted
that the poor treatment he received in Polish prison ac-
celerated the failure of his health or directly caused his
death. Korfantys image was rehabilitated after WWII and
today he is remembered as a national hero. Those with
a fondness for irony should visit his monument in Kato-
wice on Plac Sejmu lskiego (E-3) outside the Silesian
Parliament building, the institution of which he strongly
opposed. Nearby on the same square is a monument to
Jzef Pisudski, the political opponent who orchestrated
Korfantys two arrests and political exile.
Wojciech Korfanty Katowices Short-lived Golden Age
If youve poked around Katowice a bit, the notion of the city
having had some kind of Golden Age may sound a bit like
the farfetched fever dream of a desperate writer up late at
night. Be that as it may, you should have noticed the imposing
Parliament buildings on Plac Sejmu lskiego (Silesian
Parliament Square, E-3) during your grouse about town.
Yes, thats right, Katowice that same city weve all poked
fun at like the fat kid in the class photo once held its very
own self-governing sessions. And it did it as a baby, no less.
Indeed, it was a mercurial rise for Katowice once the ball got
rolling, and the mills and drills got churning. A relatively remote
outpost of 100 homes, Katowice exploded into a prosperous
industrial town when a railway link was added in 1847, receiving
official city status shortly thereafter in 1897 (still some 700
years behind nearby Krakw). Following Germanys defeat
in WWI just twenty years later, Upper Silesia was left on the
fence between Germany and Poland thanks to the unhappy
cohabitation of an equal number of Poles and Germans in the
area. With both countries vying strongly for the resource-rich
region, the Treaty Of Versailles shrugged its sloped shoulders
declaring it would be put to popular vote in two years time.
That was long enough for two Silesian Uprisings to break out
in favor of the areas incorporation into the Second Polish
Republic, with a third occurring just after the tardy plebiscite.
The League Of Nations, scarcely reading the results, had seen
enough violence and split the region down the middle, with
Gliwice and Bytom falling on the German side and Katowice
becoming part of Poland. Then something unprecedented in
European legislation occurred (hold your breath)...
With the now-Polish half of Upper Silesia centered around
Katowice constituting a new Polish province, the Polish
Parliament in Warsaw passed an act on July 15th, 1920
giving the Silesian Voivodeship almost complete autonomy
a situation unique to any other province in PL. The new
province would be entirely independent in its affairs, with
the exception of foreign and military policy, and would have
its own chief legislative body and treasury. Suddenly, having
only received designation as a city 23 years prior, Katowice
was promoted to the rank of Silesian capital and had its own
Parliament. Boom, like that.
After the fireworks fizzled and the champagne was flat, one
of the first resolutions of the new Silesian Parliament was
to build itsel f a Parliament complex in Katowices centre
where future Parliament resolutions could be passed and
pizza parties held. Choosing the project of Krakw-based
architects P. Jurkiewicz, L. Wojtyczno, K. Wyczynski and S.
Zelenski, the Silesian Parliament building was completed in
1929, and the government moved in after spending its first
seven years in the former Royal School of Building Crafts on
ul. Wojewdzka (D-3). The new complex covered an entire city
block between Jagielloska, Reymonta, Ligonia and Lompy
streets (E-3), and was the largest structure in Poland until
Stalin built that big thing in Warsaw in 1955. Consisting of
a monumental four-wing main body housing the classical
assembly hall, the western side incorporates the main
entrance leading to a grand domed vestibule reminiscent of
a Renaissance palace decorated with the coats of arms of
the towns represented by the autonomous Silesian province.
More monumental buildings were erected alongside the
Parliament building in the 1930s, emphasising Katowices
importance as province capital. Among these were the House
of Nonaggregated Offices on Silesian Parliament Square,
the Syndicate of Polish Iron Works on ulica Lompy and the
original Silesian Museum on ulica Jagilloska (demolished
by the Nazis in 1940).
The interwar period was a golden age for Katowice, with the
Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship clicking on all cylinders.
Silesia was the wealthiest and most developed of all the Polish
provinces, thanks to its rich natural resources, numerous coal
mines and steelworks. Despite the provinces small size it
was also one of Polands major food producers with a highly
efficient agricultural industry. Its population density and rail
density were also the highest in the country. Ironically, after
all the what country are we in confusion following WWI, less
than a decade later a 1931 census claimed 92.3% of Silesias
population identified Polish as their mother tongue, making
the province the most Polish in Poland. Just as surprising
(and suspicious) given its blue-collared, black-fingernailed
workforce, Silesia had the lowest illiteracy rate in the country at
just 1.5% compared to the national average of 23.1%. Further
evidence of Katowices forward march was the erection of
Polands first skyscraper the famous Cloudscraper on ul.
Zwirki i Wigury (D-2) and the countrys first artificial ice rink.
Unfortunately World War II brought the party to an end, with
Hitler occupying the province and stripping it of its gold star.
After the war Silesias autonomy wasnt reinstated, with the
then power-holding Polish Workers Party forcibly renouncing
the provinces special priveleges on May 6th, 1945 after
Katowice failed to take the hint. The Silesian Parliament
building now houses the offices of the Silesian Voivodeship,
but the feeling just hasnt been the same since the census-
doctors and the treasurer moved out. Many of the buildings
in the complex have now changed function, while many others
are occupied only by wistful memories of bygone days. The
squares around the Parliamentary complex have come along
nicely however, with the opening of one of the citys best club
venues at Plac Sejmu lskiego 2 (Hipnoza) and the addition
of two large monuments in the 90s. A memorial to local hero,
Polish nationalist and organiser of the Silesian Uprisings
Wojciech Korfanty now stands outside the Parliament on
Silesian Parliament Square (E-3); and in the adjacent Plac
Boesawa Chrobrego stands a monument to First Marshall
Jozef Pisudski, the domineering mustache in power during
that golden era when Katowice was granted its short-lived
status as Polands second capital. Sort of.
The Silesian Parliament Jan Mehlich
Pisudski monument Jan Mehlich
Someone really ought to stick up for
Katowice. The butt of jokes across
the country and throughout this
guide, it was the butt end of a rifle
for Silesia during World War II, with
Katowice taking it in the chest. One
of Polands youngest metropolises,
lacking a cache of cultural treasures,
Katowice was essentially left to the
wolves when war broke out, as the
Polish Army back-peddled to sure
up their positions around Krakw.
While the shelling of Westerplatte on
September 1st, 1939 is recognised
as the fi rst engagement of the
Second World War, what few people
realise is that Hitler actually started
that script here in Silesia a day earlier. Dressing his SS officers
as Polish soldiers, Hitler staged a mock attack on Gliwices
radio tower which lay just inside the eastern border of Germany
at the time. International journalists were rushed to the scene
and instructed to be outraged when they saw dead Dachau
concentration camps victims strewn about in Nazi uniforms,
giving the deranged Fuehrer justification for his invasion of
Poland the next morning. As the Schleswig- Holstein fired
artillery at fortifications outside Gdansk, Nazi troops were
already advancing into Silesia, bearing down from the north
and south in a well-orchestrated attack. To avoid entrapment
in the region, General Szylling - commander of the Krakw
army - retreated east on September 2nd, leaving the defence
of Katowice to a ragtag team of volunteer citizens: haggard
partisans vetted in the Silesian Uprisings twenty years earlier
and pubescent Polish boy and girl scouts. One of the largest
organisations in the country in 1939, the scouts valiantly
came to the defence of Poland, making them the face of
Nazi resistance.
Dispatching themselves to the highest points in the city, the
scouts set up critical defence posts from which to await the
Germans and rain hellfire upon them. As the front ranks of
German General Neulings army approached Katowice from
the south on September 3rd, they were met with a spirited
resistance before even reaching Kociuszko Park. Stymied
by the rifle-wielding upstarts, the German troops spent the
night mending their egos until the morning. Upon the dawn
of September 4th, the scene had shi fted and a steady
engagement of gunfire carried on around Plac Wolnoci (C-1/2)
with German troops being repelled from defensive positions on
nearby Gliwicka and Mikoowska streets. A noble and tenacious
effort it was, however the tide soon turned on the ill-equipped,
inexperienced and hopelessly outnumbered scouts. Camping
outside the centre seemed to have only refreshed the enemy,
redoubling their ranks and munitions, while the trembling scouts
were exhausted, cold and hungry atop their makeshift skyline
foxholes. First fell Plac Wolnoci. Then fell the Rynek. In fact by
noon on September 4th almost all of Polands underground
resistance had been rounded up and executed en masse.
Only the parachute tower in Kociusko Park remained as the
final outpost of Katowices independence. Exchanging fire with
German troops into the evening of September 4th, the tower
was finally destroyed when the foul-playing Germans used an
antitank gun to obliterate the whippersnappers. The tower
that stands in the park today is a 35 metre reconstruction
of the original 50 metre structure and the only parachute
tower remaining in Poland. The scouts heroic defence of the
position, suicidal as it was, grew so legendary it became the
popular subject of poems and songs. Today a granite obelisk
commemorates their brief but noble ascent into adulthood
atop that fabled tower, while another monument stands at Plac
Obronw Katowic (C-3).
The Katowice
parachute tower,
istockphoto.com
DEFENDING KATOWICE AUTONOMOUS SILESIA
61
60
Prospective foreign travellers
putti ng together thei r Pol i sh
tourist itineraries have a ten-
dency to regard Katowi ce as
an acne- scarred unwanted
stepchi l d, and j usti fi abl y so.
As another I YP edi tor once
famously said of the city, ar-
chitecturally, much of Katowice
looks like the contents of your
dustbin, overturned. Do some
rummaging through that rub-
bish, however, and we think youll
agree, there are a few rewards
to be found. With that in mind
we direct the determined tourist
on a dumpster-diving diversion
southeast of the city centre to
the workers districts of Nikiszowiec and Giszowiec. Home
to some highly unique early 20th century architecture, an
excellent modern art gallery, magnificent church and a few
additional offbeat attractions, these two forgotten attempts
at plebeian paradise are earmarked on Silesias Industrial
Monuments Route (available at all Silesian tourist informa-
tion offices) and offer intrepid visitors a confounding, yet
fascinating glimpse at a foregone age. Pack yourself a lunch,
your camera, and off you go.
Getting There
Tourists should plan on first visiting Nikiszowiec (8km/15min
from the city centre), the closer and more compelling of the
two districts, before continuing on to Giszowiec (10km/20min
away) as time and interest allow. Getting there is simple: Take
bus 674 from the Katowice Train Station (D-3), bus 12 from
St. Marys church (D-4), or we recommend catching bus 30
from Al. Korfantego in front of the Katowice Hotel (H-3); the
more direct and straightforward of the three routes, this also
allows you to get off right at the stop named Nikiszowiec
Szyb Wilson. Though off the map in our guide, both districts
are still within Zone 1 of Katowices public transport network,
meaning passengers only need a normal 3z fare ticket. All
of the above-mentioned buses can be caught at stops in
Giszowiec or Nikiszowiec and taken back into town. There are
also random minibuses that run regularly between Giszowiec
and Katowices market square (Rynek). These buses stop at
all Giszowiecs busstops, but youll have to flap your arm at
them to get them to pick you up. The fare is a negligible 2-5z
and the drivers are flexible with dropoffs along their route.
Nikiszowiec
From the Wilson Gallery it is a short eight minute walk (or
one busstop) down ul. Szopienicka into Nikiszowiec proper;
youll know it by its uniquely uniform architecture, gruesome
water tower, leering smokestacks and the church spire mark-
ing its centre. Make a left onto ul. Zofii Nakowskiej (towards
Eurohotel and the ice rink complex) and then your first right
to officially enter the district on ul. Rymarska and youll
pass the new Tourist Information Office inside a recently
unveiled branch of the Katowice Historical Museum at
number 4. Here you can pick up a handy free map as well as
other information about the district. The museum illustrates
the everyday lives of the regions miners and other blue-collar
folks through a series of ethnographic exhibits, including an
interesting gallery of painting by Nikiszowiecs renowned
Janowska Group, and shouldnt be missed.
Built between 1908 and 1912 to house workers in the back-
yard of their place of employment - the large smoke-churning
Wieczorek (formerly Giesche) coal mine - the enclosed resi-
dential complex of Nikiszowiec is composed of six compact
four-sided three-storey blocks with inner courtyards. Distin-
guished by its uniformity of style - red brick buildings accented
with red-painted windowframing, and narrow streets joined
by handsome arcades - the neighbourhood was designed
by Georg and Emil Zillman of Berlin-Charlottenburg to be
a completely self-sufficient community for 1,000 workers
with a school, hospital, police station, post office, swimming
pool, bakery and church. Thanks to WWI and the subsequent
Silesian Uprisings - during which time Nikiszowiec saw fierce
fighting, and was afterwards incorporated into Poland - St.
Annes Church (Pl. Wyzwol enia 21) wasnt abl e to be
finished until 1927, but became the crowning glory of the
neighbourhood as soon as it was. A welcome diversion from
the smokestacks dominating the roofline of the districts
other side, this magnificent building incorporates Baroque
design with two belltowers and a timepieced steeple, while
blending into its surroundings without any of the ghastly
and gratuitous exterior decoration associated with the style;
make sure you take a stroll down ul. w. Anny for the most
photogenic views. If youre lucky enough to get inside, take
notice of the amazing 5,350 pipe organ and highly ornate
Zillman chandelier. Though it would ironically seem be a
socialist planners wet dream, Nikiszowiec actually makes a
happy, handsome departure from the communist botch-job
of downtown Katowice and has become a prized location
for amateur photographers and budding filmmakers due to
the fact that it has remained virtually unchanged since the
Second World War. City marketers have also recognised
the districts uniqueness with increasing efforts to draw
tourist attention to the area and a campaign afoot to fasten
Nikiszowiec to the UNESCO Heritage List. Though the district
is generally safe to wander, you should still exercise sensible
precautions about where you stick both your nose and that
fancy new digital camera; and who you do it in front of.
Despite supposedly being a self-sufficient community that
has now grown to over 7,000 people, bars, restaurants
and other indoor places to refuel or pass some time are
shockingly few and far between in Nikiszowiec. The relatively
recent opening of the districts first restaurant - SITG (ul.
Krawczyka 1) - is an absolute godsend, otherwise youd
best pack a lunch or head on to Giszowiec where youll find
several cheap places to eat. To get there, head back to ul.
Szopienicka and catch the bus for a few stops until you arrive
at the next populated area.
Industrial Ethnography Museum (Muzeum Histo-
rii Katowic, Dzia Etnologii Miasta) ul. Rymarska
4 (Nikiszowiec), tel. (+48) 32 353 95 59, www.mhk.
katowice.pl. Located in Nikiszowiec, this recently opened
branch of the Katowice Historical Museum is unique in its
emphasis on ethnography and folk culture, approaching the
topic from an urban, rather than rural, perspective. A collec-
tion of artefacts and cultural assets tells the everyday stories
of Upper Silesias working class (primarily miners) from the
period of early industrial development (mid-19th century) to
the 1960s. More specifically youll see evidence of how this
large demographic has lived, worked and celebrated over
the years through exhibits of clothing, ceremonial costumes,
tools, household items, religious objects and art. A separate
permanent exhibit narrows in on the Janowska Group - a col-
lection of Nikiszowiec miners including Theophilus Ociepka,
Paul Sparrow, Erwin Swka and Ewald Gawlik (more of Gaw-
liks work can be seen in two Giszowiec galleries) who gained
renown for their painting. The helpful Nikiszowiec tourist info
centre is also in the building. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Sat,
Sun 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Mon. Last entrance 30 minutes
before closing. Admission 5/3z, family ticket 8z. Sat free.
Wilson Shaft Gallery ul. Oswobodzenia 1 (Nikiszow-
iec), tel. (+48) 32 730 32 20, www.szybwilson.org. Just
north of the centre of Nikiszowiec (3km by official measure),
this seemingly obscure and certainly under appreciated mod-
ern art gallery is arguably Katowices best art space and one
of the primary highlights of a trip to Nikiszowiec. Located in
the pithead building and bathhouse of the old Wilson shaft of
the Wieczorek mine, the buildings now occupied by the gallery
date back to 1918, and were designed by the same Zillman
brother tandem behind the Nikiszowiec housing district.
The dilapidated mineshaft, where excavations began back
in 1864, can still be seen in glorious ruin behind the gallery
buildings, having ceased operation in 1997. Taken over by the
Pro Inwest company and adapted into exhibition and office
spaces, the area around the Wilson shaft is now filled with
brightly-painted outdoor sculptures in sharp contrast to the
industrial surroundings, as well as a muraled entrance wall
full of colourful pop culture icons (making it hard to miss).
The gallery itself comprises an impressive 2,500 square
metres divided into three halls, the largest of which wouldnt
look dissimilar to a gymnasium if the installation art was
swapped for basketball hoops. Full of seriously bonkers, yet
compellingly high quality sculpture, graphic and installation
art by both local and international artists, exhibitions change
regularly with permanent installations - some disturbing,
some playful, some political - hidden throughout the dozens
of small nooks spidering throughout the building. The clos-
est thing to a contemporary art museum in Katowice, its
an admirable and highly recommendable venue where the
security guards are noticeably as passionate about the art
as the owners must be. Not only is it admission free, but the
mini-buffet here is the only eating option in the district aside
from SITG - a banquet hall prone to wedding parties. To get
there jump off bus 30 at the Nikiszowiec Szyb Wilson stop
on ul. Szopienicka, or bus 920 at the Janw Oswobodzenia
stop on ul. Lwowska. QOpen 09:00 - 19:00. Admission free.
Giszowiec
While Nikiszowiec is a refreshing, at times fascinating, highly
photogenic adventure out of downtown Katowice, we cant
pretend to promote the same thing about its fraternal twin
Giszowiec. While equally unique and unexpected, unlike
Nikiszowiec, Giszowiec simply isnt what it once was. Thats
not to say there arent a few places of note, however. Another
workers colony from the same sibling pair behind Nikiszowiec,
in the case of Giszowiec the Zillmans took a completely dif-
ferent conceptual approach, designing an ideal garden city
for local miners based on the ideas of famous British urban
planner Ebenezer Howard. Modelled on rural English cottages,
the original dwellings of Giszowiec are low, freestanding,
sloped roof houses surrounded by garden plots. Built between
1906 and 1910, the neighbourhood was arranged as a web of
streets extending from Plac Pod Lipami - the central square
surrounded by public buildings, shops, a restaurant, school
and tavern. The project included a public laundry, a womens
bathhouse, theatre, quarantine barracks for the diseased, a
prison and a strict set of guidelines to ensure the precious
English village atmosphere wouldnt be lost; these included
statutes governing everything from which garden plants could
be grown to which animals could be kept. Possession of a goat,
for instance, would be enough to see you expelled from this
Utopian colony. Originally built for workers at the Wieczorek
coal mine, when the new Staszic coal mine opened nearby in
1964 additional dwellings had to be provided and the minds of
the day decided to demolish their ideal garden city in favour
of ten-storey apartment blocks fashioned out of pre-cast con-
crete slabs (as you do). The result was the labyrinth of hideous
tower blocks you see when you arrive at Giszowiec today. In
1978 the destruction was stopped when some clever conser-
vator decided to try and enter the urban structure of Giszowiec
into the Registry of Historic Places; he succeeded, but only
after two-thirds of the original buildings had been demolished,
the charm of the remaining third being utterly overshadowed
by the soulless new buildings surrounding them. As such, a
trip to Giszowiec today entails steeling your stomach through
the maze of concrete monoliths at its northern edge in order
to reach the centre square where youll find the Municipal
Cultural Centre and Pod Lipami restaurant (food?!) sharing
the main building, as well as the Gawlikwka - a small gallery
dedicated to the art of late native folk painter Ewald Gawlik.
En route youll pass a few of the original cottage dwellings, and
while well admit theyre charming, if youve ever seen a rural
residential neighbourhood during your lifetime, theres not a
whole lot to remark about them (O look, this one has flowers. O
look, this one looks just like that one!). Undoubtedly the most
interesting building in the area is the old schoolhouse at Pl.
Pod Lipami 2, which still functions as a kindergarten. With a
metal stag head and cross (Jagermeister, anyone?) adorning
the clock-tower and yard full of playground equipment, the
building possesses a spooky evocative power, particularly at
nightfall when the clock-face suddenly becomes as luminous
as a full moon.
The afore-mentioned Gawlikwka at Plac Pod Lipami 3 is
also worth a quick visit; if Gawliks canvases of rural Silesian
life capture your interest, here you can pick up a map of all
the places youll find them hidden in the district. Curiously
enough, the largest collection is inside a tiny hairdresser at
ul. Pod Kasztanami 34, the interior of which also makes it a
bit of a museum in more ways than one. Apparently frozen in
carbonite since the 1950s, the old school chrome hairdryers
and bright pink and green walls inexplicably cluttered with
colourful canvases, antique mirrors and faded photographs
make this little salon more of a traipse back in time than any
Giszowiec garden block; best of all, the woman who works
there is welcoming to walk-ins who want nothing more than
to wander around and snap some hilarious photos. Next
door youll even find a rare and cherished thing known as a
bar/restaurant. All told, Giszowiec stills captures some small
town charm, despite being a shadow of what it must have
been. If you enjoy the small pleasures of being a stranger
in a strange land, an excursion out to these two historic
labour communities might just be the bizarre highlight of
your time in Silesia.
Gawlikwka Pl. Pod Lipami 3-3a (Giszowiec), tel.
(+48) 32 206 46 42, www.mdk.katowice.pl.QOpen
10:00 - 15:00. Sat, Sun open by prior arrangement only.
Hairdresser ul. Pod Kasztanami 34 (Giszowiec), tel.
(+48) 32 256 07 04. QOpen 08:00 - 17:00, Sat 07:00 -
12:00. Closed Tue, Sun. Admission free.
Municipal Cultural Centre Pl. Pod Lipami 1 (Giszow-
iec), tel. (+48) 32 206 46 42, www.mdk.katowice.pl. At
the very centre of Giszowiec, if youre lucky you may be able
to catch one of the frequent events held here (check their
website to see whats on). The Dworek Pod Lipami restaurant
is also here and represents the best place to eat in the area.
They also sell some additional English-language info including
the History of Giszowice and Giszowiec In Old Postcards.
QOpen 08:00 - 20:00.
Nikiszowiec Information Office ul. Rymarska
4 (Industrial Ethnography Museum, Nikiszowiec),
tel. (+48) 32 255 14 80, www.katowice.eu. QOpen
10:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Mon.
Tourist Information
Printed with the consent
of Katowice City Council
NIKISZOWIEC & GISZOWIEC NIKISZOWIEC & GISZOWIEC
63
62
AUSCHWITZ AUSCHWITZ
Visiting Auschwitz is a full days excursion so prepare ac-
cordingly (comfortable shoes). The guided tour of Auschwitz I
takes around 2 hours, so make sure youve eaten breakfast.
After completing the tour of the first camp, there is only a
short break before the bus leaves for Auschwitz-Birkenau II;
in order to stay with the same tour guide, you need to catch
that bus, so it would be wise to pack some food for the day
(though there is some limited food available at the museum).
The tour of the second camp is shorter, lasting 1-1.5 hours.
Buses regularly depart back to Auschwitz I, or you can walk
or catch a cab to the train station 1.5km away. At Auschwitz
I there are restrooms (have change available), a fast food
bar and restaurant; there are also restroom facilities at Aus-
chwitz II-Birkenau. If exploring Auschwitz without a guide, it is
highly recommended that you pick up the official guidebook
(5z), whose map of the camp is crucial to avoid missing
any of the key sites; these can be picked up at any of the
numerous bookshops at both sites.QBoth camps are open
08:00 - 16:00. From April open 08:00 - 17:00. From May
open 08:00 - 18:00. From June open 08:00 - 19:00.
An individual ticket for a foreign language guided tour
of both camps costs 40/30z. Tours for groups up to
10 people, 250z. For larger groups 300z. Individual
visitors can tour both camps on their own at no charge
until the end of March; from April (the start of hight tour
season) guided tours are obligatory.
The film costs 4/3z (included in the price of a group
tour). Headphones cost 5z per person (included in the
price of a group tour). Official guidebook 5z.
Auschwitz I (Pastwowe Muzeum Auschwitz - Birke-
nau) ul. Winiw Owicimia 20, Owicim, tel. (+48)
33 844 81 00, www.auschwitz.org. Your tour of Auschwitz
I begins by passing beneath a replica of the infamous Arbeit
Macht Frei (Work Makes You Free) entrance gate. [The original
sign was actually made by inmates of the camp on Nazi orders
and is no longer on display after it was stolen in December
2009 and found in pieces in northern Poland a few days after
the theft.] From the entrance gate, the prescribed tour route
leads past the kitchens, where the camp orchestra once played
as prisoners marched to work, before starting in earnest inside
Block 4. Here an overview of the creation and reality behind the
worlds most notorious concentration camp is given, with exhibits
including original architectural sketches for gas chambers, tins of
Zyklon B used for extermination and mugshots of inmates. Most
disturbing is over seven tonnes of human hair once destined for
German factories, which does much to demonstrate the scale
and depravity of the Nazi death machine.
Transported to Auschwitz in cattle trucks, newly arrived prison-
ers were stripped of their personal property, some of which
is displayed in Block 5 including mountains of artificial limbs,
glasses, labelled suitcases, shaving kits and, most affectingly,
childrens shoes. Block 6 examines the daily life of prisoners with
collections of photographs, artists drawings and tools used for
hard labour while the next set of barracks recreates the living
conditions endured by prisoners: bare rooms with sackcloth
spread out on the floor, and rows of communal latrines, one
decorated with a poignant mural depicting two playful kittens.
Block 11, otherwise known as The Death Block, is arguably
the most difficult part of the tour. Outside, the Wall of Death -
against which thousands of prisoners were shot by the SS - has
been turned into a memorial festooned with flowers; it was here
that Pope Benedict XVI prayed during his ground-breaking visit
in 2006. Within the terrifying, claustrophobic cellars of Block 11
the Nazis conducted their first experiments with poison gas in
1941 on Soviet prisoners. Here the cell of Father Maximilian
Kolbe, the Polish priest starved to death after offering his life to
save another inmate, is marked with a small memorial, and tiny
standing cells measuring 90 x 90 cm - where up to four prison-
ers were held for indefinite amounts of time - remain intact.
The remaining blocks are dedicated to the specific suffering
of individual nations, including a block dedicated in memory
of the Roma people who perished. The tour concludes with
the gruesome gas chamber and crematoria, whose two
furnaces were capable of burning 350 corpses daily. The
gallows used to hang camp commandant Rudolf Hoss in
1947 stands outside.
Visiting the Auschwitz Museum
Arriving at the Auschwitz Museum can be chaotic and con-
fusing thanks to large crowds, numerous ticket windows
with di fferent designations, and excessive signage that
contradicts itself. This can be avoided by going as part of an
organised group tour, organised by a local tour company. If
you are visiting independently however, or in a small group,
find the queue for the desk marked Individual Guests. Dur-
ing peak tourist season the museum makes it obligatory to
buy a ticket and become part of a guided tour, however in
the off season it is possible to explore the museum for free
without a guide. Be that as it may, we strongly recommend
the guided tour, which is excellent, profound and professional;
afterwards youll find it hard to imagine getting as much out of
your visit had you explored the grounds on your own. Tours in
English depart most frequently, and there are also regularly
scheduled tours in German, French, Italian, Polish and Span-
ish. Tour departure times change frequently; exact times can
be seen online at auschwitz.org.pl and it would be wise to
look them up before visiting. The museum makes a big effort
to provide the tour in the native language of each guest, and
tours in languages other than those just mentioned can be
easily arranged if done in advance.
After purchasing your ticket and headphones, your experi-
ence typically begins with a harrowing 20 minute film of
narrated footage captured by the Soviet Army when they
arrived to liberate the camp in January 1945. The film (not
recommended for children under 14) is not guaranteed year-
round however, in which case your tour of the camp begins
straightaway with a live guide speaking into a microphone
which you hear through your headphones.
For centuries the town of Owicim was a quiet backwater
community, largely bypassed by world events. That changed
with WWII when Owicim, known as Auschwitz under
German occupation, became the chosen site of the largest
death camp in the Third Reich. Between 1.1 million and 1.5
million people were exterminated here, etching the name of
Auschwitz forever into the history books; countless films,
documentaries, books and survivor accounts have since
burned it into the collective consciousness.
Visitors to Poland, particularly to Krakw and Katowice, are
faced with asking themselves whether or not they will make
the effort to visit Auschwitz. It is a difficult question. There
are few who would say they actually want to visit Auschwitz,
though many are compelled to do so for their own reasons.
For those of us who dont feel so compelled, its easy to
give reasons for not going: not having enough time, already
knowing as much as we need or want to know about it, not
feeling personally connected enough to the site or the history
to need to visit, or being uncomfortable about the prospect
of visiting a site of such emotional resonance at the same
time as hundreds of other tourists. Having been there, we can
tell you that all of these explanations for avoiding Auschwitz
are perfectly reasonable until youve actually visited the site;
youll be hard-pressed to find anyone who has made the trip
and recommends against going.
The Auschwitz Museum and tour present one of the most
horrific acts in human history with a level of tact, passion,
poignancy and professionalism that is so profound, it almost
makes as lasting an impression as the site itself. Without
being heavy-handed, the history of the site is presented in
all of its contexts and guests are perhaps spared from fully
surrendering to their emotions only by the sheer relentlessness
of the information. No matter how much you think you know on
the subject, the perspective gained by visiting is incomparable.
Whether or not you choose to go to Auschwitz is up to you to
decide. However it should be understood that Auschwitz is not a
site of Jewish concern, Polish concern, German concern, gypsy
concern, historical concern... It is a site of human concern. As
such, everyone should visit.
The town of Owicim lies 33km south-east of Katowice
and there are several ways of getting there, though the
easiest may be just signing on for an organised tour
through a local company like Silesia Trip (see Tours).
Though ironic given local history, due to the infrequency
of direct trains, the unnecessarily long travel time of
non-direct trains and constant train schedule changes,
if you are going to Owicim from Katowice on your own,
we recommend taking a bus.
Buses leave frequently from Katowices main bus station
(C-2, ul. Skargi 1), with the earliest at 07:50 Mon-Fri, 9:00
on weekends. A one way ticket costs about 12.50z with
the journey taking 60-70mins. The bus makes several
stops along the way, and weekday buses will drop you
off right at Auschwitz I; however weekend buses will only
get you to the Owicim train station (ul. Powstacw
lskich 22), which is 1.5km away. From there hop on
local buses 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 or 29 to make the short
trip to the museum; you can purchase the 2.60z fare
from one of the nearby kiosks.
Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau are located 3km
apart (with the train station strategically between them).
From April to the end of October free museum buses
shuttle visitors between the two parts of the camp twice
an hour; from November to the end of March the buses
run once an hour. Alternatively, catch a cab for a rich 15z.
To get back to Katowice, you need to catch a bus from
the Owicim train station. Again, local buses 24, 25, 26,
27, 28 or 29 make the trip from Auschwitz I to the train
station for 2.60z. Buses from there back to Katowice
are frequent, but the last one leaves at 18:30 Mon-Sat
(Sun 20:26), so mind the time.
Getting There
1940: In April a Nazi commission decides to open a
concentration camp in Owicim, primarily because of
the excellent transport links it enjoys. Using existing
Polish army barracks as a foundation the construction
of Auschwitz I is completed on May 20th. On June 14th,
728 Polish political prisoners from Tarnw become the
first inmates of Auschwitz I, soon followed by 12,000
Soviet POWs.
1941: The first experiments with Zyklon B gas are con-
ducted on 600 Soviet POWs on September 3rd.
1942: Auschwitz II-Birkenau and Auschwitz III-Monowitz
are established.
1944: Jewish crematoria workers in Birkenau stage an
armed uprising on October 7, blowing up Crematorium
IV. Hundreds escape but are soon captured and put
to death.
1945: Liquidation of Birkenau begins in January with the
burning of documents and destruction of gas chambers,
crematoria and barracks. All prisoners who can walk,
approximately 58,000, are sent on arduous death
marches. About 15,000 die during this evacuation.
On January 27 the Red Army liberates Owicim, where
roughly 7,000 prisoners too weak to move have been
abandoned to their fate. In the months after the war
the Auschwitz barracks are used as an NKVD prison.
Post-war: The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum is
established. In 1979 UNESCO includes Auschwitz I and
II on its list of World Heritage sites. In the same year it is
visited by Pope John Paul II. His successor, German Pope
Benedict XVI visits in 2006. On December 18th, 2009
thieves steal the infamous Arbeit Macht Frei sign from
above the main entrance gate, cutting it into pieces and
abandoning it in the woods in northern PL; the sign has
been replaced by a replica.
A Brief History
I nter nati onal Youth Meeti ng Centr e
(Midzynarodowy Dom Spotka Modziey) ul.
Legionw 11, Owicim, tel. (+48) 33 843 21 07,
www.mdsm.pl. Education centre planning international
seminars on anti-Semitism, racism, nationalism, international
relationships, processes of democratisation and contem-
porary Poland. International youth exchange programmes,
conferences and lectures are also available. Additionally, they
offer 100 beds, camping ground, seminar rooms and library.
Meeting Centre
65
64
TYSKIE AUSCHWITZ
Under occupation efforts were made to turn the town
into a model Nazi settlement with plans for wide green
spaces and modern estates. Aside from normal German
settlers the town saw 7,000 SS serve here and they
enjoyed a good community li fe complete with coffee
house, swimming pool, kindergarten and a profusion of
cultural events; at one stage the Dresden State Theatre
performed here. The SS pub was housed in a building
across from Owicim train station, and its top floor
was turned into a flat to serve Himmler during his visits.
After the war the hunt was on to find the people who
perpetrated the Holocaust. Camp Commandant Rudolf
Hoss was captured in 1946, while posing as a farm hand.
Sentenced to death he was hanged next to the gas cham-
ber of Auschwitz I on April 16, 1947. Others who faced
the hangmans noose included the head of the womens
camp, Maria Mandel, as well as her 22 year old sidekick
Irma Grese, aka the Beautiful Beast. Adolf Eichmann was
the mastermind behind mass Jewish deportations in the
Eastern territories. Having fled to Argentina after the war
he was kidnapped by Mossad agents, before facing the
trial of the century in Israel in which he was sentenced to
hang. Josef Mengele, the Angel of Death, served as the
camp doctor in Birkenau and supervised selections for
the gas chambers as well as brutal medical experiments
on children. He evaded justice and died in a swimming
accident in Brazil in the seventies.
The Nazi Perpetrators
Auschwitz II - Birkenau (Pastwowe Muzeum
Auschwitz - Birkenau) Owicim, tel. (+48) 33 844
81 00, www.auschwitz.org. Having completed the long
tour of Auschwitz I, some visitors decline the opportunity to
visit Auschwitz II - Birkenau, however its here that the impact
of Auschwitz can be fully felt through the sheer size, scope
and solitude of the second camp. Added in 1942 Birkenau
contained 300 barracks and buildings on a vast site that
covered 175 hectares. Soon after the Wannsee Confer-
ence on January 20, 1942, when Hitler and his henchmen
rubber-stamped the wholesale extermination of European
Jews, it grew to become the biggest and most savage of all
the Nazi death factories, with up to 100,000 prisoners held
there in 1944.
The purpose-buil t train tracks leading directl y into the
camp still remain. Here a grim selection process took
place with 70% of those who arrived herded directly into
gas chambers. Those selected as fit for slave labour lived
in squalid, unheated barracks where starvation, disease
and exhaustion accounted for countless lives. With the
Soviets advancing, the Nazis attempted to hide all traces
of their crimes. Today little remains, with all gas chambers
having been dynamited and living quarters levelled. Climb
the tower of the main gate for a full impression of the
complexs size. Directly to the right lie wooden barracks
used as a quarantine area, while across on the left hand
side lie numerous brick barracks which were home to the
penal colony and also the womens camp. At the far end
of the camp lie the mangled remains of the crematoria,
as well as a bleak monument unveiled in 1967. After a
comparabl y brief guided tour of the camp, visitors are
left to wander and reflect on their own before catching
the return bus to Auschwitz I.
Auschwitz Jewish Centre & Chevra Lomdei
Mishnayot Synagogue (Centrum ydowskie)
Pl. Ks. Jana Skarbka 5, Owicim, tel. (+48) 33 844
70 02, www.ajcf.org. This centre located 3km from
the Auschwitz museum maintains the towns restored
synagogue, shows a film with testimonies of Holocaust
survivors and offers a specially tailored programme for
those who call ahead. It also features a permanent exhibi-
tion on Jewish life in the town of Owicim before World
War II. Q Open 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat. Admission 6z.
Jewish Centre
In a country where beer is cheaper and more widely con-
sumed than water (and safer to drink according to some), its
worth noting that the two most famous and popular brands
in Poland are both brewed in Silesia. The breweries of both
are also bonafide tourist attractions including production
tours, museums and...free beer!
Tyskie Brewery (Tyskie Browary Ksice) ul.
Mikoowska 5 (entrance from ul. Katowicka 9), Tychy,
tel. (+48) 32 327 84 30, www.tyskiebrowarium.pl.
The Tyskie Browary Ksice, in the town of Tychy (German
Tichau) some 10km south of Katowice has been brewing beer
continuously for nearly 400 years. And because of its Silesian
location it has witnessed a number of historic events over the
years with its own history reflecting that of the region. The
originally German-owned brewery now produces the famous
Tyskie Gronie, Polands best selling beer, and Tyskie Browary
Ksices (or just Tyskie) impressive ensemble of buildings
also includes a superb little museum which is open to the
public for tours. Taking about 2.5 hours and led by a friendly
and informative, English-speaking guide, the Tyskie tour
takes visitors through the entire brewing process. Starting
in the immaculately preserved Old Brewery, a masterpiece of
original decorative tiles and old copper vats installed during
WWI that have had modern brewing equipment cleverly put
inside them, the tour follows the brewing process from start
to finish and also offers a fascinating insight into the history
of the factory. Highlights include the so-called Bachelors
Quarters and the saucy tales that go with them, a glimpse
of the brewerys own railway station and, across the road, a
look inside the fabulous smelling bottling plant. Now produc-
ing over 8,000,000 hectolitres of booze annually (or to put
it another way, if you put all that beer into half litre bottles
and laid them end to end youd have a line of beer 80,000km
long), the rise of the brewery is recorded inside the superb
Brewery Museum, complete with interactive displays in Eng-
lish and housed inside an old red brick Protestant, neo-Gothic
church built in 1902. Tours must be booked in advance,
and yes, theres a tasting session at the end. The tours are
conducted in Polish, English, German, Spanish (unavailable
in July & August), French, Italian, Czech, Russian and in the
Silesian dialect (if you ever wanted to hear what that might
sound like). The museum building also houses the local City
Museum, which is also well worth having a look inside if youve
got the time, while the town of Tyskie itself is worth a bit of
exploration to round off the trip.
To get there from Katowice, take a train to Tychy; the brew-
ery is a short walk southeast from the train station.QOpen
10:00 - 20:00. Closed Sun. Last entrance 2,5 hours before
closing. Visitors must be over 18 and should call in advance
to book a place on the tour. Admission 12/6z.
67
LEISURE
66
LEISURE
Bike Rental
City By Bike C-3, Al. Korfantego, www.miasto-mar-
zen.eu/city-by-bike. Katowices new city-organised bike
rental system makes exploring the Silesian capitals concrete
causeways and construction sites easier than ever. With vari-
ous locations around the city centre, including outside Kato
Bar (C-1, ul. Mariacki 13 - from April 19) and Gugalander (E-3,
ul. Krlowej Jadwigi 17A - from May), City By Bike allows you
to rent from one and drop off at another. Best of all, theres
no prior registration requirement or automated nonsense;
simply give the clerk a photo ID and enjoy ridiculously low
rates of 2z/1hr, 5z/3hrs and 10z/day. Further proof that
Katowice is progressing in the right direction. QOpen 09:00
- 21:00. Closed Sat, Sun.
Bowling & Billiards
Black 8 C-1, ul. Dbrwki 10, tel. (+48) 32 781
08 60, www.clubbilard.pl. Inside a large underground
entertainment complex on the outskirts of Katowices city
centre, Black 8 is for those with more than a drunken or
passing interest in pool. The only professional billiards club
in Kato, Black 8 is home to 15 Dynamic II billiards tables
and two high-quality snooker tables, and its worth noting
that the owner has organised the Polish Billiards Champi-
onships, as well as other competitions. In addition to the
neighbouring bowling lanes of Krgielnia Galaktyka and the
adjoining motor and music club, Club Garage, Black 8 is also
a restaurant offering a large menu of Polish standards in
the sophisticated atmosphere of this gentlemens hall well
worth visiting. Tables cost 18z/hr for billiards and 25z/hr
for snooker after 18:00, with much cheaper rates in the
afternoon. Evening reservations would be wise. QOpen
12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00.
Hokus Pokus C-1, ul. Gliwicka 44, tel. (+48) 32 359
59 81, www.hpokus.pl. An 1300 square metre entertain-
ment centre with 12 bowling alleys, an arcade and a pub
where you can mix beer, billiards (6 new tables!) and bickering
over scoring glitches made by the electronic darts machines.
QOpen 09:30 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 09:30 - 02:00.
Krgielnia Galaktyka C-1, ul. Dbrwki 10, tel. (+48)
32 781 08 60, www.kregielniagalaktyka.pl. Located
inside a 2000 square metre entertainment centre that
includes a billiards club (Black 8), music club (Club Garage)
and restaurant, this popular bowling alley features 8 lanes,
planetary graphics, computerised scoring, a stocked bar.
True bowlers may find the setup which forces you to walk
through every lane a bit frustrating, but not nearly as much
so as the lanes themselves: extremely narrow, bowling has
probably never been harder and you can forget about trying
to put any spin on the ball. Still, its a fun atmosphere and
theres nothing unprofessional about the adjoining pool hall
if you consider this an outrage. Depending on the day of
the week and time of day, lane rental costs 20-69z/hr plus
2z shoe rental; check website for full details. Reservations
recommended. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00.
Golf
Silesian Golf Club (lski Klub Golfowy) ul. Sowia
14 (Siemianowice lskie), tel. (+48) 32 608 33 71,
www.skgolf.pl. An 18-hole 42ha course north of Katowice
with driving range, equipment rental and gol f academy.
Catch a meal in the Club House or make use of the nearby
sports complex and shooting range. Q Open from April,
weather permitting. 18 holes: weekdays 100z per person,
weekends 140z. 9 holes: weekdays 70z, weekends 100z.
Horse-Riding
Katowice Riding Club ul. Francuska 180a (Muchow-
iec), tel. (+48) 32 251 34 84. Indoor or outdoor riding, as
you like. Beginner lessons 30z/30min. Experienced riders
40z/1hr. QOpen 15:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 14:00 - 19:00.
Closed Mon, Fri.
Indoor Playgrounds
Ciuciubabka ul. Jaboniowa 52 (Jzefowiec), tel.
(+48) 32 725 26 58, www.ciuciubabka.com.pl. Basi-
cally the best babysitters out there, Ciuciubabka gives
your kids an opportunity to wear themselves out in a safe,
supervised environment full of slides, ballpits, inflatible
bouncy things, jungle gyms, arts and crafts and a lot more.
The desert island every kid wants to get left on. Everybody
wins. Tickets prices for weekdays/weekends: first hal f hour
6/7z, second started hal f hour 5/6z, one hour 11/13z,
unlimited playtime 19/21z. QOpen 16:00 - 20:00, Sat,
Sun 10:00 - 20:00.
Racquet Sports
Szkoa Tenisa Proserv G-1, ul. Ceglana 67, tel.
(+48) 601 48 18 32, www.proserv-tenis.pl. Indoor
and outdoor tennis courts. QOpen 08:00 - 22:00. Indoor
courts: weekdays before 15:00, 45z/hr; after 15:00, 60z/
hr; weekends 55z/hr all day.
Spa & Beauty
City Spa & Wellness E-2, ul. Henryka Jordana 19, tel.
(+48) 32 251 01 99, www.cityspa.com.pl. Customised
treatments for men and women in this centrally located
house of luxuries: facials, hand, foot and body treatments,
hairdressing and a lot more. QOpen 09:00 - 20:30, Sat
09:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun.
Termy Rzymskie ul. Dehnelw 2, Czelad, tel.
(+48) 32 290 13 90, www.termyrzymskie.eu. Found
in the impressi ve Paac Saturna (see Apartments), these
Roman baths were reportedl y constructed based on
plans for the baths at Pompeii and include a seri es of
pool s, baths and saunas whi ch combi ne anci ent and
modern-day methods to relax and regenerate you, plus
a restaurant and bar. The entire compl ex is something
to behol d, not l east of all for i ts obli gatory nude-onl y
policy. The onl y exception is Mondays when bathing suits
are all owed in the pools, whil e Wednesdays from 15:00-
19:00 are for women onl y. The surprisingl y l ow pri ces
and bol d dress code have garnered this place pl enty of
attention, but the fact remains that facili ti es are of the
hi ghest quali ty in PL. QOpen 15:00 - 22:45, Sat 10:00
- 23:00, Sun 10:00 - 22:00.
Swimming & Diving
Centrum Fitness Monopol D-3, ul. Dyrekcyjna 2,
tel. (+48) 32 782 81 00, www.fitnessmonopol.pl. This
city centre complex offers a swimming pool, dry sauna,
steam sauna, gym and fitness center within splashing
distance of the train station. QOpen 06:00 - 22:00, Sat,
Sun 08:00 - 20:00.
Orka Group ul. Petwonurkw1, Jaworzno, tel. 33
822 82 60, www.orkasa.pl. Scuba diving lessons in the
excavated basin of the quarry (see Grdek Dolomite Quarry
for the backstory). Diving equipment also for sale. QOpen
08:00 - 22:00.
Though i t wouldnt appear so on first, second or third
glance, Katowice and the surrounding areas possess a
startling number of recreational areas and leisure oppor-
tunities. Though known more for its industrial attractions
and poor air quality than its nature conservation record,
Sil esia has some of the largest urban green spaces,
not only in Poland, but all of Europe. Chorzws Park of
Culture & Recreation is a veritable leisure sections worth
of activities in itsel f, and though were tempted to stop
there, its only one of an incredible four parks in the im-
mediate area that weigh in at an impressively over-sized
70+ hectares. I f youre searching for daytime alternatives
to drinking and tumbling down mineshafts, they do exist.
From horse-riding to star-gazing, from climbing to flying,
Silesia offers plenty of opportunities for you to get up,
get out and get busy.
Adrenaline Sports
Laser House D-1, ul. Kamienna 9, tel. (+48) 32 229
00 21, www.laserhouse.pl. This excellent 600 square
metre laser tag arena near the centre of Katowi ce is
equipped with strobe lights, florescent graffiti, dry ice,
dynamic music and elaborate backdrops to fully immerse
gamers into an exciting futuristic world. Engage your op-
ponents in a sci-fi shootout while using barrels and tire
pyramids for cover, or take a crack at the challenging laser
maze with varying levels of di fficulty. Laser Tag games
are 30mins and cost 15z weekdays before 17:00, 18z
after 17:00 (20z on Fridays). Weekends are 18z before
16:00, 20z after 16:00. Attempts at the laser maze are
5z. Also at ul. Wojska Polskiego 47 in Sosnowiec, and ul.
Bolesawa Chrobrego 6 in Rybnik. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00,
Sat, Sun 11:00 - 22:00.
Grdek Dolomite Quarry ul. Petwonurkw,
Jaworzno. As dutiful information purveyors regarding
Katowices weal th of beguiling tourist destinations
(ahem), we like to spread the wealth, making sure visi-
tors to this modern metropolis have plenty of escapes
from city life as well. In this installment, blindfolded as
always, we pin the tail on the Silesian donkey (or ass as
it were) in Jaworzno-Szczakowa, a city lying less than 20
miles east of Katowice.
Like so many of Silesias wonders, Jaworznos prime at-
traction is the result of yesterdays drowning industry. Lit-
erally. In the mid-90s the financial viability of Jaworznos
Grodek dolomite quarry seemed to hit rock bottom; the
electric company cut the power, the mighty drills stopped
drilling, the excavators stopped excavating and the lifts
stopped lifting. The quarry was in the pits. What to do,
what to do. In a stroke of entrepreneurial ingenuity, the
crater was flooded with water and instantly became
Polands premier scuba diving destination. Now rented
by the Orka diving company (based out of Bielsko-Biaa),
the Grdek quarry offers a world class facility to fans
of Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparati. The
maximum depth of the chasm is 18 metres with visibility
in its clear waters varying from 5 to 12 metres. With a first
aid station and decompression chamber at its centre,
the grounds around the quarry include a campground,
barbeque area and a bar (naturally), making it a popular
destination for families as well as international diving
fanatics, and is open year round for scuba certification
courses, snorkelling, skin diving, dry diving and even
under-ice diving.
What makes Grdek so popular (it even has its own fan
club) is what awaits discovery beneath the surface of
the water. Seems the quarrys demise was so hasty that
none of the equipment was removed when the floodgates
were opened. As such, divers can see two enormous ex-
cavating cranes at the bottom of this abyss and explore
the original workers barracks, in addition to swimming
among the proli fic pike and perch that populate the
waters. A former Polish Air Force Antanow plane was
added at the end of 2010 while two of Grodeks main
attractions are submerged automobiles - a Polonez and
BMW - and as weve come to expect, one of them is
the source of popular local legend. Seems a local diver
bought the Beemer for his gal, who swiftly broke up with
him, spurning the gift. Rather than sink into depression
every time he saw the fine-tuned German vehicle, he sank
the car. Love is indeed a bottomless pit, dear readers.
Drown or be drowned.
Scuba Diving
Despite the strong Catholic character of modern Poland,
some pagan traditions have endured. One of the most
blithely bizarre and eyebrow-raising is the spring equinox
celebration known as the Drowning of Marzanna (Topienie
Marzanny). Marzanna is the Polish incarnation of the old
Slavic goddess of winter, plague and death. Fearing her
icy grasp, the best way for superstitious Slavs to protect
themselves, encourage the timely arrival of spring and
ensure a good harvest was to partake in an old-fashioned
witch-burning, followed by a drowning ( just to be sure).
In medieval times the rite involved making a Marzanna
effigy out of straw which was then wrapped in linen and
beautified with ribbons and beads. On the afternoon of
March 21st, young children would play with/torture the
idol, gleefully parading it around and dunking it in every
trough and water barrel in the village. At dusk the villagers
would gather at the riverbank, setting the effigy ablaze and
tossing it into the water, cheering as the blazing wretch
disappeared downstream. Today the symbolic folk custom
survives, as every child in kindergarten and primary school
annually participates in the creation of a Marzanna doll,
which can range in size from small puppets to life-sized
dummies. Under adult supervision, Marzanna is taken to
the nearest riverbank or bridge, set ablaze and thrown
to her watery grave as the children sing springtime and
witch-burning songs. For example: Ju wiosenne sonko
wzbija si po niebie | W tej wezbranej rzece utopimy
ciebie! (Loose IYP translation: As the spring sun rises in
the sky of blue | in this swollen river we are drowning
you!). Happy springtime, kids.
The Drowning of Marzanna
69
68
PARK OF CULTURE & RECREATION PARK OF CULTURE & RECREATION
Aside from perhaps Warsaw, Upper Sil esia - and particu-
larl y i ts capi tal ci ty, Katowi ce - feels like the region of
Poland most buggered by the communists. The scars are
sadl y everywhere, from the brutal, artl ess archi tecture
of Katowi ces downtown to the hi ghway overpass that
passes for Chorzws market square, not to menti on
the gi ganti c smokestacks, abandoned pi t heads and
dilapi dated mining compl exes strewn about. However,
Polands communist regime was not compl etel y wi thout
forward vision (or innovati ve attempts at placating i ts
ci ti zenry), and onl y a few years removed from havi ng
inherited the stripped industrial wastes of Upper Silesia
after Worl d War II, party l eaders had earmarked a vast
620 hectare pl ot on the borderlands of Katowi ce and
Chorzw wi th the intention of creating the largest urban
park in Europe. Like many PRL devel opment proj ects,
the party vision di dn t simpl y call for setting asi de some
open space for publ i c use, but buil di ng a communi st
super park that woul d deli ver entertainment, art, edu-
cation, cul ture and sports to the masses. Nor was the
land in question an easil y rel egated untouched patch of
wil derness. On the contrary, the desi gnated area was
75 percent devastated by mining and industrial waste,
wi th the rest bei ng undesi rabl e marshl and and dead
trees. Under the direction of l ocal hero Jerzy Zi tek - an
important Silesian Insurrectionist turned politician - work
began as earl y as 1950 on what was to become known
as the Provincial Park of Culture and Recreation
(Wojewdzki Park Kultury i Wypoczynku or WPKiW):
one of the most ambi tious and pioneering environmental
renewal proj ects ever undertaken in Europe.
I n typi cal par ty fashi on, Si l esi as worki ng cl ass was
strongl y encouraged to parti ci pate i n the creati on of
thi s peopl es park; park resources were even used to
i nstruct peopl e on how to contri bute through a seri es of
publi c workshops. Support for the proj ect was massi ve,
and i ndeed everyone from i ndustri al workers to school
chil dren (wai t, that is everyone) j oi ned i n the di ggi ng and
pl anti ng of an astoundi ng 3.5 mi l l i on trees and shrubs
i n the fi rst year al one, as the proj ect moved forward
at a record cl i p. Over 70 di f ferent pl ant speci es were
i ntroduced, pri mari l y popl ar, wi l l ow, bi rch, bl ack cherry
and el derberr y trees known for thei r abi l i ty to grow
qui ckl y and resi st the ef fects of the i ndustri al pol l uti on
that characteri sed the Bl ack Tri angl e, as the regi on
was then known. The park i tsel f was qui ckl y dubbed
the Green Lung of Sil esia and as the proj ect devel oped
successful l y over the years, a mi crocl i mate conduci ve
to more sensi ti ve speci es was establ i shed, wherei n a
vari ety of more common or exoti c pl ants are abl e to
fl ourish today, i ncl udi ng a beauti ful rose garden. I n total
3.5 mil l i on tonnes of soil were moved to shape the area
of the park, and 500,000 cubi c metres of humus used
to ferti l i se i t. After compl eti ng the rehabi l i tati on of the
parks l andscape, the park commi ttee systemati cal l y
set about establ i shi ng a seri es of attracti ons i n the
vast space of WPKi W - i ncl udi ng the amusement park,
zoo, planetarium, narrow- gauge railway, Silesian
Stadium, Elka cableway and others - as the park
devel oped i ntensi vel y i n the 50s, 60s and 70s. Two
zones were essentiall y created whi ch remain today, wi th
the rear hal f l eft natural and the attracti ons stacked
toward ul. Chorzowska where the mai n entry poi nts to
the park are l ocated. I n the 1970s as many as 1,300
peopl e were empl oyed by WPKi W, of whi ch 500 worked
on the l andscapi ng of the park (today about 40 peopl e
do thi s j ob).
In an ironic inversion of t he situation faced by many ot her
Polish historical and cul tural monuments, the hard times
came i n 1989 when the communist regi me crumbl ed
and the park began a period of stagnation, negl ect and
eventual bankruptcy. However WPKiK has been on the
rebound since i t became a publi c enterprise subsi dised
by the state budget in 2003, and today is on the way
to re-establ i shi ng i tsel f as one of southern Pol ands
bi ggest tourist attractions. The last several years have
seen worl d-class ri des added to the amusement park,
as well as the opening of parks for more popular modern
pursui ts including the rope park and dirt bike course.
Numerous new hi gh class restaurants, cafes, bars and
hotels continue to open in and around the park whil e cur-
rentl y plans are afoot to create several new attractions,
including a skate park, paintball complex, and the renova-
tion of the famous Elka cabl eway (planned to re-open in
summer of 2013). The total modernisation of Sil esian
Stadium (Stadion lski) - one of the first attractions
to open in WPKiK in the 50s - is also well under way as
i t l ooks to increase i ts capaci ty to upwards of 55,000,
adding sky and press boxes and a partial dome that will
cover all of the seating.
Despi te al l of the recent i mprovements, today the
attracti ons of WPKi W sti l l stand i n a state of transi -
ti on between faded communi st funpark and modern
wonderl and, maki ng a vi si t al l the more uni que, i f not
more i nteresti ng. The contrast i s most evi dent i n the
amusement park, where ori gi nal ri des and games
from i ts openi ng days are sti l l i n use, whi l e a tri p to the
pl anetari um of fers a portal i nto the worl d of 1950s sci -
ence fi cti on. Though the zoo i s unl i kel y to change your
vi ews about keeping ani mals in capti vi ty, and numerous
crumbling pathways and crude concrete concourses are
sti l l i n need of attenti on or rei nventi on, there can be no
doubt that WPKi W has the potential to devel op i nto one
of the greatest parks i n al l of Europe; and i n the heart
of Upper Si l esi a, no l ess. Enj oy i t.
Main Attractions
Planetarium Al. Planetarium 4, Chorzw, tel. (+48) 32
241 32 96, www.planetarium.edu.pl. Opened in 1955 to
commemorate Polands greatest astronomer Nicolaus Coper-
nicus - of whom a fine statue can be found outside - this is the
countrys oldest planetarium, which given the time period isnt
necessarily a good thing. Located along the cracked pave-
ments of the Park of Recreation and Culture, while charming
in intent the actual building is a quite depressed, somewhat
scrubby 23m concrete dome with an auditorium showing a
classic (and by that we mean outdated) astrological show.
Also a working observatory with a 30cm Zeiss telescope, seis-
mic observatory and weather station, were reliably informed
the full sky show can be arranged in English. If you dig 50s
sci-fi, youll get a kick out of this; otherwise this throwback may
be a disappointment.QOpening hours: observatory Tue - Sun
09:00-18:00. Sky shows Tue - Fri 17:00, Sat and Sun 11:00,
13:00, 15:00, 17:00. Regular admission 2z (observatory),
weather station 4z, seismic observatory 3z, sky show 12/6z,
families up to 4 people 30z.
Rosarium (Rose Garden) Promenade Gen. Jerzego
Zitka, Chorzw, www.wpkiw.com.pl. Polish girls love
flowers and you can be sure more than a few miners daugh-
ters have been proposed to in here. One of the largest rose
gardens in Europe, Chorzws Rosarium was founded in 1968
in concert with the First International Rose Exhibition. Today
the parks collection includes some 35,000 rose bushes of
over 280 different varieties. Very impressive in spring and
summer, and an obvious date destination whether its botany
youre interested in or the birds and the bees.QOpen from
mid April 08:00 - 20:00.
Silesian Amusement Park (lskie Wesoe
Miasteczko) Plac Atrakcji 1, Chorzw, tel. (+48)
32 254 73 76, www.wesole-miasteczko.pl. Opened
in 1959, Poland has yet to build a larger amusement park
than this dated wonder in Chorzw. I f youre a fan of old
amusement parks like Viennas Prater, youll get a kick out
of this product of a bygone era which features some rides
and amusements that literally date back 50 years, among
them a drenching water ride, haunted house ride and a
couple twirling whirligig rides. There are plenty of more
modern thrills to get excited about however, including the
Tic-Tac Tornado - the highest, fastest rollercoaster in PL,
with two 360 degree loops. About 50 attractions in all and
your admission fee is good for all of them, as many times
as you want, until the park closes for the evening. Overall
its a fun outing, in turns amusing, amazing and depressing;
one of a kind at any rate. Q Open from April 28, 10:00
- 19:00; Sat, Sun 10:00 - 21:00. Admission 50z, season
ticket 149z. Free for children under age 3.
Silesian Rope Park (lski Park Linowy) Park of
Culture & Recreation, Chorzw, tel. (+48) 666 03 13
84. Give yourself a new high navigating this awesome ropes
park in the Park of Recreation and Culture. Nicknamed The
Furnace, the park offers an adrenaline-boosting and safe
challenge for everyone thanks to a brief training, helmets
and harnesses. Three prepared routes of varying difficulty,
including a special course designed for children ages 3-12,
run a total of 620 metres with 49 obstacles, 36 platforms
and no less than eight thrilling zip-lines. Q Open from April,
10:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. From June open
10:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 21:00. 35/25/15z per route.
Silesian Stadium (Stadion lski) L-7, ul. Kato-
wicka 10, Chorzw, tel. (+48) 32 603 26 02, www.
stadionslaski.pl. Open with much propagandist fanfare as
a symbol of Polands post-war rebirth in 1956, this Social
Realist behemoth built out of red and white sandstone,
granite and - of course - concrete has been the regions
premiere sports arena for decades. With an ability to hold
over 100,000 people before proper safety standards came
into place, Silesian Stadium was the largest venue in the
country and from 1993 until recently was the official home
of the Polish national team, while also hosting concerts by
ber-groups like U2 and the Rolling Stones. With the spate
of new stadiums built across PL for the Euro 2012 football
championships, Silesian Stadiums status has diminished
and the structure is currently undergoing a thorough mod-
ernisation. Expected to be complete by the end of 2013,
the 55,000-fan facility will feature a new roof and athletic
track, and will probably become the home of local side Ruch
Chorzw. The new 2-star Olympia Stadion lski Park Hotel
is now open and offers 35 rooms and a restaurant on site.
Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park (Muzeum
Grnolski Park Etnograficzny w Chorzowie)
J-6, ul. Parkowa 25, Chorzw, tel. (+48) 32 241 07 18,
www.muzeumgpe-chorzow.pl. A welcome departure from
the industrial monuments route, this fantastic open-air folk
park presents rural Silesian life through its aged architectural
monuments. Since the late 60s, Chorzws skansen has been
rescuing endangered or forgotten Silesian structures by hoisting
them up and dropping them in this makeshift village laid out over
20 hectares of idyllic countryside. Grouped into six ethnographic
regions, visitors explore some 70 buildings dating from the late
18th to early 20th century, including traditional thatched-roof
homes, granaries, historic wooden churches, wayside shrines
and windmills. Though in winter access is limited to strolling
around the premises admiring the outside of the buildings, from
May many of the buildings are open with indoor exhibits and
informative staff on hand, and theres even an old karczma (inn)
where you can get a bite to eat and a beer. One of the farms even
has a few goats and horses, adding some extra magic to this
romantic village of architectural artefacts saved from extinction.
Reserve at least an hour. Q Open from April 09:00 - 16:00, Mon
09:00 - 17:00. From May Open 09:00 - 19:00. Last entrance
one hour before closing. Admission 7/5z. Sat free.
Zoo Promenade Gen. Jerzego Zitka 7, Chorzw, tel.
(+48) 666 03 14 96, www.zoo.silesia.pl. PLs largest zoo is
a massive 50 hectare extravaganza with 2,500 animals of 300
species from all over the world, including crowd favourites such
as hippos, rhinos, white tigers and the cheetah cubs born here in
2011. The kids will be thoroughly enthralled thanks to a petting
zoo and Dinosaur Valley, which features 16 rather silly concrete
dinos. The sheer size of the place makes renting a wooden
handcart designed to pull them around money well spent indeed.
Q Open 09:00 - 16:00. From April open 09:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun
09:00 - 18:00. From May open 09:00 - 19:00. Last entrance one
hour before closing. Tickets 12-15/6-8z, family ticket 30-38z.
Getting to the Park of Culture & Recreation from Katowice
is as easy as hopping on a tram or bus. There are four
tram and bus stops along the course of the park: WPKiW
Wesoe Miasteczko (amusement park), WPKiW lski
Ogrd Zoologiczny (the zoo), WPKiW Wejcie Gwne
(main entrance) and Chorzw Stadion lski (Silesian
Stadium). Take trams 6, 11 or 19; or buses 6, 820, 830
or 840 (getting off at WPKiW lski Ogrd Zoologiczny).
Although Chorzw is technically in zone 2 of Katowices
public transport system, with a zone 1 standard fare of
3z you can travel as far as the Chorzw Stadion lski
bus stop.
Getting There
The entrance gate of the Silesian Zoo
71
SHOPPING
70
SHOPPING
Vinoteka 13 I-3, ul. Dyrekcyjna 5-7, tel. (+48) 32
782 82 07, www.vinoteka13.pl. An elite and elaborate
selection of Italian wines, brandies, tinctures to sample and
speculate about purchasing. As an added bonus, if you are
staying at their Monopol hotel theyll give you a 10% discount.
QOpen 10:00 - 19:00. Closed Sat, Sun.
Winiarnia Burgundia C-2, ul. 3 Maja 23, tel. (+48) 32
253 75 19, www.burgundia.com.pl. A really admirable se-
lection of world wines for all tastes and budgets in this shop/
wine bar hidden in a courtyard near the train station. Another
location in the Altus Centre (H-3, ul. Uniwersytecka 13).
QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sat 11:00 - 22:00, Sun 15:00 - 22:00.
Art & Antiques
Antiques are everywhere in Poland and there is no short-
age of possibilities for their purchase in Katowice. Serious
shoppers will find that the best items end up in the proper
antique stores (Antyki, Antykwariat), rather than outdoor
markets. Remember, if you are taking art that is more than
50 years old and of a potentially high value, youll need the
proper paperworks and permissions (see Customs, under
Basics). Most proper dealers can provide this straight-away,
but you may want to check before opening your wallet. See
the Culture section for more art gallery listings.
Desa I-3, ul. Dworcowa 13 (entrance from ul. w. Jana),
tel. (+48) 32 253 94 70, www.desakatowice.pl. Sales
and appraisals of art, antiques, crafts, china, collectibles,
decorative items and jewellery in this classy downtown gal-
lery. Also at ul. Mariacka 5 (D-3). QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Sat
10:00 - 13:00. Closed Sun.
Galeria Sztuki Fox E-2, ul. Powstacw 10, tel. (+48)
32 608 63 71, www.galeriafox.pl. A unique and welcom-
ing gallery specialising in modern art, paintings, sculpture,
graphics and hand-made jewellery. Fox also offers decor
services, and - somewhat surprisingly - exquisite teas and
all the associated equipment you might need to prepare
them. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun.
Galeria Sztuki Wspczesnej Parnas D-2, ul. Ko-
chanowskiego 10, tel. (+48) 32 257 03 00, www.parnas.
com.pl. Modern art, illustration, painting, sculpture, glass, yada,
yada. QOpen 11:00 - 17:00, Sat 10:00 - 13:00. Closed Sun.
Karabela C-2, ul. Stawowa 5, tel. (+48) 32 258 98
83, www.antyki.katowice.pl. These knowledgable an-
tiques dealers specialise in paintings, furniture, jewellery,
clocks, silver, glass and ceramics, old military equipment,
old photographs and books. Very professional, and they
even speak English and German. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00,
Sat 10:00 - 13:00. Closed Sun.
Books, Music & Film
EMPiK C-2, ul. Piotra Skargi 6 (Supersam), tel. (+48)
22 451 04 84, www.empik.com. The best place down-
town for English language paperbacks, guide books, a few for-
eign newspapers and a decent range of CDs and DVDs. Also
a branch inside the Silesia City Center and Trzy Stawy (see
Shopping Malls). QOpen 08:00 - 20:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00.
Komis Pytowy (Record Store) C-2, ul. 3 Maja 19, tel.
(+48) 32 253 99 45. The largest selection of vinyl weve ever
seen in PL is hidden in this courtyard off one of Katowices main
streets. Bargain-priced, though not extremely well-organised
used CDs, as well as music-related DVDs, posters and shirts.
QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun.
Fashion & Accessories
International designer clothing and fashion brands can be
found in Katowices shopping malls, namely the peerless
Silesia City Centre (F-1). High quality Polish brands to peel
an eye for include Reserved, Vistula, Tatuum and Carry. On
the opposite end of the spectrum, you should find no trouble
locating secondhand clothing stores around the city, ranging
from self-respecting retailers to those who offer a room of
rummage bins; just look for the words Tanie Odziez. Finally,
the clothing market around Plac Synagogi on ul. Mickie-
wicza (H-2) is a great place to get stockings with runs in them
and underwear stretched and displayed on a steering wheel.
Food & Sweets
Krakowski Kredens A-1, ul. Chorzowska 107 (Silesia
City Center), tel. (+48) 32 605 01 17, www.krakowski-
kredens.pl. An old-fashioned dry goods store of expensive,
yet exquisite, Galician delicacies - including jams, honeys,
liquors, cured meats, candies and pickled things. QOpen
10:00 - 21:00, Fri 10:00 - 22:00.
Natu E-2, ul. Powstacw 10, tel. (+48) 32 257 23 66,
www.natu.pl. A nice little community shop selling 100% or-
ganic food and ecological products with European certificates:
fresh fruit and produce, food for special dietary needs, mac-
robiotic products, natural cosmetics and cleaning products,
etc. QOpen 08:00 - 18:30, Sat 08:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun.
Natura E-2, ul. Kociuszki 57, tel. (+48) 601 70 70 57.
Ideal for those with dietary needs, Natura sells a range of
organic and health food products, honeys, preservative free
juices, cold-pressed oils and the like. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00,
Organic Farma Zdrowia A-1, ul. Chorzowska 107
(Silesia City Center), tel. (+48) 32 605 02 96, www.
organicmarket.pl. Were not sure what it says about the
organic farming industry and health food market when the
only place to find a store like this is in a shopping mall, but
here it is: a small, expensive selection of soy and gluten-free
products, natural spices, oils, honeys, and other health-
conscious goods. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Fri 10:00 - 22:00.
Wawel C-3, ul. Warszawska 1, tel. (+48) 32 253 68
82, www.wawel.com.pl. Krakws famous chocolate
merchants have a shop in most towns including Katowice.
Churning out confectionary since 1898, specialties include
Mieszanka Krakowska, Kasztanki, Krwka, Malaga and
more. Premium hot chocolate and coffee can be drank on site
and the smells and colours alone are worth a visit if you lost
your sweet tooth in a freak accident. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00,
Non-EU residents are entitled to claim
a VAT refund when the purchased
goods are exported in an unused
condition outside the EU in personal
luggage. Shop wherever you see the
Global Blue logo. The minimum total
purchase value with VAT per Tax Free
Form is 200pln. Keep the Tax Free
Form, have it stamped when leaving
the final point of departure from the EU and reclaim
your money. For full details check www.global-blue.com.
TAX FREE SHOPPING - GLOBAL BLUE
What little shopping opportunities there are to be found in
Katowice are mostly located in the area immediately north
of the train station. Like most of 21st-century Poland, many
shops are given over to the sale of womens fashion, with
more interesting independent enterprises in seriously short
supply. In lieu of the small, communist-era malls around the
Rynek, Katowices best collection of shops under one roof is
the extraordinary Silesia City Centre; if you cant find what
youre looking for there, then you might have to leave PL to
get it. That aside, weve made an effort through this section
to focus on small local or national businesses you wont find
wherever youre from.
Alcohol
Nothing says Ive been to Poland like a suitcase of booze
and an increased alcohol tolerance. Indeed, i f retracing
your activities while in Katowice you may have to concede
that alcohol makes the most logical memento. While Pol-
ish beer elicits mixed reports from the foreign community,
Polish vodka stands alongside the best, and the country
is rightfully seen as the ancient home of the wicked sauce.
Belvedere and Chopin are the elite brands youll find in
fancy gi ft sets, but dont miss ubrwka (bison grass
vodka), Krupnik (herbal honey vodka), odkowa Gorzka
(bitter stomach vodka) and Goldwasser with its signature
gold flakes.
Centrum Wina A-1, ul. Chorzowska 107 (Silesia City
Center), tel. (+48) 32 605 09 34, www.centrumwina.
com.pl. Traditional Polish vodka, mead and other high-
octane drinks made from natural ingredients, aged in oak
barrels and sold to you in fancy packages. QOpen 10:00
- 21:00, Fri 10:00 - 22:00.
Europa Centralna
ul. Pszczyska 315,
Gliwice, tel. (+48)
32 320 18 93, www.
europacentralna.eu.
Mar ch 1st mar ked
t he gr and openi ng
of Pol ands newest
mega- super- hyper
shoppi ng mal l/retai l
park. Europa Centralna is l ocated in Gli wi ce at the
strategi c j unction connecting the A1 and A4 motor-
ways and national road no. 44. I t will be fill ed wi th
the usual suspects of Polish & international retail -
ers such as Castorama, Tesco, H&M, Empik, Appl e
and Rossman to ful fil all your shopping needs from
groceri es, DIY goods and home ware to the freshest
fashions. Unlike many other modern cathedrals of
commerce, Europa Centralna boasts state-of-the-art
environmental technol ogy to ensure l ow el ectri ci ty
consumption. Each shop has access to two types
of water, potabl e and recycl ed, savi ng energy on
water puri fi cation. Europa Centralna has even been
awarded a coveted BREEAM ecol ogi cal certi fi cate
so you can shop in peace knowing that their carbon
footprint fits comfortably in those new Nikes of yours.
Wi th over 2,300 parking spots on si te and tonnes of
bus connections to Katowi ce and other Sil esian ci t-
i es theyve made i t as easy as possi bl e to get in and
out wi thout too much fuss. QOpen 09:00 - 21:00,
Sun 10:00 - 20:00.
Europa Centralna
If youve spent any time in Poland, you know that queuing
is a bit of an art in this country, if not a national pastime.
Well now, thanks to the Institute of National Remembrance
(Instytut Pamici Narodowej), its also the subject of a
marvelous board game. Combining humour, history and
nostalgia with slick design and clever, exciting game play,
Kolejka (thats Queue in British, and Line in American)
has become one of the most popular board games in
Poland, and its no surprise that it was named 2012 Game
of the Year by industry experts - the first time a Polish-
designed game has ever earned that honour.
For 2-5 players, the object of the game is rather simple:
each player has a family of 5 members and a basic shop-
ping list, all the items on which must be acquired in order
to complete a rather ordinary task such as getting the
kids ready for camp or preparing for first communion;
the first player to complete their list wins the game.
However, this game takes place in the historical context
of 1982 Poland and, due to shortages, basic goods are
limited and difficult to acquire. Game play entails players
placing their family members in queues outside various
shops and then using a combination of strategy and
luck to slyly maneuver their pawns to the front of the line
where they stand the best chance of coming home with
an item on their list when the shops open for business.
Of course, players dont necessarily know which shops
will be receiving a delivery that day, nor the quantity or
specific products all of which are actual brand items
produced during the communist era. Play is made
more lively by the absolutely absurd but sadly realistic
strategies employed to manipulate the queue, including
borrowing someone elses baby to get to the front of the
queue or losing your position in line for badmouthing the
authorities. The black market is another aspect of play
where needed items may be available for barter.
First designed and released in 2011 as an educa-
tional tool to teach young people about the difficulties
of everyday life and the economic consequences of the
communist system in Poland, Kolejka soon proved so
surprisingly popular, particularly with foreigners, that
IPN was prompted to manufacture a second multilingual
edition to meet demand. The new edition features game
cards and instruction booklets including period photos,
historical background and critical essays in English,
German, Spanish, Russian, Polish and Japanese. In
addition to being a history lesson in a box, Kolejka is
also wildly fun to play and makes a uniquely Polish gift or
souvenir. It retails for 60-80z and is available from most
online board game retailers. An English print-and-play
version is also available through the IPN website (ipn.gov.
pl). Standing in line was never this much fun.
Kolejka Board Game
73
DIRECTORY
72
SHOPPING
24-hour Pharmacies
Apteka Akademicka ul. Tysiclecia 41 (Osiedle
Tysiclecia), tel. (+48) 32 254 05 21, www.apteka-
akademicka.pl.
Apteka Blisko Ciebie C-2, ul. Mickiewicza 10, tel.
(+48) 32 258 11 11.
Apteka Europejska D-3, ul. Wojewdzka 7, tel. (+48)
32 251 77 62.
Business Associations
British Polish Chamber of Commerce E-1, ul. PCK
10, tel. (+48) 32 206 98 01, www.bpcc.org.pl.
Consulates & Embassies
Latvia ul. Krlowej Aldony 19 (Saska Kempa), Warsaw,
tel. (+48) 22 617 11 05, www.latvia.pl.
Lithuania Al. Ujazdowskie 14, Warsaw, tel. (+48) 22
625 33 68, pl.mfa.lt.
Slovakia ul. Litewska 6, Warsaw, tel. (+48) 22 525 81
10, www.mzv.sk/varsava.
Slovenia ul. Starociska 1/23-24, Warsaw, tel. (+48)
22 849 82 82, www.warsaw.embassy.si.
Dentists
Med Centrum C-1, Pl. Wolnoci 4, tel. (+48) 32 352
56 50, www.medcentrum.pl.
Prywatne Pogotowie Dentystyczne Dental - Ser-
vice D-5, ul. Krasiskiego 25A, tel. (+48) 32 256 29
85, www.dentalservice.com.pl. Open 24hrs for all your
middle of the night dental emergencies.
Stomatologia Stencel I- 3, ul. Karpiskiego 3,
Chorzw, tel. (+48) 32 241 01 77, www.stomatologia-
stencel.pl. English-speaking 24-hour service in Chorzw.
Language Schools
Lingua House D-5, ul. 1 Maja 33, tel. (+48) 32 256
10 40, www.lingua-house.pl. Also at ul. Gliwicka 12/11
(C-1). tel 32 781 77 81
Profi-Lingua C-2, ul. Mickiewicza 28, tel. (+48) 32
253 05 20, www.profi-lingua.pl/ogolny/katowice.
Private Clinics
Inter-Med ul. Grabowa 32 (Wenowiec), tel. (+48) 32
253 61 98, www.inter-med.pl.
LUX MED B-2, ul. Sokolska 29, tel. (+48) 22 332 28
88, www.luxmed.pl.
Sad-Med C-3, ul. Teatralna 9, tel. (+48) 32 782 40
40, www.sadmed.com.pl.
Real Estate
PIK D-2, ul. Kociuszki 26/7, tel. (+48) 32 781 95 82,
www.pik.slask.pl.
Prolokum C-1, ul. Dbrwki 13, tel. (+48) 32 781 09
99, www.prolokum.pl.
Translators & Interpreters
Ekspert A-1, ul. Johna Baildona 16/2, tel. (+48) 500
26 56 78.
Eurobusiness - Haller ul. Obroki 133, tel. (+48) 32
355 38 01, www.haller.pl.
Groy C-2, ul. 1 Maja 9, tel. (+48) 32 352 10 01, www.
groy.pl.
Shopping Malls
3 Stawy G-5, ul. Puaskiego 60, tel. (+48) 32 209 14
60, www.3stawy.pl. This 49,000 square metre shopping
complex southeast of centre includes an underground park-
ing lot and a Real hypermarket with 60 boutique shops and
some well-recognised brands including Reserved, KappAhl,
Smyk, EMPIK and H&M hedged inside. Sel f-standing nearby
are Media Markt, Go Sport and a few others youve never
heard of. Get there by taking bus numbers 672, 674 or 910
from ul. Mickiewicza near Rynek.QOpen 09:00 - 21:00,
Sun 09:00 - 20:00.
Altus C-3, ul. Uniwersytecka 13, tel. (+48) 32 350 50
50, www.altus.katowice.pl. Katowices most majestic
modern marvel has to be the Altus, which at 27 stories
and 125 metres tall is not only the tallest building in Kato-
wice, but all of southern PL. A thoroughly unique culture,
entertainment, business and retail centre all contained in
one glittering package, within Altus 69,000 square metres
youll find a diverse range of ways to spend a typically dreary
day in Silesia; in fact, with one of the best hotels in town
(Qubus Prestige) occupying the upper floors, its conceiv-
able you could spend your entire trip to Kato within the
Altus confines. Home to a cinema (Helios), fitness centre,
casino, atrium gallery and several fine restaurants (Via
Toscana, Kyoto Sushi), Altus also contains a plethora of
retail boutiques and salons (including an Apple Macintosh
service store), banks, cafes and a rooftop bar with views
of that incredible city youll be perfectly content to miss.
The complex is so vast they even have superfluous space
leftover for offices and conference facilities. Serviced by
an underground parking lot with 566 spaces, theres even
a car wash. Now thats thorough. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00,
Sun 11:00 - 18:00.
Pasa Monopol D-3, ul. Dyrekcyjna 5-7. The only Likus
Concept Store in the region, Pasa Monopol offers high-class
boutique brands inside the refined interior of the five-star
Hotel Monopol. Exclusive signature stores include Vinoteka
13 - bringing you high quality wine from Italy, while within
the arcades youll find known designer brands like Versace
and Dono da Scheggia. Theres also Marella, Lanora, Olsen
and beauty treatments at Face2Face hairdresser. QOpen
10:00 - 19:00. Closed Sun.
Silesia City Center A-1, ul. Chorzowska 107, tel.
(+48) 32 605 00 00, www.silesiacitycenter.com.
pl. Located mi d-way between Katowi ce and Chorzw
on the site of an old 1904 coal mine, the spectacular
Silesia City Center easily trumps everything else in the
region. A combined retail, gourmet and entertainment
complex, the original 65,000 metre-square building was
opened in 2005 and in October 2011 hotel heiress Paris
Hilton descended upon Silesia to open a new wing with
60 additional shops, 2 more restaurants, a dentist office,
massage studio, beauty sal on and addi tional parking,
bringing the total number of spaces to 3500 - the largest
lot in Silesia. Designed to blend in with the surrounding
Gothi c archi tecture, this shoppi ng mall has over 300
shops including Tesco, Saturn and EMPiK superstores, a
Cinema City movie complex, Pure Fitness Club, and is even
a decent place to eat thanks to the upstairs Bierhalle
restaurant and Hana - a magni ficent sushi restaurant
located externally in the mines former swimming pool.
Other features include the preserved, red brick St Bar-
baras Chapel and the remains of the tower that once
lowered the miners underground - now the symbol of the
commercial centre. Get there via tram numbers 6, 11 or
19. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Fri 10:00 - 22:00.
Changing money is increasingly less fretful to do, but
as with most international destinations it is still worth
comparing rates particularly at entry points such as
airports or in major tourist areas. We check rates of
a selection of money exchange offices (kantors) every
four months. Below are their buying rates (how many
zoty you would get for one unit of foreign currency) for
18.02.13 compared to the following rates published
by the National Bank of Poland (NBP) for that morn-
ing: Euro 1 = 4.1392z, US$ 1 = 3.1014z, GBP
1 = 4.8079z.
Currency Exchange ul. Wolnoci 90, Pyrzowice
(Airport, Terminal A), tel. (+48) 32 781 81 95.
1 Euro = 3.59z,
1 Dollar = 2.68z,
1 Pound = 4.17z,
No commission.
Fifty-Fifty C-3, ul. Mickiewicza 6, tel. (+48) 32
258 44 04.
1 Euro = 4.16z,
1 Dollar = 3.12z,
1 Pound = 4.80z,
No commission.
Max Kantor C-2, ul. Stawowa 10, tel. (+48) 32
206 97 59.
1 Euro = 4.09z,
1 Dollar = 3.07z,
1 Pound = 4.75z,
No commission.
Currency Exchange
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Gifts & Souvenirs
Anwa D-3, ul. Kochanowskiego 2, tel. (+48) 32 251 39
23. Local hand-made glass and ceramics. QOpen 10:00 -
18:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun.
Cepelia C-3, Al. Korfantego 6, tel. (+48) 32 259 87
44, www.cepelia.pl. A larger than average version of the
national folk art chain selling a range of related arts and
crafts from kitsch to quintessential including some fine
tapestries, wood carvings and even complete folk costumes
for both men and women. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00
- 14:00. Closed Sun.
Ceramika Bolesawiecka C-3, ul. Dyrekcyjna 4,
tel. (+48) 32 350 20 99, www.ceramicboleslawiec.
com.pl. This wonderful shop offers a great selection of
Polands famous Bol esawiec folk cerami c. I f youre in
need of a fool-proof gi ft from Poland, you really cant go
wrong here. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 09:00 - 16:00.
Closed Sun.
Kurka Bez Pirka E-2, ul. Powstacw 4, tel. (+48)
691 40 10 40. A charming shop promoting art by young
local artists, Kurka Bez Pirka specialises in handicrafts and
fiber arts, but offers a wide range of art and accessories, in-
cluding graphic prints, ceramics, hand-made jewellery, home
decor items, gift baskets and even paintings and drawing
by students from Katowices Academy of the Arts. QOpen
10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun.
Health & Beauty
Frivol Perfumerie ul. Orlt Lwowskich 138, Sosnowiec,
tel. (+48) 32 296 51 50, www.frivol.pl. Perfume, make-
up, cosmetics and beauty care products from the worlds top
brands - including Calvin Klein, Clinique, Chanel, Estee Lauder,
Armani, Gucci and more - all sexily displayed in this modern-
minimal showroom inside Sosnowiecs Fashion House Outlet
Centre. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00.
Markets
Clothing Market C-2, Plac Synagogi. This outdoor
market running along the right hand side of ul. Mickiewicza
towards ul. Stawowa is a great place to acquire the styles
of yesteryear at suitably bargain prices. With most of the
vendors peddling clothing, particularly stretched out stock-
ings, padded bras and faded blouses, here youll also find a
row of produce vendors (along ul. Stawowa), some random
baked goods and cheap perfume beneath the blue and
white striped tents.
Targowisko Miejskie D-2, Pl. Miarki, tel. (+48) 32
250 40 08, www.ztm.katowice.pl. You havent really
experienced Poland until youve smelt the unique fragrance
of fruit, vegetables, fish and Chinese cotton that make up
the main things for sale in a classic outdoor Polish market.
This small market south of the train tracks comes with
red and white striped awnings and a good selection of the
aforementioned things for sale at bargain prices. QOpen
07:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon.
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Diament
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80
STREET REGISTER
81
STREET REGISTER
1 Maja D-5
3 Maja C-2/3
Al. Grnolska F-1/4/G-5
Al. Korfantego A/B/C-3
Al. Rodzieskiego
B-3/C-4/5
Alpejska G-4
Andrzeja D-2
Astrw F-2
Bankowa C-4
Barbary E/F-1
Bazaltowa G-2
Boczyka A-5
Bratkw F-2
Broniewskiego A-3
Brzozowa A-4
Ceglana G-1/2/3
Chopina C-2
Chorzowska A-1/B-1/2/3
Cicha A-1
Czempiela E-2
Czerwiskiego B-3
Damrota D/E/F-4
Dbrowskiego D-3
Dbrwki C-1
Duga D-5
Duskiego E-1
Dobra A-1
Drezewna D-5
Drzymay D/E-2
Dunikowskiego A-1
Dworcowa D-3
Dyrekcyjna C/D-3
Fiokw F-1/2
Floriana D-5
Francuska D-4/E/F/G-3
gen Zajczka E/F-1
Gliwicka C-1
Gowackiego E-1
Grna A-5
Grnicza F-1/2/3/4/G-5
Grabonia B-5
Graniczna D-5/E-4/F-4/5
Grayskiego A-2/B-2/3
Grundmanna B/C-1
Hercena F-1
Jagielloska E-3
Jana III Sobieskiego C-1/2
Jasna A-1
Jordana E-1/2
Kamienna D-1
Karbowa F-4
Karoliny A-5
Katowicka A-4
Kiliskiego E-1
Klonowa A-4
Kobyliskiego D-3
Kochanowskiego D-2
Konckiego E-2
Konopnickiej D-2
Kopalniana C-5
Kopernika D-1/2
Kordeckiego D-2
Kociuszki E-2/F/G-1
Kowalska B-5
Kozielska D-1
Krahelskiej D-5
Akademicka N/O-3/4
Arkoska N-4
Banacha O-3/4
Bankowa M-3
w. Barbary N-2/3
Barlickiego N-2
Basztowa M-3
Bednarska M-3
Berbeckiego, gen. M/N-2
Biaej Bramy M-3
Bohaterw Getta
Warszawskiego N/O-1/2
Bolesawa Krzywoustego
N/O-3/4
Bytomska M-3
Chudoby N-2
Czstochowska O-2/3
Dolnych Waw M-2/3
Dubois M/N/O-1/2
Dunikowskiego N-3
Dworcowa N/O-2/3
Fredry N/O-1/2
Gorzoki O-3
Grnych Waw M-3
Grodowa M-3
Gruszczyskiego M-2
pl. Inwalidw Wojennych M-3
Jagielloska O-2
Jana Pawa II M-3/4
Kaczyniec M-3
w. Katarzyny O-2
1 Maja P/R-3
3 Maja R/S-2/3/4
al. Bohaterw Monte
Cassino S-4
al. Korfantego P-1/2
Armii Krajowej S/P-3
Bankowa S-3
Boboli S-2
Bohaterw Warszawskich
R/S-3
Bolesawa miaego P-4
Bracka P-4
Brodziskiego P/R-3/4
Broniewskiego S-3/4
Brysza S-3
Brzozowa P-1
Brzski P/R-3/4
Buchenwaldczykw R-3
Bytomska S-1
Chemoskiego P-1
Chodkiewicza P/R-4
Cieszyska P-1
Cmentarna S-2
Dbrowskiego R-1
Dembowskiego S-4
Domaskiego P-4
Dubiela P-1/2
Dworcowa S-2
Dyboskiego S-3
Fabryczna P-3
gen. De Gaullea P/R-2/3/4
Goethego R-2
Krasiskiego D-4/5
Kraszewskiego A-5
Krta B-5
Krlowej Jadwigi E-3
Krzemienna G-3
Krzywa D-2
ks. P. ciegiennego A-1
Leopolda A-5
Ligonia E-2/3
Lompy D/E/F-3
Lotnisko G-4/5
Ludwika A-5
Mariacka D-3/4
Mariacka Tylna D-3
Marii Curie-Skodowskiej
E-1/2
Markiefki A/B-5
Miarki D-5
Mickiewicza B-1/C-2/3
Mielckiego D-3
Mieroszewskiego A-5
Mikoowska D/E-1
Misjonarzy Oblatw MN
A-2/3
Myska C-2/3
Modrzewiowa A-4
Moniuszki C-3/4
Morcinka A-2/3
Morwowa A-4
Nadgrnikw B-5
Narcyzw E/F-2
Normy A-5
Nowograniczna C-5
Ofiar Katynia F/G-5
Okrzei A-2/3
Olimpijska B-3/4
Opolska C-1/2
Ordona A-3/4
Paderewskiego D/E/F-5
PCK E-1/2
Piastowska C-3
Pilotw F-4
Piotra B-5
Pl. Andrzeja D-2
Pl. Bolesawa Chrobrego D-3
Pl. Budnioka B-2
Pl. Grunwaldzki A-3
Pl. Gwarkw A-3
Pl. kard. A. Hlonda E-1
Pl. Matejki C/D-1
Pl. Miarki D-2
Pl. Obrocw Katowic C-3
Pl. Oddz. Modziey
Powstaczej D-2
Pl. Rostka D-1
Pl. Sejmu lskiego E-3
Pl. Synagogi C-2
Pl. Szewczyka C-2
Pl. W. Wajdy A-5
Pl. Wolnoci C-1/2
Plebiscytowa D-3/E/F-2
Pocztowa D-3
Podchorych E-2
Podgrna D-3
Polna F-3
Poniatowskiego E-1
Porfirowa G-2
Kaszubska O-3/4
Kodnicka N-2/3
Kochanowskiego M-4
Kolberga O-1
Konarskiego O-3
Konopnickiej M-2
Kocielna M-3
pl. Krakowski N-3
Krlowej Bony M-3/4
Krtka M-3
Krupnicza M-3
Kujawska O-4
Lutycka N-4
uycka N/O-4
Matejki M-3
Marzanki M-4
Mastalerza O-1
Mielckiego M-3/4
pl. Mickiewicza M-3
Mikoowska M-3/4
Mitrgi O-2
Mleczna M-3
pl. Mleczny M-3
Myska M-2
Moniuszki O-2/3
Na Piasku O-2
Nasyp O-2
Nowy wiat M-4
Obotrycka M/N-4
Okopowa O-2
Orlickiego M-2
Gry w. Anny R-2
Jagielloska R-1/2
Jana Sobieskiego P-3/4
Kamienna S-4
Karowicza S-3
Klimasa S-3
Klonowa R-4
Kobyliskiego R-3
Kochanowskiego P-1
Kotaja P-1
Kowalska R-2
Kolika R-1
Krakusa S-2
Krasiskiego R/S-3
Krlewska P/R-3
ks. Londzina R-1
Kupki R-3
Lutra S-3
Malczewskiego P-3
Mehoffera R-3
Mczennikw Majdanka P-1
Miarki R-2
Michaa Archanioa P-4
Mikulczycka R-1
Narutowicza P/R-3
Niedziakowskiego R-1
Nocznickiego P-1
Opolska S-4
Orkana P-4
Padlewskiego S-3
Panieskie Skay P-4
Piastowska S-2
Powstacw E-2/3/4
Prosta D-4
Prowansalska G-4/5
Przemysowa D-4
Puaskiego D/E/F/G-5
Reja D-5
Rejtana D-5
Reymonta D/E/F-3
Rodaska G-4
Rwnolega D-5
Rana F-2
Rybnicka E-3
Rymera E-2
Rynek C-3
Sabaudzka G-4
Sdowa C/D-1
Sienkiewicza E/F-3
Sikorskiego E-5
Skalna E-1
Skargi C-2
Skowroskiego D-5
Sowackiego C/D-2
Sokolska A-3/B/C-2
Sowiskiego F-4
Stalmacha E-1
Staromiejska D-3
Starowiejska D-3/4
Stawowa C-2
Stefana Batorego D-2
Stlickiego A-1/2/B-1
Strzelecka D/E-1
pl. Piastw O-2
Piramowicza O-3
Piwna O-2
pl. marsz. Pisudskiego M-2
Plebaska M-3
Pod Murami M-3
Powstacw Warszawy M-2
al. Przyjani N-2
Pszczyska M/N-4
Raciborska M-3
Rybnicka M-4
Rynek M-3
pl. Rzeniczy M-2/3
Sienkiewicza M/N-1/2
Skadowa N-1
Skodowskiej-Curie O-4
Sobtki M-4
Stalmacha M-4
Strzody N-3
Studzienna M-2/3
Szkolna M-3
rednia M-3
Pilicha P-3
pl. Dworcowy S-2
pl. Kazimierza Wielkiego P-1
pl. Krakowski S-3
pl. ks. Pieruszki S-3
pl. Teatralny R-1
pl. Traugutta R-2
pl. Warszawski S-3
pl. Wolnoci S-2
Podgrna P-2
Popiecha S-3/4
Powstacw lskich
R/S-1/2
Przelotowa P-4
Przerwy-Tetmajera P-4
Puaskiego R-2
Reymonta P/R/S-4
Roosvelta P/R/S-4
Rana R-2
Raskiego P-4
Sdowa R/S-4
Siedleckiego S-1/2
Sienkiewicza S-4
Sierotki P/R-4
Skoczylasa R-1
Sodczyka R-2
Spichrzowa R/S-4
Spokojna P-1
Stalmacha S-2
Staromiejska P-2
Staszica R-1
Stefana Batorego S-4
Stwosza E/F/G-2
Styczyskiego D-2
Szafranka D-4
Szeligiewicza E-2
Szkolna C-3
Szmausa F-1
Sztygarska B-5
Szybowcowa G-4
cigay A/B-5
w. Jacka D-4
w. Jana D-3
w. Pawa C/D-1
w. Stanisawa D-3
Teatralna C-3
Topolowa A-3/4
Uniwersytecka C-3/4
Wajdy A-5
Warszawska C-3/D-4/5
Wawelska C-2
Wizowa A-4/5
Widok A-1/2
Wierzbowa A-4
Wilimowskiego D-1
Wodna C/D-4
Wojewdzka D-3/4
Wrbewskiego A-5
Zabrska C-1/2
Zacisze D-4
elazna B-1
ogay B-5
wirki i Wigury D-1/E-2
witojaska O-1
Tarnogrska O-1/2
Tkacka M-3
Toszecka N-1
Udzieli O-1
Warszawska N-1
Witkiewicza O-1
Wodna M-3
Wrocawska N-3/4
pl. Wszystkich witych M-3
Wybrzee Armii Krajowej
M/N-1/2
Wybrzee Wojska Polskiego
M/N-1/2
Wysoka M-3
Wyszyskiego, kard.
M/N-2/3
Ziemowita, ks. M-3/4
Zimnej Wody O-3
Zwycistwa M/N/O-2/3
Zygmunta Starego M-3
Szczepaniakowej P-4
Szcz Boe R-3
Szenwalda S-4
Szramka S-4
Szymanowskiego R-3
lska S-2
rednia S-2
w. Barbary R-2
w. Cecylii S-4
w. Floriana S-3
w. Jerzego S-3
w. Marcina S-4
w. Urbana S-4
wierkowa P-4
Targowa S-3
Topolowa P-1
Torowa P-2
Tuwima R/S-4
Wajdy P-2
Wallek-Walewskiego R-3/4
Wandy S-2/3
Wska S-4
Widery R-1
Wadysawa Jagiey S-4
Wadysawa okietka P-4
Wolnoci P/R/S-2/3
Wonicy R-1
Wyczkowskiego R/S-4
Wyzwolenia R-2
Zgody R-1
Katowice (pg. 74-75) Gliwice (pg. 77)
Zabrze (pg. 78)
Al. Harcerska K-6/7/L-6
Al. Wycieczkowa I-7
Astrw L-3
Bankowa J-2
Bolesawa Chrobrego J-1
bpa Krasickiego J-2/3/K-3
Chopina J-2/3
Cmentarna L-1
Dbowa L-4
dra Rostka H/I-1
Drzymay K-1
Dworcowa H-1
Dzieronia K-4
Faski H/I-2
Gajowa I-4
Gaeczki K/L-3
gen. Dbrowskiego
I-2/J-1/2/K-1
Grna I/J-1
Jagielloska I-1/2
Jana Sobieskiego J-1-2
Karpiskiego I/J-3/4
Kaszubska J-3/4
Katowicka
H-2/I/2/3/J-3/K-3/4/L-4/5
Kazimierza Wielkiego H/I-1
bpa Bogedaina H/I-3
Kiliskiego J/K-2
Konopnickiej I-3/4
Kopernika J-2
Kociuszki
H-3/4/H6/I-4/5/6
Krzywa J-1/K-1/2/L-1/2
Lwowska I-5/J-3/4/5
Modzieowa K/L-3/4
Moniuszki H-2/3
Mocickiego J/K-5
Paderewskiego J/K-4
Parkowa I/J-5/6/K/L-6
Pl. AKS K/L-4/5
Pl. Dworcowy H-1
Pl. Hutnikw I-2/3
Pl. Kopernika J/K-1
Pl. Matejki J-2
Pocztowa H-1/2
Pogodna I/J-4
Poniatowskiego
H/I-3/4/J/K-4
Powstacw I-1/2/J-1
Rejtana H-7
Roosevelta I/J-4
Rana L-2
Rycerska I-6
Rynek H/I-2
Sienkiewicza I-1
Sowiaska H/I-6/7
Starego Zdroju K-1/2
Szabatowskiego I-2/3
Urbanowicza L-1
Willowa L-1/2
Wolnoci H-1/2/I/J-1
Wybickiego J-4/5
Zjednoczenia J/K-1/2
wirki i Wigury L-2
Chorzw (pg. 76)
Gliwice photo by Lestat
82
INDEX OF KATOWICE LISTINGS
angelo Hotel Katowice 20
Arsenal Palace 20
Best Western Premier Katowice
Hotel 20
Blues Hotel 22
Campanile 22
DeSilva Inn Katowice Airport 22
Diament Plaza Katowice 20
Diament Zabrze 22
Gociniec Stajnia 23
Hotel Rycerski 22
Hotel Szafran 20
Ibis Budget Katowice Centrum
24
Ibis Katowice - Zabrze 22
Jopi Hostel 24
Katowice 24
M Hotel Sosnowiec 20
Monopol 20
Noma Residence 21
Novotel Katowice Centrum 21
Olympia Spodek 23
Orodek Konferencyjno-
Szkoleniowy 'INNOWACJA' 24
Paac Saturna 24
Park Hotel Diament 21
Qubus Hotel Prestige Katowice
21
Senator 23
Silesian Hotel Quality and
Economy 23
Sleep City 24
Twj Hostel Bytom 24
Twj Hostel Katowice 24
Willa Ambasador 24
A Dong 25
Akolada 26
Bar Pod Sidemk 33
Bar Uniwersalny 28
Bierhalle 27
Bohema 27
Buddha 26
Camelot 27
C'est Si Bon 26
Cinnamon 28
City Rock 25
Cristallo 31
Dobra Karma 36
Dworcowy 28
El Mexicano 33
Europa 28
Fanaberia 36
Fantasmagoria 25
Felicidad 28
Finezja 28
Grill Bar 28
Hana Sushi 32
Hobu 32
Hospoda 26
Hurry Curry 26
Chata z Zalipia 33
Cherry Restaurant & Caffe 27
Kamienny Kasztel 28
Kartel 33
Krzysztaowa 34
Kyoto Sushi 32
La Grotta 32
Latajca winia 29
Little Hanoi...and more! 37
Lorneta z Meduz 37
Maana Bistro & Wine Bar 29
Pan de Rossa 29
Patio 29
Patio Park 30
Pierogi wiata 34
Polski Smak 34
Restauracja Autorska Adama
Gesslera 35
Restauracja Bergamo 30
Restauracja Bonaparte 30
Restauracja Monopol 35
Restauracja Sunlight 26
Restauracja Tamarynd 30
Restauracja u Romana 35
Rycerski 35
Sicilia 32
SITG 35
Stajnia 37
Stara Szkoa 30
Stekhouse Da Da 31
Szafranowy Dwr 31
Tatiana 31
U Renarda 36
Via Toscana 32
Wiejska Chatka 36
WunderBAR 26
Za Kulisami Pub-Restauracja 31
Zaklty Czardasz 26
Zoty Osio 37
Bellmer Caf 38
Caf Paterman 38
Chopin Frykasy Fryderyka 38
Fanaberia 38
Gaudi 38
Kawiarnia Wawelska 38
Klubokawiarnia Redakcja 38
Miss Cupcake 38
Monopol 38
Rebel Garden 38
Archibar 39
Biaa Mapa 39
Bierhalle 39
BOB 39
C4 40
Cafe Zaszyta 40
Carpe Diem 40
City Pub 40
Cocktail Bar 40
Gugalander 41
Hard Cock 41
Kato 41
Kredens 41
London Pub 41
Longman Club 42
Mad Mick 42
May Kredens 42
Sky Bar 42
Spencer Pub 42
ruba i Przyjaciele 42
Stary Port 43
Szuflada 15 43
Wcieky Pies 43
WunderBAR 43
Buddha 44
Club Garage 44
Cotton Club 44
Czekolada 44
Genesis Music & Dance Club 44
Inqbator 44
Klub Pomaracza 44
Lemoniada 44
Mega Club 44
Oko Miasta 44
Hipnoza Jazz Club 45
Katofonia 45
Old Timers Garage 45
Queens 45
Rajzefiber 45
Sofa Club 45
Trendy Club 45
Winiaria Burgundia 45
A Polish Easter 22
Currency Exchange 73
Disco POLO! 41
Europa Centralna 70
Facts & Figures 13
Gliwice 6
Guido Mineshaft 54
Have Your Say 39
Jewish Katowice 51
Katowice For Beer Lovers 43
Kolejka Board Game 71
Language Smarts 15
Late Night Eats 37
Market Values 14
May Days 36
Milk Bars 28
National Holidays 15
Nightlife At a Glance 40
Polish Friends of Beer Party 42
Polish Name Days 36
Poor Queueing 32
Promnice Hunting Lodge 53
Quick Currency Convertor 14
Scuba Diving 67
Silesian Grub 25
Spodek 55
The Drowning of Marzanna 66
The Maluch 42
The Train Station 10
Tipping Tribulations 25
Wadysaw Szpilman 29
Wojciech Korfanty 59
Wooden Churches 50
Features Index
WHERE TO STAY
RESTAURANTS
CAFS
NIGHTLIFE
P Air conditioning A Credit cards accepted
O Casino H Conference facilities
T Child friendl y U Facilities for the disabled
R Internet L Guarded parking
F Fitness centre G No smoking
K Restaurant X Smoking room available
D Sauna C Swimming pool
E Live music W Wi-Fi
6 Animal friendl y S Take away
I Fireplace J Old Town location
Y Tourist Card accepted V Home delivery
Symbol Key
Gl i wi ce
ul. Ceglarska 35
www.queensnightclub.com
Open: 18:00 - 05:00
tel. 032/ 305 30 20
American Bar Erotic Show Dance Go-Go Dance
We invite you to Queens nightclub.
Discretion is of our highest concern, as immediately
evidenced by our parking lot.
The interior design of the rooms and equipment
complement each other to create an intimate, erotic
atmosphere.
We dedicate the greatest care to the cleanliness of
the club.
Your satisfaction is guaranteed.
Exclusives Ambiente
Sie werden im Nachtclub Queens erwartet.
Diskretion ist unser hchstes Gut. Schon der
Abstellplatz fr Ihren Wagen zeigt Ihnen dies.
In den Innenrumen unseres Clubs bieten wir Ihnen
den Luxus fhrender Unterhaltungsbetriebe.
Dies alles ist die Garantie Ihrer Zufriedenhiet.
Zapraszamy do klubu nocnego Queens w Gliwicach.
Niepowtarzalnie najlepszy klub w kraju.
Poznaj nasz Amerykaski Bar.
Taniec Go - Go, Drink Bar, Jacuzzi, Masae, Bankiety
Ul. Chorzowska 109, Katowice, tel. 32 605 09 75, silesia@hanasushi.pl, www.hanasushi.pl
Hana Sushi has its own parking lot next to the restaurant, accessible from ul. ciegiennego.
A large selection of hot dishes | Home and office delivery

Katowice

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Gliwice

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