Katowice In Your Pocket July - October 2018

Maps Events Restaurants Cafés Nightlife Sightseeing Shopping Hotels

Katowice No. 34, July – October 2018

Katowice Street Art

p.6

Rawa Blues Festival p.18 Valley of Three Ponds p.31

Contents

Katowice

Feature Street Art

p.6

Mona Tusz Mural made in cooperation with seniors in Chorzów

Arrival & Transport

10

Shopping

72

City Basics

14

Directory

77

What’s On 16

Hotels

78

Sightseeing

Maps & Indexes

Downtown Katowice Cultural Zone Southern Katowice Silesia Park Nikiszowiec

24 28 30 32 35

Katowice City Map Katowice Centre Map Region Map Street Index Listings & Features Index

80 82 83 84 86

Further Afield Auschwitz

40

Cafés

42

Restaurants

44

Nightlife

62

Leisure

70

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July – October 2018

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Foreword Ahh, sun, sun, sun, you’ve finally reached Katowice!

Welcome to issue 34 of Katowice In Your Pocket! You’re here at a great time, now that the city’s vibrant culture scene is in full swing with festivals and events taking place regularly (check out our ‘Whats On’ section on p.16 for full details).

The buzz around town is both palpable and visible, with people jogging, skating, and cycling - we encourage you to try out the city bike scheme (p.70). In summer half the population disappears to the Valley of Three Ponds (p.31) - the city’s best kept secret for waterside relaxation, with bars, beaches, and pedestrian and cycle paths. It’s also a fantastic time to just walk around taking in the sights, and this issue we’ve focused on the city’s fantastic street art read more on p.6. Contrary to outside opinion, Katowice actually has a lot to offer, whether it’s fun outdoor activities, post-industrial tourism or some serious history lessons in the city’s museums. The city’s cafe culture, foodie scene and nightlife are all in full swing and steadily improving, so get out there and have some fun. As always, let us know how you got on in Katowice on our Facebook page (/Katowiceinyourpocket) and/or show us what you’ve seen during your time in the city by using the hashtag #Katowiceinyourpocket, or if you prefer, just use good old fashioned email: poland@inyourpocket.com.

Andrew Elliott, who has close ties to Poland, has been living here since 2016 when he finally decided to make the big leap from Scotland to get a more in-depth grasp of this fascinating country. Personal interests include astronomy, current affairs, food & drink, photography & videography! He even has a slight penchant for history.

25

E S S E N TI A L C I TY G U I D E S

years

COVER STORY Our cover shows a mural by Silesian artist Raspazjan found right in the city centre in the same courtyard as the fantastic Biała Małpa (p.63). The mural depicts a collection of heads, both animal and human, forming a tree. Photo: FOTODUSZA

PUBLISHER & STAFF Publisher IYP City Guides Sp. z o.o. Sp.k. ul. Karmelicka 46/51, 31-128 Kraków iyp.com.pl poland@inyourpocket.com Circulation 10,000 copies published 3 times per year Sales Consultant: Monika Szymanek (+48) 668 876 351 Events & Marketing: Martyna Karaś (+48) 882 079 723 Writer & Editor: Andrew Elliott Events Editor: Jason Neale Research: Gabriela Mańkut Layout & Maps: Tomáš Haman Social Media & Marketing: Juan Sarabia Copyright Notice Content and photos copyright IYP City Guides Sp. Z o.o Sp.k. and WIYP Sp. z o.o unless otherwise stated. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The brand name In Your Pocket and maps are used under license from UAB In Your Pocket (Bernardinu 9-4, Vilnius, LT, tel. (+370-5) 212 29 76).

Europe’s largest publisher of locally produced city guides

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Katowice, ul. Drzymały 9 726 111 222 godziny otwarcia: 12-22.30 www.buddha-restaurant.pl

Mona Tusz Mural - ul. 3 Maja 11

Street Art It’s nice to casually walk around the streets of Katowice on a summer’s day, enjoying the sun and the general good vibes. You get to experience more of a city this way, sometimes finding unexpected delights on your way - like street art! We at IYP love street art murals and luckily for you the city, especially the centre, is full of them. We want you to enjoy some of these wonderful pieces too.

Read on to find out more about this fascinating topic...

6 Katowice In Your Pocket

iyp.me/katowice

Street Art Up until the last decade or so, there was little reason for foreign tourists or visitors from across Poland to visit Katowice. We’ll be brutally honest and say there was little to draw anyone here. But that was long ago, and we’ve previously written about the massive transformation which has taken place (and continues to do so) in Katowice. Today, we trumpet the merits of visiting our beloved Katowice! For culture vultures, the numerous festivals which take place here are a major draw, and, of course, then there are those seeking out industrial heritage or historical family connections - this is a city which has something for everyone, however, the city itself up until recently suffered from a bad reputation, mostly amongst Polish people themselves. There was a post-industrial slump when large factories and mines shut down and/ or relocated. Unemployment rates shot up, as did all the other negative statistics that go hand-in-hand with a city’s decline. The local authorities knew they needed to change things. And change is exactly what they have been undertaking in the last decade through a big urban regeneration plan.

In this very guide, we’ve praised the virtues of the transformation of Downtown Katowice and the addition of the Cultural Zone and a whole host of museums, but there’s an unsung element, which can be often overlooked, but in equal measure brings people to this city, the aim to explore, to stare up at buildings – we are, of course, referring to the city’s big collection of street murals! And who do we have to thank for that in Kato? AiR (organisers of the street art festival).

Created in 2011, AiR took its tentative first steps, which eventually led to Katowice’s very first street art festival in the same year. In such a short time, a whole host of international artists from Belgium’s ROA, Spain’s ARYZ, and national artists such as M-City, and local Silesian artists too, like the amazingly talented Raspazjan, Mona Tusz and Miszmasz have splashed their creativity on the walls of many of Katowice’s buildings and walls, rivalling what other cities like Berlin have to offer. Indeed, Katowice is increasingly being recognised for its cultural revolution, and despite still being under the radar, even in Polish minds, it’s really on the up...and yet most visitors to the country have never heard of it! You’re here at a good time, discovering a city still grappling with its recently acquired culture vulture credentials, but still obscure enough to raise an eyebrow at the very mention of the name amongst international tourists? Kato-which-eh?

To date, AiR has overseen the addition of about 60 murals over a decade. What’s great is that street art is completely accessible to all, come rain or shine, on foot or by bike, what you choose to see, it’s all just a matter of having the will to go and explore. From works of art that provide clear cut messages, to the more obscure works open to interpretation; regardless, they are an expression of an artist’s creativity. There’s plenty to see, and there will be more to come. iyp.me/polandblog

Raspazjan mural in the Kaszutki district

If you’re only in the city for a short time, not a problem - one of the best places to see street art in Kato is ul. Mariacka Tylna (literally parallel to ul. Mariacka) and the adjacent Mariacka underpass. Here you will see huge murals and some smaller stencil works, tags and graffiti. This area is a treasure trove and not a full 10 minute walk away from the rynek (main square).

You simply need to visit all the street art sights to see the full extent of the work – the answer is plainly painted on the walls! For as much as the city has regenerated itself through infrastructure projects, and fresh licks of paint here and there, it’s the other type of paint, often the one from cans, which can be overlooked. The cultural diversity displayed on the streets of Katowice is vast and shows how a city can change its fortunes in such a short time to become one of positive change. While AiR has been a celebrated success, in other cities, such as Berlin, there is an ongoing debate about whether street art has been appropriated by authorities, another form of gentrification that counters the original intentions of the artists and purposes of the murals.

Katowice has employed the talents of street artists to create public art in the service of the re-invigoration of the city, with quite an element of success as they have remembered two important factors of street art – to respect the work of the artist while adding value to a neighbourhood and the community of people that live there. Stick to this and we’ll keep the beast of gentrification at bay with a big stick!

ROA Birds

July – October 2018

7

Street Art the murals, and street art installations, as you can. It’s a pleasant adventure in itself as you inevitably get to see the city for yourself, including parts you would not otherwise have considered going. In addition to cataloguing and GPSing street art addresses throughout the city in our online street art section, we’ve also marked each location with a spray can symbol on the maps in the back of our guide, so you can literally use them to give yourself a tour of Katowice’s urban art. As for online, we’ve even listed all pieces of street art, old and new, to keep you informed if they still exist or not, to save you time from visiting a site, only to discover that once fantastic mural has been painted over, or worse, the building it was on is gone (if you find that piece has been painted over since we’ve last been, please, do let us know)!

Wandering around the city you are also bound to stumble across some rather fine and less ‘in your face’ little creative acts. We particularly like the painted and stencilled gas and electricity boxes which are dotted around town. They are frequently changed and too many to mention, but keep your eyes peeled, you’ll no doubt see plenty on your travels around Katowice. Happy Hunting.

Ul. Mariacka Tylna

Two prime examples come from local artists Raspazjan and Mona Tusz, who have worked alongisde other artists, but more importantly, with the locals. The first example is found in Katowice’s Załężę district at ‘Dom Aniołów Strożów’ (House of Guardian Angels), an association created to help children and young people, with the children adding their own artistic detail to the works which stretch around the walls. And it’s not just the kids who are getting involved; Chorzów’s ‘Intergenerational Mural’ (p.3) by Mona Tusz employed the talents of older citizens to engage with them and the wider community. This is why we love street art - it should be engaging and open to all.

There’s plenty to see across Katowice, whether you stick to the city centre, or go further afield. At any rate, those with an interest in street art will have little trouble tracking it down, and we’re making it even easier. We fully encourage you, especially in these warm months, to see as much of

Mona Tusz and Raspazjan mural - House of Guardian Angels

8 Katowice In Your Pocket

UL. MARIACKA TYLNA For Katowice, ul. Mariacka Tylna (‘Mariacka rear’, which runs parallel to the main ul. Mariacka) is the Mecca of street art in the city. Here, walking from one end to the other is like an outdoor art gallery, with walls on both sides of the street adorned with everything from murals, and forever changing posters, graffiti and tags. Don’t forget to check out the underpass at the beginning of the street.QD-4, ul. Mariacka Tylna.

KATOWICE STREET ART AIR 2018 Katowice Street Art AiR 2018 is the new format of the former ‘Katowice Street Art Festival’ with AiR standing for ‘Artist in Residence’. Since 2011, the festival would take place in a very specific timeframe (over a week or two in September), much like a traditional festival format, gradually transforming many bleak spots into colourful artistic spaces. As of 2017, AiR has progressed to become an all year event, moving away from the the more traditional festival format; being spread out over a whole year, it now gives AiR a more homely feel with events taking place over 12 months, AiR is stating that we are always here for you, and we’re here to stay. AiR invites local and international artists to Kato, organising workshops and various artistic spectacles for people to join in with, and the ethos is fantastic: providing art for everyone to see for free. Open for all, as street art should always be. For a full list of events taking place over 2018, we recommend checking out their website to check up on the latest updates.

Qwww.katowicestreetartair.pl. iyp.me/katowice

Silesian Stadium

Non-stop from Katowice to Turin from December 2018 Buy on lot.com iyp.me/polandblog

July – October 2018

9

Arrival & Transport

Katowice Train Station

BY TRAIN For decades Katowice had a serious PR problem in the menacing shape of its own central train station - a truly ghastly architectural abomination that sheltered all manner of strange smells and a host of dubious characters. Having ourselves survived many a close encounter with tunnel dwelling riffraff and several existential dilemmas while commiserating in the communist 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 communication hub. The loooong awaited, fully renovated and totally reconceptualised Katowice train station officially opened in October 2012 and was 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, it’s nice to meet you.

KATOWICE TRAIN STATION With a total investment estimated at 240 million euros, the new station welcomes 12 million passengers per year with 520 trains running through it every 24 hours. The station also incorporates an enormous and modern shopping mall (Galeria Katowicka) and an underground parking lot, with additional shopping and entertainment venues 10 Katowice In Your Pocket

on Szewczyk Square. The regional bus station under the station is already operational so if 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.

Besides the bevvy of modern conveniences and prestige the new station brings, perhaps the greatest advantage is its location and full integration as a local, national and international transport hub. In July and August there are 11 direct trains from Katowice to Kraków. Departure times: 3:18, 5:25, 7:29, 8:08, 8:30, 12:11. 13:53, 16:01, 18:57, 19:29, 20:20. From September onward, the train times will change slightly to 3:30, 5:25, 7:20, 8:19, 8:39, 10:57, 14:00, 16:01, 18:46, 18:59, 20:23 (check their site from September onward in case of change to timetable). The average journey time is between 2:05 - 2:15. It is also possible to travel between the cities of the Silesian Metropolis by local train (Koleje Śląskie) from around 5am-midnight; the trip to Zabrze is about 20 minutes, to Gliwice 30 minutes. Station departure boards (odjazdy) are indicated by their yellow timetables while arrivals (przyjazdy) are white. The ticket offices for Intercity Trains are open 24hrs and for Koleje Śląskie 05:00 - 21:30.

For connections to other destinations in Poland or abroad, check the website or call the infoline.QB‑4, Pl. Szewczyka, tel. (+48) 22 391 97 57 (from foreign mobile phones), www.pkp.pl. Open 24hrs. Note that due to system maintenance seat reservations cannot be made from 24:00 to 01:00. iyp.me/katowice

Arrival & Transport

BY PLANE

TRANSPORT TOOLS/APPS

KATOWICE AIRPORT Katowice Airport is located 34km north east of Katowice in Pyrzowice, with frequent shuttle bus connections to and from Katowice. Two Departure Terminals, A and B, are situated side by side with a brand new Terminal C serving as the main Arrivals hub. Terminal C raises the airport’s projected passenger capacity from 3.6-4 million annual passengers to 5.5-6 million. All three terminals feature spotless toilets, money exchange counters, ATMs, information points, refreshment stops, pharmacy and car rental counters.

The Airport has also recently updated its Business Traveller services for more comfortable arrivals and departures.

Services included an expanded Business Lounge, Fast Track check in and a new Meet & Assist program that provides all encompassing concierge and valet services. For more info check out their new website.

Taxis wait directly outside and can deliver you to Katowice for 95-160zł. (always confirm price first). ‘Airport Bus Service’/’Matuszek’ shuttle service makes the same journey for only 25zł (to Kraków for 50zł), and departure times from in front of both terminals are coordinated with flight arrivals (shuttles are even cheaper if you book online).

Dropping off at Pl. Andrzeja (A-4), you can pay cash to the driver on the spot or book ahead on their website: www. matuszek.com.pl.

Airport Buses arrive (and depart) in the new local bus terminal located under the central train station in the city center and you can find their schedule here: www.pkm. katowice.pl/lotnisko. Full schedules for flights, as well as other essential travel information can be found at the userfriendly www.katowice-airport.com. Qul. Wolności 90, Pyrzowice, tel. (+48) 32 392 72 02, www.katowiceairport.com.

JAKDOJADE Despite the fact that Katowice’s tram and bus network is easy to use, even for foreigners, we’ll still admit to being a bit put off from using it at first; that is until we discovered the veritable skeleton key to unlocking public transport: the katowice.jakdojade.pl website and the jakdojade app for your smartphone. The former is a wonderful and free tool for advance planning, but the paid app is more practical for figuring out how to get from point A to B once you’re out in town and away from your computer. Just type in your starting address (the app does this automatically) and destination, or pin the locations on a map; select the time you want to depart or arrive, and Jakdojade magically churns out the best method for you to get there. Finished at the museum and want to head back to the hotel? This app will tell you exactly which bus or tram to get on, lead you to the correct stop and even tell you which ticket to buy. It’s brilliant and absolutely worth the couple euros you’ll spend to download it.

E-PODRÓŻNIK This site can also help you get from point A to point B within Katowice, but is really invaluable when it comes to planning the journey to your next destination by bus or train. Use e-podroznik.pl to easily search bus and train connections and timetables, compare prices and even buy tickets in one of seven languages. There’s also a free mobile app (Android only).

MYTAXI The world’s first and most popular taxi app is very much available in PL. MyTaxi allows you to compare rates, arrival times, car models, and more, sending the cab of your choice to your location (and allowing you to track its progress) without you having to talk to any dispatchers. Download it for free from their website: mytaxi.com.

UBER Not only has Uber (uber.com) arrived in Poland, but the company recently opened their European hub in Kraków. If you’re already an Uber user, you’ll find that the alternative taxi service - whose free mobile app offers cheap one-tap, no cash, no tip rides from local drivers - has good coverage across Silesia and all of Poland, however there are some drawbacks. Specifically, Uber drivers don’t have the same permissions as regular cabbies and may not be able to take you as close to your destination, or get you there as directly; such is the trade-off for slightly cheaper rates.

Katowice-Pyrzowice Airport

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UserPiotrus, CC BY-SA 3.0

July – October 2018 11

Arrival & Transport

BY BUS

BY CAR

BUS STATION To call Katowice Bus Station (B-2) a ‘bus station’ is a bit of a misnomer. In reality, it’s little more than a small tin shed.

Inside you’ll find a small waiting room (open 06:00 - 20:00) and all departures (odjazdy) and arrival times (przyjazdy) noted up on the board (most tickets have to be purchased directly from bus drivers). Outside the few departure lanes offer very little shelter from the elements but there is a drink and snacks shack, and a 24hr bathroom.

Located in the heart of town next to the new Supersam shopping mall, to get your bearing after arrival take a swift left turn at ul. Mickiewicza (B-2) and within three minutes you’ll find yourself staring at the principal main street, ul.

Stawowa (B-2). You’ll have to go further onto the Rynek (C3) to find the nearest tourist information point, however.

While it doesn’t offer tickets or phone cards (buy those at most kiosks), it does offer maps and advice and there is also internet. F​ or info on local city buses see Public Transport.

QB‑2, ul. Skargi 1, tel. (+48) 703 40 33 15, www. katowicedworzec.pl.

Poland is one of Europe’s 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 surfaces, networks unsuited to the volume of different traffic and, most of all, frustrated and aggressive driver behaviour 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 generally 50km/hr in cities (60km/hr between 23:00 and 05:00), 90km/hr outside urban areas, 120km/ hr on 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 drunkdriving 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.

CAR RENTAL

Katowice is a straight 75km drive west from Kraków along the A4 highway, one of the better stretches of road in the country, but it’s smooth asphalt doesn’t come free. Toll gates can be found at either end at which you will need to pay 20zł if driving a car. This brings you in on Al. Górnośląska (J-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 city’s 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 you’ll be safest leaving your ride in one of the guarded parking lots listed below. Street parking is also available and generally operates under the control of a local parking warden. He will be wandering along his patch wearing a bib of some colour checking to see who’s naughty and nice. Parking prices are 2 zł for the first hour, 2,40zł for the second hour, 2,80zł for the third and 2zł per hour after that.

All most travellers need to rent a car in PL is 18 years of age, a credit card (not debit), and a valid foreign driver’s licence. Be aware, however, that those from countries that didn’t ratify the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (United States, China, Australia...) cannot legally drive on their home licences; technically an International Driver’s License is required in those cases. Though some rental companies (the dodgier ones) will still rent you a car, be aware that you are assuming full liability for any damages if you get behind the wheel; you also run the risk of getting a citation from the police for driving without a valid license.

If you’re looking to leave the country, be aware that you can’t cross the Polish borders into Ukraine, Belarus or Lithuania in a rental car.

AVIS Avis is Poland’s biggest car rental company and offers a complete range of vehicles for rent throughout Poland.

They are located in the city center in Altus and at ul.

Wolności 90, Pyrzowice (Airport), tel. (+48) 601 35 48 12.

Open Mon-Fri 08:30-00:30, Sat & Sun 09:00-24:00.QD‑3, ul. Uniwersytecka 13, tel. (+48) 32 257 20 70, www.avis. pl. Open 09:00 - 17:00, Sat 09:00 - 13:00. Closed Sun. EUROPCAR Europcar 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.

Wolności 90, Pyrzowice (Airport), tel. (+48) 32 285 50 41, Open 09:00 - 24:00.QA‑1, ul. Chorzowska 50, tel. (+48) 32 209 57 45, www.europcar.pl. Open 09:00 - 17:00.

Closed Sat, Sun, The offices can be staffed outside of these hours for extra payment.

12 Katowice In Your Pocket

GUARDED PARKING QL‑4, ul. Sikorskiego 20, tel. (+48) 660 78 85 51.

The Polish Fiat, or ‘Maluch’ - produced in PL from 1972-2000; considered a family car during the communist era.

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Arrival & Transport

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

TAXIS

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 Chorzów in zone-two.

Accordingly, a one-zone ticket is required for the former and a two-zone ticket for travelling between the two.

A one-zone ticket costs 3.20zł 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 3.80zł and also serves as a 30min ticket. There is also a three-zone/one-hour ticket available for 4.80zł. A 14zł 24hr ticket allows travel within all three zones, though it’s hard to imagine getting your money’s worth out of this without spending the whole day on the tram. Okay, we admit, there’s not much reason to get off.

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 7zł to get in and then a further 3zł 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 Qtel. (+48) 784 84 68 66, www.taxipyrzowice.pl.

CITY TAXI Qtel. (+48) 32 203 77 77, www.citytaxi.katowice.pl.

ECHO TAXI Qtel. (+48) 32 201 42 00, www.echotaxi.com.pl.

Almost all travel within Katowice and Chorzów can be accomplished using trams, most of which run through the stop at the Rynek. Tram numbers 6, 11 and 19 run between the Rynek and Chorzów via the Silesia Park 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 90zł (plus the price of the ticket) on the spot. (The normal price of the fine if you don’t pay on the spot is 160zł + price of ticket.)

ENGLISH SERVICE TAXI 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 airconditioning, wi-fi 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 can’t understand. This is a taxi you can truly trust.Qtel. (+48) 607 61 51 21, www.etaxi.katowice.pl.

KATOWICE PUBLIC TRANSPORT COMPANY Qtel. (+48) 32 743 84 46, www.kzkgop.com.pl. iyp.me/polandblog

-taxi

your english service taxi

July – October 2018 13

City Basics LANGUAGE SMARTS

MARKET VALUES

Attempting discourse in the Polish language can be terrifying and humiliating, but fortunately for you many Poles, particularly young people, have a healthy command of the English language. Though you can probably get by without it, learning a few key Polish phrases will nonetheless smooth your time in Katowice and may even win you friends and admirers.

Prices in Poland are still fairly competitive despite 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 June 28, 2018 based on €1 = 4.35zł

On the downside, Polish is officially recognised as one of the most difficult languages for native English speakers to learn. On the upside, however, unlike in English, words in Polish are actually 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

‘ą’ sounds like ‘on’ in the French ‘bon’ ‘ę’ sounds like ‘en’ as in the French ‘bien’ ‘ó’ 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’ ‘ł’ like the ‘w’ in ‘win’ ‘ń’ like the ‘ny’ in ‘canyon’ ‘cz’ and ‘ć’ like the ‘ch’ in ‘beach’ ‘dz’ like the ‘ds’ in ‘beds’ ‘rz’ and ‘ż’ like the ‘su’ in ‘treasure’ ‘sz’ and ‘ś’ like the ‘sh’ in ‘ship’ ‘drz’ like the ‘g’ in ‘George’ ‘r’ is always rolled

Polish Words & Phrases Yes No Hi/Bye (informal) Hello/Good day (formal) Good evening (formal) Good-bye Good Night Please Thank you Excuse me/Sorry

McDonald's Big Mac Snickers candy bar 0.5ltr vodka (shop) 0.5ltr beer (shop) 0.5ltr beer (bar) Loaf of white bread Pack of Marlboro cigarettes 1 ltr of unleaded petrol (98) Local transport ticket (1 journey)

10.20 zł 1.89 zł 29.90 zł 3.29 zł 7.00 zł 2.69 zł 16.00 zł 5.24 zł 3.20 zł

€ 2.34 € 0.43 € 6.87 € 0.76 € 1.61 € 0.62 € 3.68 € 1.20 € 0.74

FACTS & FIGURES 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), Lithuania (103km), Slovakia (539km) and Ukraine (529km).

Tak Nie Cześć Dzień dobry

(Tahk) (Nyeh) (Cheshch) (Jen doh-bri)

LONGEST RIVER The river Vistula (Wisła) is Poland’s longest river at 1,047km and flows through Krakow and Warsaw before reaching the Bay of Gdańsk (Zatoka Gdańska).

Dobry wieczór Do widzenia Dobranoc Proszę Dziękuję Przepraszam

(Doh-bri vyeh-choor) (Doh veet-zen-ya) (Doh-brah-noats) (Prosheh) (Jen-koo-yeh) (Psheh-prasham)

HIGHEST POINT The highest peak is Rysy (2,499m) in the Tatra Mountains along the southern border with Slovakia.

In comparison, Katowice’s landscape rolls a bit more gently with the city’s elevation between 266-352m above sea level.

My name is...

Mam na imię...

I’m from England.

Jestem z Anglii Do you speak English? Czy mówisz po angielsku?

I don’t speak Polish. Nie mówię po polsku.

I don’t understand.

Nie rozumiem.

Two beers, please.

Dwa piwa proszę.

Cheers!

Na zdrowie!

Where are the toilets? Gdzie są toalety?

You are beautiful.

Jesteś piękna.

I love you.

Kocham cię.

Please take me home. Proszę zabierz mnie do domu.

Call me!

Zadzwoń do mnie!

14 Katowice In Your Pocket

(Mam nah ee-myeh…)

(Yehstem zanglee) (Che moo-veesh po an-gyelskoo?)

(Nyeh moo-vyeh po pol-skoo.)

(Nyeh row-zoo-me-ehm.)

(Dvah peevah prosheh.)

(Nah zdrovyeh!)

(Gdjeh sawn toe-letih) (Yes-tesh pee-enk-nah.)

(Ko-hahm chuh.)

(Prosheh za-byesh mnyeh doh doh-moo.)

(Zads-dvoan doh mnyeh!)

POPULATION (2016) Poland - 38,483,957 Warsaw - 1,744,400 Kraków - 761,100 ​Łódź - 700,982 ​Wrocław - 635,800 ​Poznań - 542,300 ​Gdańsk - 462,249 ​Katowice - 299,012 LOCAL TIME Poland is in the Central European (CET) time zone (GMT+1hr). When it’s 12:00 in Katowice it’s 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. iyp.me/katowice

What’s On

Rawa Blues Festival (p.18) | Photo: Łukasz Rak

EVENTS BY DATE 05.07 - 26.08 » GASTRO FIRE

P O L I S H N AT I O N A L R A D I O S Y M P H O N Y O RC H E S T R A I N K ATOW I C E

Summer is synonymous with outdoor markets and food stalls. It’s the time of year we all want to spend as much time in the sunshine as possible. On the terraces at Spodek, a special food market will be open every weekend. Polish and exotic foods, craft beers, and entertainment will be on offer. throughout the summer. QD‑1, Spodek, Al. Korfantego 35, tel. (+48) 32 258 32 61, www.spodekkatowice.pl. Every Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun. Admission free.

07.07, 18.08, 25.08 15:00 » FAMILY SUMMER ACADEMY OF MUSIC TASTE

Special summer concerts will be taking place in the chamber hall of the Silesian Philharmonic for families with children. Musicians and vocalist will perform a repertoire of songs selected to appeal to children of all ages. In addition to the music, there will be games and rhythmic dances to Organiser

Co-organisers Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage

NOSPR is co-financed by

Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage

Partners

16 Katowice In Your Pocket

01.06 - 30.09 » RAIL TO MUSEUMS Sponsor of the NOSPR and itsconcert hall acoustic design

strategic Partner

automotive Partner

Silesian Railways is offering a special bonus for travelling around on their routes. With each ticket you buy, it becomes a discount coupon for over 30 museums in Silesia. The discounts vary depending on where you use them, but it’s a great perk for braving the railways in Poland. To view full of list of museums participating check the link to the website.

Qwww.kolejeslaskie.com. iyp.me/katowice

What’s On create a playful atmosphere for families to have some fun together. QA‑3, Silesian Philharmonic, ul. Sokolska 2, tel. (+48) 32 351 17 13. Tickets 15/5zł, children under 6 years old 1zł. www.filharmonia-slaska.eu.

New exhibition in

21.07 - 22.07 » 90’ FESTIVAL

Muzeum Śląskie,

03.08 - 05.08 » OFF FESTIVAL

PERSPECTIVE OF ADOLESCENCE

Nostalgia for yesteryear is always popular at wedding parties and company picnics. What if you got to see all those stars at a festival concert? The 90’ Festival does just that. With artists who topped the charts in Poland during the 90s coming to perform live for this music spectacle.

Some of the confirmed highlights for the concerts at the Valley of Three Ponds are Solid Bass, Magic Affair, and East 17. Check the festival website for full listings. QL‑5, Valley of Three Ponds, ul. Trzech Stawów, Tickets 49-180zł, www.90festival.pl.

Katowice

This is one of the top events that draws crowds to Katowice, a city that just recently shed its image as the capital of the industrial mining region of Silesia and now bears the title of UNESCO Capital of Music — due in no small part to the excellent festivals it hosts. The OFF Festival began in 2006 in Mysłowice, and has since grown considerably, resulting in its relocation to the much larger Dolina Trzech Stawów (Three Pond Valley) in Katowice. Curated by Polish rock royalty Artur Rojek, the festival has a penchant for indie rock, but also invites plenty of hip-hop and experimental artists to its stages. Thus far, the 2018 lineup features MIA, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Grizzly Bear, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Marlon Williams, Turbonegro, Big Freedia, Egyptian Lover, Aldous Harding, Oxbow, Bishop Nehru, King Ayisoba, Jaques Greene and John Maus.QL‑5, Valley of Three Ponds, ul. Trzech Stawów, Pass ticket for 3 days 270350zł, www.off-festival.pl.

18.08 12:00-22:00 » GATHERING OF THE BEARDED

Beauty pageants come in many shapes and sizes, men now have their own kind. With the much-debated superiority of clean shaved vs bearded superiority, this event firmly expresses its stance. This will be a gathering of the best beards in Silesia. There will be competitions, prize giveaways, and product demos, along with many of the top male barbers who will teach the best way to care for your hairy facial exterior. QB‑3, Biała Małpa, ul. 3 Maja 38, tel. (+48) 604 86 61 73. Admission free.

SZAPOCZNIKOW WRÓBLEWSKI WAJDA

01.09 20:00 » PYRO SILESIA FIREWORKS SHOW

Young and old, fireworks seem to entertain us all. Well except animals, they seem to hate them. Animal rights aside, fireworks displays are a mix of ancient Chinese military technology and artistic expression. With shows that include music, DJs, timed explosions, and special effects, fireworks shows are a theatrical performance of their own.

Bring your earplugs for the kids and maybe leave the pets at home. QK‑5, Muchowiec Airport, Lotnisko 1, tel. (+48) 32 256 10 53, Tickets 29,99/19,99zł, www.pyrosilesia.pl. iyp.me/polandblog

Muzeum Śląskie, Katowice ul. T. Dobrowolskiego 1 40-205 Katowice tel. 32 779 93 00 www.muzeumslaskie.pl

July – October 2018 17

What’s On 08.09 20:00-22:00 » ORGANEK AND FRIENDS - KATOWICE CELEBRATION

A special concert will be held in Katowice to celebrate the anniversary of being granted its city rights. This unique outdoor concert has been prepared by well known Polish musician and vocalist Tomasz Organek. A few special guests have been invited which include Katarzyna Nosowska, Miuosh, Jan Galach, and Maciej Lipina. The musicians will be performing Silesian created music that ranges from blues, rock, rap, and electronic.QC‑6, Katowice Miasto Ogrodów, Pl. Sejmu Śląskiego 2, tel. (+48) 32 609 03 31, Admission free.

10.09 - 24.09 » KAROL SZYMANOWSKI INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION

Classical composer and pianist Karol Szymanowski (1882– 1937) is considered to be one of the most important and greatest Polish composers. In order to get more people in the world acquainted with our national cultural heritage, and in an effort to promote Polish music abroad, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra has taken on the challenge of organising this new competition. With a whopping 287,000 euros up for grabs (total), musicians enter submissions and compete in five categories: piano, violin, string quartet, vocal, and composition.QD-2, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Pl. Wojciecha Kilara 1, www.nospr.org.pl.

15.09 - 16.09 » KATOWICE TATTOO CONVENTION

Tattoos have become a part of mainstream life. No longer taboo, it is now a form of expression. These works of art are being celebrated at the Katowice Tattoo Convention.

Polish tattooist and those from afar will converge on Katowice to exhibit their work and take part in various contests. The convention will also include exhibitors of various clothing, jewellery, record labels, and tattoo equipment suppliers. You can also expect a nice atmosphere provided by the concerts that will take place along with the event. QO‑4, Wilson Shaft Gallery, ul.

Oswobodzenia 1 (Nikiszowiec), tel. (+48) 32 730 32 20, One day ticket 35zł, two days 45zł.

15.09 20:00 » TAURON SPEEDWAY EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS

Motorcycle Speedway has the highest average attendance of any sport in Poland! Leagues operate in Northern and Eastern Europe, the US, and some of the Commonwealth countries but it certainly is not a sport claiming worldwide popularity. Racers in the TAURON Speedway Euro Championship include Latvian Andzejs Lebedevs (Individual European Champion 2017), Czech Vaclav Milik, Russian Artem Laguta, Swede Andreas Jonsson, and Pole Krzysztof Kasprzak.

The tournament series started in April and the final round will take place in the newly rebuilt Silesian Stadium.QQ‑5, Silesian Stadium, ul. Katowicka 10, Chorzów, tel. (+48) 32 348 27 90, Tickets 20-80zł, www.speedwayeuro.com.

18 Katowice In Your Pocket

22.09 16:00 » MONSTER JAM

Hell yeah, monster trucks! Lots of horsepower, loads of acrobatics, burned fuel, and crushed cars, ridiculous suspensions and very tasteful flame designs - what more do you need?QQ‑5, Silesian Stadium, ul. Katowicka 10, Chorzów, tel. (+48) 32 348 27 90. Tickets 68-178zł. www. alterartshow.pl/en.

23.09 12:00-19:00 » VEGE FESTIVAL

Restaurants, producers, manufacturers, and lovers of vegan and vegetarian options come together for a weekend gathering. You will have the opportunity to eat from restaurants in Katowice and Poland, purchase unique and rare food products not sold on the market, and buy clothes and products that fall into the vegan ethos. The festival makes stops in many Polish cities throughout the year and this time it stops in Katowice.QO‑4, Wilson Shaft Gallery, ul. Oswobodzenia 1 (Nikiszowiec), tel. (+48) 32 730 32 20. Admission free.

25.09 - 30.09 » ARS INDEPENDENT FESTIVAL

Ars Independent means over dozens of independent film screenings over the course of six days, as filmmakers compete for the Black Horse in four categories: feature, animation, video games, and music videos. That’s not all, folks - screenings will be accompanied by concerts, meetings, and other events.QD‑5/6, Silesian Parliament, Plac Sejmu Śląskiego, Tickets 13zł. Ticket pass 60-100zł., www.arsindependent.pl.

27-29.09 » RAWA BLUES FESTIVAL

Rawa Blues, heralded as the world’s biggest indoor blues festival, has been around since 1981 and this year will see its 38th edition! It was started during a time of political and social difficulty, but it played a vital role in developing the Polish blues scene. After communism fell, the festival went international, drawing stars such as Luther Allison, Junior Wells, Koko Taylor, and Keb Mo and Robert Cray & The Mighty Flyers. Nowadays Rawa Blues is directed by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ireneusz Dudek and takes place yearly in Spodek although this year will also see the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra used as a venue for the first two nights.QD‑2, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Pl. Wojciecha Kilara 1, tel. (+48) 32 732 53 12, Tickets 70-379zł available at www.ticketpro. pl, www.rawablues.com.

07.10 09:00-12:00 » SILESIA MARATHON AND HALF MARATHON WITH NB

If you’re a runner who doesn’t take vacations, and you happen to be in Katowice in October, running the Silesia Full and Half Marathon could be a fun thing to do, and a good way to get more involved in local events. The route will take you around the Silesian Park in Chorzów, which happens to be one of the largest European city parks. This being fall, excessive temperatures should not be an issue.QI‑2, Silesia City Center, ul. Chorzowska 107, tel. (+48) 32 605 00 00, www.silesiamarathon.pl. iyp.me/katowice

What’s On

iyp.me/polandblog

July – October 2018 19

What’s On 13.10 21:00 » SENSATION RISE

A touring nightclub is a novel concept that Sensation aims to create. With stops in major cities around the world, this one at the newly completed Arena Gliwice is something of an outlier. Gliwice isn’t exactly a worldwide known city, but the event has brought its prestige to the Silesian city. The lineup is full of Trance and House superstars such as Gromee, Mr. White, Roger Sanchez, Fedde Le Grand, PureNRG, Paul van Dyk, Marco V, and Erick Morillo. In addition to the DJs there will be exciting theatrical acts, a sleek white dress code, water fountains, special effects, and a euphoric atmosphere. QArena Gliwice, ul. Akademicka 50, Gliwice, tel. (+48) 607 92 84 55. Tickets 199-850zł. www.sensation.com.

14.10 20:00-23:00 » COHEN AND WOMEN

Leonard Cohen the musician and poet/novelist was more popular in Poland than in his homeland back in the eighties, all thanks to Maciej Zembaty, who did a great job translating and popularising his songs. Cohen even met with Lech Wałęsa on his 1985 tour, and as a result, was banned from the state radio for many dreary months. Now 30 years later his music still lives on with the special concerts arranged

by Leszek Biolik. Unforgettable hits like In My Secret Life, Suzanne, and Dance Me To The End Of Love will be performed with a new feminine dimension. Urszula Dudziak, Grażyna Łobaszewska, Natalia Kukulska, Anita Lipnicka, Julia Pietrucha, Matylda Damięcka, Barbara Wrońska, and Daria Zawiałow will perform on one stage to honour the man who inspired many generations of artists. QD‑2, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Pl. Wojciecha Kilara 1, tel. (+48) 32 732 53 12, Tickets 89-159zł.

19.10 20:00 » TRIBUTE TO...

With 10 extraordinary vocalists, 100 person symphony orchestra, 80 member choir, dancers, and acrobats. A total of 200 artists on one stage in one night, this is what awaits you for the ‘Tribute to’ concert taking place at Spodek. QD‑1, Spodek, Al. Korfantego 35, tel. (+48) 32 258 32 61, Tickets 99-299zł.

20.10 19:00 » SYMPHONIC QUEEN

The concerts combine the immortal music of the band QUEEN with symphonic arrangements performed by the orchestra Alla Vienna. Along with the 20-member choir Vivid Singers, they have been delighting fans with recreations of the legendary group for 6 years. The finale of the concert will also feature the performance of a soloist playing the role of Freddie Mercury. The band will perform hits including “One Vision”, “Under Pressure” and the unique composition “Barcelona”, which Freddie Mercury recorded along with the Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballe. QA‑3, Silesian Philharmonic, ul. Sokolska 2, tel. (+48) 32 351 17 13, Tickets 109-129zł.

10.11 17:00 » MAYDAY

‘We stay different’ is the motto of this year’s Mayday festival, an electronic music affair that’s in its teens now, and thus fittingly rebellious. The 2018 line-up includes Anetha, Diana d’Rouze, Carla Roca, DJ Rush, Epi Centrum, I Hate Models, 20 Katowice In Your Pocket

iyp.me/katowice

What’s On

EXHIBITIONS 23.06 - 30.09 » PERSPECTIVE OF ADOLESCENCE. SZAPOCZNIKOW – WRÓBLEWSKI – WAJDA

ANIMATION

MUSIC VIDEOS

The period of the Second World War in occupied Poland was a trying time. Those that lived through it have been classified as the ‘war-infected’ generation. The exhibition will look a the work of three representatives of this time: painter Andrzej Wróblewski (1927–1957), sculptor Alina Szapocznikow (1926–1973), and director Andrzej Wajda (1926–2017). It will examine how what they experienced have shaped their own lives and their art. QL‑3, Silesian Museum, ul. Tadeusza Dobrowolskiego 1, tel. (+48) 32 213 08 11, Tickets 24/16zł., www.muzeumslaskie.pl.

Open 10:00 - 20:00. Closed Mon.

FILM

VIDEO GAMES

Siasia & JRoth, Johannes Heil, Karotte, Keith Carnal, Kölsch, Luigi Madonna, Michal Jablonski, PETDuo, Remco Beekwilder, and The Advent vs. Industrialyzer performing on three stages within the ever-popular Spodek.QD‑1, Spodek, Al. Korfantego 35, tel. (+48) 32 438 40 30, Tickets 150-172zł.

Festival pass 250-300zł. Available at www.ticketpro.pl and Empik (Silesia City Center, ul. Chorzowska 107, A-1; open 10:00 - 21:00, Fri 10:00 - 22:00), www.mayday.pl.

30.06 - 02.09 » BALKAN ELECTRIQUE

In recent decades the Balkans have begun to move forward from the war-torn years at the end of the last century. With new countries, expanded tourism, and reconstruction, the region is moving in positive direction. In this exhibition photographers Dejan Kalezic (Montenegro), Milica Mrvic (Serbia), Ksenija Spanec (Croatia), Ivana Tomanovic (Serbia), and Milan Zivkovic (Serbia) will be presenting their experiences of life in the Balkans through their photography. The setting usually sets the tone for photo exhibits and this region provides a captivating focus. QC‑6, Katowice Miasto Ogrodów, Pl. Sejmu Śląskiego 2, tel. (+48) 32 609 03 31, Admission free. Closed Mon.

03.02 - 09.09 » SUBURBAN CHRONICLES: PAINTINGS BY PAWEŁ WRÓBEL

This exhibit at the Silesian Museum in Katowice, focuses on the work of naive painter Paweł Wróbel, whose expressive personality and distinctive painting put him on the same level as Teofil Ociepka and Erwin Sówka - two of the region’s most famous primitivist artists. Born in Szopienice, a young Wróbel spent much of his childhood roaming the Silesian landscape, exploring excavation sites and climbing spoil banks. Having to provide for himself from age 9, his artistic skills began to provide some extra income, though he lacked formal training. Nearly half his life was spent working in coal mines, first as a loader and later as a cutter. In his art, elements of the Silesian landscape are prominent - tall chimneys, pitheads, headframes and red familok buildings.QL‑3, Silesian Museum, ul. Tadeusza Dobrowolskiego 1, tel. (+48) 32 213 08 11, Admission 24/16zł, family ticket 62zł, www.muzeumslaskie.pl.

Open 10:00 - 20:00. Closed Mon. iyp.me/polandblog

July – October 2018 21

Where once the land was potholed, there now stand architectural wonders. | Š Alex Wiśniewski, courtesy of Katowice City Council

Katowice Sightseeing Industrially designed & thoroughly mined, Katowice is well and truly on its way to shaking its former reputation as an ugly city. Over the years this dynamic city has grown on us and we hope that it does the same to you.

Read on to see what is waiting to be discovered.

Katowice Sightseeing Katowice, despite its architectural and cultural renaissance, cannot be described as a top tourist destination like its neighbours Kraków and Wrocław. However, the city, and indeed the entire Silesian Metropolis continues to add interesting attractions to a growing list of eclectic and downright odd sites that make this city absolutely unique.

Nope, you won’t find a castle, or palaces, uh, no, no ancient ruins. No Old Town per say. But what you will find is a boatload of Industrial Tourism that will literally take you underground, and a host of cultural events in the UNESCO city of music. After years of languishing, Katowice has undergone a massive revitalization project that resulted in a literal face-lift and a heart transplant of the city centre.

We finally see the dawn of a new and improving Katowice.

Unlike other urban casualties (hello to our friends in Warsaw), the city can’t 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, it was predestined 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 mine shafts, factories and railway yards. The area’s history is inextricably entwined with the manufacture of coal and steel and the stacks, shafts and massive waves of migrants that followed the discovery of the region’s mineral resources. As such, any mention of tourism in the district is usually preceded by the word, ‘industrial.’ Those interested in this topic are advised to get their hands on a copy of Silesia’s Industrial Monuments Route, which can be picked up free of charge in any Silesian tourist information office (C-4 & O-5), and while we’ve 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 and cultural centre filled with new venues, cafes, restaurants, pubs and clubs to match all tastes. Those seeking more conventional interpretations of the word attraction will find plenty of cleaned up 19th century architecture in the form of handsome townhouses in Downtown Katowice (p.24), particularly along ulica 3-go Maja between the Rynek (p.24) and Plac Wolności (p.26). One of the best museums in southern Poland is the Silesian Museum (p.29), on the site of the former Katowice Coal Mine, which now forms the cultural zone (p.28). Outdoor types can visit southern Katowice (p.30), with the fantastic Valley of Three Ponds (p.31) offering everything from beaches to cycle paths. Yes, it’s historically always been the shaft (literally) for Katowice, and while being a tourist in this city may once have felt odd, things have definitely improved. We hope you enjoy the city for its oddities, and remember, next time you hear negative opinions expressed about Katowice, set the record straight. iyp.me/polandblog

TOURIST INFO & TOURS If IYP’s authoritative print guide, exhaustive web portal (iyp.me/katowice) and handy mobile app (iyp.me/app) just aren’t enough and you need someone to literally take you by the hand (hey, we kid), here are the best tourist resources in town.

CITY INFORMATION OFFICE With a several-storey, blinking blue and yellow neon sign, Katowice’s City Information Office is hard to miss and isn’t 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 you’ll probably never see or do across Silesia. Free maps and lots of information on daily cultural events, as well as three new computers.QC‑4, ul. Rynek 13, tel. (+48) 32 259 38 08, www.katowice.eu. Open 09:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 17:00. From October open 09:00 17:00, Sun 09:00 - 13:00.

PTTK KATOWICE Feeling a bit lost or uncertain about Katowice? Take a guided tour with an English, German or Frenchspeaking 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 won’t do; ring PTTK to make an arrangement and you’ll probably make their day as well. Services available year round.QC‑4, ul. Rynek 13, tel. (+48) 32 253 03 62, www.pttk.katowice.pl. Open 09:00 - 18:00, Sat 09:15 - 16:00, Closed Sun. From October open 09:00 - 17:00, Sat 09:15 - 16:00, Closed Sun. SILESIATRIP.PL Silesia Trip is a useful and comprehensive way to comfortably explore much of the region around Katowice. Offering 24 hour pick-up services from both the Katowice and Kraków airports, Silesia Trip has a plethora of tours, locales, and sights included in their itineraries, including everyday trips to the Guido Mine, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Wieliczka Salt Mine, the historic silver mine in the Tarnów mountains, and the Tyskie Brewery. Tours are available in English, French, Italian, Polish, Spanish and Russian and are targeted for those who have a particular interest in the history, culture and people of Eastern Silesia. They also offer traditional tours with an audio guide starting from their brand new headquarters, info point and souvenir shop on ul. Mariacka. As of May, the same tours will be available on bike! Pick up some sweet Silesia swag and Katowice related gadgets before or after your trip or tour.QD‑4, ul. Mariacka 11, tel. (+48) 502 11 63 31, www.katowice-tours.com. Open 09:00 - 17:00, Closed Sun. July – October 2018 23

Downtown Katowice

Katowice’s newly renovated Rynek (market square). | Courtesy of Katowice City Council

Katowice’s city centre was once a bleak, drab place. Just ten to fifteen years ago, early readers of this guide might find themselves standing near Katowice’s Rynek (market square) - which was nothing more than a giant roundabout - pondering what brought them there, questioning their very existence even, as rain poured down their faces.... Wake up from that frightful image! Kato’s city centre, though not exactly comparable to its more famous neighbouring city (K...Kra...yeah, that one), looks much better than it has ever looked before. And that sums up Katowice as a whole, which has undergone a huge regeneration in the last decade to become a post-industrial city of culture. The area around the Katowice train station, the main street ul. Mariacka - full of bars and restaurants, all of them have been spruced up and no longer ooze with sadness (and urine) as you walk through. There’s plenty to see and do here, even if you’re only in the city for a short time. Read on for our recommendations.

UL. MARIACKA This is Katowice’s main high street, located a mere 5 minute walk from the Rynek (market square), and arguably a better starting point for visitors than the city’s market square itself. It’s best to think of Mariacka as not only the central ‘strip’ of the city’s bar scene, but also a magnet for the surrounding area, which is a hotbed of pubs and clubs, cafes and restaurants. Charming, relatively calm and clean by day, at night Mariacka becomes a hotbed for partiers and anyone looking to feel the pulse of the city. In summer, there are beer gardens aplenty, and in winter,

RYNEK (MARKET SQUARE) Until recently, one could easily be forgiven for standing in the middle of the market square and trying to find the market square. The construction works finished and the snazzy new Rynek 2.0 is complete with a flowing river, deck chairs and trees. Before the massive overhaul (and we mean massive!), Katowice’s ‘Rynek’ was basically a large traffic roundabout and tram stop surrounded by a faded collection of mismatched buildings in architectural styles that had mostly fallen out of favour, if they ever engendered 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

Ul. Mariacka

24 Katowice In Your Pocket

toward becoming a respectable Polish city. A plan to modernise and pedestrianise the Rynek was put in place as far back as 2008. The first step was modernising the Sovietera monstrosity at ul. Młyńska that uglied up an entire block of the Rynek and they elegantly transformed it into the new modern City Hall.QC‑3/4, Rynek.

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Downtown Katowice despite the cold, people still flock here to get their drink on.

Exactly 378m long, Mariacka was laid out in 1875 and stretches three city blocks before terminating at St. Mary’s Church (Kościół Mariacki), from which the street’s current name hails. Originally named Holtzestraße after local doctor, statesman and city co-founder Richard Holtze, the street has been known as ul. Mariacka since Katowice became part of Poland following WWI, with the exception of WWII, during which Holtze’s name was reinstated. Once lined with drab buildings and parked cars on both sides, but also littered with strip clubs and dubious massage parlours, in 2008 Mariacka was utterly transformed from a seedy side-street into the pedestrianised high street it is today, with new lamps and benches and a more modern aesthetic making way for a more classy crop of tenants. While some still complain that the sheer number of cheap bars in such a short stretch impacts the overall atmosphere of the street, the truth is that this is a street of two extremes. The western half, starting at ul. Mielęckiego, is where the majority of the bars are, whereas the closer you get to the church, the atmosphere gradually changes as nicer restaurants and cafes reign, providing a calmer, more pleasant experience.QD/E‑4, Ul. Mariacka.

KATOWICE HISTORICAL MUSEUM This outstanding museum showcasing some of the more interesting aspects of the life and times of the city and its people is divided into two main sections. You can 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. The other main exhibit “Z dziejów Katowic” covers the breadth of the city’s early history before officially being founded. Entrance to the exhibit is limited to 15 people every half an hour and all descriptions are in English and films have English subtitles. One of the best museums in southern Poland and soon to be even better. Temporary exhibit info can be found on the museum’s website: www.mhk.katowice.plQD‑5, ul. Szafranka 9, tel. (+48) 32 256 18 10, www.mhk.katowice.pl. Open 10:00 17:30, Tue, Thu 10:00 - 15:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00, Sun 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Mon, Last entrance 30 minutes before closing. Admission 10/5zł, family ticket 15zł. Tue free.

SILESIAN PARLIAMENT A standing testament to Katowice’s short-lived ‘golden age,’ the Silesian Parliament complex covers an entire city block between Jagiellońska, Reymonta, Ligonia and Lompy streets and was the largest structure in PL before Stalin ‘gifted’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 observe the region’s sovereignty when he reclaimed it for the Reich after a short 19 years of self-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. Today the Parliament buildings house the offices of the Silesian Voivodeship, though many have changed function and more still are solely occupied by wistful memories of bygone days.QD‑5/6, Plac Sejmu Śląskiego. iyp.me/polandblog

July – October 2018 25

Downtown Katowice JEWISH KATOWICE

Photo by Polar123, wikipedia

The history of Katowice’s Jews is both short and horrific. It’s been recorded that in 1815 there was just one solitary Jew living in Katowice, who owned an inn, small brewery and stables on the site of the Skarbek department store on the Rynek. Upon the completion of a direct rail connection in 1846, however, Jews began moving to Katowice in greater numbers. The first Jewish prayer house opened in 1855, and the first synagogue, at the corner of ul. 3 Maja and ul. Słowackiego (A-3), in 1862. By the turn of the 20th century, Katowice was home to about 2,000 Jews who 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 which took place November 6-11, 1884.

Although no documents 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 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 at the time, Palestine. Pinsker’s belief was - as history has shown in gruesome detail - correct, though even he couldn’t have imagined the scale of the events that were to take place less than half a century later.

KATOWICE MIASTO OGRODÓW To give it its full name, ‘Katowice Miasto Ogrodów im.

Krystyny Bochenek’ (Katowice City of Gardens named in honour of Krystyna Bochenek) was founded in 2016 after the Katowice Institute of Culture merged with the Katowice Centre for Culture and is now located across from the Silesian Parliament. Since its inception, the centre has become a cultural hub focusing on funky art shows and music events taking place throughout the year. When you finish your perusing, take a break in the Hipnoza jazz club bar or Strefa Centralna cafe located in the building.

Check out their events calendar at www.miasto-ogrodow. eu.QC‑6, Pl. Sejmu Śląskiego 2, tel. (+48) 32 609 03 31, www.miasto-ogrodow.eu. Galleries open 11:00 - 19:00.

Closed Mon. Admission free.

CLOUD SCRAPER ‘Flying Saucer’ and ‘Cloud Scraper’: Katowice’s 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 Katowice’s autonomous inter-war years. Although unimpressive by today’s standards and hardly even able to get its chin above the neighbours, this was the second skyscraper built in Poland. The work of architect Tadeusz Kozłowski and engineer Stefan Bryła, 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 Warsaw’s 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.QA‑5, ul. Żwirki i Wigury 15.

PLAC WOLNOŚCI Likely due to a lack of competition, this small oval of greenish pleasantry west of the train station stands out from Katowice’s urban tangle as one of the city’s more

On the day the Germans invaded Poland in 1939 there were somewhere between 9,000 and 13,000 Jews living in Katowice. Most were sent to Auschwitz via the Zagłębie (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 prewar Jewish life in the city today, with the exception of the neglected Jewish Cemetery (ul. Kozielska 16, J-3/4) and an obscure monument where the Great Synagogue once stood (Plac Synagogi, B-3).

Silesian Parliament

26 Katowice In Your Pocket

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Downtown Katowice KATOWICE WITH THE KIDS

Strefa Centralna cafe in Katowice Miasto Ogrodów

recognisable landmarks and orientation points. From the first city plan in the 1860s, this square was designed as a main axis point and was already home to Kattowitz’s first Catholic church (later destroyed during the rapid, thoughtless expansion of the turn of the 20th century).

Then known as ‘Wilhelmsplatz’, the square first sported a monument of Kaisers Wilhelm I and Frederic III looking rather buddy-buddy atop a large pedastal. After Katowice’s post-WWI promotion to capital of the autonomous nowPolish province of Silesia, hero of the Silesian Uprisings, Wojciech Korfanty, and city president Stanisław Wojciechowski unveiled the memorial Tomb of the Unknown Insurgent in 1923. The space’s new identity as ‘Freedom Square’ soon became ironic, however, when that memorial was replaced with a monument of two thuggish tommy-gun wielding Red Army soldiers standing atop a truly hideous concrete pedestal which was finally removed in 2014 after years of protests. Just east of where the monument used to stand you’ll find a small and rather ugly fountain, and the square is also surrounded by several unremarkable buildings, with the exception of the monumental neo-Renaissance Goldstein Palace at number 12A. Built in 1875, this building formerly housed the Chamber of Commerce, becoming the local branch of the dubious Polish-Soviet Friendship Association after WWII. Having most recently seen life as a restaurant, the Goldstein House has been repossessed by the city and currently functions as the City Civil Affairs Office.QA‑3, Plac Wolności.

BWA CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY In Katowice since 1949, BWA showcase works by both established and budding young artists, exhibiting the most modern trends in contemporary art and promoting the work of local artists. The building the BWA is located in is just along from the Rynek and is a typically brutal building inspired by socialist modernism - some may hate this style, but others may just love it. All works are spaced out between independent spaces over two floors and a visit is a must if you wish to see what up and coming Silesian artists are producing after rolling up their sleeves...QC‑2/3, Al. Korfantego 6, tel. (+48) 32 259 90 40, www.bwa. katowice.pl. Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Admission 5.50/3zł. iyp.me/polandblog

Katowice has a tonne of sightseeing, but not all places are suited for youngsters. You can only expect them to be quiet and respectful in churches, memorial sites and boring history museums for so long. There must be something else to do in this town, right? Yup! Of course the first step to having a great family vacation abroad is to accept that what you want to do, and what your kids want to do are hardly one and the same. That said, there’s no reason you can’t find common ground in Katowice’s major attractions.

HELPFUL HINTS Everyone has Industrial heritage/tourism in mind when they visit Kato, but that doesn’t have to mean it’s boring old buildings for the kids. If you choose to go the Silesian Museum (p.29), it’s super modern and will have the kids as interested in the multimedia elements. If you do choose to go to more adult orientated museums, there’s a creche, Ciuciubaka, should you have really young kids that just want to run around playing. You’ll be glad to know the city has a few kid-friendly venues up its sleeve! If leisure is more your thing, then going to Multikino (p.71), Cinema City Silesia (p.71) to see the latest kids’ movies can be good for a rainy day. If more action packed indoor attractions are more your thing, Katowice also has a Laserhouse (p.71), a Jump City (p.71) for trampolining madness, and even a Kręielnia 10-pin bowling centre (p.70), which is fun for all involved!

Sometimes the best thing to do when there’s easytiring kids involved and you want to see as much as possible is to simply walk, or take advantage of good weather and ride around on a city bike (p.70). Another great idea is to head over to Silesia Park (p.3234) - either by bus, tram or bike. We’d recommend renting one of the aforementioned bikes if your aim is to see the whole park - it’s huge! Near the main entrance is Poland’s oldest amusement park, Legendia, filled with a mix of old and new rides.

Your next port of call may be the the zoo - it never fails to amuse the kids, especially the petting area and Dinosaur Valley! Getting there can be quite a novelty in itself as you can opt to ride the Narrow Gauge Railroad, (which links the amusement park with the zoo, 1km away). For kids bursting with energy, going to the Silesian Rope Park is a safe choice! As for the sports obsessed children (and adults!), head over to the modernised Silesian Stadium. In the far corner of the park, you may wish to visit the Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park, whose skansen (openair museum) showcases how rural life once looked in the region, with reconstructed houses, churches, windmills, and one of the farms here even has animals (goats, sheep and horses), which the kids will love.

July – October 2018 27

Cultural Zone

Photo by Alex Wiśniewski, courtesy of Katowice City Council

The days of heavy industry in Katowice are over, and now, the beating heart of Silesia is found in its rich culture.

Nowhere is this more visible than on the territory of the former Katowice Coal Mine, which has been drastically rejuvenated and redeveloped as part of the city’s official ‘Cultural Zone’ (Strefa Kultury). Linking the city centre’s iconic Spodek arena with the former pitheads of the Katowice mine, the Cultural Zone consists of four core venues: the other worldly Spodek; the pristine NOSPR (along with its outdoor amphitheatre), home to the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, as well as one of the best concert halls in Europe in terms of acoustic quality; the International Congress Centre, with its grass-covered rooftop from which you can view the Katowice skyline; and at the far end of zone, the fantastic Silesian Museum situated 13m underground in the former coal mine. The addition of these buildings has not only visually and architecturally enriched a once potholed moonscape, but packed the cultural calendar with high-calibre events attended by thousands throughout the year, the highlight arguably being the Tauron New Music Festival each summer.

Spodek

28 Katowice In Your Pocket

SPODEK 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 Krasiński, the resulting Wojewódzka 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 beautiful piece of reinforced concrete in Poland. Nicknamed ‘Latający Spodek’ (Flying Saucer) the building was originally going to be built in Silesia Park 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 sporting venue, Spodek is also Katowice’s number one place for international concerts, having hosted a disparate collection of stars including Metallica and Depeche Mode. Today it also houses the Diament Spodek Hotel, and according to urban legend, the classic tune from Spielberg’s ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ plays every time the building’s lights go on.QD‑1, Al. Korfantego 35, tel. (+48) 32 438 40 30, www.spodekkatowice.pl. iyp.me/katowice

Cultural Zone INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS CENTRE The newest architectural jewel in Katowice’s eclectic crown and this one comes with lush green rooftop carpeting (keep off the grass!). And like any good carpet, it really ties the proverbial ‘room’ together (ie the Cultural Zone) by forming a highly functional and even elegant emerald ‘bridge’ between the socialist Sci-Fi Spodek and the more modernist NOSPR building. This huge multipurpose facility is more than just its mossy exterior though. With the capacity to accommodate 15,000 visitors, coupled with the Spodek Arena next door, it is one of the largest venues in Poland for conferences, exhibitions, trade fairs and sporting events.QD‑1, Plac Sławika i Antalla 1, tel. (+48) 32 438 40 30, www.mckkatowice.pl.

NOSPR - POLISH NATIONAL RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Considered the leading Polish orchestra, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) was founded in 1935 in Warsaw. As a cultural ambassador representing Poland on the international art scene, it has cooperated with some of the greatest composers of the second half of the 20th century presenting first performances of their works.

In 2014 Katowice celebrated the unveiling of its newest architectural and cultural jewel - the new headquarters of the NOSPR. Not only is this one of the more striking and architecturally astonishing buildings to be built in Poland in recent years, it is also one of the most acoustically pristine performance halls in all of Europe. To perfect the pin drop precision of the main hall’s acoustics, the Katowice based Architecture firm Konior collaborated with Yasushisa Toyota - founder of the Japanese Acoustics solutions company Nagata Acoustics (creators of the Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles, among others). Their collaboration resulted in a sonically rich and visually stunning performance hall that can seat over 1,800 people with no obstructed views.

The main concert hall is also equipped with cutting edge technology to both broadcast concerts live and record multi track albums live. This is truly a building fitting of Poland’s finest orchestra and is set to solidify Katowice’s place in the classical music world. Check NOSPR’s website for concert tickets or plan your next trip to Katowice around

NOSPR

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© Radek Grzybowski

Silesian Museum

a trip to this absolute shrine of a Symphony Hall. The ticket box office is open Tue-Sat 10:00 - 20:00 and on Sun 2 hours before a performance. Please note, there will be no concerts performed during the summer break, 13 July 13 - August 20.QD‑2, Pl. Wojciecha Kilara 1, tel. (+48) 32 732 53 12, www.nospr.org.pl. U SILESIAN MUSEUM The grand opening of the brand new home of the Silesian Museum is perhaps the biggest of Katowice’s recent investment unveilings. The museum’s scope, quality of the permanent exhibitions and the architectural prowess of the newly adapted subterranean chambers are all equally impressive. Approaching the Silesian Museum from the city centre, the first visible element of the museum is the prominent mine shaft hoist tower of the former Katowice Coal Mine. There are dozens of such towers spread all over Silesia, many of which remain operational. This particular mine shaft hoisted its last load of black diamonds in 1999 when the entire mine complex was closed for good after operating for 176 years and hauling over 120 million tonnes of coal! Today, this impressive steel structure has been adapted into an elevator-accessible viewing tower which offers spectacular views of Katowice and other close-lying Silesian suburbs. The next striking feature you will notice are the large transparent glass buildings that cover the entire expanse of terrain. Their presence offers a thoroughly modern counterpoint to the 18th century historical buildings which make up the rest of the museum’s exhibition space. There are six main ‘buildings’ (both old and new) that make up the Silesian Museum campus, a few of which have yet to be opened to the public.

Descending into the subterranean chambers of the Silesian Museum the impressive interiors open up before your eyes.

The main museum is spread out over four underground levels and has a floor area of nearly 25,000 m², of which 6,000 m² is devoted to exhibition space (both permanent and temporary) - all of which has been adapted from the former tunnels, shafts and workshops of the former mine.

QL‑3, ul. Tadeusza Dobrowolskiego 1, tel. (+48) 32 213 08 11, www.muzeumslaskie.pl. Open 10:00 - 20:00.

Closed Mon. Admission 24/16zł. Family & group tickets available. Tue free. Seasonal viewing platform tickets without Museum access: 5/3zł.

July – October 2018 29

Southern Katowice

Valley of Three Ponds - ideal for those who like to lounge around or those who prefer to stay active!

If the hustle and bustle of urban exploration is not your thing, there’s always the relative calm, relaxation and leisure possibilities to be found in the south of the city. Fear not, it’s not too far from the centre at all - only 15 minutes by bike, 10 by bus; in fact the huge Katowice Forest Park is within city limits, as well as the Valley of Three Ponds with its fantastic spaces for beach lounging in summer, cycling, skating and jogging anytime of the year, a seasonal bar, and a waterpark for the kids. If all this sounds a bit too noisy for you, there’s always the enjoyment of relaxing in the squirrel-filled Tadeusz Kościuszko Park with child play areas, the famous Parachute Tower and plenty of quiet areas to just enjoy some silence. If history is your thing, check out the Silesian Solidarity and Freedom Centre, which is focused on the events surrounding the pacification of the Wujek Mine. Muchowiec Airport is also nearby; although mainly used for training pilots, sightseeing tours of Katowice can be arranged.

Kościuszko Park - ideal for kids.

30 Katowice In Your Pocket

Courtesy of Katowice City Council

TADEUSZ KOŚCIUSZKO PARK The most central of Katowice’s parks, though it gets outmuscled in acreage by the Silesia Park and Katowice Forest Park, Kościuszko Park is still an impressively sizeable 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. 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.QI‑5, ul. Kościuszki.

PARACHUTE TOWER 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 scout’s 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.

QJ‑4, Park Tadeusza Kościuszki. iyp.me/katowice

Southern Katowice SILESIAN FREEDOM AND SOLIDARITY CENTRE This museum is a dedication to, and indeed a memorial, to the events surrounding 16 December 1981, known as the ‘Pacification of Wujek.’ Shortly after Martial Law was declared in Poland on 13 December 1981 by General Wojciech Jaruzelski, workers at the famous Wujek mine went on strike and were immediately met with a brutal show of force, which left 9 dead. The museum itself has one permanent exhibition - ‘the Memorial Room of Wujek Coal-mine’, and uniquely, the guides themselves are former workers of the mine that took part in the protest. English speaking guides are on offer, however, you must call in advance to arrange.Qul. Wincentego Pola 38, tel. (+48) 32 601 21 08, www.scwis.pl/en. Open 09:00 - 15:00, Tue, Thu 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Sun. Admission free.

VALLEY OF THREE PONDS If you’ve ever been to that other Polish city beginning with a K, you may have noticed the riverfront is a popular place for locals to go hang out. In Kato things are no different. Although the river in the centre is nothing to boast about, slightly south you will find the city’s most popular recreation area - Valley of Three Ponds. 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 south of the centre. Though ‘Valley of Three Ponds’ is generally applied to all woodless areas surrounding ul.

Trzech Stawów and Forest Park’s 11 (not 3) ponds, the name technically refers to the smaller, more cultivated area located just beyond. In this vicinity you’ll find a seasonal campground, tennis courts and a fine restaurant (Pan de Rossa) with inspiring views overlooking the water. 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. The entire park is also full of trails, making it a popular place for cyclists and joggers. In the summer months, it’s also a great place for kids to visit with its outdoor water park. Most easily accessed by bike (see City by Bike, p.70) or instead take buses 674 or 910 from the centre, getting off at the Trzy Stawy shopping mall.

It’s a short walk east from there.QL‑5, ul. Trzech Stawów.

SZTAUWAJERY

Be quick to get to Sztauwajery (Silesian translation of Valley of Three Ponds) or you may just miss it! This pop-up bar made from shipping containers is found near the main entry point to the Valley of Three Ponds and is pretty much a seasonal affair available until the end of summer. It is directly connected to the Tauron New Music Festival, indeed, the whole venture is in place thanks to the Tauron organisers, which means it’s a great place to relax but also see some musical events.

You can choose to lounge around in deck chairs, enjoy some refreshments, or go one step further and order up some Greek food from Souvlaki to Soutzoukaki. Don’t miss out, go if you can!QL‑5, ul. Pułaskiego 71, tel. (+48) 516 44 72 45, www.festiwalnowamuzyka.pl.

Open 11:00 - 01:00, Fri 11:00 - 03:00, Sat 10:00 - 03:00, Sun 10:00 - 01:00. B­E­6­W

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Learn about the pacification of the wujek mine in the Freedom Centre

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July – October 2018 31

Silesia Park

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Silesia Park Aside from perhaps Warsaw, Upper Silesia, and particularly its ‘capital’ city, Katowice, has always felt like the region of Poland most buggered by the communists. The scars are sadly everywhere, from the severe socialist apartment complexes to the towering smokestacks and abandoned pit heads strewn about. However, Poland’s communist regime was not completely without forward vision and only a few years after ‘inheriting’ the stripped industrial wastes of Upper Silesia after World War II, party leaders earmarked a vast 620 hectare plot on the borderlands of Katowice and Chorzów with the intention of creating the largest urban park in Europe. Like many PRL development projects, the party vision didn’t simply call for setting aside some open space for public use, but building a communist super park that would deliver entertainment, art, education, culture and sports to the masses. Nor was the land in question an untouched patch of wilderness.

On the contrary, the designated area was 75 percent devastated by mining and industrial waste, with the rest being undesirable marshland and dead trees. Under the direction of local hero Jerzy Ziętek, an important Silesian Insurrectionist turned politician, work began as early as 1950 on what was known, until only recently, as the Provincial Park of Culture and Recreation (Wojewódzki Park Kultury i Wypoczynku or WPKiW): one of the most ambitious and pioneering environmental renewal projects ever undertaken in Europe.

In typical party fashion, Silesia’s working class was strongly encouraged to participate in the creation of this ‘people’s park’. Support for the project was massive, and indeed everyone from industrial workers to school children (wait, that is everyone) joined in the digging and planting of an astounding 3.5 million trees and shrubs in the first year alone, as the project moved forward at a record clip. Over 70 different plant species were introduced, primarily poplar, willow, birch, black cherry and elderberry trees known for their ability to grow quickly and resist the effects of the industrial pollution that characterised the ‘Black Triangle’, as the region was then known. In total 3.5 million tonnes of soil were moved to shape the area of the park, and 500,000 cubic metres of humus used to fertilise it. After completing the rehabilitation of the park’s landscape, the park committee systematically set about establishing a series of attractions in the vast space of WPKiW, including an amusement park, zoo, planetarium (currently closed for renovation), narrow-gauge railway, the Silesian Stadium, Elka cableway and others as the park developed intensively in the 50s, 60s and 70s. In the 1970s as many as 1,300 people were employed by WPKiW, of which 500 worked on the landscaping of the park (a job about 40 people do today).

GETTING THERE Silesia possesses not only the largest park in PL, but all of Europe in Chorzów’s Silesia Park, which features dozens of attractions within its 620 hectares. Getting there from Katowice is as easy as hopping on a tram or bus (tram being the fastest). There are four tram and bus stops along the course of the park: ‘Park Śląski Wesołe Miasteczko’ (amusement park), ‘Park Śląski Ogród Zoologiczny’ (the zoo), ‘Park Śląski Wejście Główne’ (main entrance) and ‘Chorzów Stadion Śląski’ (Silesian Stadium). Take trams 6, 11 or 19; or buses 6, 820, 830 or 840 (getting off at Park Śląski Ogród Zoologiczny). Chorzów is in zone 2 of Katowice’s public transport system so we recommend getting a 3,80zł zone 2 ticket which will get you to the park comfortably and beyond.

Poland’s biggest tourist attractions. The last several years have seen an official name change to the much more parsable ‘Silesia Park,’ world-class rides added to the Legendia amusement park, as well as the opening of parks for more popular modern pursuits including the rope park and dirt bike course. Silesian Stadium (Stadion Śląski) – one of the first attractions to open in WPKiK in the 50s – has been totally modernised, and numerous new restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels continue to open in and around the park.

Today the attractions of Silesia Park stand in a state of transition between faded communist funpark and modern wonderland, making a visit all the more unique.

The contrast is most evident in the Legendia amusement park, where original rides and games from its opening days are still in use. There can be no doubt that Silesia Park has the potential to develop into one of the greatest parks in all of Europe; and in the heart of Upper Silesia, no less. Enjoy it.

In 1989, when the communist regime crumbled, the park began a period of stagnation. However, WPKiK has been on the rebound since it became a public enterprise subsidised by the state budget in 2003, and today is on the way to re-establishing itself as one of southern iyp.me/polandblog

July – October 2018 33

Silesia Park

Elka Cableway

ELKA CABLEWAY So you’ve arrived at Silesia Park and you realise just how big the whole place really is. You now have a choice walk, find a city bike, take the narrow gauge railroad or, to get a birds eye view, take the Elka Cableway, carrying you conveniently from one end of the park to the other in 40 minutes (a distance of 2185 metres!), and you’ll get some absolutely great views on the way in your choice of an 8-person cabin or a 4-person chair.

Tickets can be purchased from ticket machines at either Point A, found at Legendia Amusement Park, or Point B, at the Silesian Stadium. Adults pay 10zł one way, 15zł return. Kids aged 3-16 and those with a disability pay 8zł one way, 12zł return. The last journey of the day leaves 15 mins before closure.QI‑1, Promenade Gen. Jerzego Ziętka, Chorzów, www.elka.parkslaski.pl. Open 11:00 - 19:00; Fri, Sun 11:00 - 20:00; Sat 11:00 - 21:00; closed Mon. Opening hours are subject to change from September; check online for more info.

LEGENDIA AMUSEMENT PARK Opened in 1959, Poland has yet to build a larger amusement park than this dated wonder in Chorzów. If you’re a fan of old amusement parks like Vienna’s Prater, you’ll get a kick out of this product of a bygone era

Dino Valley, both the coolest and corniest part of the Zoo.

34 Katowice In Your Pocket

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. The park is currently undergoing a revamp so there are plenty of more modern thrills to get excited about, including the ‘Tornado’ - the highest, fastest rollercoaster in PL, with two 360 degree loops. There are 40 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 it’s a fun outing, in turns amusing, amazing and depressing; one of a kind at any rate.QI‑2, Plac Atrakcji 1, Chorzów, tel. (+48) 666 03 11 96, www.legendia.pl.

Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 21:00, Closed Mon. From September open Sat, Sun 10:00 - 20:00 only. All day tickets for kids (6-12 years old) and seniors (60+ years old) is 59zł. All day tickets for kids (12+) and for Adults is 79zł; children under 3 1zł.

UPPER SILESIAN ETHNOGRAPHIC PARK This fantastic open-air folk park presents rural Silesian life through its aged architectural monuments. Since the late 60s, Chorzów’s ‘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 100 buildings dating from the late 18th to early 20th century, including traditional thatched-roof homes, granaries, historic wooden churches, wayside shrines and windmills (please note, on Mondays, you can only walk around them without entering). Many of the buildings are open with indoor exhibits and an informative staff on hand. There’s 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, sheep and horses, adding some extra magic to this romantic village of architectural artefacts saved from extinction.

QQ‑4, ul. Parkowa 25, Chorzów, tel. (+48) 32 241 07 18, www.muzeumgpe-chorzow.pl. Open 09:00 - 19:00; Sat, Sun 10:00 - 21:00. 1 Sep - 30 Sep: 09:00 - 19:00; Sat, Sun 10:00 - 19:00. 1 Oct - 31 Oct: 09:00 - 17:00; Sat, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Last entrance 1hr before closing.

Admission 10/7zł; children under 3 enter for free; Mon free.

ZOO Located in Silesia Park, PL’s largest zoo is a massive 50 hectare extravaganza with 2,681 animals of 312 species from all over the world, including crowd favourites such as hippos, rhinos, Siberian tigers and cheetahs. The kids will be thoroughly enthralled thanks to a petting zoo and Dinosaur Valley, which features some rather silly concrete dinos. Feeding times for red pandas daily at 12:00, pelicans 09:30 & 17:00 and brown bears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 14:00.QI‑1, Promenade Gen. Jerzego Ziętka 7 (Park of Culture & Recreation, Chorzów), tel. (+48) 666 03 14 96, www.zoo.silesia.pl. Open 09:00 - 19:00. 1 Oct - 31 Oct: Open 09:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 18:00, Last entrance 1 hour before closing. Tickets 20/10zł, family 50zł. iyp.me/katowice

Nikiszowiec

Nikiszowiec | Photo courtesy of Katowice City Council

The former workers’ district of Nikiszowiec is home to some highly unique early 20th century architecture as well as an excellent modern art gallery, a magnificent church and a few additional offbeat attractions. This forgotten attempt at plebeian paradise is earmarked on Silesia’s ‘Industrial Monuments Route’ (available at all Silesian tourist information offices) and offers intrepid visitors a confounding, yet fascinating glimpse at a foregone age.

While not long ago a walk around the neighbourhood may have been a dicey prospect, cafes and culture are now beginning to creep into this part of town and you’re no longer likely to be the only tourist prowling around. Perfect for a photo essay, charge up your camera battery and off you go.

Built between 1908 and 1912 to house workers in the backyard of their place of employment – the large smokechurning Wieczorek (formerly ‘Giesche’) coal mine – the enclosed residential complex of Nikiszowiec is composed of six compact four-sided three-storey blocks with inner courtyards. Distinguished 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. Anne’s Church (Pl. Wyzwolenia 21) wasn’t able to be finished until 1927, but became the crowning glory of the neighbourhood as soon as it was. Though it would ironically seem to be a socialist planners’ wet dream, Nikiszowiec actually makes a happy, iyp.me/polandblog

handsome departure from 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 district’s uniqueness with increasing efforts to draw tourist attention to the area and a long 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.

GETTING THERE Only 8km/20mins from Katowice city centre, getting to Nikiszowiec and Giszowiec is simple. There are four bus options - no.s 30 (every 30 mins) and 920 (every 30/60 mins) travel from Al. Korfantego in front of the Katowice Hotel (C-3), the only difference being the no.30 travels to Nikiszowiec (Szyb Wilson stop) then Giszowiec (Mysłowicka stop), whereas 920 goes to Giszowiec first (Mysłowicka stop) followed

by Nikiszowiec (Szyb Pułaski stop). From Katowice Dworzec (B-4) bus no. 674 (every 30 mins) goes to Giszowiec Mysłowicka stop then Nikiszowiec Szyb Pułaski stop, and bus no. 930 (every hour, from Katowice Dworzec and Al. Korfantego) goes directly to Nikiszowiec main square (Nikiszowiec Kościół stop) missing out Giszowiec. All stops are within Zone 1 of Katowice’s public transport network, passengers will only need a normal 3,20zł fare ticket.

July – October 2018 35

Nikiszowiec EAT & DRINK Once a food desert, when we first wrote about this area we emphasised that visitors should pack a lunch with them, but today there are actually several quality places for drinking and dining in Nikiszowiec and Giszowiec.

Here are the best: CAFE BYFYJ This is the heart and soul of Nikiszowiec. Grab a table inside in the bright white and soft light interior, or outside on their breezy bricked terrace (with gas heater should it get cold!). The friendly waitstaff will take it from there and catch you up on all the savoury and sweet options from cakes, tarts, pizzas and daily lunch specials. Don’t overlook the beverages because they serve up some of the best coffee drinks around, not to mention organic juices, cool-colas, beers (low alko % as well) and prosecco. Above all, come to Byfyj for the ambience and start to get a knack for what Niki’s really all about.QO‑5, ul. Krawczyka 5 (Nikiszowiec), tel. (+48) 696 73 08 01, www.piekarniamichalski. pl. Open 09:00 - 21:00, Fri, Sat 09:00 - 22:00, Closed Mon. T­U­B­6­W ŚLĄSKA PROHIBICJA Up until recently in Nikiszowiec, there were only cafes to eat in should you get peckish, but that has now changed with the opening of Śląska Prohibicja (Silesian Prohibition). Going with a modern take on 1920s decor, this is a building with a whopping 700m2 of space across 5 rooms (one main area and 4 smaller rooms that accommodate 50-60 people); not just for restaurant use, but also for events such as weddings, and even musical performances (which take place Fri/Sat evenings and Sun lunchtime). Fans of gastronomy will be eager to know that the head chef is Magdalena Nowaczewska, winner of the 5th edition of Poland’s Master Chef, and it shows, for the food (taking inspiration from international and regional cuisine) is delightfully prepared, with the taste matching the appearance. A fantastic addition to this charming part of Katowice.QO‑5, ul. Krawczyka 1 (Nikiszowiec), tel. (+48) 32 723 28 99, www. slaskaprohibicja.pl. Open 12:00 – 22:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 – 24:00. €€€. T­U­E­W ZILLMANN TEA & COFFEE Named after the designers of the neighbourhood, this sophisticated cafe and drink bar brings a bit of class to Niki’s central square. The exposed brick and dark wood interiors correspond swimmingly to the hushed and jazzy atmosphere that almost demands liquid companionship. Whether you stop in for a morning cappuccino and cake,, ice-cream or you slip in to sip a local microbrew in the afternoon, Zillmann will accommodate you quite nicely. Classy glass and shiny brass for the working class.QO‑5, Pl. Wyzwolenia 3/1 (Nikiszowiec), tel. (+48) 32 708 25 74. Open 11:00 21:00, Sun 11:00 - 20:00. T­B­6­W 36 Katowice In Your Pocket

Nikiszowiec

Courtesy of Katowice City Council

WHAT TO SEE Begin your adventure by hopping on a bus to the Wilson Shaft Gallery. From the Wilson Gallery it is a short eight minute walk (or one bus stop) down ul. Szopienicka into Nikiszowiec proper; you’ll know it by its uniquely uniform architecture, gruesome water tower, leering smokestacks and the church spire marking its centre. Make a left onto ul. Zofii Nałkowskiej (towards Eurohotel and the ice rink complex) and then your first right to officially enter the district on ul.

Rymarska and you’ll pass the Tourist Information Office inside the Industrial Ethnography Museum. Special mention goes to ul. Czechowa which can be described as the artistic heart of Nikiszowiec, with galleries and workshops (including Icoalyou, p.73) found here.

WILSON SHAFT GALLERY This seemingly obscure and certainly under appreciated modern art gallery is arguably Katowice’s 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. The area is now filled with exhibition and office space, and brightlypainted 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). Not only is admission free but the mini-buffet is a great option for breakfast or lunch (Mon - Fri 08:00 - 16:00).QO‑4, ul.

Oswobodzenia 1 (Nikiszowiec), tel. (+48) 32 730 32 20, www.szybwilson.org. Open 09:00 - 19:00. Admission free.

CENTRUM ZIMBARDO Centrum Zimbardo is one part of Stowarzyszenie Fabryka Inicjatyw Lokalnych (FIL Association), a non-profit organisation founded in 2009 by a group of local friends who wanted to improve things in Nikiszowiec, all borne of a passion for their district, Silesian culture, history and traditions. Not only does the association organise local events, such as concerts and markets, educational programmes iyp.me/katowice

Nikiszowiec and conferences, but Centrum Zimbardo provide guided tours for people wishing to visit the area, going into detail about the revitalisation of the area and the socio-economic history. Tours cost 170zł up to groups of 25 and it is necessary to book in advance by phone or via email - fil@fil. org.pl. Zimbardo is a great local project which connects you to the area by means of 1st hand accounts of life in Niki - it’s genuine and should be supported.QO‑5, Plac Wyzwolenia 5, tel. (+48) 664 22 20 44, www.centrumzimbardo.pl.

Open 13:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 18:00. From August open 14:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 18:00.

INDUSTRIAL ETHNOGRAPHY MUSEUM This 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 collection of artefacts and cultural assets tells the everyday stories of Upper Silesia’s working class (primarily miners) from the period of early industrial development (mid19th century) to the 1960s. They have three permanent exhibitions on display. The first is devoted to the Janowska Group - a collection of Nikiszowiec miners including Teofil Ociepka, Paweł Wróbel, Erwin Sówka and Ewald Gawlik who gained renown for their ‘naive’ painting.

Another exhibit is a replication of a typical Nikiszowiec worker’s house. The final exhibit goes even deeper and delves into the various laundering techniques used in the district’s heyday (it’s more interesting than it sounds and has English titles). The helpful Nikiszowiec Information Centre (open 10:00 - 17:30; Sat 11:00 - 14:30; closed Mon, Sun) is also in the same building, where you can get advice, pick up maps of the district and free audioguides in English, Polish or German.QO‑5, ul. Rymarska 4 (Nikiszowiec), tel. (+48) 32 353 95 59, www.mhk.katowice.pl. Open 10:00 18:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Mon, Last entrance 30 minutes before closing. Admission 10/5zł, family ticket 15zł.Tue free. U

UNIQUE COAL JEWELLERY

www.pl.icoalyou.com kontakt@icoalyou.com +48 797 655 744

ART NAIF FESTIVAL

Photo by Dominik Mrzyk

08.06 - 10.08 » ART NAIF FESTIVAL

iyp.me/polandblog

Courtesy of Katowice City Council

Naïve art, or unprofessional art, is exactly that: it’s predominantly made by an artist who lacks the training of a professional artist. Its innocence is exactly what makes it an ideal space to even the platform among artists and art lovers, stir discussion, and open up the world of art to those who are less experienced.

Expect a venue filled with paintings, ceramics, and sculptures created by artists from across the world, alongside event showcases, workshops for kids, concerts, and even an accompanying film festival. This year’s festival will have a special focus on Australia and its melting pot of culture.QO‑4, Wilson Shaft Gallery, ul. Oswobodzenia 1 (Nikiszowiec), tel. (+48) 32 730 32 20, Admission free, www.artnaiffestiwal.pl.

July – October 2018 37

Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska | Photo T. Gębuś, www.slaskie.travel

Further Afield Silesian Region

Prospective foreign travellers putting together their Polish tourist itineraries have a tendency to regard Katowice and the greater Silesian region surrounding it as an acne-scarred unwanted stepchild. However, what few people know is that this is one of the most dynamically developing regions in all of Poland with a lot to offer the open minded tourist, businessman, post-industrial and outdoor enthusiasts.

This section highlights some of Silesia’s most interesting things to see and do, from visiting stunning mountain ranges all the way to enjoying castles from the middle-ages!

38 Katowice In Your Pocket

iyp.me/katowice

Further Afield

Pszczyna Castle Museum

Photo: Silesian Tourist Organisation archive

PSZCZYNA Just 37km south of Katowice, Pszczyna is a quaint little town, and despite its small size, contains quite a few attractions! First and foremost, it is home to Pszczyna Castle (formerly Pless Castle), which has stood here since the 13th century, and undergone many facelifts, the most recent being during the course of the 18th/19th centuries, to renovate its renaissance exterior to a Baroque-classical design, making it look more like the palace we see today. Interestingly, it contains 80% of its original interiors from the 19th & 20th centuries, despite the hardships the area saw through the wars. The castle grounds are part of the larger historic Pszczyna Park, which is also home to the Polish Bison Farm, where you can get up and personal with not only bison during feeding times, but deer, peacocks and geese too. This is definitely one for the kids to enjoy, but adults will love it too.Qul. Brama Wybrańców 1.

SILEASIAN TOURIST ORGANISATION So you’ve arrived in Katowice, had a look around in the city and surrounding area and thought to yourself ‘Wow, there’s more to this place than I first thought!’, and we would wholeheartedly agree. To this end, we encourage you to visit other areas of interest across the greater Silesian region - you will not be disappointed. There’s a lot to see, and Katowice is a great starting point for all trips. Whatever your interests, the Sileasian Tourist Organisation (Śląska Organizacja Turystyczna) is a fantastic resource that can help you with your planning! Happily visit their site www.silesia.travel for in-depth information, or visit the tourist information office in Katowice’s main square for a wealth of useful resources and guides to the gems of Silesia.

Starting in the city in places like Nikiszowiec (p.31) and the Silesian Museum (p.29), and working outward, you can

TARNOWSKIE GÓRY MINES You may have spotted this already, but Silesia is big on post-industrial tourism - and it has a lot to offer! Tarnowskie Góry, just 30km north-west of Katowice, have some fantastic mines for you to visit, which became UNESCO world heritage sites in 2017. The first location is the ‘Historic Silver Mines in Tarnowskie Góry’, which are 1740m in length, 270m of which you will see by boat. As you visit the mines, you will see old tools and equipment used for mining here in the 18th and 19th centuries. The 2nd site to visit is the Black Trout Adit, with Poland’s longest underground tourist trail, coming in 600m, the entirety of which you travel with a guide by boat, as they regale you with history and tales of the mine network and surrounding area.

Black Trout Adit

Photo: T. Gębuś, www.slaskie.travel

visit 42 sites connected to the Industrial Monuments Route, from factories to mines found on the UNESCO World Heritage List! If going back in time is your thing, follow the trail of wooden architecture too! Going further, you will find attractions connected to nature (and history!), in the form of the Jura Upland, where you can also follow the trail of the Eagles’ Nests - a fascinating walking route following 16 structures (mostly castles) built during the reign of Casimir III the Great on the then border of Poland, protecting it from invaders. The outdoor attractions don’t end there, as you visit the crowning glory in the form of the Beskid mountain range, great for hillwalkers, cyclists and skiers alike! For foodies, or for anyone travelling in Silesia for any of their chosen trips, it’s also advisable to try the local cuisine, and the Sileasian Tourist Organisation has this very need in mind with their ‘Silesian Tastes’ culinary trail.

Silesian Region Tourist Information Site: www.slaskie.travel ‘Silesian Tastes’ Culinary Trail: www.slaskiesmaki.pl Beskid Mountains and Silesian Cieszyn: www.beskidy.travel The Eagles’ Nests Trail: www.orlegniazda.pl The Industrial Monuments Trail: www.zabytkitechniki.pl Kraków-Częstochowa Jura Upland Site: www.jura.travel iyp.me/polandblog

July – October 2018 39

Auschwitz

The infamous Auschwitz I entrance gate.

For centuries the town of Oświęcim was a quiet backwater community, largely bypassed by world events. That changed with WWII when Oświęcim, 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 and countless films, documentaries, books and survivor accounts have since burned it into the collective consciousness.

Visitors to Kraków 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 don’t feel so compelled, it’s 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 you’ve actually visited the site; you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who has made the trip and still argues 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 40 Katowice In Your Pocket

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, we believe everyone should visit.

VISITING AUSCHWITZ If you’ve decided to visit Auschwitz, you basically have three options: visit as part of a group organised by a tourist agency, visit independently and join a guided tour at the museum, or visit independently for free without a guide.

Unfortunately, a new online reservation system now makes the latter two options much more difficult than in the past.

All visits must now be booked in advance through the website visit.auschwitz.org. As a result, you may find there are no tickets available because they have all been snatched up by tourist agencies. The unavailability of tickets online doesn’t mean you can’t visit Auschwitz when you want, but it does basically force you to sign up for a tour through an outside provider. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it relieves you of the hassle of figuring out how to get there and back, but you will essentially be paying a surcharge for the service. For most people, however, it is worth it.

If you are determined to visit independently you need to know that during peak season (April - October) the museum makes it obligatory to buy a ticket and become part of a 3.5hr guided tour unless you get there before 10:00 or after 16:00 - during which times it is possible to visit for free on your own. iyp.me/katowice

Auschwitz Be that as it may, we strongly recommend the official guided tour, which is excellent, profound and professional; afterwards you’ll find it hard to imagine getting as much out of your visit had you explored the grounds on your own. Tour departure times fluctuate but tours in English depart frequently, and there are also regularly scheduled tours in German, French, Italian, Polish and Spanish. 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 through the website.

GETTING TO AUSCHWITZ

Arriving at the Auschwitz Museum on your own can be chaotic and confusing thanks to large crowds, numerous ticket windows with different designations, and excessive signage that contradicts itself. If you are visiting independently, or in a small group, find the queue for the desk marked ‘Individual Guests.’ After purchasing your ticket and headphones, your experience 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 guided tour of the camp will begin straightaway with a live guide speaking into a microphone which you hear through your headphones. If exploring Auschwitz without a guide it is highly recommended that you don’t get there later than 16:00, and that you pick up the official guidebook (10zł) 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 Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II - Birkenau.

The town of Oświęcim 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 (p.23). Direct trains go every couple of hours from Katowice central station and there are numerous bus options both big and small.

Buses leave frequently from Katowice’s main bus station (B-2, ul. Skargi 1) every day starting at 08:40. A one way ticket costs about 9-20zł with the journey taking 60-70mins (prices and times depend on the company).

The buses make several stops along the way, and most weekday will drop you off at the Oświęcim train station (ul. Powstańców Śląskich 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 2.70zł fare from one of the nearby kiosks.

Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau are located 3km apart (with the train station strategically between them). Free museum buses shuttle visitors between the two parts of the camp every 20 minutes from the morning (10:00 in Jul-Aug, 10:30 Sep-Oct), then there are the last buses around 20:10 in Jul-Aug, 19:10 in Sep and 18:10 in Oct (check upon arrival for schedule).

Alternatively, catch a cab for a rich 15zł.

To get back to Katowice, you need to catch a bus from the Oświęcim train station. Again, local buses 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 or 29 make the trip from Auschwitz I to the train station for 2.70zł. Buses from there back to Katowice are frequent, but the last one leaves at 17:27 Mon-Sun.

Visiting Auschwitz is a full day’s excursion so prepare accordingly (comfortable shoes). The guided tour of Auschwitz I takes around 2 hours, so make sure you’ve 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 a restaurant; there are also restroom facilities at Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Note that only small bags are allowed into Auschwitz I; if your bag exceeds the very small dimensions of 30x20x10cm, you’ll have to leave it somewhere; lockers are provided for this purpose.Qul. Stanisławy Leszczyńskiej 11, Oświęcim, tel. (+48) 33 844 81 00, www.auschwitz. org. Both Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau open 07:30 - 20:30. From September open 07:30 - 19:30. From October open 07:30 - 18:30. Last entrance to Auschwitz I 1.5hrs before closing. An individual ticket for a foreign language guided tour of both camps, plus the film, costs 50/45zł. Tours for groups range from 430-850zł depending on size of group and type of tour. Official guidebook 5-10zł. Admission without a guide (when possible) to either camp is free, but the film costs 6/3zł. iyp.me/polandblog

ALSO IN OŚWIĘCIM OŚWIĘCIM JEWISH MUSEUM & SYNAGOGUE If you have more time to spend in Oświęcim, head to this historic synagogue (one of three surviving in the centre of Oświęcim) for more information on the town’s Jewish heritage, including a permanent exhibition on Jewish life there before World War II. Located near Oświęcim’s market square 3km from the Auschwitz museum, the centre offers specially tailored programmes for those who plan their visits in advance, and there’s a cafe here with a sweet roof terrace in the warmer months.QPl. Ks. Jana Skarbka 5, Oświęcim, tel. (+48) 510 78 11 99, www.ajcf.org. Open 10:00 - 18:00, Closed Sat. From October open 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat. Admission 10/6zł, family ticket 15zł, kids 6 and under free.

July – October 2018 41

Cafés

Teas, coffees & sweet treats - you’re spoiled for choice in Kato. | Photo by Cyril Saulnier on Unsplash

3 SIOSTRY BAJGIEL I KAWA When we heard that a bagel cafe had finally opened in Kato, we couldn’t contain our joy, and when it closed for lengthy renovation, we worried, but now it has returned and all is well again! This trendy and friendly cafe makes Montreal style bagels (a bit sweeter and thicker than their NYC counterparts) and serves them in a variety of savoury sandwich form (egg and bacon, Philadelphia cream cheese with salmon and arugula etc.) We had a hankering for Philadelphia so we chose the latter and our smile got wider and wider with every bite. We ordered up an alternative Aeropress coffee which complemented the sandwich perfectly. Even better than the food and drink is the warm atmosphere and stylish design, now with an added option to sit outside in the summer months. We could have sat for hours just observing the ebb and flow of happy diners and the playful banter between the ‘three sisters’ who are visibly cooking and serving each dish and drink with pure passion.QD‑4, ul. Św. Stanisława 8, tel. (+48) 517 19 25 11. Open 08:00 - 20:00, Fri 08:00 - 21:00, Sat 09:00 - 21:00, Sun 09:00 - 19:00. T­B­6­W CAFE KATTOWITZ A slice of strudel most divine accompanied our cappuccinos just fine as the porcelain and the silver softly clattered. And so we sat and sipped and occasionally dipped our forks into the flaky pastry pondering – how had we been transported to Vienna so suddenly? The dark woods and high ceilings of this fin-de-siecle cafe were filled with the sputtering sounds of a perfectly polished espresso contraption. We were momentarily pulled from the dream as our waitress implored us to dig deeper into their exquisite menus. All manner of cake and sweets awaited. But as our steam train 42 Katowice In Your Pocket

did approach we saw our waitress’s reproach as we alighted yet to return, ever after.QC‑4, ul. Św. Jana 7, tel. (+48) 32 321 85 08. Open 10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 23:00, Sun 11:00 - 22:00. T­B­W KAWIARNIA WAWELSKA On what has developed into Katowice’s coffee and cakes corridor, this newly redesigned cafe stands out as a beacon of warmth and old school charm. Offering a wide range of bio coffee drinks and tantalising ice cream concoctions you can enjoy your sweet treats in the comfort of their creme coloured interiors. Vegetable smoothies form part of their offerings, which adds some nice healthy balance to all of the 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.QB‑4, ul. Wawelska 1, tel. (+48) 501 44 83 37. Open 09:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 21:00. T­B­W NEW KAWOSZ A fairly new addition to Katowice’s cafe scene located just off Plac Wolności. Entering is quite a sight in itself, the first impression leaves you saying ‘ooh’ - no, you haven’t walked in on the aftermath of a Hogwarts’ lesson, and yes, those are floor lamps attached to the ceiling. The interior is quite sparse, but what little they have is quite funkily placed - tea pots and cups hanging on the walls, reproductions of famous paintings with covered faces, all in the aim of ‘upcycling’, or creative reuse. They have short ‘to the point’ lunch and breakfast menus, and cakes, which are yummy and fill a tasty spot. As for the coffee, the main selling point, you have high quality Arabica on offer. iyp.me/katowice

Cafés Each table has power sockets for all you laptop and phone people. Sparse but tasty best sums up Kawosz.QA‑4, ul.

Matejki 2, tel. (+48) 501 64 58 02. Open 08:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. T­B­6­W NEW LA PETITE BRETAGNE Ahhh... crepes...yum. Just off the main square, and past the theatre, find La Petite Bretagne, whose owner, Barbara Kruk, is the most passionate person we have encountered to make the beautiful treats. Following visits to France, she was hooked by French culture, and more specifically, by a street vendor who she witnessed, slowly, caringly, making the best crepes she had ever tasted. And that’s the history behind the concept to bring a French crêperie to Katowice.

Loved by French Erasmus students and locals alike, the tastes are authentic due to the type of French flour used (Polish flour just doesn’t cut the mmustard, so we’ve been told!). And we agree - we had a savoury and dessert crepes and were delighted by the tastes. The interior of the cafe, the accompanying music and the friendly staff all do their bit to make this a special little place. QC‑3, ul. Teatralna 10, tel. (+48) 518 30 83 06. Open 11:00 - 20:00. 6 NEW LEGAL CAKES Found right across from the main train station entrance, Legal Cakes is a sensible option to kill some time in if you’re waiting for a train, or indeed, if you’ve just arrived and are feeling peckish. Just a disclaimer, the reference to ‘legal’ has nothing to do with an overhaul to any recent prohibition style restrictions on cakes and sweets in Poland but rather the act of feeling guilt-free when eating in ‘Legal Cakes’, a place which prides itself on gluten and sugar-free products! Legal Cakes has done well in Gdańsk, Warsaw, Wrocław, and has branched out further, recently in Łódź and now Katowice. It’s a perfect place for the health conscious and those curious to see if the lack of unhealthy ingredients takes away the ‘yum’ factor from baked goods. Our verdict? Finally, that sweet tooth need not be tamed with sugar!QB‑4, ul. Młyńska 19, tel. (+48) 509 30 60 93, www.legalcakes.com. Open 08:30 - 21:00, Sat, Sun 09:30 - 21:00. T­B­6­W MONOPOL Inside the hotel of the same name the Monopol’s in-house café bar offers decent coffee and plenty of class with an interior that recalls Katowice’s golden age. Here it’s all fresh cut flowers, marble surfaces and sepia images of the city in its industrial heyday. Floor-to-ceiling windows encourage hurrying passersby to gaze in with envy.QC‑4, ul. Dworcowa 5 (Monopol Hotel), tel. (+48) 32 782 82 82, www.monopolkatowice.hotel.com.pl. Open 09:00 23:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 22:00. U­6­W MOODRO BISTRO & CAFE The Silesian Museum has a lot to offer both tourists and locals alike and that includes its gastronomic offers. If you make the entire journey through the subterranean exhibits and antechambers of the Museum, you’ll be delighted to resurface iyp.me/polandblog

right next to this bright bistro and cafe. You’ll no doubt run into locals already sipping lattes and nibbling light lunches.

They may have skipped the museum and headed straight to grab one of the window front tables with a panoramic view of downtown Katowice. Make sure to ask about their breakfast special if you’re an early riser. Also enjoy their healthy bowls and smoothies (vegetarian and vegan dishes also available).QK‑3, ul. Tadeusza Dobrowolskiego 1 (Silesian Museum), tel. (+48) 795 55 92 99, www.moodro. pl. Open 10:00 - 20:00. Closed Mon. T­U­B­6­W ŚLĄSKA PRAŻALNIA KAWY CAFE AMOR This classy cafe has a lot to offer for both casual drip-sippers and arabica aficionados alike. They roast their own coffee beans on site and serve up over a dozen unique coffee beverages made with their very own freshly roasted coffee blends. If this isn’t enough they also offer alternative coffee brewing methods for you to try. If coffee isn’t your thing not to worry as they have an extensive list of pressed juices, loose leaf teas plus a distinguished list of fine liquors and wines. Grab a cake, salad or sandwich to go with your beverage of choice then sit back and enjoy this charming Cafe. If that’s not enough, they now have ice-cream!QB‑5, Pl. Miarki 1 (entrance from ul. Kościuszki), tel. (+48) 792 41 14 94, www.cafeamor.pl. Open 08:00 - 20:00, Sat 09:00 - 20:00, Sun 11:00 - 20:00. T­W SWEET HOME SILESIA Inspired by French delicatessens, Sweet Home Silesia brings a little romantic image of Parisian pâtisserie to the heart of Katowice. Located just off the rynek on Moniuszki 3, you enter a pleasant cafe and find a delightful choice of pastries at the counter, each of which are lovingly spruced up. The menu is seasonal and varies dependent on supply of produce, however, regardless of ingredients, an effort is made to have at least 3-6 different varieties of mousses, including Belgian chocolate and Mango-Maracuya. Choose the breakfast deal of a ‘BąbeLove gofr’ (bubble waffle) with choice of toppings including seasonal flavours with icecreams, cream, fruits and different toppings all accompanied with a tea or coffee.QC‑3, ul. Moniuszki 3, tel. (+48) 572 81 55 33, www.sweetsilesia.pl. Open 09:00 - 20:00, Fri 09:00 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. T­6­W SYNERGIA. DOBRE MIEJSCE The slow coffee movement rolls its way into Silesia and lands in one of the most stylish cafes this town has ever seen. You know they mean business when the first thing you see when you walk in is an array of high and low-tech new school coffee gadgets in rustic wooden crates. The aroma of fresh coffee will lure you further into the elegant environs. Sink into a couch and choose from Chemex, Drip, Aeropress, Syphon or Espresso press with your choice of “single country of origin” bean. Grab a brownie, pastry, quiche or even order one of their tempting lunch specials (of course vegan and gluten free options available). You lucky devils are now spoilt for choice with Synergia opening a 2nd cafe (same name) on ul. Opolska 18.QA‑4, ul. Andrzeja 29/2, tel. (+48) 502 93 02 53. Open 08:00 - 21:00, Sat 09:00 - 21:00, Sun 09:00 - 20:00. T­6­W July – October 2018 43

Restaurants

A welcome new addition to Nikiszowiec, Śląska Prohibicja (p.36) has a homely vibe, and fantastic food.

Silesia is known to many as a sprawling post-industrial metropolis that is more akin to a culinary wasteland than a growing centre of world-class cuisine for cunning connoisseurs. The last few years have brought drastic changes to the once dreary dining scene and the service industry can now join the esteemed ranks of the coal and steel industries in the area. Many culinary trends have taken hold and ethnic cuisine of all shapes and sizes are vying for your attention and appealing to your appetite. Don’t overlook the local fare either as there is a veritable renaissance happening in Silesian cuisine as well as a plethora of Polish places. The prices we list here in each handpicked recommendation 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!

FINE DINING Exclusive restaurants in Katowice come in a range of forms, from serving a mix of interntional and local cuisine, with varied interior decors and food on offer; all a treat to test out. Leading the way in Kato’s gastronomical revolution, we have a few contenders: If it’s post-industrial decor and good meat you’re after, check out Sztolnia (p.47). If you like to eat high up and closer to the sun, try Restauracja Sunlight (p.47) with its seasonal menu. Tatiana (p.55) just up from the Rynek serves a mix of European and Slavic dishes in a very pleasant and elegant setting.

INTERNATIONAL The gastro revolution is not limited to traditional or local cuisine, as with any destination, choice is the key, and we certainly have that with a host of international eateries in 44 Katowice In Your Pocket

Kato. If you’re searching for Indian food ranging from mild to spicy, try out Buddha (p.49)! New kid on block Novo (p.56) has a rather impressive looking stone baked oven which churns out all your favourite delights with authentic taste. Hana Sushi (p.57) offers, well, no prizes for guessing what, but the location in a former brick building once home to a swimming pool looks great and the food on offer is as you’d expect, really good.

FAST CASUAL If it’s something relatively quick you want and at decent prices without scimping back on quality, Kato has a lot to offer in this regard, and some of our noted adventures have highglighted the following: making the leap from food truck to having a real home, Nasze Bao (p.45) serves up some great Asian street food. Zdrowa Krowa (p.46) is hot on the heels of the good burger trend in Poland and Zielony Most (p.49) provides a good vegetarian option. If you’re craving some good seafood, specifically swimming crustaceans, Shrimp House (p.58) finally offers up good quality shrimp, which has been lacking in Silesia until now!

FAMILY DINING Family options too are easily found in Kato, serving food from more adventurous meals for adults and classics for kids. First to mention following its recent renovation is Patio (p.52), which does just that with various meats dishes, pizzas, pastas etc. Steakhouse Da Da (p.54) is straight to the point, offering fine steak cuts from around the world, all served by friendly staff. For an authentic Polish feel, Chata z Zalipia (p.59) serves up traditional Polish food in a design reminiscent of a cottage interior, one for all to enjoy. iyp.me/katowice

Restaurants SYMBOL KEY 6 Animal friendly

W Wi-fi connection

T Child-friendly

N Credit cards not accepted

E Live music

U Facilities for the disabled

B Outside seating X Smoking room available

AMERICAN CITY ROCK If you crossed Hard Rock Cafe with a classic American diner in a Polish 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 creamy chocolate coloured walls. The pre-pubescent boy in you will love it and that’s before the team of local beauties appears to present you with the easy English menu of Tex-Mex, fried food, ice cream sundaes, milkshakes, wood-oven pizza, burgers and obligatory Polish dishes - choose from lamenamed items like ‘Easy Chick’ and ‘Grinch Spaghetti,’ or why not try to push your luck and ask the Miss Polska serving you for a ‘Texas Mama’. Incredibly popular and kind of great for all the wrong reasons. Each Friday an illusionist performs tricks 20:00-22:00.QB‑1, ul. Chorzowska 9B, tel. (+48) 32 201 05 05, www.cityrock.pl. Open 15:00 - 22:00, Fri 15:00 - 24:00, Sat 13:00 - 24:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. €€€. T­U­B­E­W

ASIAN HURRY CURRY Bringing some heat to the street and some spice to Katovice, this hot spot is turning heads and filling stomachs.

Started by a couple of travellers with the simple idea of offering a selection of curries from all over the world served up quick and sold for cheap. The results are utterly delicious and borderline revolutionary for the city’s budding ethnic restaurant scene. With a limited but diverse menu, you’ll find something new just for you. The design is cosy yet cool and the service is quick so even if you’re in a hurry you can make time for their curry. Top marks all around. Also at at ul. Panewnicka 25A.QD‑4, ul. Św. Stanisława 1, tel. (+48) 511 43 36 63, www.hurrycurry.pl. Open 12:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. €€. B­6­W

VEGAN & VEGETARIAN FOOD COFFEE SPECIALTY

Henryka Sienkiewicza Str. No 27 40-031 Katowice (032) 724 18 36 fb/botanikato

Stanisława 1, 40-014 Katowice tel. 511 433 663 www.hurrycurry.pl Curries from all over the world

NASZE BAO We love it when our favourite food trucks go all brick and mortar. This is the case with Kato’s newest Asian fast food sensation. After just one bite of their savoury and spicy calamari bun (aka bao for those in the know) we were hooked. While they certainly upgraded their digs, this basement nook isn’t exactly a full blown restaurant. The open kitchen is bigger than the 3-4 improvised tables and stools at the bar. But since the menu still consists of mostly Asian street food, the buns are built for the road. But when the weather turns we will happily huddle in the corner iyp.me/polandblog

July – October 2018 45

Restaurants BURGERS

and devour another one of their fluffy boa, or perhaps scarf down a bowl of Pho Bo. If you want to stick to the ole food truck option, no more, dear friends, for Nasze Bao’s former garden location has gone all brick and mortar on ul.

Panewnicka 77 too.QC‑5, ul. Sienkiewicza 27, tel. (+48) 600 37 76 05, www.naszebao.pl. Open 13:00 - 21:00, Fri, Sat 13:00 - 22:00, Sun 13:00 - 20:00. €€. B­6­W

BREAKFAST

COOLER CLUB & FOOD Cooler club on Mariacka street is where you can go for food during the day, just make sure not to turn up too early expecting to dance your socks off as it also functions as a club on Fri & Sat 21:00-05:00. Open daily from 13:00, Cooler serves up some mean food with a range of burgers, grilled meats, steaks, soups, vegetarian dishes, pasta dishes, and even Polish classics like pierogi, all the way through to dessert.QD‑4, ul. Mariacka 20/1, tel. (+48) 508 24 91 98, www. coolerclub.pl. Open 13:00 - 23:00, Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun. €€. T­B­6­W MAD MICK The requisite ‘Hipster Burger Bar and Bistro’ has firmly planted its flag in Silesian soil. Now Katowice has its own jumping joint to boast about. Mad Mick serve up thick slabs of juicy steaks, mouth watering burgers and tortillas day and night. With a vast array of Czech microbrews 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, baguettes and sandwiches.

QD‑4, ul. Warszawska 13, tel. (+48) 535 46 68 66, www.madmick.pl. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 01:00, Sat 12:00 - 01:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. €€.

6­W ZDROWA KROWA Literally translated as “healthy cow” this Gliwice burger bistro is now in Katowice. Their mission seems to be to re-brand burgers as a legitimately healthy option touting the quality of their locally sourced ingredients and abundance of veggies tossed between their freshly baked buns. With a truly expansive menu of over a dozen different specialty beef burgers and a handful of chicken, shrimp, and veggie/vegan options, choosing the right sandwich is a truly daunting task. If you’re really looking to eat light, order one of their colourful and flavourful salads.QD‑4, ul. Mariacka 33, tel. (+48) 730 10 15 20, www.zdrowakrowa.com. Open 09:00 23:00, Fri, Sat 09:00 - 01:00. €€. T­U­B­6­W 46 Katowice In Your Pocket

PETIT We can’t remember the last time we got so excited about a breakfast place. Immediately upon entry the warm and welcoming interiors and delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen get the juices flowing. The menu delights and intrigues variations of eggs and omelettes all vying for your attention. But once our eyes landed on the English muffin with egg, bacon and hollandaise sauce, the search was over.

Creamy-crunchy-blissful-breakfast-ecstasy is all we can say.

If the food wasn’t enough, their gourmet coffee drinks and exclusive teas are equally enticing. Breakfast is served till 14:00, after which, they serve only coffee/tea and cakes! All of their pastries and baked goods (vegan and gluten free options also) are available for take away. Petit is quite simply a small slice of perfect.QD‑3, ul. Wojewódzka 21, tel. (+48) 883 18 66 74.

Open 08:00 - 15:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 15:00. €. T­6­W

CZECH HOSPODA History and geography have preordained close ties between Silesia and the Czech Republic. While ‘close’ doesn’t always mean friendly, this hopping Hospoda could downright double as the Czech Embassy for all the love it shows to their southern neighbours. 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, Vit and Pilsner on tap plus at least 30 other bottles on deck (Gambrinus, Radegast, Budvar and a boatload more). If you’re wondering about the grub, czech out their classic fried cheese, garlic soup and goulash with dumplings. If you’ve 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.

QJ‑3, ul. Gliwicka 6/1 (entrance from ul. Sobieskiego), tel. (+48) 793 89 65 30, www.hospoda.pl. Open 14:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 14:00 - 02:00. €€. X­B­W

FRENCH C’EST SI BON Certainly one of Katowice’s finer restaurants, the service may not be as cheerful as the interior full of lavender plants, lilac table clothes, candleholders and sun icons, but the food is top-notch, as testified by the long list of companies C’est Si Bon does regular catering for. The menu is in Polish, French and English, and still full of rich, delicious dishes like the hearty ‘Provencal seafood soup’ or the onion soup with gruyere cheese for just 9zł. Bon Apetite!QB‑5, ul. Ligonia 4, tel. (+48) 32 781 68 48, www.cestsibon.pl. Open 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 20:00. €€. U­B­6­W iyp.me/katowice

Restaurants

Chorzowska 109, Katowice, +48 506 788 775 FUSION RESTAURACJA SUNLIGHT Located on the ground floor of the Angelo Hotel, it’s worth getting a room upstairs just for convenient access to this exquisite restaurant. A perfect cure for seasonal Silesian depression, Sunlight justifies its slightly hokey name with a modern, spirit-lifting interior of warm colours and wall to floor length windows. No effort is spared with the food, including regularly reinvented seasonal menus in addition to the regular card full of locally-inspired fusion dishes. The menu even includes accompanying wine recommendations. Meal deals are on offer from 50-100zł including an appetiser, main, dessert and a glass of wine. They also recently opened Steak Corner by Jazz Bar where you can order mouth watering steaks and burgers.QB‑2, ul. Sokolska 24 (Vienna House Easy Angelo Katowice), tel. (+48) 32 783 81 56, www.viennahouse.com. Open 17:00 22:00. €€€. T­U­B­W SZTOLNIA. CHLEB. MIĘSO. WINO Someone forgot to tell Poland that restaurants near Malls are supposed to be bland, corporate run, flair-wearing affairs only. Sztolnia not only blows that notion out of the water, but it’s one of the best restaurants in town. One look at their open concept industrial-yet-rustic, dining room and you’ll begin to see why. After a very recent renovation, the dining area has been expanded, and the restaurant now has a confectionery section, winery, iyp.me/polandblog

and banquet hall all held in a huge 1000m2 space! Once you’ve settled and had a look at the laid back and eclectic menu filled with fusion treats and grilled aged meats, they’ll have won you over. And once you’re served your meal, they’ll have fully sealed the deal. Hand to heart, our perfect Angus beef steak, grilled potatoes, selection of green salad leaves, cheese sauce was impeccable.

They have a great daily breakfast promo - your choice of coffee or tea for 1 zł with any breakfast order between 11:00 -12:00. They also serve a 3-course lunch Mon-Fri 12:00 - 16:00 for 33zł. Silesia City Center just got a whole lot closer.QI‑2, ul. Chorzowska 109 (Silesia City Center), tel. (+48) 506 78 87 75, www.sztolnia.katowice.pl.

Open 11:00 - 22:00. €€€. T­U­B­W

GERMAN WUNDERBAR 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 with a bit of a Polish twist.

Try the Krupnik soup with goose stomachs or the half duck baked with apples. If you really mean business then try the Baked Pork Knuckle on for size. Wash it all down with some tried and true German brew - wheat Weihenstephan or Weihenstephan Pils.QC‑5, ul. Plebiscytowa 2, tel. (+48) 32 781 76 90, www.wunderbar.pl. Open 13:00 - 23:00. €€. T­B­W July – October 2018 47

Restaurants MILK BARS While many of the old ways of the old days of communist Poland have disappeared or become slightly disneyfied, one relic remains steadfastly unWestern: 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.

Poland’s first milk bar - ‘Pod Bańką’ (Under the Milk Churn) - was opened on Kraków’s 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 party’s ‘clever’ attempt at popularising milk-drinking (as opposed to moonshine), inspired by Poland’s large surplus of dairy products.

As restaurants were nationalised and then shut down

by PL’s 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 worker’s 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. 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 isn’t rationed any more in modern PL. Indeed, today’s 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.

EUROPAQC‑3, ul. Mickiewicza 8, tel. (+48) 32 259 66 96. Open 08:00 - 17:00. From September open 08:00 - 18:00. €.

48 Katowice In Your Pocket

GREEK SOUVLAKI BAR Here’s a first for Katowice (it’s becoming a trend in the city, huh?) - a Greek food place! If you’ve ever been to Greece and miss the food (or haven’t, and want to test the food culture), here’s a great place to start, without actually going to the country! It’s not just about the food, it’s the approach - you don’t have to go to the best restaurant to eat good food, and in Greece, a popular option is just to eat some Souvlaki from a street food bar. I’ll be honest, I love this style. Souvlaki Bar is a small eatery, and feels like an Athens quick food bar. The owners live in Athens and very much want to bring this style to Katowice, and why the hell not? It’s awesome. Try horiatiki, tzatziki, and anything with grilled halloumi!QD‑4, ul. Francuska 2, tel. (+48) 533 33 83 89. Open 14:00 - 22:00, Fri 14:00 23:00, Sat 13:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 21:00, Closed Mon. €€. T­B­6­W

HEALTHY EATS OKIEM I BRZUCHEM This is perhaps one of the simplest restaurant concepts in the world, but near to impossible to pull off perfectly: Soup.

This rustic resto gets about as close as you can to perfection by serving up healthy and hearty bowls of delicious liquid gold. The daily menu hangs above the self-serve counter: turkey-gizzard-veggie-bullion, wild mushroom-red beanmini-shell stew and red pepper-roasted pumpkin-chili tomato-garlic, plus three other equally intriguing options awaited us. Always 3 veggie and 3 meat options. We were overjoyed that they offer a three-mini bowl tasting option so we could try more. Without exaggeration, each soup was better than the next and we savoured every spoonful.

Soup for the soul.QB‑5, ul. Kościuszki 18, tel. (+48) 695 73 87 22. Open 12:00 - 19:00, Sat 12:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. €. T­B­6­W

HUNGARIAN ZAKLĘTY CZARDASZ Certainly one of Katowice’s finest and most unheralded restaurants, this aromatic Hungarian effort serves excellent ethnic cuisine in elegant surroundings with wicker lampshades, latticework and vines. The enticing menu offers a dozen ways to enjoy their delicious goulash (trust us, you’ll 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 it’s worth noting that you can ask for many of them in a smaller amount. A cellar wine bar only makes us more enthusiastic to recommend this place than ever before.QA‑5, ul. Kopernika 9, tel. (+48) 32 257 01 32, www.czardasz.com. Open 10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €€.

U­B­W iyp.me/katowice

Restaurants INDIAN BUDDHA The Indian owned and operated Buddha has brought authentic ethnic food to Katowice. 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 it’s spicy (gasp!) it actually is, the curries are rich and portions are more than healthy. If you’re looking for a midweek fix don’t miss their new lunch menu (Mon-Fri 12:0016:00) for just 20 PLN! Overall a fine effort and more than worth the total on the check, which arrives in a hand-crafted box. They also offer catering and delivery services.QA‑5, ul. Drzymały 9, tel. (+48) 726 11 12 22, www.buddha-restaurant.pl. Open 12:00 - 22:30. €€.

T­B­W MASALA HOUSE Masala House is a thoroughly authentic curry house and they don’t pull any punches or spare any spices. Start off with a crunchy samosa or spicy onion bhaji then move on to a main dish of fish, chicken, beef, lamb or veggie and curries (vegan options also available). Play it safe with a tikka masala or take the gloves off with some lamb rogan josh. Grab a mango lassi to put out that fire or any other beverage you may desire. Don’t be shy if you’re not a member of the red hot chilli pepper’s fan club because there are plenty of milder curries to choose from and the colourful menu (English available) is chilli coded so you and your tongue know what you’re jumping into. Don’t miss their cheap lunch specials Mon - Fri 12:00 - 15:00.

QA‑2, ul. Mickiewicza 32, tel. (+48) 32 253 00 43, www. masalahouse.eu. Open 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. €€. T­B­W THALI HOUSE BY MASALA HOUSE Katowice’s newest restaurant is also the first Thali restaurant in the city. Brought to you by the same team that run the excellent Masala House across town, this new Indian offering is right smack dab at the beginning of Mariacki and promises exactly what’s in the name - Thali! If you’ve never experienced Thali before it is something akin to Indian tapas where instead of getting one bowl of curry or sauce you get six little bowls of delicious sauces, chutneys and curries served with rice and naan. The emphasis here is also on vegetarian and vegan options although meat options are also available. Once you walk into the beautifully designed and tastefully coloured interiors you’ll immediately be transported, and once you taste the food you’ll want to stay for the rest of the day.QD‑4, ul. Mariacka 4, tel. (+48) 32 209 14 44, www.thalihouse.eu. Open 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. €€. T­B­W

Read more reviews online: katowice.inyourpocket.com iyp.me/polandblog

VEGETARIAN & VEGAN

Botanika

BOTANIKA Nestled nicely into the basement and first floor of one of the brownstones (yes Katowice has brownstones!) on one of our favourite streets is this vegetarian and vegan treat. As the name suggests, they are all about cooking up hearty and healthy meals pulled straight from the garden. The specials include vegan and gluten free meals to knock your socks off; the lunch deals (22zł for soup & main) are based on seasonal products and change each day of the week. They serve up mighty fine coffee too with specially selected beans. The multicoloured meals match the warm woods, climbing vegetation and exposed brick walls of this comfy and friendly bistro and cafe.QC‑5, ul. Sienkiewicza 27, tel. (+48) 32 724 18 36.

Open 08:00 - 20:00, Fri 08:00 - 21:00, Sat 09:00 - 21:00, Sun 09:00 - 20:00. €. T­B­E­6­W BUJNA This newly opened vege-vegan restaurant is right across from the main train station in Katowice - if you so wish, you can do a few forward rolls and be there in a jiffy (you’ll be dizzy, but you’ll be there nonetheless). A family run business, all with a passion for healthy living, this restobar also has a shop; they compliment each other, as everything you eat here can be purchased in said shop. Soups of the day are a delightful surprise, as are the choice of wraps. Most interesting was the soy-dog along with a fantastic freshly made juice!

Stay healthy, stay mindful, and enjoy your visit.QB‑4, ul. Młyńska 17, tel. (+48) 531 33 12 00, www.bujna. business.site/. Open 11:00 - 20:00, Fri 11:00 - 21:00, Sat 12:00 - 21:00. Closed Sun. €. T­B­6­W ZIELONY MOST Katowice seems to be getting greener by the day, and we’re not just talking about the grass on the International Congress Centre. This vegetarian/vegan bistro is the latest gastronomic outpost to offer up a full menu of lunch and dinners without harming a hair on an animal’s head. Seek the specials board which proclaims the presence of all sorts of soups, salads, curries, wraps, cutlets, falafel and even Silesian inspired dishes and an army of gluten and allergy free cakes and desserts. Wash it all down with healthy smoothies, local craft brews or even alcohol free beer!QB‑3, ul.

Słowackiego 12/1, tel. (+48) 533 73 95 95, www. zielonymost.katowice.pl. Open 11:00 - 20:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 21:00. €. T­6­W July – October 2018 49

Restaurants

+ 48 604 866 173

3 Maja 33 street - where two great White Monkeys meet INTERNATIONAL BIERHALLE 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. The menu here is pretty much as you’d 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 cheerily by staff dressed like they’ve just finished milking cows. When the Sunday trading ban is in effect, regardless, they are open, albeit with a shorter day 12:00-20:00.QI‑2, ul. Chorzowska 107 (Silesia City Center), tel. (+48) 32 605 01 61, www. bierhalle.pl. Open 12:00 - 22:00, Fri 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 11:00 - 23:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00. €€€. B­W BISTRO & CAFE KRYSTYNKA WRACA Z WIEDNIA This bright little bistro is quite a refreshing take on the cuisine and style of Vienna. If you’re thinking starched napkins and gilded portraits of moustachioed Habsburgs, think again.

There’s nothing haughty or hifalutin about this delectable diner. They offer straight ahead delicious food of the hearty soup and scrumptious schnitzel variety with a subtle tip of the hat to Austrian tradition. They also do great service to Viennese cake and coffee culture so make sure to stop by 50 Katowice In Your Pocket

in the earlier hours for a java jolt and to break the fast. Also, saddle up to a big creamy bowl of soup and a luscious latte.

With food and drink like this we are by no means surprised

by Miss Kristine’s illustrious return... we just hope she never leaves us again.QA‑6, ul. Kościuszki 45, tel. (+48) 32 733 38 20, www.krystynka.com.pl. Open 08:30 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 20:00, Sun 10:00 - 18:00. €€. T­B­6­W BISTRO & CAFE ZIELNIK The term bistro gets thrown around a lot these days but this bright and bustling cafe is indeed a true blue bistro at heart.

From hearty breakfasts, to fresh squeezed juices, creative cakes, thrilling lunch specials and exquisite entrees, there is a lot to like here. And the longer you stay the longer you want to stay. Our coffee and spinach cake ended in a 3 course lunch; they change their menu regularly! A good rule of thumb is if you can see and hear the chef cooking, you know your meal is the real deal. Superb!QC‑5, ul. Jagiellońska 13, tel. (+48) 32 438 46 04. Open 08:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 20:00, Sun 10:00 - 18:00. €€. T­B­6­W BOHEMA Entirely elegant, there’s 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 Salmon Carpaccio, tenderloin in forest iyp.me/katowice

Restaurants mushroom sauce and an entire page of veggie side dishes entitled ‘Vitamins’ at the top. They even have a respectable kids menu to boot. Classy with a creme interior of black and white photos of 50s starlets, the separate downstairs bar offers something a bit more relaxed, although is only available for private parties and functions, so you must call in advance to arrange!QB‑7, ul. Bratków 4, tel. (+48) 32 202 51 80, www.restauracjabohema.com. Open 12:00 20:00, Sun 12:00 - 18:00. €€€. T­B­W

Restauracja Max Polish & International Cuisine, Venison

BUŁKĘS Their tagline is all you really need to know: Pulled Pork and Pancakes. If you’re still not convinced then how about local micro-brewed craft beers on tap and in bottles, and lunch options that will knock your socks off, Prosecco cocktails and homemade cakes. Still not convinced? Come find us on their urban terrace – we’ll be digging into yet another BBQ pork, bacon and blue cheese sandwich (we’re addicted already) and washing it down with a fruity Silesian Hajer IPA. We’ll have a word or two for you; come early and come often!QC‑5, ul. Plebiscytowa 10, tel. (+48) 780 09 09 66. Open 12:00 - 22:00, Mon 14:00 - 22:00, Fri 12:00 23:00, Sat 12:00 - 23:30. €€. T­U­B­6­W DZIEŃ I NOC Entering any establishment is usually dependent on your choice of day and night options - do you want food during the day? Do you want to go for drinks in the evening? Well, entering this establishment is a clear choice between dzień i noc (night and day), as both are rolled into one! Located right in the city centre, come during the day for some great food, and quite a treat too, as the kitchen is headed by the talented Agnieszka Syguła! The Lunch options are based on two dishes (appetiser, & main for 25zł) or three dishes (appetiser, main & dessert for 32zł). Their steaks are definitely worth a try, and a nice touch, you can go to the fridge, choose your piece of meat and pay for the weight you choose! Once you’re done with the food, the night sets in and gradually some eating areas become a dancefloor.

Eat. Drink. Dance. I’m in!QC‑4, ul. Warszawska 5, tel. (+48) 531 03 40 34, www.dzieninoc.com.pl. Open 12:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 20:00. €€€€.

T­U­B­E­6 KLUBOGALERIA SARP This marvellous multifunctional restaurant, club, bar and architectural cultural centre arrived on the scene to much fanfare. Their various international inspired menus are reason enough to pay them a visit. On weekdays they are open form 09:00, serving breakfast until 12:00, but if lunch is more your thing, stop in from 12:00-16:00 Mon-Fri for their daily special, costing 15zł which includes soup, main and a dessert. If none of that floats your boat just order off of the regular dinner menu with inspired soups, sides and mains until 23:00. Their numerous flat screen TVs mean that this is the rare venue that you can eat a delicious meal, drink a great cocktail and watch the big game at the same time.

QC‑4, ul. Dyrekcyjna 9, tel. (+48) 32 205 12 86, www. klubogaleriasarp.pl/. Open 09:00 - 24:00. €€€. B­W iyp.me/polandblog

Katowice, al. Korfantego 105 +48 32 259 68 86

www.restauracja-max.pl

Katowice, ul 3 Maja 23

Sport Events on

42 TVs

4 bars 2 big screens tables 4 dart,billiards foosball tables

2dance floors www.citypub.pl tel. +48 32 253 97 99 www.facebook.com/city.pub.katowice July – October 2018 51

Restaurants QUICK EATS

Kartofelnik

EUROPA Those who like to complain about the Poles’ frequent inability to form an orderly queue will be amused by this classic milk bar, which features a series of gates and fences to curb queue barging. Once you do get to the counter, take your pick from a range of local, ludicrously cheap flour-based dishes, a surprisingly decent bean soup, goulash and instant mashed potatoes. School dinners for grown ups, collect your food, pick up a knife and fork, pay the lady and away you go/go away.QC‑3, ul. Mickiewicza 8, tel. (+48) 32 259 66 96. Open 08:00 - 17:00, Closed Sat, Sun, Open 08:00 - 17:00. From September open 08:00 - 18:00. €. S FABRYKA KURTOSZA A great addition to Katowice’s growing street food offer, this colorful and central spot serves up sweet and savoury Kurtosz aka chimney cakes. These curious spiral shaped cakes hail all the way from Transylvania and have become increasingly popular in Poland. They are baked in a special oven so that they are extra crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.They serve up several classic sweet varieties like cinnamon, coconut, white chocolate, nutella and caramel. The unique savoury options include parmesan with pumpkin seed, spicy salami and our favourite, olive & feta with arugula. They even have morning specials with a breakfast offer for 13zł with coffee for 1zł, Mon-Sat 10:00 - 12:00.QD‑3, ul. Staromiejska 14, tel. (+48) 519 33 11 10. Open 10:00 - 21:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 20:00. €. T­B­6­W KARTOFELNIK One of the more interesting culinary trends to have popped up in Poland, although given the country’s enduring love affair with the humble spud it makes perfect sense. At this bright bistro (also an eco mini market) they’ve truly made the tater great by pairing it with all sorts of healthy and exotic fillings. Their huge organic and perfectly baked jacket potatoes become flavour transportation devices when paired with hummus, kimchi, chili con carne, various curries and more. They also have daily soups on offer, organic juices and delicious desserts.QD‑4, ul. Mielęckiego 4, tel. (+48) 507 50 35 57. Open 12:00 - 21:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 20:00. €. T­U­B­6­W 52 Katowice In Your Pocket

KOFEINA MINI The new train station and shiny new shopping mall are attracting all sorts of new businesses to a street that was downright downtrodden not too long ago. Kofeina Bistro is exactly the type of place that’s changing the face of this central thoroughfare. This modern, bright bistro and cool cafe serves up all kinds of affordable and delicious dishes, many of which would pass for gourmet meals in more pretentious environs. Their chalkboard menu proclaims the daily specials and organizes them either by food type, “Pierogies, Soups, Pastas, Smoothies etc.” or by main ingredient, “Cod, Veal, Chicken, Salmon etc.” Everything is worth trying and don’t forget to grab one of their delicious coffee - sit and sip or grab and go.QB‑3, ul. 3 Maja 13, tel. (+48) 509 34 12 65. Open 08:00 - 19:00, Sun 09:00 13:00. €€. T­B­6­W PAN DE ROSSA Located in the Valley of Three Ponds (just east of F-5 on the map) – one of the city’s most popular recreation areas, Pan de Rossa makes more than just an appetising diversion for those creaking around on their bicycles. Unfortunately they downsized their seasonal terrace overlooking the pond when they moved across the road and into the trees.

However what they lost in views they gained in design with a fresh, modern décor with lots of light through their large windows. The menu remains a dissertation on local grilled fish and game dishes but has upped the Polish selections, likely to cater to a more local audience.QL‑5, ul. Trzech Stawów 23 (os. Paderewskiego), tel. (+48) 32 256 05 52. Open 10:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 22:00. €€€. U­B­W PATIO One of Katowice’s most popular restaurants just had an extensive renovation and they are all spiffed up and ready to serve. They got rid of some of the kitschy clutter, added some comfier chairs and brightened things up a bit so you can now see your delicious dish a bit better and feel relaxed as you eat it. Their extensive menu of regional dishes (Silesian beef roulade with dumplings and red cabbage) and European cuisine (pizzas, pastas, grilled meats and fish etc.) has plenty to offer. Their multi-lingual menus (English, German, French and Italian) make it easy for you to successfully order what some claim to be the best steak in town. For a bargain, visit between 11:00 and 16:00 Mon-Fri, when lunch is only 24zł.QB‑3, ul. Stawowa 3, tel. (+48) 32 781 55 55, www.restauracjapatio.pl. Open 10:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €€€. T­B­6­W PATIO PARK An exquisitely decorated and refreshingly spacious restaurant at the edge of Kościuszki 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. Countrystyle 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 iyp.me/katowice

Restaurants 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 chef’s recommendations on the first page to find something tempting. They’ve recently introduced tasting menus on Mon and Tues (55-75zł). Don’t hesitate to bring the kids as they’ve just installed a new playground area so you can dine in peace.QJ‑5, ul. Kościuszki 101, tel. (+48) 32 205 30 77, www.patio-park.pl. Open 10:00 23:00, Sun 10:00 - 21:00. €€€. T­U­B­W PATIO ZAJAZD The patriarch of the Patio family is also their biggest and most exclusive. The Polish ‘zajazd’ is something between a Diner, a Motel and a rip roaring wedding and function hall. Patio Zajazd fits the bill but ups the classiness and quality by a factor of ten. As with all Patio restaurants the food is the centrepiece and is a hearty mix of Polish staples and pan European fair. Steeped in tradition and experience, their chefs, waiters and hotel staff all provide top notch service and they even have a play area for your little ones (inside and out). Whether you’re simply stopping in for a bite to eat or staying for the weekend to celebrate a distant nephew’s nuptials. They have 22 comfortable Hotel quality rooms available on the premises.Qul. Kościuszki 352, Piotrowice, tel. (+48) 32 202 95 56, www.patiozajazd.pl. Open 08:00 - 22:00. €€€. T­U­B­W RESTAURACJA MAX This is an absolute Katowice institution and if you happen to have a taste for the wilder meats, then Max is the place for you to get your fix. Their cuisine hovers somewhere between trans-European and traditional Polish with an expansive menus of delicate starters, hearty soups and decadent mains. But the star of the show is undoubtedly the many exotic game dishes and regular specials they have on offer. Choose from roast wild boar or Venison steaks! If you can’t decide on just one go for the chef’s wild game platter for two. Make sure in the summer months to try dining al fresco on their terrace. NOTE: Max is located about a 10 minute walk north of the Spodek and just off of our map on ul. Korfantego.QK‑1, Al. Korfantego 105, tel. (+48) 32 259 68 86, www.restauracja-max.pl. Open 09:00 - 22:00, Sat 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €€.

T­B­W RESTAURACJA MONOPOL This regal bistro recently had its menu overhauled had its art-deco decor totally redecorated. Located in the heart of the City on the ground floor of the city’s only 5 star Hotel the very capable head chef has concocted the ideal seasonal sensations for light leisurely breakfast and midday meals. If you’re feeling a bit more peckish check out their daily lunch menu (daily from 12:00 - 16:00).

Their extensive wine list will also help you start your day in style.QC‑4, ul. Dworcowa 5 (Monopol Hotel), tel. (+48) 32 782 82 82, www.monopolkatowice.hotel. com.pl. Open 12:00 - 16:00. Closed Sat, Sun. €€€.

U­W iyp.me/polandblog

ul. Stawowa 3, 40-095 Katowice tel. 32 781 55 55, 32 259 98 65 www.restauracjapatio.pl Open 10:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00

Our Family Tradition for over 70 years in gastronomy

Possibility of accommodation in cosy charming rooms!

Open: hotel 24h, restaurant 8:00 - 22:00

ul. Kościuszki 352, 40-690 Katowice tel. 32 202 95 56, tel. kom. 666-388-108 www.patiozajazd.pl July – October 2018 53

Restaurants SILESIAN GRUB

The classic ‘Rolada z kluskami śląskimi i modrą kapustą’ from Wiejska Chatka.

A blue-collar region of migrants, miners and miners’ daughters, few places are as well suited to the nation’s traditional peasant fare of potatoes, cutlets and cabbage as Silesia. So what have the locals contributed to national cuisine? Well, you can put Silesian noodles, knownly locally as ‘kluski śląskie’ 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, kluski literally stick to your ribs and set like cement in your stomach. As for main courses, your pervasive regional entrée for the brave has to be Silesian beef rolades, or ‘rolada śląska’ - a rather turd-like rolled beef patty filled with onions, bacon and pickles. This surprisingly tasty dish with some kluśki and red cabbage or fried sauerkraut on the side is as Silesian as it gets. Wash it all down with a Żywiec or Tyskie - Poland’s most popular national beers, both from Silesia.

Sharing platter from Wiejska Chatka.

54 Katowice In Your Pocket

RESTAURACJA POD DREWNIANYM BOCIANEM A new franchise of a tried and true Chorzów and Ruda Śląska legends, the Katowice version of the stalky stork is a bit more modern and elegant than the rest of its flock.

Here they have gone the downtown route offering fine dining mixed with occasional live music. Although the atmosphere is much more sophisticated the menu is in fact similar which is very much to their credit. Thin crust pizzas cooked in a wood fire oven are the centrepiece of their expansive menu which also delves deeply into other Mediterranean staples like pastas, salads and seafood with a smattering Polish classics and Silesian specialities for good measure. The portions are large and the food is outstanding. Judging from the positivity of the staff and the meticulousness of the new design and expansive private event room, this bird has come to roost for a long while.QJ‑3, ul. Gliwicka 49, tel. (+48) 532 53 22 22, www.drewnianybocian.pl. Open 12:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 23:00. €€€. T­B­W RESTAURACJA TAMARYND Located in the ground floor of the 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. With supremely elegant interiors accentuated by chandeliers, mirrors covering the walls and a bright and colourful decor, the only question you’ll 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 Sosnowiec.Qul. Wojska Polskiego 199 (M Hotel Sosnowiec), Sosnowiec, tel. (+48) 507 55 50 03, www.tamarynd.pl. Open 06:30 - 10:00, 16:00 - 22:00. €€. X­T­U­B­W RESTAURACJA VACANZA It’s rare that a hotel restaurant would warrant the trip for those not staying upstairs, but Silesian dining is precisely the kind of perfect storm that makes Vacanza an oasis of taste. Warm Mediterranean interiors include a fireplace and sunny four season 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, it’s also worth considering if you’re planning more than a casual dinner.Qul. Olimpijska 4, Siemianowice Śląskie (Diament Vacanza Siemianowice Śląskie), tel. (+48) 32 606 83 83, www. restauracjavacanza.pl. Open 12:00 - 22:00. €€€. T­U­ B­6­W STEAKHOUSE DA DA If there were such a thing as the beaten path in Katowice, Stekhouse would certainly be off it, but it’s worth seeking out if you’re feeling particularly rapacious. With a variety of choice cuts of primo authentico Argentine beef steaks (Black Angus), Irish beef steaks (Hereford) and other choice cuts from around the globe (Chile, Japan and even Poland!).

If you’re a meat lover you can’t go wrong. There’s an English iyp.me/katowice

Restaurants menu on hand and the pleasant staff are more than happy to help out.QA‑6, ul. gen. Zajączka 17 (entrance from ul.

Poniatowskiego), tel. (+48) 32 205 61 03. Reservation only. €€€€. W TATIANA A long, thin restaurant with elegant, cleverly designed wooden floors and ceilings. The organic design is enhanced with decorative bamboo and suspended reeds and a new lighting system which make for a bright and warm atmosphere. One of Katowice’s finer and suitably popular establishments, the menu features an extensive range of Slavic and European dishes including steaks (the best in the city?) plus a seasonal menu that changes every three months. The Silesian style ‘Żurek’ (sour rye soup) with mashed potato, sausage and egg is as traditional as you can get, and wow, what a taste! Great food with a wine list to match.QC‑4, ul. Staromiejska 5, tel. (+48) 32 203 74 13, www.restauracjatatiana.pl. Open 13:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. €€€. U­B­W

ITALIAN BAR A BOO The furthest restaurant on the Mariacka strip but more than well worth the trip. Specializing in pizzas, pastas and other Italian treats, this popular eatery hits all the right notes avoids being just another Italian place. With authentic wood fired pizzas at the heart of it all, their seasonal menus are built around the freshest of ingredients both sourced locally and imported from Italy. Their Pappardelle Porcini with porcini mushrooms, cured tomatoes, onion, garlic and wine and butter sauce was just the ticket! The colourful wine and drink menu (Prosecco, Bellini!) is expertly presented and paired by their friendly and knowledgable waitstaff. Delicioso!QE‑4, ul. Mariacka 37, tel. (+48) 32 399 15 26, www.baraboo.pl. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 01:00. €€. T­B­W CRISTALLO 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 minimalist aesthetic to the experience. Select from the imaginative Italian (and Polish) inspired menu with succulent dishes and a choice of grilled fish. You pay for the quality here, and it comes as no surprise that diners trek across Silesia to do so.QC‑4, ul. Dworcowa 5 (Monopol Hotel), tel. (+48) 32 782 82 09, www.monopolkatowice.hotel.com.pl. Open 16:00 - 23:00, Fri 16:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €€€€.

U­E­W

Get the In Your Pocket City Essentials App iyp.me/polandblog

July – October 2018 55

Restaurants

„The Best Sushi Restaurant in Poland“ according to Rzeczpospolita (One of Poland‘s leading newspapers)

A large selection of hot dishes Home and office delivery

LEN ARTE Len Arte takes the cake for the best pizza pie in town.

The incredible smells wafting from their wood fired oven will hit you way before you queue up for a table.

And wait you will (unless you call ahead), as this is one of the hottest gastronomic tickets in town. Once you make it inside you’ll see why their pies are so divine. They have countless artisanal Italian products prominently displayed behind the bar. Peperoncinis, prosciutto, pasta, parmesan, pesto, porcini oh my! Choose from an impossible list of pristine pizzas, scrumptious salads, perfect pastas and delicious dolces. Top it all off with an authentic espresso and you’ll be shouting Bravissimo along with the rest of town.QD‑4, ul. Mariacka 25, tel. (+48) 32 308 84 30, www.lenarte.it. Open 13:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 13:00 - 24:00. Closed Mon. €€. T­B­ 6­W NOVO The first thing you’ll be struck by as you walk in to NOVO is the huge stone bake oven right at the bar (we think it’s the only one in Kato!). The second thing you’ll be struck by is the sight of all the chopped wood, used for said oven, stored all around the restaurant, craftily incorporated into the decor. The restaurant has a fantastic feel to it, with pots of herbs adorned on the outside wall of the courtyard garden. Now, order your food and watch as it’s all made in the glass walled kitchen outside - try not to put the chefs off from their fine work. You may notice the menu is printed on regular paper, and for good reason, as the menu is seasonal and regularly updated, although they do have their regular dishes. The wine list is huge and we’re sure you’ll find something to tickle your fancy.QD‑4, ul. Warszawska 15, tel. (+48) 572 35 91 31. Open 12:00 - 23:00, Mon 16:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. €€. T­B­6­W

Katowice – Silesia City Center Ul. Chorzowska 109 tel. + 48 32 60-50-977 tel. + 48 32 60-50-975 Facebook/ Hana Sushi Katowice

56 Katowice In Your Pocket

RISTORANTE TERRA MARE Although slightly off the beaten track, this superb and elegant Italian seafood restaurant has a fleet of culinary delights. The stunning interiors set the tone with the seafaring Mediterranean theme done impressively well.

Most restaurants that attempt such a theme end up looking like a Pirates of the Caribbean set. It’s a testament to the owners that they can somehow suspend a dingy from the ceiling and make it look elegant. Design aside, the food is the main attraction and the rare site of a lobster tank with live lobsters should be an indication of what kind of quality (and price) you should expect.

Authentic antipastas, perfect handmade pastas and main dishes that are fit for a king (prawn). While every dish looks enticing we suggest ordering a fish or seafood dish as it might be the best you’ve had this side of the Alps. Magnifico! For parents, there is the added piece of mind that there’s a kids’ corner on the 1st floor.QN‑1, Al. Roździeńskiego 191B, tel. (+48) 515 05 56 00, www.terramare.pl. Open 12:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 23:00. €€€€. T­U­B­W iyp.me/katowice

Restaurants JAPANESE HANA SUSHI A former swimming pool attached to one of Katowice’s closed coal mines, this lovely brick building has been refitted to house the city’s best sushi house and Japanese restaurant. With the added advantage of being at the Silesia 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 don’t feel like making your way to Silesia’s biggest shopping mall.QI‑2, ul. Chorzowska 109, tel. (+48) 32 605 09 77, www.hanasushi.pl. Open 11:00 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. €€€€. T­U­B­W HOBU A trendy venue with warm interiors and tasteful lighting that both welcome and impress. 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) haven’t been overlooked, and the menu includes numerous cooked dishes including teriyaki duck and teppanyaki.QC‑5, ul. Plebiscytowa 10, tel. (+48) 600 20 12 65, www.hobusushi.pl. Open 12:00 22:00, Sun 13:00 - 21:00. €€€. U­B­W KYOTO SUSHI 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 complete with flowing fountain. Choose from Nigiri, Maki, Sashimi and classic Japanese dishes, washing it down with a Japanese wine, beer, whisky or a carafe of sake.QD‑3, ul. Uniwersytecka 13, tel. (+48) 32 603 01 66, www.kyotosushi.com.pl. Open 12:00 - 22:00, Fri 12:00 23:00, Sat 13:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 21:00. €€€. U­W

MEDITERRANEAN NEW AÏOLI INSPIRED BY KATOWICE AïOLI Inspired by Katowice brings yet more Mediterranean flare to the city’s rynek to accompany the deck chairs and palm trees next to the ‘mighty’ Rawa river. AïOLI is already majorly popular in Warsaw and Gdańsk, so it’s nice to see them branch out further to Kato (their first venture in the south of the country), and right in the heart of the city - it’s hard to miss them with the brightly lit sign on top of the building. The interior is the usual AïOLI style of post-industrial furnishings and open kitchen. As for the menu, as expected of AïOLI, it’s quite extensive, which means there’ll always be something for everyone - pasta with frutti di mare? No problem! Pizza?

Coming right up! If that’s not up your street, then they have the usual crowd pleasers too - burgers! We’re sure AïOLI will fit right in to the changing landscape of Kato and will fit right in. A restaurant and bar by day, at the weekends, it becomes quite a lively music venue too.QC‑3, Rynek 5, tel. (+48) 32 220 83 48. Open 09:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 09:00 - 01:00. €€€. E iyp.me/polandblog

Mediterranean Cuisine THE BEST MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT IN THE REGION 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 HOTEL ALTUS PRESTIGE, FIRST FLOOR. ul. Uniwersytecka 13, Katowice mobile +48 512 020 808 tel +48 (32) 603 01 91 katowice@viatoscana.pl www.viatoscana.pl July – October 2018 57

Restaurants LA CANTINA Here we go dropping the superlatives: Located 4km from Katowice’s centre in lovely Dolina Trzech Stawów (wait for it), those who make the trek out to this Mediterranean charmer (wait for it) will be rewarded with not only the beautiful surroundings of Valley of Three Ponds (wait for it), but also Katowice’s finest restaurant, hands down and undulating in adulation (!!). The stone and wood interior - comfortably casual, but with all the expected finery - creates a warm dining atmosphere that will ripen any mood. Top off your superb meal of decadent delights with a killer wine list and it’s easy to forget Katowice isn’t located somewhere in Provence.QL‑5, ul. Trzech Stawów 22, tel. (+48) 32 256 29 27, www.la-cantina.pl. Open 09:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 24:00. €€€€. X­T­U­B­6­W SHRIMP HOUSE Started by three brothers with a passion for cooking, Shrimp House provides something that in the past was lacking in Polish gastronomy but has been gradually springing up here and there, and is now available right in the centre of Katowice just a stone’s throw away from the main train station - damn good shrimp! Inspired by the food truck trend, the brothers offer delicious fresh shrimp bites (not tiny, frozen, poor quality prawns) served in a variety of ways - from pasta and tomato sauce, garlic and white wine sauce, curried shrimp all the way to Pho soup, all with various dips. The food on offer is the real deal...at long last.QB‑4, ul. Młyńska 11, tel. (+48) 726 50 06 66, www.shrimp-house.pl. Open 12:00 22:00, Sat, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. €€. T­B­6­W VIA TOSCANA A sensory delight awaits you on the second floor of Altus Tower with intriguing interiors touting archways, lampposts, vines and even mock balconies. It’s every much as delightful on the palette as it is on the eye, with a menu featuring Argentinean beef, a great pickled salmon carpaccio and seafood. The house specialty is octopus in a white wine sauce with cherry tomatoes and arugala served over pappardelle pasta. Wine and dine al fresco on their expansive 60 person terrace. Equally suited to romantic trysts or hushed business dinners, Via Toscana is further proof of Katowice’s growing stature.QD‑3, ul. Uniwersytecka 13 (Altus Tower), tel. (+48) 32 603 01 91, www.viatoscana.pl. Open 12:00 - 23:00. €€€€. X­T­U­W

MEXICAN

La cocina de México Mariacka 18a, Katowice tel. 32 209 01 40 www.elmexicano.pl 58 Katowice In Your Pocket

NEW BIAŁA MAŁPA MEXICO Drum roll, please! A new venue in what is probably our favourite courtyard in Katowice has arrived. Found right in the city centre, this place has an awesome street mural by local Silesian artist Raspazjan and the fantastic Biała Małpa with its multitap and craft beer offerings; and now Biała Małpa is branching out into the food world with its sister venue ‘Biała Małpa Mexico’ - no prizes for guessing what kind of cuisine they have! Thanks to their Mexican chef, you’ll be delighted with the style of the food with all the classics you’d expect on offer. Inspired by their sibling across the courtyard, they have 6 taps for beer lovers (27 if you combine it with iyp.me/katowice

Restaurants next door’s Biała Małpa), but in true Mexican style, tequila tasting boards and margaritas are definitely worth a try! As if there wasn’t enough reason to visit this courtyard before, you now have a fantastic choice of venues to choose from. A mural, great drinks, great food, all in one amazing courtyard.

Recommended.QB‑3, ul. 3 Maja 38, tel. (+48) 604 86 61 73, www.bialamalpa.pl. Open 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €€. B­E­W EL MEXICANO If you’re anything like us and you’ve tried one too many cabbage filled tacos in mexican kitsch-fiestaurants across Poland, then you’ll 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 there’s absolutely no risk of being serenaded by a pimply faced Politechnika student in a sombrero. Muchos Bravos Mexicanos!QD‑4, ul. Mariacka 18A, tel. (+48) 790 82 26 82. Open 12:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00. €€. B­W

POLISH CADENZA Occupying a prominent position on the second floor of the country’s foremost concert hall, Cadenza has a lot of rolls to fill; it is the pre-concert venue for dinner, drinks or snacks; it is the intermission wine and cake stop; it is the catering kitchen for all NOSPR special events that happen both inside and out; it is, most importantly, the most cutting edge and innovative Polish restaurant in Katowice. Every seasonal dish is carefully composed and explodes in a symphony of pianissimo and fortissimo flavors. The fried dumpligs, spinach with nuts, smoked sturgeon and white radishes are clear standouts and we will gladly return for an encore performance of more of their inspiring culinary delights.QB‑3/4, Pl. Wojciecha Kilara 1, tel. (+48) 32 732 53 47, www.cadenza.pl. Open 10:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon. €€€. T­B­W CHATA Z ZALIPIA Paying homage to the specific folk art tradition of the far-away Małopolska 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. Delicious Polish home-cooking is served on beautifully decorated ceramic dish ware, while waitresses in traditional dress and disco folk music round out what serves as one of the best introductions to Polish cuisine in Silesia. They’ve even won several culinary awards and what’s more, many Polish stars of stage and screen seem to count themselves as regulars. The one and only Slash polished off some pierogi here not so long ago. Rock and rolada!QC‑5, ul.

Wojewódzka 15, tel. (+48) 32 205 33 00, www.chatazzalipia. pl. Open 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 20:00. €€. T­U­6­W iyp.me/polandblog

July – October 2018 59

Restaurants NEW SMAQ FOOD & WINE Located in the fantastic Q Hotel Plus Katowice, don’t be put off thinking that you have to be a guest to eat here, it’s open to the public, and we’d highly recommend a visit.

When we personally stayed at the hotel, we were delighted with the impressive breakfast offering, so we knew we simply could not pass up the chance see what they had on offer later in the day. The restaurant specialises in traditional Silesian produce and dishes with a modern twist (which are delightful), but international cuisine is also on offer. The helpful staff are always eager to help you, should you be unsure of what Silesian cuisine entails! Tuesdays are all about pasta with 5 dishes on offer, and Thursdays are steak & burger day! As for Sunday, this is family dinner day (we recommend booking in advance). For those looking to save a buck or two, Mon-Fri between 12:30-15:00 is happy hour - two dishes for the price of one! Recommended.QC‑5, ul. Wojewódzka 12, tel. (+48) 32 740 99 40, www.qhotels.pl/katowice-plus/orestauracji. Open 06:30 - 10:30, 12:30 - 23:00; Sat, Sun 07:00 - 11:00, 12:30 - 23:00. €€€. T­U­W RYCERSKI 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 benchstyle furniture, friendly waitresses and large servings of wellprepared Polish grub are actually worth the trip out here, even if you’re 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.Qul. Będzińska 53 (Hotel Rycerski), Czeladź, tel. (+48) 32 763 58 88, www.hotelrycerski.pl. Open 08:00 - 22:00. €€€. T­U­B­W WIEJSKA CHATKA (THE RUSTIC HUT) Katowice’s only truly traditional Polish and Silesian restaurant is a nice change of pace if not slightly out of place. A cavalcade of country-style adornments such as old farming tools and painted flowers contrast nicely with the bright white walls.

The background music is as kitschy and folky as it comes which goes perfectly with the large portions of hearty Polish staples and Silesian delicacies piled high upon your plate.

They also offer breakfasts and lunch specials and a boat load of beverages to boot. This urban ‘Village’ is one you just must pillage when you’re in town.QK‑2, Pl. Grunwaldzki 4, tel. (+48) 32 350 30 10, www.wiejskachatka.com.pl. Open 10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 23:00. €€. T­B­W ZŁOTY RÓG (THE GOLDEN HORN) A combined delicatessen and place to stand at a table and eat in the style of a train station buffet, this humble-looking establishment churns out a large array of outstanding dishes ready to eat in an instant from pierogi to roast beef, all served with a superb choice of side dishes and salads. If you don’t mind the peculiar dining arrangements you won’t find it easy to get a better and tastier bargain than in here. Check in or visit their FB for details on daily discounts.QD‑4, ul. Mariacka 2, tel. (+48) 32 253 78 48, www.zlotyrogkatowice.pl. Open 07:00 - 18:00, Sat 08:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. €€.

60 Katowice In Your Pocket

iyp.me/katowice

Restaurants SILESIAN MOODRO RESTAURANT Not to be confused with the Bistro/Cafe of the same name across the courtyard in the main museum complex, this is the much larger and more elegant restaurant in the old Machinery Building of the Silesian Museum. The refined exposed brick interiors with large picture windows overlook the rest of the Museum’s stunning campus. Their exquisite seasonal cuisine can best be described as Modern Silesian Fusion. Expect futuristic European fare and classic Silesian with flare (think rolada śląska with dumplings and red cabbage etc.). With a great wine list and impeccable service, you may find yourself becoming a repeat customer, Museum visit or not.QK‑3, ul. Tadeusza Dobrowolskiego 1A (Silesian Museum), tel. (+48) 795 55 93 01, www. moodro.pl. Open 12:00 - 22:00, Closed Mon. €€€.

U­B­W ŻUROWNIA If you’re not familiar yet with the Polish soup Żurek, it’s your lucky day. It is a sour rye soup and one of the most iconic of all Polish soups. This new bustling bistro is a shrine to the humble soup and you can order a big ole bowl with hard boiled eggs and/or sausages. But you know what they say, come for the soup and stay for the Silesian street food.

The local patriotism is strong in this place (the main menu is in Silesian and the cooks shout at each other in it) and they scoured the whole region for the best quick bites they could find. Try the ‘Ślązak’ aka Silesian kielbasa hot dog or a ’Hajer’ tortilla wrap with red cabbage, beef and pickles, among other things. This is Silesian soul food served up fast and cheap as chips (braty)! Additionally, a weekly seasonal menu is on offer consisting of Polish and International dishes (9-19zł). There is also a conference room (holds up to 30 people, catering available), should you need it.QB‑5, ul.

Ligonia 16, tel. (+48) 535 08 46 66. Open 12:00 - 22:00, Mon, Sun 12:00 - 21:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 23:00. €€. T­U­ 6­W

VIETNAMESE LITTLE HANOI...AND MORE! Set on a pedestrianised street in the heart of Katowice within walking distance of the train station and Katowice’s ‘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 décor 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 their signature Duck “Little Hanoi” style was to-die-for!

Wash it down with a Lime Nuoc Chanh and like us you’ll be fortified for the evening ahead with hardly a dent made in your wallet.QC‑4, ul. Staromiejska 4, tel. (+48) 886 62 33 88, www.littlehanoi.eu. Open 13:30 - 23:00, Sun 13:30 21:00. €€. U­B­W iyp.me/polandblog

July – October 2018 61

Nightlife

Our favourite courtayrd in Kato, home to Biała Małpa (p.63). Photo: FOTODUSZA

Katowice’s 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/E-4) as the city’s nightlife headquarters. A pedestrianised threeblock 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 you’re looking for.

ELITE Katowice isn’t exactly the place to take your twentysomething arm trophy for a romantic weekend, but you can probably pick one up while you’re here. To that end 62 Katowice In Your Pocket

try Cooler Club (p.68) or the more sophisticated Upojeni (p.67).

LADS Foreign funboys can mix with the locals in the context of their own culture in the likes of Ambasada Śledzia (p.64) and Klub Pomarańcza (p.68), before drinking enough Guinness to lurk across the lively dancefloors of Rajzefiber (p.69) or the classic City Pub (p.64). Bierhalle microbrewery (p.69) is also ideal for team piss-ups.

STUDENTS Not the most discerning demographic, students will go anywhere there’s fun music and cheap drinks, namely Browariat (p.69); those with more intent to impress will try Spiż (p.69), or Kato (p.65).

COUPLES Couples looking for romance should find it by dropping in to Old Cuban (p. 66) for some of the best cocktails in the city and a truly tropical atmosphere, before retreating to the cosy cushions of Longway (p.66).

ALTERNATIVE Katowice has a fair number of alt. venues with gamer orientated Cybermachina (p.64) and artsy Drzwi Zwane Koniem (p.64) being among the best offbeat boozers in the city. Hipsters and beer loving backpackers gravitate to Namaste (p.66) and Biała Małpa (p.63). Those with more elevated musical tastes will find few finer clubs than INQbator (p.68), whether there’s a live concert on or not. iyp.me/katowice

Nightlife BARS & PUBS ABSURDALNA Bringing modern art, street food and craft beer together under one roof: what an absurdly fantastic idea! When you first walk into this exceedingly colourful bar you could mistake it for an art gallery as the large front room hosts a rotating selection of edgy contemporary art. Keep heading deeper and you’ll find several rooms filled with funky furniture and all sorts of nifty nooks for you to snack and sip in. When you finally make it to the bar you’ll be delighted to find a 16 tap bar set up to serve a rotating variety of Poland’s latest and greatest craft brews (with a strong emphasis on Silesian Breweries). The street food menu offers tasty plates of cheap sides and mains. Check out their FB for upcoming events.QC‑4, ul. Dworcowa 3, tel. (+48) 537 67 02 70, www.absurdalna.pl. Open 15:00 - 00:30, Fri, Sat 15:00 02:30. B­E­W AMNEZJA Amnezja has a lot going for it without a lot of gimmicks.

Unlike many of the other shady shot bars and crowded student dives, this place is seriously spacious, offering all sorts of nooks and crannies to tuck away in over three floors. Their buzzing beer garden is great for seasonal people watching on the Mariacka strip. There is a slight Western vibe with a lot of exposed brick and tasteful black murals of cowboys, Krakow and Katowice by art.pl. But the star of the show is most certainly the beer. Their claim to fame is the delicious super fresh “14 day” Tyskie which they get straight from the factory (which you can also takeaway). The perfectly poured Pilsner (in 3 different ways, no less) is equally worth your attention. In short, Amnezja is a great spot for groups, dates or solo acts looking to enjoy a modern day Silesian saloon.QD‑4, ul. Mariacka 16, tel. (+48) 504 06 79 03. Open 11:00 - 03:00. X­B­W BIAŁA MAŁPA (THE WHITE MONKEY) This alabaster ape drapes itself in cool and drowns itself in sudsy pools of amber nectar nightly. This premium primate has achieved cult status among Katowice beer lovers. You’ll see why as soon as you squeeze through its monkey bars.

Warm woods, exposed brick and a new heated outdoor beer garden greet you before you even see the star of the show... the wall of beer! The biggest and oldest Silesian multitap bar has over 400 bottled varieties of Polish, Czech, Belgian, English and Irish artisanal beers and ales on hand plus a rotating cast of 20 brews on tap plus 1 pump. And don’t fear the beer, the knowledgeable staff is eager to offer advice and help you navigate their seas of suds. Come for a coffee during the day and fight with all your might to order that first pint of the night or try out their whisky offers! If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, the good folk here have now opened Biała Małpa Mexico in the same courtyard, offering Mexican dishes prepared by a Mexican, along with tequila tasting boards and fantastic margaritas!QB‑3, ul.

3 Maja 38, tel. (+48) 604 86 61 73, www.bialamalpa.pl.

Open 12:00 - 24:00, Fri 12:00 - 02:00, Sat 14:00 - 02:00, Sun 14:00 - 23:00. B­W iyp.me/polandblog

KATOWICE FOR BEER LOVERS

After a dozen or so hangovers (and extra trips to the shop for bog roll), Polish beer generally leaves one with an understanding of why vodka is so popular in Poland. Silesia has the honour of being home to the two worst offenders – Tyskie and Żywiec – which enjoy ubiquitous national distribution and sadly also bear the mantle of Polish beer abroad. Basically a diet of these two gets boring fast for anyone with a real affinity for beer.

What too often goes unrealised is that Poland actually has hundreds of independent micro-breweries that produce delicious beer. More and more bars in Katowice are popping up serving ambitious brews from tap and bottle. Some are even declaring it to be the year of beer!

Biała Małpa (p.63) 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 but with a specific emphasis on the many Polish micro-brews gaining prominence. Beer experts, buckle up!

It’s super trendy, but the beer in ul. Mariacka’s (D/E-4) Kato (p.65) is also super tasty. The selection of bottled micro-brews is always in flux but there are plenty to choose from; we recommend Magnus, a sweet dark beer from the Jagiełło Brewery in far eastern Poland.

If you’re looking for something more local, head to Kontynuacja (p.67) to try a draught from one of the many local micro-brewers that have popped up in the region in recent years. At either place you can try a brew from Kraftwerk - these electro pop piwo pioneers are concocting some of the best Silesian beer, if not best Polish beer around.

If you want to stack these national ales against their Czech counterparts make sure to stop into Hospoda (p.46) and immerse yourself in a sea of Czech suds from Kozel Dark to Rychtar to Radogast. If German Beer is your thing than head to the brand new Browariat (p.69) for a bucket of Bavaria’s finest brew. If it’s multitap you want, head to Upojeni (p.67) with their fine selction of craft beers. The last of the great new breed of beer pubs is Namaste Traveler’s Club (p.66) which has a solid offering of micro-brews on tap but perhaps the most impressive list of domestic and imported bottles in the city. Na zdrowie (‘to your health’); literally.

July – October 2018 63

Nightlife POLISH SNACKS & SHOTS

CITY PUB One of the places that always comes up when enquiries are made about the best places to drink in town and its cult status is unquestionable. The seemingly small bar is delightfully deceptive as the ground floor houses two bars, numerous private rooms including a billiards, foosball and darts lounge, several larger rooms and a decked out dance floor not to mention smoking rooms and a swanky VIP lounge in the basement with a couple more bars to boot! The true charm of City Pub (the oldest pub in Kato!) is that it manages to walk the line between being a Pub and a Club. Curl up with one of the best poured Guinness in Silesia to watch a match or play some billiards during the week and on the weekends dive into their den of sweaty delinquency. On Sundays they have speed dating.QB‑3, ul. 3 Maja 23, tel. (+48) 32 253 97 99, www. citypub.pl. Open 12:00 - 24:00, Mon, Wed 14:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 04:00, Sun 16:00 - 24:00. X­U­B­W

Ambasada Śledzia

A very Polish phenomenon that has swept the country in recent years is the 24-hour snack and shot bar. Known locally as ‘Zakąski Przekąski’ (literally ‘Appetisers & Snacks’), or ‘Polish Tapas’ as it’s been dubbed by some, these trendy, formulaic budget bars cash in on communist nostalgia and the appeal of low prices by offering a small selection of simple, local appetisers (typically served cold) for about 8zł each, with drinks typically fixed at 4zł. Familiar as the bar food of the lean communist years, the menu reads like a list of correct answers to the Jeopardy question ‘Foods that follow vodka’ and typically includes śledź (pickled herring in oil), galaretka (pig trotters in jelly), kiełbasa (sausage), pierogi, pickles and tartare. Much like a milk bar with a liquor license, Zakąski Przekąski bars offer budget food and drink late night and are a great place to meet the city’s strangest characters. We list the best in Katowice below: AMBASADA ŚLEDZIA Only open for a few months and this embassy of herring has taken Katowice’s main party strip by storm.

This Silesian incarnation of a Cracovian establishment of the same name has a similar style, philosophy and thankfully the very same chef as the original. The formula is seemingly well known by now - cheap Polish ‘tapas’ and even cheaper beer and booze. However, what makes them a big fish in the little fish game is their singular style, festive atmosphere (the flowing beer) and the superb quality and originality of their food. They currently offer 10 types of herring, including exotic flavours such as curry, spicy and beet marinated, plus a version with strawberries. If you’re not a fan of the slippery fishies try a hot dish such as BBQ ribs, pork knuckle, potato casseroles or try a slice of apple pie or NYC style cheesecake. Well done, Ambassador!QD‑4, ul. Mariacka 25, tel. (+48) 600 36 15 15. Open 11:00 04:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 06:00. €. B­6­W 64 Katowice In Your Pocket

CYBERMACHINA And now for something completely different… Classic Nintendo characters great you as you wander wide-eyed into this neon dream gaming lounge that offers all sorts of entertainment for hardcore gamers, pinball wizards, jenga junkies and the occasional Catan cartel. Order up a craft brew on tap or out of bottle or power up on one of their signature cocktail elixirs and shots. Even if you are flying solo, the wall of console games and the big screen TV streaming worldwide video game tournaments will keep you enthralled all night long. Check their FB page for special events and tournaments.QC‑4, ul. Św. Jana 10, tel. (+48) 608 12 11 93, www.cybermachina.pl. Open 14:00 - 01:00, Fri 14:00 - 03:00, Sat 16:00 - 03:00, Sun 16:00 - 01:00. U­W DRZWI ZWANE KONIEM One of the city’s newest “restobars” just also happens to have one of the city’s best beer gardens or, rather, a sprawling green terrace. With plenty of tables and chairs, pallet furniture and beach loungers to choose from they have the perfect seating option whether you’re just stopping in for a quick bite or making a night of it! Inside the hip environs are deftly designed and intimately inviting. Order up a cafe beverage or lemonade at the bar by day or grab a local beer or glass of wine by night. Their carefully curated menu features an eclectic mix of Polish and European inspired light appetizers, sweet and savoury waffles, Belgian and French fries that you can order all day. The menu will be seasonal and democratic so do let your waiter know if you enjoy your meal. Fresh and refreshing!QE‑4, ul. Warszawska 37, tel. (+48) 32 204 12 53, www. drzwizwanekoniem.pl. Open 12:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:00. T­B­6­W

Where’s the party? facebook.com/KatowiceInYourPocket iyp.me/katowice

Nightlife KATO Once a discreet DIY bohemian art bar, this hipster hangout is THE place to be seen in Kato’s underground cultural scene.

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 haven’t gone mainstream on Mariacka, but are merely squatting. Since a recent expansion, tattooed, counterculture queens and their jacks continue to spill onto the seasonal pallet tables and fritz cola benches. Bolstered by a solid selection of Czech and Polish microbrews, Kato is the best alternative nightlife venue in town, bar none.QD‑4, ul.

Mariacka 13, tel. (+48) 534 76 76 54. Open 16:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 - 02:00. B­E­W

The best Katowice

has to offer in one great app

KLUBOGALERIA SARP SARP is a hotspot for cutting edge parties and exhibitions.

On weekdays they are open form 09:00, serving breakfast until 12:00. On weekends, the restaurant turns into a full fledged club. Fridays and Saturdays they host some of the best Silesian DJs and a few times a month they host concerts, which may or may not involve the grand piano that also serves as the DJ booth. The full bar offers a wide selection of drinks and cocktails with an extensive drink menu and a nice selection of wine and whiskeys. SARP is a smart choice whether you’re looking to just relax and watch the big game for a while, or to have a great night out in style.QC‑4, ul. Dyrekcyjna 9, tel. (+48) 32 205 12 86, www.klubogaleriasarp.pl. Open 09:00 - 24:00. B­W KREDENS (THE CUPBOARD) Stuffed with broken-spined books, old luggage, dusty sewing machines and springy sofas, Kredens’ dishevelled bohemian spirit wouldn’t be out of place in jazzy Kraków, 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 recently expanded menu of low budget eats from pastas, burgers, salads to pizza you may not have any reason to leave.QE‑5, ul. Św. Jacka 9, tel. (+48) 32 785 91 63, www.kredens-pub.pl. Open 10:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 02:00. B­W MR. FOX PUB & RESTO This sly fox has a streamlined retro feel and a laid back atmosphere which belies its considerable gastronomic ambitions. The extensive food menus cover all the major meals (including happy hour) and span most current culinary trends from obvious winners like burgers and pizza to healthier fare such as goat cheese salad, plus there’s even a little Mexican thrown in! Their extensive drink menu almost overshadows their impressive food offer with all manner of smoothies, shakes, original cocktails, coffee beverages and tea drinks. Good luck leaving this foxhole unsatisfied.QC‑4, ul. Dyrekcyjna 3, tel. (+48) 32 257 65 17. Open 12:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:00, Sun 14:00 - 22:00. B­W iyp.me/polandblog

City Essentials Only our favourite places Works offline, incl. maps Free download Incl. dozens of other cities www.iyp.me/app

E S S E N TI A L C I TY G U I D E S

July – October 2018 65

Nightlife TYSKIE BREWERY

MUSEUM OF THE DUKE’S BREWERY IN TYCHY The Tyskie Brewery, located some 10km south of Katowice in the town of Tychy, has been brewing beer continuously for nearly 400 years. Originally Germanowned, today Poland’s most famous brewery produces over 8,000,000 hectolitres of ale annually, and 13 varieties of beer, including Tyskie Gronie lager - Poland’s bestselling beer. The enormous historical brewing complex is one of Silesia’s architectural marvels, much of which is open to the public for guided tours. Taking about 2.5 hours and led by a humorous and informative guide, the Tyskie tour takes visitors through the entire modern production process and the four-century history of the brewery, beginning in the Brewery Museum.

Housed inside a red brick neo-Gothic church built in 1902, this rather superb space combines modernity and tradition across several fascinating multimedia exhibits on the craft of brewing, serving and imbibing beer, and displays full of historical brewing equipment and beer paraphernalia. A 3D film also tracks the history of the Tyskie Brewery through the ages. Next your tour takes you through parts of the production plant, starting from the Old Brewery - an immaculately-preserved space filled with decorative tiles and WWI-era copper vats that have had modern brewing equipment cleverly fit inside them. Highlights include saucy tales from the so-called ‘Bachelors’ Quarters,’ a glimpse of the brewery’s own railway station and a look inside the fabulously fragrant bottling plant. And of course it all concludes with a free pint in the on-site pub. Tours are available in Polish, English, German, Italian, Czech and Russian, and must be booked in advance. For an extra 20zł, take the extended Ducal Tasting School tour, which includes workshops and tastings with a beer expert.

The easiest way to get to Tychy from Kraków is by car and the 85km journey takes about 1.5hrs. Alternatively, the train takes about 3hrs and involves a change in Katowice; the brewery is only a short walk from Tychy train station.

Qul. Katowicka 9, Tychy, tel. (+48) 32 327 84 30, www. zwiedzbrowar.pl. Open 10:00 - 20:00. Closed Sun, Last entrance 3hrs before closing. Visitors must be over 18 and should call in advance to book a place on the tour.

Admission 30/25zł; groups over 20, 28zł/person.

66 Katowice In Your Pocket

LONGWAY The newest bar to hit Katowice, serving cocktails and over 250 kinds of vodka from Poland and all over the world.

Located in the centre, just along from Plac Wolności, Longway is a quaint bar with a lot of history. Enter to see spruced up original wood furnishings, and a nice, well, long bar! Eager beavers will be interested to know there has been a bar here, in various incarnations, since at least 1912 (the only unaccounted for period being during World War II, which I’m sure you can forgive!). The service is friendly, chatty and informative, great for discussing your next cocktail option! If sitting at the bar isn’t your thing, relax amongst the cushioned area next to the window and watch the world go by, just like this bar has been doing for over 100 years.QJ‑3, ul. Gliwicka 10, tel. (+48) 32 253 78 62. Open 18:00 - 23:00, Thu 18:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 02:00, Closed Mon. E­W NAMASTE TRAVELLER’S CLUB Yet another great bar for Katowice’s beer aficionados.

They offer a constantly fluctuating cast of different casks pumped out of 7 taps as well as over 80 bottles of tasty brews from around the world. This global philosophy applies to more than just the beer as this true travellers’ club organises weekly meetings where world travellers show slides of far off places and exotic faces. Every so often (check their Facebook events calendar) they host meetings with travel writers who regale the crowds with their thrilling tales or hawk their latest book. The atmosphere is always lively and exceedingly friendly so kick back, raise a brew and make a new friend or two.QJ‑3, ul. Jana III Sobieskiego 27, tel. (+48) 503 45 17 04, www.namaste. katowice.pl. Open 15:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 15:00 - 01:00, Sun 16:00 - 23:00. B OLD CUBAN Although it might sound like just a theme bar, Old Cuban is Katowice’s brightest new cocktail star. The experienced mixologists will help you navigate their vast rare rum selection and suggest a perfectly balanced cocktail just for you. Bacardi based cocktails are their bread and butter, but ye ole rum & coke is just the beginning. Order the signature Old Cuban cocktail and be transported to a Caribbean beach with it’s ideal sweet and sour notes with a silky smooth finish. They also have an arsenal of whisky, bourbon, vodka and gin on hand not to mention a fortress of fruit and mixers for whipping up any cocktail under the sun. The atmosphere is lively and laid back (ask about the bras on the walls) and the beautiful bar was built for extended sipping sessions.QD‑3, ul. Wojewódzka 26A, tel. (+48) 530 75 47 66, www. oldcuban.com.pl. Open 16:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 02:00. Closed Mon. B­W

Read more reviews online: katowice.inyourpocket.com iyp.me/katowice

Nightlife PUB KONTYNUACJA It’s official, the beer gods have descended upon Katowice.

This super-sleek multi-tap bar is now in its second location just a stone’s throw from the new ‘Rynek’. The style and philosophy are similar to their old location with 16 taps and one pump pouring pints of the finest Polish and European craft micro-brews. The taps rotate on a daily - sometimes hourly - basis but you can always be sure to find the newest brews from Browar Podgórz, Browar Stu Mostów and Browar Artezan. Expect the bar to be packed with a healthy mix of hipsters, trend hoppers and beer geeks. So grab a chair and raise your glass in the air, because you ain’t going nowhere.QC‑4, ul. Staromiejska 8, tel. (+48) 668 52 58 25, www.kontynuacja-katowice.ontap.pl. Open 16:00 01:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 - 02:00. U­B­6­W UPOJENI Full disclosure: this writer has a serious soft spot for Polish new-wave multi-tap craft beer bistros that serve up tasty tapas and beautiful burgers which pair perfectly with the delectable nectar flowing from the pristine pipes. In other words, you had me at hello Upojeni. And the fact that this cosy yet modern two floor secluded bar also serves daily breakfast (buy a coffee between 08:00-12:00 and pay between 1-5zł for breakfast, depending if you want basic or fancy), and/ or gourmet lunch specials means I have more than enough reasons to justify a return visit in the nearest of futures. Come early, come often and I’ll see you at the bar! Seasonal menu always on offer, as is a lunch and/or a la carte menu.QC‑4, ul. Św. Jana 10 (entrance from the interior courtyard), tel. (+48) 535 07 03 62. Open 08:00 - 24:00, Fri 08:00 - 03:00, Sat 14:00 - 03:00, Sun 14:00 - 24:00. U­B­6­W ŻÓŁTE DRZWI Quality cocktail bars were one of the things Kato seriously lacked for a long time and sorely deserved. The last year has turned the trend around and now the city centre is bursting at the seams. The Yellow Door is the newest entry and it’s an instant classic. The exposed brick and tall wraparound wood bar are the main features of this dark lit one room wonder. But don’t let the size fool you as this place gets packed in the evenings and even hosts concerts and DJs on the weekends. Try one of their bespoke cocktails on for size (whiskey sour all the way) or drop in during the day for quality coffee and cake. Classy and classic.QC‑4, ul. Dyrekcyjna 10, tel. (+48) 690 10 52 00. Open 15:00 23:00, Fri, Sat 15:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon. U­B­E­6­W

WINE BARS BURGUNDIA WINE TASTINGS & WINE SHOP Hidden away down the same dark alleyway as City Pub, Winiarnia Burgundia features both a shop and bar in which to indulge one’s taste for the grape. By far the best of the city’s wine bars, find a slightly snobby albeit enjoyable and relaxed atmosphere. A really admirable selection of world wines and ciders for all tastes and budgets.QB‑3, ul. 3 Maja 23, tel. (+48) 32 253 75 19, www.burgundia.com. pl. Open 11:00 - 21:00, Closed Sun. W iyp.me/polandblog

Discover the pearl of Silesian architecture and a modern brewery.

All in one place.

The tour will be completed with a glass of freshly brewed Tyskie Gronie 14-days beer.

We are open Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 8 PM 9 Katowicka Street, 43-100 Tychy Tour booking: + 48 32 327 84 30 kontakt@zwiedzbrowar.pl www.zwiedzbrowar.pl

July – October 2018 67

Nightlife CLUBS

POLISH VODKA

© Pijalnia Wodki, Fabrizio Sciami

The Poles have been producing and drinking vodka since the early Middle Ages, distilling their skill into some of the best vodka blends available in the world. The two most highly regarded clear Polish vodka brands must be Belvedere and Chopin, both of which you’ll find in any alcohol shop. But you won’t find many tipplers throwing them back at the bar. While clear vodkas are generally reserved for weddings and mixed drinks, the real fun of Polish vodka sampling is the flavoured vodkas, the most popular of which we describe below.

WIŚNIÓWKA Undoubtedly the most common flavoured vodka, wiśniówka is cheap and cherry-flavoured. You’ll see students and pensioners alike buying trays of it at the bar, as well as toothless tramps sharing a bottle in corners of tenement courtyards. A splash of grapefruit juice is often added to cut the sweetness of this bright red monogamy cure. ŻOŁĄDKOWA GORZKA Due to its very name, which translates to something like ‘Bitter Stomach Vodka,’ Żołądkowa Gorzka gives even the most infirm of health an excuse to drink under the guise of its medicinal properties. An aged, amber-coloured vodka flavoured with herbs and spices, Żołądkowa is incredibly palatable and best enjoyed when sipped on ice.

KRUPNIK A sweet vodka made from honey and a multitude of herbs. Buy a bottle for Mum – drinking vodka doesn’t get any easier than this. In winter, hot krupnik is a popular personal defroster with hot water, lemon and mulling spices added. ŻUBRÓWKA One of Poland’s most popular overseas vodka exports, Żubrówka has been produced in Eastern Poland since the 16th century. Flavoured with a type of grass specific to Białowieża Forest (a blade of which appears in each bottle), Żubrówka is faint yellow in colour, with a mild fragrance and taste of mown hay. Delightfully smooth as it is on its own, Żubrówka is most commonly combined with apple juice – a refreshing concoction called a ‘tatanka.’

68 Katowice In Your Pocket

COOLER CLUB & FOOD If by cooler you mean louder and more self aware, then this is the coolest joint in town, bro. Typical of most fancy fashion clubs we’ve finessed our way into the last few years, Cooler treads a familiar line of indulgent ornate extravagance and modern minimalism in violet, silver and black, with illuminated liquor shelves, fabric covered walls and original bricks. Small, without anywhere to escape the deafening hip-hop and r’n’b pop noise that carries throughout the entire building and down the street on weekends, some (like ourselves) would be better suited to enjoy it in the early evening when it serves quite nicely as a sexy cocktail lounge and place for a lite bite. The club opens Fri & Sat, 21:0005:00.QD‑4, ul. Mariacka 20/1, tel. (+48) 508 24 91 98, www.coolerclub.pl. Open Fri, Sat 21:00 - 05:00.

B­W INQBATOR Hit them on a Saturday and you’ll struggle to find a better venue in town for electro sounds. As such it’s a highly charged crowd you’ll 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 they’ve been thrown together as an afterthought by a stoned student with time on his hands. Completely excellent.QC‑4, ul. Dworcowa 2, tel. (+48) 668 37 24 33, www.inq.pl. Open Fri 18:00 - 05:00 and Sat 20:00 - 06:00 only. X­W KLUB POMARAŃCZA Continuing the Katowice trend of mistaking a club for an airport, this mega-fun factory just upped the ante and went for a total redesign. Once you clear the metal detector, ample cover-charge and grabby security guards hit the massive dance and be prepared for total sensory overload. The floor is beset with all manner of synchronized lighting effects, LED Screens, smoke machines and more lasers than the Death Star. Dancers wiggle away on platforms and perches, lovely ladies watch from the balconies above and couples cuddle in the plush booths all around. But this is just the start!

There are a total of 3 dance floors, 6 bars, 2 VIP sections spread over 3 floors. They claim this is one of the most modern Dance Clubs in all of Central Europe and it’s hard to disagree.QA‑4, ul. Matejki 3, tel. (+48) 513 60 03 00, www.klubpomarancza.pl. Open Wed, Thu 21:00 04:00, Fri, Sat 21:00 - 06:00 only. X­W KLUB PRIME Kato’s hottest dance club has a seriously Prime location and is more than worth your time and attention. Opening up just on Friday and Saturdays, this expansive club offers a mix of industrial interiors, chill out spaces, vip lounge areas and two stocked bars. Their deft DJs spin a mix of techno and bass music bangers with just the right iyp.me/katowice

Nightlife amount of Pop to pack the dance floor. They’re trying hard to make this the prime destination for all heat seeking weekend party peoples and judging from the lines at the door, all systems go go go!QD‑4, ul. Mielęckiego 10, tel. (+48) 883 99 53 73, www.klubprime.pl. Open Fri, Sat only 22:00 - 05:00.

KRÓLESTWO (THE KINGDOM) This kingdom of sound and culinary vision is perched high in the eye of the city right in the middle of all the action. In just under a year this new restaurant and music venue has turned a lot of heads and made a lot of noise. You’ll want to immediately check their FB page to see what upcoming concerts are on as they regularly feature the best local, national and international touring acts and DJs. It is one of the biggest and nicest venues in the city with exceptional sound and amazing views.

By day make sure to stop by while you wander across the city as they have perhaps the best lunch specials in the city. Top marks!QC‑2, Rondo gen. Ziętka 1, tel. (+48) 508 39 29 30, www.krolestwo.eu. Open 13:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 13:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon. X­U­B­ E­6­W RAJZEFIBER (TRAVEL FEVER) There’s a new king in town and just months after lowering 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 Katowice’s nightlife with serious style and enviable ease. The city centre club offers an ambitious lineup of great live music AND hot DJs plus offer a menu of quick bar food and rocking cocktails. Upon entering the recently expanded second floor club we had the feeling we’d been coming here for years. The place was totally packed and already jumping at 19:00 on a Saturday. When we came back at 23:00 there was a line 30 people deep waiting to get in! There’s a rising fever for Rajzefiber.QB‑3, ul. 3 Maja 23/3, tel. (+48) 884 90 51 68, www.rajzefiber.com. Open Fri, Sat only 18:00 - 05:00. X­W SPIŻ (BRONZE) Few places have reinvented themselves so fully and completely in recent memory then Spiż. In 2011 the storied dance brewery shuttered their doors for a ‘renovation’. At some point one of the powers that be ended up on a plane to Ibiza and the decision was made to purchase a sound system and light display that would make David Guetta go deaf and blind. In a year and a half’s time the massive two floor club was given a facelift, tummy tuck and a boob job and what you’ll find inside will literally blow your mind. They claim it’s the most modern night club in Poland and from the looks of it they aren’t just blowing smoke (machines)...

If you consider yourself a fan of serious clubbing and great beer - it is your destiny to dance here.. till you can’t hear... for a year.QJ‑3, ul. Opolska 22, tel. (+48) 32 781 11 32, www.spiz.pl. Open Wed-Fri 21:00 - 05:00, Sat 21:00 06:00 only. X­U­B­W iyp.me/polandblog

MICROBREWERIES BIERHALLE 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. There’s a number of brews to choose from, ranging from pilsner to amber marcowe 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. When the Sunday trading ban is in effect, regardless, they are open, albeit with a shorter day 12:00-20:00.QI‑2, ul. Chorzowska 107 (Silesia City Center), tel. (+48) 32 605 01 61, www. bierhalle.pl. Open 12:00 - 22:00, Fri 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 11:00 - 23:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00. W BROWARIAT The brew brothers behind Browariat literally built the bar around mostly Bavarian craft beer brands. Emelisse, Flötzinger ,Schonram, Jopen, Fourpure, The Kernel, Partizan Het Uiltje, Brew By Numbers and Founders brews are on tap and in bottles in a colourful variety of hand crafted ales, dunkels, stouts and IPAs. Each style has its very own corresponding glass, stein or flute. They also offer a selection of beers from a visiting brewer on a rotating basis. Choose whichever tasty beverage suits your fancy and settle into one of the many cozy corners or plunk down in front of a plasma screen and support your favourite sport. They also play music from vinyls, which is a nice touch.QD‑5, ul. Francuska 11, tel. (+48) 535 00 97 68, www.browariat.com. Open 16:00 - 23:00, Fri 16:00 02:00, Sat 17:00 - 02:00, Sun 18:00 - 22:00. B­W

ADULT ENTERTAINMENT QUEENS This well-regarded club features 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 picking a stripper up on your shoulders. There’s also a Jacuzzi and a sauna and highly suggestive massage services available 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,” available 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 barbecue.Qul. Ceglarska 35, Gliwice (Ligota Zabrska), tel. (+48) 32 305 30 20, www.queensnightclub.pl.

Open 20:00 - 05:00. Closed Mon, Sun. X July – October 2018 69

Leisure

This is the perfect time of year to scoot around Kato on a City Bike!

Though it wouldn’t appear so on first, second or third glance, Katowice and the surrounding areas possess a startling number of recreational areas and leisure opportunities.

Though known more for its industrial ‘attractions’ and poor air quality than its nature conservation record, Silesia has some of the largest urban green spaces, not only in Poland, but all of Europe. Chorzów’s Silesia Park is a veritable leisure section’s worth of activities in itself, and though we’re tempted to stop there, it’s only one of an incredible four parks in the immediate area that weigh in at an impressively over-sized 70+ hectares.

If you’re 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.

BIKE RENTAL CITY BY BIKE Katowice’s city-organised bike rental system (available April-December) makes exploring the Silesian capital’s concrete causeways and eclectic architecture easier than ever with 428 bikes found at 52 locations around the city centre including Katowice Rynek, NOSPR, ul. Mariacka, Park Kościuszki and Park Dolina 3 Stawów (Valley of Three Ponds). Bikes are available 24/7 but you have to register on their website first where you can also find a full list of bike locations. Log onto: www.citybybike.pl/en/ to find out how it works. To help you, we have added bike station locations to our maps at the back of this guide.QD‑2, Pl. Wojciecha Kilara 1, www.citybybike.pl. 10zł for registering on their website, 0-15min - 0zł, 16-60min - 1zł, 2 hrs - 2zł, 3hrs 3zł, every additional hr is 4zł.

70 Katowice In Your Pocket

BOWLING & BILLIARDS BLACK 8 Inside a large underground entertainment complex on the outskirts of Katowice’s 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 all with new cloth.

Having organised the Polish Billiards Championships this place knows more than a thing or two about racking em’ up and knocking em’ down. Black 8 is also a restaurant offering a large menu of Polish standard fare and of course a lengthy drink menu to quench the players thirsts. Tables cost 10-20zł/h for billiards and 17-27zł/h for snooker. Evening reservations would be wise.QJ‑3, ul. Dąbrówki 10, tel. (+48) 32 781 08 60, www. clubgarage.pl. Open 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00.

KRĘGIELNIA GALAKTYKA Located inside a 2000 square metre entertainment centre that includes the Black 8 billiards club, a music club (Club Garage) and a restaurant, this popular bowling alley features 8 lanes (plus 2 for kids), planetary graphics, computerised scoring, a full food and snack menu and even 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, it’s a fun atmosphere. Depending on the day of the week and time of day, lane rental costs 35-79zł/hr plus 2zł shoe rental; check website for full details. Reservations recommended.QJ‑3, ul.

Dąbrówki 10, tel. (+48) 32 781 08 60, www.clubgarage.pl.

Open 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00. iyp.me/katowice

Leisure CINEMAS CINEMA CITY SILESIA Found in Silesia City Center (p.76), Cinema City is a movie complex with the latest audiovisual equipment in 13 airconditioned theatres, so you’ll get to see great movies in top quality in a choice of 2D, 3D and High frame rate (HFR) screens.QI‑2, Silesia City Center, ul. Chorzowska 107, tel. (+48) 32 605 05 55, www.cinema-city.pl. Box office open from 09:30 to 15 minutes after last show. Tickets 17-32zł.

MULTIKINO Head to Multikino right in the city centre in Galeria Katowicka (p.76) to see the latest films. Katowice’s branch has plenty of screens, 2D & 3D screens, and Poland’s first Dolby Atmos system in the Xtreme screen hall, which is nicely paired up with a 4K projector!QB‑3, ul. 3 Maja 30, tel. (+48) 32 661 41 00, www.multikino.pl. Box office open from 09:00 to 15 minutes after the last showtime.

Tickets 15-40zł.

INDOOR ATRACTIONS BREAK THE CODE ESCAPE ROOM There are a whole host of escape room games popping up across Poland, and Katowice is not one to be left on the sidelines anymore! The concept is simple, you must play the game, break the code and escape the room (from a choice of four)! To say more would spoil the fun! Games are for 2-4 people with games lasting 1 hour at a cost of 99zł p/ group. Introductions are available in English, but after that, no English available, which should not put you off as the games are fairly universal in nature. The worst that could happen if you don’t understand is you remain locked in FOREVER.QD‑4, ul. Św. Stanisława 9/3, tel. (+48) 790 27 53 33, www.breakthecode.pl. Open 15:30 - 22:15, Sat, Sun 11:30 - 22:15.

NEW FLYSPOT KATOWICE Only one of two Flyspot’s in Poland (the other being in Warsaw), here, you can spread your wings...or your arms, if you don’t have feathers. This futuristic adrenaline junky paradise has both a freefall simulator and a Boeing 737 flight simulator. It isn’t cheap, but it’s damn fun, with prices being: 229zł (Mon-Thu) or 249zł (Fri-Sun) for adults, and 199zł (Mon-Thu) or 219zł (Fri-Sun) for kids 18 and under. The price includes 2 flights in the freefall simulator/20 mins. and [for adults only] the Boeing 737 simulator.QJ‑2, ul. Chorzowska 100, tel. (+48) 698 62 65 00, www.flyspot.com. Open 08:00 - 22:00.

JUMPCITY Are you hip to this? The newest fitness/recreation craze sweeping the globe (we’ve been told) is jumping like a madman around a room filled with trampolines and occasionally taking a dip into pits filled with foam. Release your inner six year old and literally bounce off the walls, iyp.me/polandblog

ceilings and navigate some interesting obstacles. The perfect way to spend a rainy day, blow off some steam or just have some good old fashioned fun. Entrance is every hour and you must turn up 15 minutes before to get ready and have your anti-skid socks, available for purchase on the spot for 5zł.QH‑7, ul. Tadeusza Kościuszki 227, tel. (+48) 32 781 88 84, www.jumpcity.pl. Open 10:00 - 21:00.

Prices start from 24zł per session.

LASERHOUSE This excellent 600 square metre laser tag arena near the centre of Katowice 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 opponents in a sci-fi shootout while using barrels and tire pyramids for cover, or take a crack at the challenging laser maze (30 minutes for 50zł) with varying levels of difficulty. Laser Tag games are 30mins and cost 18zł Mon-Fri before 16:00, 22zł after 16:00 Mon-Thu and 25zł on a Friday. Weekends are 25zł all day. Attempts at the laser maze are 5zł. Also at ul. Wojska Polskiego 47 in Sosnowiec, Pl. Tadeusza Kościuszki 1 (C.H. Agora) 3 floor in Bytom.and ul. Bolesława Chrobrego 6 in Rybnik.QA‑4, ul.

Kamienna 9, tel. (+48) 32 229 00 21, www.laserhouse.pl.

Open 10:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 22:00.

INDOOR PLAYGROUNDS CIUCIUBABKA Basically 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 half hour 7/8zł, second started half hour 6/7zł, one hour 13/15zł, unlimited playtime 21/25zł.QJ‑1, ul.

Jabłoniowa 52 (Józefowiec), tel. (+48) 504 21 68 14, www.ciuciubabka.com.pl. Open 16:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 20:00.

SPA & BEAUTY TERMY RZYMSKIE Found in the impressive Pałac Saturna (see Apartments), these Roman baths were reportedly constructed based on plans for the baths at Pompeii and include a series of pools, baths and saunas which combine ancient and modern-day methods to relax and regenerate you plus a fitness club, restaurant and bar on site. The entire complex is something to behold, not least of all for its obligatory ‘nude-only’ policy. The only exception is Mondays when bathing suits are allowed in the pools. The surprisingly low prices and bold dress code have garnered this place plenty of attention, but the fact remains that facilities are of the highest quality in PL.Qul. Dehnelów 2, Czeladź, tel. (+48) 32 267 26 98, www.palacsaturna.pl. Open 10:00 - 22:45, Mon 15:00 - 22:45, Sat 10:00 - 23:00, Sun 10:00 - 22:00.

July – October 2018 71

Shopping

Luxury jewellery and products all available at Lilou.

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 women’s fashion, with more interesting independent enterprises in seriously short supply. In lieu of the small, communist-era malls around the Rynek, Katowice’s best collection of shops under one roof is the extraordinary Silesia City Centre; if you can’t find what you’re looking for there, then you might have to leave PL to get it. That aside, we’ve made an effort through this section to focus on small local or national businesses you won’t find wherever you’re from.

SUNDAY SHOPPING BAN Shops have traditionally had more limited hours on weekends, but note that since March 2018 a new law that will eventually ban Sunday trading in Poland entirely has gone into effect. To be phased in gradually over the next two years, the law will initially allow normal trading days on the first and last Sundays of each month, while forcing shops to close on the intervening Sundays.

There are only a few exemptions to the rule, namely pharmacies, gas stations, kiosks, bakeries, open-air markets and souvenir shops (oh thank god). The Sunday hours we list for venues are the hours they keep on those Sunday when trade is allowed. Sundays when the shopping ban will be enforced are the following: July 08, 15, 22 August 12, 19 September 9, 16, 23 October 14, 21 72 Katowice In Your Pocket

ALCOHOL Nothing says ‘I’ve been to Poland’ like a suitcase of booze and an increased alcohol tolerance. Indeed, if retracing your activities while in Katowice you may have to concede that alcohol makes the most logical memento. While Polish 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 you’ll find in fancy gift sets, but don’t miss Żubrówka (bison grass vodka), Krupnik (herbal honey vodka), Żołądkowa Gorzka (bitter stomach vodka) and Goldwasser with its signature gold flakes.

BURGUNDIA WINE TASTINGS & WINE SHOP A really admirable selection 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).QB‑3, ul. 3 Maja 23, tel. (+48) 32 253 75 19, www.burgundia.com.pl. Open 11:00 - 21:00, Closed Sun. KONDRAT WINA WYBRANE Not your typical wine shop. Own and operated by a famous Polish actor, they carefully handpick each and every wine that line’s their shelves assuring only the best selection of vintages from the Old and New world for your sipping pleasure.QC‑5, ul.

Plebiscytowa 10/1, tel. (+48) 32 205 20 94, www. marekkondrat.pl. Open 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 19:00. Closed Sun. iyp.me/katowice

Shopping WHISKY & SPIRIT HOUSE If you happen to be a whisky and high end spirits lover, or you know someone near and dear who is, then this shop is a must stop. It’s no accident they spell ‘whisky’ without an ‘e’ as exclusive Scotch single malts are their specialty and we dare say they may just have the best selection we’ve seen in all of Poland! Talisker, Laphroaig, and Macallan are just the beginning and the knowledgeable owner/specialist will gladly help expand your knowledge and improve your pallet. Of course you’ll also find highend bourbons, voluptuous vodkas, lucious liquours and, oh yeah, some pretty good whiskey as well. They also have a great wine, cider and craft beer selection to fill out their impressive offer. We recommend you take your time to find that perfect tincture or tipple because it’s certainly here somewhere.QC‑5, ul. Plebiscytowa 13, tel. (+48) 511 55 54 11, www.whiskyandspirit.pl. Open 10:00 - 18:00, Fri 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun.

AMBER & JEWELLERY NEW I COAL YOU A unique gift can come in many forms, but from Silesia, it may seem like a simple solution, but Icoalyou create jewellery made from nothing other than coal! Coal is to Silesia what amber is to the Baltic region and Icoalyou rightly promote their black gold.

Each item is handmade and polished, resulting in utterly unique pieces. You can purchase items from the main workshop in Nikiszowiec, and other places around Katowice and Silesia, including Hotel Ibis Katowice Centrum, Hotel Ibis Zabrze and the Guido Mineshaft. A full list of places where you can buy these unique gifts can be found on their website.Q0‑5, ul. Antoniego Czechowa 8/16, tel. (+48) 797 65 57 44, www.icoalyou.com. Open 12:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:30 - 15:00, Closed Mon, Sun. LILOU This uniquely colourful and immediately inviting salon is filled with all sorts of glittering gadgets, precious pendants, delicate necklaces and leather bracelets. Their elegantly playful nature of the salon gives you the freedom to mix and match any of the items on display. The expert and friendly staff will happily help you choose the right piece and customise it so that special someone will cherish their talisman even more. Lilou is the perfect melding of French elegance and Polish craftsmanship.QC‑4, ul. Dworcowa 15, tel. (+48) 32 253 98 68, www.lilouparis.com/en.

Open 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. W. KRZYŚ One stop shopping for all your gold, diamond, pearl and luxury watch needs. They stock hot brands such as Chopard, Omega, Girard Peregaux, Longines, Rado, Certina, Tissot, Calvin Klein and Davosa. They also have watch repair services and they sell accessories. A great excuse to break out that new Platinum Mastercard. They have a 2nd shop in Silesia City Center, open all week 10:00-21:00.QC‑4, ul. Staromiejska 15, tel. (+48) 32 253 98 39, www.krzys-jubiler.pl. Open 10:00 - 17:00, Sat 10:00 - 13:00. Closed Sun. iyp.me/polandblog

ART & ANTIQUES DESA This is Desa’s flagship location in Katowice and this classy show room has a variety of unique antique works of art, furniture, china, collectibles, decorative items and jewellery.

Get lost in a their spacious cases of treasures from another age. The attentive and helpful art experts on hand are there to help you find the perfect piece for your private collection or that special someone. They also handle the sale and appraisal of works of art and antiques. Also located at ul.

Dworcowa 13.QD‑4, ul. Mariacka 5, tel. (+48) 32 253 99 22, www.desakatowice.com. Open 10:30 - 18:00, Sat 11:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. GALERIA SZTUKI FOX A unique and welcoming gallery specialising in modern art, paintings, sculpture, graphics and handmade jewellery. Fox also offers decor services, and somewhat surprisingly - exquisite teas. There is ample parking and the opening hours are merely a suggestion and they will easily stay open longer if you so desire.

QB‑6, ul. Powstańców 10, tel. (+48) 600 08 77 21, www.galeriafox.pl. Open 10:00 - 17:00, Sat 10:00 14:00. Closed Sun.

BOOKS, MUSIC & FILM EMPIK Located in the massive Silesian City Center, this is the best place in town to find English language paperbacks, guide books, a few foreign newspapers and a decent range of CDs and DVDs. One stop shopping for all your mass media wants and needs.QJ‑2, ul. Chorzowska 107 (Silesia City Center), tel. (+48) 22 451 03 94, www.empik.com. Open 10:00 - 21:00, Fri 10:00 - 22:00.

KOMIS PŁYTOWY (RECORD STORE) The largest selection of vinyl we’ve ever seen in PL is hidden in this courtyard off one of Katowice’s main streets. Bargainpriced, though not extremely well-organised used CDs, as well as music-related DVDs, and posters.QB‑3, ul. 3 Maja 19, tel. (+48) 32 253 99 45. Open 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun.

FASHION & ACCESSORIES International designer clothing and fashion brands can be found in Katowice’s shopping malls, namely the peerless Silesia City Centre (I/J-2). 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 ‘Tania Odzież.’ Finally, the clothing market around Plac Synagogi on ul. Mickiewicza (B-3) is a great place to get stockings with runs in them and underwear stretched and displayed on a steering wheel.

July – October 2018 73

Shopping GESZEFT Wonders never cease in this hip store for hipsters and lovers of divine design. We’ve never seen a place exude cool so effortlessly and everything you pick up, look at or try on makes you drool. Ease into the sleek coffee bar and grab a java drink to help you think. Wander the stylish salon which has racks of Polish designer threads, KATO-themed knick-knacks and shoulder bags, funky jewellery and even home decor. Look through art & archi books or grab a Silesion region mag while you curl up in a window seat and search for reasons to linger here a little longer. This unique boutique is one stop shopping for temporary tourists, culture vultures and fierce fashionistas alike. For misses and misters, but not to be missed.QK‑2, ul. Morcinka 23-25, tel. (+48) 534 76 76 54, www.geszeft.co. Open 11:00 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun.

FLOWER SHOPS MADLEN FLOWERS Flowers are wonderful, aren’t they? A perfect gift to the ones we love. Madlen Flowers offers you traditional options for that special someone, from a bouquet of flowers (just take a look at the arrangement of said bouquets and try not to be impressed!), to gifts to have around the house, like helium ballons and to the new trend of having your very own mesmerising mini-forest in a jar! What’s better, you can choose to buy online through their site. Impressive.QD‑4, ul. Mariacka 12, tel. (+48) 577 97 42 79, www.madlen.pl.

Open 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun.

FOOD & SWEETS NATURA Ideal for those with dietary needs, Natura sells a range of organic and gluten free health food products, honeys, coldpressed oils, teas, herbs and the like.QA‑6, ul. Kościuszki 57, tel. (+48) 601 70 70 57. Open 09:00 - 17:00, Sat 09:00 - 13:00. Closed Sun. ORGANIC FARMA ZDROWIA We’re 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.QI‑2, ul. Chorzowska 107 (Silesia City Center), tel. (+48) 32 605 02 96, www.organicmarket.pl. Open 10:00 - 21:00, Fri 10:00 - 22:00.

GIFTS & SOUVENIRS ANWA Local hand-made porcelain, glass and ceramics. They also have products from Bolesławiec, known for its ceramics.QC‑5, ul. Kochanowskiego 2 (entrance from ul.Wojewódzka), tel. (+48) 32 251 39 23. Open 10:00 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. 74 Katowice In Your Pocket

CEPELIA 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, regional dolls and even complete folk costumes for both men and women (upon request).QC‑3, Al. Korfantego 6, tel. (+48) 32 259 87 44, www.cepelia.pl.

Open 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. KURKA BEZ PIÓRKA A charming shop promoting art by young local artists, Kurka Bez Piórka specialises in handicrafts and fiber arts, but offers a wide range of art and accessories, including graphic prints, ceramics, hand-made jewellery, home decor items, gift baskets and even paintings and illustrations all made by graduates from Katowice’s Academy of the Arts.QB‑6, ul. Powstańców 4, tel. (+48) 691 40 10 40, www.kurkabezpiorka.pl. Open 10:00 17:00, Closed Sat, Sun. SADZA SOAP This is the ultimate must-have souvenir for the Silesian enthusiast in your family. A lump of pristine coal that you can use to clean off all that coal dust you picked up from visiting one of the region’s many mines.

Ok, so it may be a novelty, but it is actually made of high quality soap with absolutely deft design. Yet another perfect stocking stuffer. You can purchase your very own clean coal for around 30zł. They also have shampoo or body wash for 35zł, peeling soap for 40zł and a gift box for 180zł (or mini-box set for 70zł). You can order them online, in selected museums and info points around town or visit ‘MUS Wszystkiego Dobrego’ shop on ul. Bednorza 49/1 where their products are sold . Email them for more info.QC‑2, www.sadzasoap.com.

HEALTH & BEAUTY LULUA This niche perfume and cologne shop fields orders from all over the world, but is located right in the heart of Katowice, just up from the Rynek. Specialising in unique artisanal scents, Lulua is lauded for their expertise and unparalleled customer service (a rarity in these parts). In addition to a fantastic array of olfactory enticements, from obscure manufacturers to top luxury brands, Lulua also offers luxury skin care products, shaving kits and men’s grooming accessories. This is an excellent place to pick up a unique gift for either sex.QD‑4, ul. Staromiejska 21, tel. (+48) 502 08 90 92, www.lulua.pl. Open 11:00 - 19:00. Closed Sun.

Get the In Your Pocket City Essentials App iyp.me/katowice

Lilou Soleil Lilou Toujours Bonheur Love Happiness Soleil Forever Paradise Harmony Soleil Love Happiness Soleil Forever Paradise Harmony Soleil Lilou Forever Love Paradise Harmony Soleil Soleil Forever Paradise Harmony Soleil Harmony Lilou Soleil Love

Shopping

Boutique - Atelier

Symbols of precious moments Lilou is an upscale polish jewelry brand created by Magdalena Mousson-Lestang.

Lilou’s philosophy is to create unique, engraved j e w e l r y , customized and customizable to mark events, small and big stories of your life, emotions or simply to please or be pleased. Real caskets in terms of architecture, Lilou Boutique - Atelier are warm and inviting stores where engraving is handmade on demand.

Lilou jewelry is made of 14k gold, 925 silver or 23 k. platedgold, and can be accessorized with strings, ribbons, leather bracelets and precious stones, crystals and pearls.

Mark stories of your life by creating unique, engraved jewelry.

KATOWICE, 15 Dworcowa Street lilouparis.com /bemylilou

/bemylilou

Lilou Soleil Lilou Toujours Bonheur Love Happiness Soleil Forever Paradise Harmony Soleil Love Happiness Soleil Forever Paradise Harmony Soleil Lilou Forever Love Paradise Harmony Soleil Soleil Forever Paradise Harmony Soleil Harmony Lilou Soleil Love

Soleil Lilou Toujours Bonheur Love Happiness Soleil Forever Paradise Harmony Soleil Love Happiness Soleil Harmony Soleil Love Happiness Soleil Soleil Forever Paradise Harmony

iyp.me/polandblog July – October 2018 75 Soleil Lilou Toujours Bonheur Love Happiness Soleil Forever Paradise Harmony Soleil Love Happiness Soleil Harmony Soleil Love Happiness Soleil Soleil Forever Paradise Harmony

Shopping SILESIA CITY CENTER

MARKETS TARGOWISKO MIEJSKIE You haven’t really experienced Poland until you’ve 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.QB‑5, Pl. Miarki, tel. (+48) 32 250 40 08, www.ztm.katowice.pl. Open 06:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun.

SHOPPING MALLS

Located mid-way between Katowice and Chorzów 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 metresquare building (now over 86,000) was opened in 2005 and in 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 salon and additional parking, bringing the total number of spaces to 3,500 - the largest lot in Silesia. Designed to blend in with the surrounding Gothic architecture, this shopping mall has over 300 shops including Tesco, Media Markt and EMPiK superstores, a Cinema City movie complex and is even a decent place to eat thanks to the upstairs Bierhalle Restaurant, Hana a magnificent sushi restaurant located externally in the mine’s former swimming pool and the new industrial sheik bistro Sztolnia. Other features include the preserved, red brick St Barbara’s 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 0, 1, 6, 11, 19, 23 & 33 or bus no.s 662, 673, 674, 820, 830 & 840.QI‑2, ul. Chorzowska 107, tel. (+48) 32 605 00 00, www.silesiacitycenter.com.pl. Open 10:00 - 21:00, Fri 10:00 - 22:00, Shoppers, be aware, as of 01 March 2018, a new law comes into effect banning Sunday trading across Poland, although it will gradually be phased in over the next two years. This means, initially, the first and last Sundays of each month will be normal trading days, but mid-month, shops will be closed. As of 01 January 2019, shops will be open only on the last Sunday of each month. Finally, as of 01 January 2020, the full ban will take effect, meaning no shops will be open on Sundays across Poland.

76 Katowice In Your Pocket

DH SUPERSAM Katowice seems to be making up for lost time and it seems that every other month another new building or museum has a grand opening. This impressive modern glass and steel mini mall is the newest building to pop up in the city center and it certainly classes up the neighbourhood. The Supersam Shopping Centre isn’t entirely a new structure as it was literally built on the supporting steel frame of the original building from the 1930’s of the same name and reopened in 2015. Besides its superstructure, the new reinvented building has very little in common with its historical predecessor save its overarching economic mission to provide shoppers with a broader range of affordable shops, services, restaurants and outlets (100 shops and service units on over 18,000 m2) than you may find in some of the bigger shopping malls in town. Of course you will find a few International commercial stalwarts like Rossmann, Pepco plus a lot of bigger name Polish shops like Empik, Cropp and Reserved. For a full list of shops and services log on to their website or FB page.QB‑3, ul. Skargi 6, tel. (+48) 32 712 18 38, www.supersamkatowice.pl. Open 09:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00.

GALERIA KATOWICKA The mighty Galeria Katowicka finally shed its cranes and opened its vaulted doors to a giddy and gasping public in September 2013, in concert with the completion of the final part of the three-stage modernisation of the Katowice Train Station. Featuring over 200 shops and service points including a supermarket, several convenience stores, media and appliance outlets, all the top Polish and foreign clothing and shoe brands not to mention a slew of jewellery and interior design boutiques - the mall literally spills out onto Plac Szewczyka, which is covered in new restaurants and cafes, and includes an underground parking lot with 1,200 spaces (first 2 hours free!). Essentially the cornerstone of the modernisation and general beautification of the entire city centre, Galeria Katowicka and the new train and bus station were designed to smoothly blend into the city’s architecture and act as a convenient corridor of commerce for travellers, business professionals and locals alike. An unavoidable aspect of any visit to the city, those who weren’t around to ‘enjoy’ the old train station will probably never understand just what a blessing this commercial and transport complex really is.QB‑3, ul. 3 Maja 30, tel. (+48) 32 414 16 01, www. galeriakatowicka.eu. Open 09:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. iyp.me/katowice

Directory 24-HOUR PHARMACIES

PRIVATE CLINICS

APTEKA BLISKO CIEBIE QC‑3, ul. Mickiewicza 10, tel. (+48) 32 258 11 11.

INTER-MEDQK‑1, ul. Grabowa 32 (Wełnowiec), tel. (+48) 32 205 88 30, www.inter-med.pl. Open 08:00 19:30, Sat 09:00 - 13:00. Closed Sun.

APTEKA DR. MAX QC‑5, ul. Wojewódzka 7, tel. (+48) 32 251 77 62.

24-HOUR SHOPS CAREFFOURQM‑2, Al. Roździeńskiego 200, tel. (+48) 32 786 21 00, www.carrefour.pl.

POD RĘKĄ QO‑2, ul. Gen. Hallera 6, tel. (+48) 32 204 88 58.

COMPUTER REPAIR GLOBAL SERVICE City centre location, however, 2nd location on ul.

Brynowska 39 (south of Park Kościuszki), (+48) 32 700 35 94, has English speaking staff.QL‑3, Al. Roździeńskiego 90, tel. (+48) 32 700 35 21, www.global-serwis.pl.

DENTISTS DENTAL SERVICE Open 24hrs for all your middle of the night dental emergencies.QL‑4, ul. Krasińskiego 25A, tel. (+48) 32 256 29 85, www.dentalservice.com.pl.

MED CENTRUMQA‑3, Pl. Wolności 4, tel. (+48) 32 352 56 50, www.medcentrum.pl. Open 08:00 - 20:00, Sat 09:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun.

LAUNDRY RIZOMA LAUNDRY QC‑5, ul. Jagiellońska 13, tel. (+48) 509 50 34 00, www. pralnierizoma.pl. Open 09:00 - 18:00, Sat 09:00 - 13:00.

Closed Sun. SELF-SERVICE LAUNDRY KATOWICE QD‑4, ul. św. Stanisława 8A, tel. (+48) 661 52 22 88.

Open 11:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. N­W

LOCKSMITHS EXPRES Found in all major shopping centres in Katowice, the perfect place to duplicate keys, repair shoes, buy a range of batteries, stamps and souvenirs.QB‑4, ul. 3-go Maja, Katowice, tel. (+48) 32 790 44 38, www.e-expres.pl.

POST OFFICES POCZTA POLSKA QC‑4, ul. Pocztowa 9, tel. (+48) 32 359 45 98, www. poczta-polska.pl. Open 24hrs. iyp.me/polandblog

LUX MEDQB‑2, ul. Sokolska 29, tel. (+48) 22 332 28 88, www.luxmed.pl. Open 07:00 - 20:00, Sat 08:00 - 14:00.

Closed Sun. SAD-MED QC‑3, ul. Teatralna 9, tel. (+48) 32 782 40 40, www. sadmed.com.pl.

REAL ESTATE PIKQB‑5, ul. Kościuszki 26/7, tel. (+48) 32 781 95 82, www.pik.slask.pl.

PROLOKUM QC‑3, Al. Korfantego 9, tel. (+48) 32 781 09 99, www. prolokum.pl.

TRANSLATORS & INTERPRETERS EKSPERT QJ‑2, ul. Johna Baildona 16/2, tel. (+48) 500 26 56 78, www.ekspert.katowice.pl.

EUROBUSINESS - HALLER QF‑2, ul. Obroki 133, tel. (+48) 32 355 38 01, www. haller.pl.

GROY QL‑3, ul. 1 Maja 9, tel. (+48) 32 352 10 00, www.groy.pl.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE Currency exchange offices (‘Kantor’) are easy to find in Katowice, but as with any international destination, it’s imperative to check the rates to ensure you aren’t getting fleeced. The general rule is you should never change your money at city entry points, particularly at the airport where the rates are almost criminal. To help put your mind and your wallet at ease, we’ve assembled a list of well-located exchange offices that won’t rip you off, and don’t take a commission.

KANTOR MAX GRAND QB‑3, ul. Mickiewicza 22, tel. (+48) 604 40 17 00, www.kantorykatowice.pl. Open 09:00 - 20:00, Sat 09:00 - 18:00, Closed Sun. MAX KANTOR QB‑3, ul. Stawowa 10, tel. (+48) 694 99 21 67. Open 09:00 - 18:00, Sat 09:00 - 15:30, Closed Sun. July – October 2018 77

Hotels DIAMENT SPODEK QD‑1, Al. Korfantego 35, tel. (+48) 32 606 85 85, www. hotelediament.pl. 30 rooms (1 apartment). U­6­K­ H­C­D­F hhh EURORESIDENCE HOME APARTAMENT QB‑5, ul. Kopernika 6, tel. (+48) 32 608 42 52, www. euroresidence.com.pl. 25 apartments. P­U­L­6­H­ D­w HOTEL KATOWICEQC‑3, Al. Korfantego 9, tel. (+48) 32 258 82 81, www.hotel-katowice.com.pl. 113 Total rooms. U­6­K­H hh IBIS BUDGET KATOWICE CENTRUM QL‑3, Al. Roździeńskiego 18, tel. (+48) 32 350 50 40, www.ibisbudget.com. 124 Total rooms. P­U­6 h Q Hotel Plus Katowice

Katowice, and Silesia in general, is first and foremost a business destination, though it is quickly becoming a premier event hub for festivals, concerts, conferences and sports competitions. Reflecting this fact is an ever expanding accommodation market, with the lion’s share going to business-class hotels. Still, you can find some decent low-price options, especially if you’re willing to lay your head a bit further from the action.

On our website - katowice.inyourpocket.com - we list scores of accommodation options in and around Silesia, with full reviews, photos, reader comments, GPS mapping and more. Unfortunately space constraints in our print guide don’t allow us to include all of that content here, but below we provide a list of the most reputable accommodation options in Katowice and the surrounding region. Sleep well.

IN KATOWICE B&B HOTEL KATOWICE CENTRUM QA‑3, ul. Sokolska 4, tel. (+48) 32 700 50 88, www. hotelbb.pl. 105 Total rooms. P­X­U­6­H hh CAMPANILE QL‑5, ul. Sowińskiego 48, tel. (+48) 32 205 50 50, www. campanile.com. 77 Total rooms. P­U­6­K­H hh COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT KATOWICE CITY CENTER QD‑3, ul. Uniwersytecka 13, tel. (+48) 32 438 93 50, www.marriott.com. 151 rooms (1 apartment). P­U­ L­6­K­H­D­F hhhh DIAMENT PLAZA KATOWICE QC‑4, ul. Dworcowa 9, tel. (+48) 32 746 70 00, www. hotelediament.pl. 44 rooms (1 apartment). P­U­L­ 6­K­H­F hhhh 78 Katowice In Your Pocket

MONOPOLQC‑4, ul. Dworcowa 5, tel. (+48) 32 782 82 82, www.monopolkatowice.hotel.com.pl. 108 rooms (3 apartments). P­X­U­L­6­K­H­C­D­F hh­ hhh NOVOTEL KATOWICE CENTRUM QK‑3, Al. Roździeńskiego 16, tel. (+48) 32 200 44 44, www.accorhotels.com. 300 Total rooms. P­U­6­K­ H­C­D­F hhhh PARK HOTEL DIAMENT KATOWICE QJ‑4, ul. Wita Stwosza 37, tel. (+48) 32 720 00 00, www. hotelediament.pl. 186 rooms (2 apartments). P­U­L­ 6­K­H­D­F hhhh PARK INN BY RADISSON KATOWICE Qul. Bytkowska 1A, tel. (+48) 32 721 11 11, www. parkinn.com/hotel-katowice. 168 rooms (1 apartment).

P­U­L­6­K­H­D­F hhhh PATIO ZAJAZD Qul. Kościuszki 352 (Piotrowice), tel. (+48) 32 202 95 56, www.patiozajazd.pl. 22 Total rooms. 6­W­K Q HOTEL PLUS KATOWICEQC‑5, ul. Wojewódzka 12, tel. (+48) 32 740 99 40, www.qhotels.pl. 121 rooms (1 apartment). P­U­K­H­F hhhh SENATORQL‑3, ul. 1 Maja 3, tel. (+48) 32 258 60 81, www.senator.katowice.pl. 48 rooms (1 apartment).

U­L­6­K­H hhh SILESIAN HOTEL QUALITY AND ECONOMY QK‑5, ul. Szybowcowa 1A, tel. (+48) 32 606 88 00, www. silesianhotel.pl. 202 rooms (8 apartments). P­U­6­ K­H­C­D­F hhh VIENNA HOUSE EASY ANGELO KATOWICE QB‑2, ul. Sokolska 24, tel. (+48) 32 783 81 00, www. viennahouse.com. 203 rooms (17 apartments). P­X­ U­K­H­D­F hhhh iyp.me/katowice

Hotels IN CHORZÓW DIAMENT ARSENAL PALACE KATOWICE/ CHORZÓW QQ‑5, ul. Paderewskiego 35, Chorzów, tel. (+48) 32 606 84 84, www.hotelediament.pl. 115 rooms (1 apartment).

U­L­6­K­H­C­D­F­w hhhh DIAMENT BELLA NOTTE KATOWICE/CHORZÓW QQ‑4, ul. Paderewskiego 35, Chorzów, tel. (+48) 32 606 82 82, www.hotelediament.pl. 45 rooms (1 apartment).

P­U­L­6­K­H­C­D­F­w hhh

AROUND UPPER SILESIA DESILVA INN KATOWICE AIRPORT Qul. Równoległa 2, Pyrzowice, tel. (+48) 32 393 88 88, www.desilva.pl. 77 Total rooms. P­U­6­K­H­F hhh DIAMENT ECONOMY GLIWICEQul. Zwycięstwa 42, Gliwice, tel. (+48) 32 231 18 21, www.hotelediament.pl.

27 Total rooms. U­L­6­W­K hhh DIAMENT PLAZA GLIWICEQul. Zwycięstwa 30, Gliwice, tel. (+48) 32 721 70 00, www.hotelediament.pl.

78 Total rooms. P­L­6­K­H­F hhhh DIAMENT VACANZA SIEMIANOWICE ŚLĄSKIE Qul. Olimpijska 4, Siemianowice Śląskie, tel. (+48) 32 606 83 83, www.hotelediament.pl. 44 rooms (1 apartment). P­U­L­6­K­H hhh

Restaurant in Noma Residence - Promnice Hunting Lodge

QUBUS HOTEL GLIWICE Qul. Dworcowa 27, Gliwice, tel. (+48) 32 300 11 00, www.qubushotel.com. 89 rooms (4 apartments).

P­U­6­K­H hhh ROYAL Qul. Matejki 10, Gliwice, tel. (+48) 32 400 00 00, www. hotelroyal.com.pl. 50 Total rooms. P­X­T­L­K­H­ D­F hhh WILLA AMBASADOR Qul. 3 Maja 78, Zabrze (Śródmieście), tel. (+48) 32 271 50 44, www.mosir.zabrze.pl. 28 Total rooms. P­K

DIAMENT ZABRZEQul. 3 Maja 122A, Zabrze (Zaborze Południe), tel. (+48) 32 721 10 00, www.hotelediament. pl. 58 Total rooms. L­6­K­H­D­F hhh HOTEL RYCERSKI (KNIGHTS HOTEL)Qul. Będzińska 53, Czeladź, tel. (+48) 32 763 58 88, www.hotel-rycerski. pl. 26 rooms (1 apartment). K­H hhh HOTEL SZAFRAN Qul. Będzińska 82, Czeladź, tel. (+48) 32 784 31 00, www.hotelszafran.pl. 115 rooms (7 apartments). P­X­ U­6­K­H­F hhhh IBIS KATOWICE - ZABRZE Qul. Jagiellońska 4, Zabrze, tel. (+48) 32 777 70 00, www.ibis.com. 114 Total rooms. P­K­H hh M HOTEL SOSNOWIEC Qul. Wojska Polskiego 199, Sosnowiec, tel. (+48) 32 363 63 00, www.mhotelsosnowiec.pl. 55 Total rooms.

U­L­6­K­H­F hhh NOMA RESIDENCE (PROMNICE HUNTING LODGE) QZameczek Myśliwski Promnice (Kobiór), tel. (+48) 32 219 46 78, www.promnice.pl. 13 Total rooms. K­H­D hhhh iyp.me/polandblog

July – October 2018 79

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Friedricha Wilhelma Grundmanna A-1, J-2/3 Fryderyka Chopina A-3; B-3 Gabriela Narutowicza I-3 Gawronów I-5; J-5 Generała Józefa Longina Sowińskiego D-7; E-7, K-4; L-4/5 Generała Józefa Zajączka A-6/7 Generała Kazimierza Pułaskiego L-4/5 Generała Stanisława Szeptyckiego E-6, K-4; L-4 Generała Władysława Sikorskiego L-4 Gliwicka A-3, F/I-2; I-3; J-3 Górna L-2 Górnicza E-3/4, F-1 Graniczna E-6/7, K-4; L-3/4 Grzegorza Fitelberga I-5 Gustawa Morcinka C-1, J-2; K-2 Haliny Krahelskiej L-3/4 Heleny Modrzejewskiej I-5/6 Henryka Dąbrowskiego C-5; D-5 Henryka Jordana A-6; B-6, J-4 Henryka Mikołaja Góreckiego D-1; E-1, K-2; L-2 Henryka Sienkiewicza C-5/7 Chorzowska A/C-1; B-2; C-2 Chrześcijan Baptystów L-2 Ignacego Jana Paderewskiego L-3/4 Jagiellońska B/D-5 Jana III Sobieskiego A-2/3, J-3 Jana Kilińskiego A-5/6, J-4 Jana Kochanowskiego B-5; C-4/5 Jana Matejki A-3/4 Jana Nepomucena Stęślickiego A-1, J-2 Jasna J-2 Jerzego Dudy-Gracza L-3 Johna Baildona I-2; J-2 Józefa Ignacego Kraszewskiego L-2 Józefa Lompy C-5/7; D-5, K-4 Józefa Rymera A-6 Józefa Wolnego I-2/3 Józefa Zajączka A-6

Free like a bird with a view above Plac Wolności (p.26)

84 Katowice In Your Pocket

Juliana Ordona D-1; E-1, K-2 Juliusza Ligonia B/D-6; B-5 Juliusza Słowackiego A-3/4; B-2/3 Juliusza Zarębskiego I-3 Kaktusów K-2 Kamienna A-4, J-3 Karbowa K-4 Kardynała Bolesława Kominka I-4 Karola L-3 Karola Miarki L-3 Karoliny L-2 Katowicka K-2; L-2 Kawek I-5/6 Kazimiery Iłłakowiczówny J-2; K-1/2 Kazimierza Dłuskiego J-4 Kazimierza Pułaskiego L-4 Kazimierza Skiby I-5/6 Klimczoka I-2/3 Klonowa K-2 Kolibrów J-5/6 Konstantego Damrota D-7; E-4/7 Konstantego Ildefonsa Gałczyńskiego I-5 Konstantego Woźniczki I-5/6 Kopalniana L-3 Kormoranów I-5; J-5 Koszarowa I-4 Kozielska A-5, J-3/4 Krakusa L-2 Królowej Jadwigi C-5/6 Krzemienna K-5 Krzysztofa Mieroszewskiego L-2 Krzywa A-5; B-5 Księcia Józefa Poniatowskiego A-6/7, J-4 Księdza Aleksandra Skowrońskiego L-3/4 Księdza biskupa Czesława Domina B-7 Księdza biskupa Józefa Gawliny I-4 Księdza biskupa Stanisława Adamskiego I-4; J-4 Księdza biskupa Teodora Kubiny I-4 Księdza Franciszka Ścigały L-2/3 Księdza Józefa Czempiela B-7

Courtesy of Katowice City Council

Księdza Józefa Szafranka D-5 Księdza kardynała Bolesława Kominka I-4; J-4 Księdza kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego K-2 Księdza Karola Żmija I-2 Księdza Konstantego Damrota D-7, K-4 Księdza Norberta Bończyka L-2 Księdza Piotra Skargi B-3; C-3 Księdza Stanisława Maślińskiego L-3 Łabędzia I-5; J-5 Lelków J-5/6 Leopolda L-2; M-2 Leopolda Markiefki L-2/3 Lipowa I-2 Ludomira Różyckiego I-5 Ludwika L-2 Macieja I-3 Macieja Ledóchowskiego I-3 Maksymiliana Wilimowskiego J-3/4 Marcina I-2/3 Marcina Szeligiewicza A-7; B-7 Mariacka D-4 Marii Goeppert-Mayer A-4, J-3 Marii Skłodowskiej-Curie A-5/6 Meteorologów J-5 Michała Drzymały A-5/6; B-5 Michała Grażyńskiego B-1; C-1, J-2; K-2 Mikołaja Kopernika A-5; B-5 Mikołaja Reja L-3 Mikołowska A-4/5, I-4/5; J-3/4 Misjonarzy Oblatów MN J-2; K-2 Młyńska B-4; C-4, F-1 Modrzewiowa K-2 Morawska L-2/3 Morwowa K-2 Murckowska L-3/4; M-3/5 Myśliwska E-4 Nad Osiekiem J-3/4 Nadgórników L-2 Narcyzów A-7 Normy L-2 Nowa L-2/3 Nowotarska L-2 Olimpijska C/E-1; D-2, K-2 Ondraszka I-2/3 Opolska A-2/3; B-3, J-3 Parkowa I-5 Pawła Stalmacha A-5/6, J-4 PCK A-6 Pelikanów J-5 Pętla Słoneczna K-2 Piastowska C-3; D-3 Piękna I-4/5 Pilotów K-4 Piotra L-2 Plac Karola Miarki B-5 Plac Wolności A-3/4 Plebiscytowa B-6/7; C-5/6, J-4 Pocztowa C-4 Podgórna C-5 Podhalańska L-2; M-2 Podchorążych B-6/7 Powstańców A/E-6, K-4 Profesora Augusta Chełkowskiego D-3; E-3 Profesora Waleriana Pańki D-3; E-3, K-3; L-3 Prosta K-4; L-4 Prowansalska L-5

iyp.me/katowice

Street Register CHORZÓW

It’s all about the angles in the cultural zone (p.28). Andrzej, Adobe Stock Przemysłowa E-5, K-4; L-4 Puławska L-2 Raciborska I-3/4; J-3/4 Relaksowa I-4 Rodańska K-5 Rondo generała Emila Fieldorfa "Nila" D-7, K-4 rondo Generała Jerzego Ziętka C-2 Rondo generała Stanisława Maczka I-4 Rondo Józefa Pietera D-2 Rondo Kazimierza Zenktelera E-7, K-4 Rondo księdza Józefa Kani I-2 Rondo księdza Konstantego Michalskiego J-5 Rondo Policji Województwa Śląskiego D-7 Równoległa L-3 Różana A-7 Roździeńskiego L-3 Rybnicka D-6/7 Rycerska I-4 Ryszarda L-3 Sądowa A-3/4, J-3 Skalna J-4 Sławomira Skrzypka D-1, K-2 Sokolska A-3; B-1/3; C-1, K-2 Śródmiejska C-2/3 Stanisława Fliegera J-4 Stanisława Kobylińskiego D-5 Stanisława Moniuszki D-3 Stanisława Rochowiaka I-4; J-4 Starowiejska D-4 Stefana Batorego B-5 Stefana Czarnieckiego L-3 Stefana Okrzei J-2; K-2 Strzelecka J-4 Świętego Jacka E-5 Świętego Jana C-4 Świętego Pawła E-3/4 Sztygarska L-3

iyp.me/polandblog

Szybowa I-4 Szybowcowa K-5 Tadeusza Dobrowolskiego L-2/3 Tadeusza Konckiego B-5/6 Tadeusza Kościuszki A-6/7; B-4/6; C-4 Tadeusza Rejtana L-3 Tarasa Szewczenki I-2 Teatralna D-3 Trzech Stawów L-4; M-4 Tylna Mariacka C-4; D-4 Uniwersytecka D-2/3; E-2/3 Walerego Wróblewskiego L-2/3 Waleriana L-3 Warszawska C/E-4, K-3; L-3 Wąska I-2 Węglana L-2 Węglowa I-2 Wiązowa K-2; L-2 Widok J-2 Wierzbowa K-2 Wincentego Janasa I-3 Wincentego Styczyńskiego B-5 Wincentego Wajdy L-2 Wiślana L-2 Wita Stwosza B-5/7, F-1; J-4/5 Władysława Broniewskiego K-2 Władysława Łokietka L-3 Władysława Reymonta D-5/7 Wodna E-3/4 Wojewódzka C/E-5; C-4 Wrocławska L-2; M-2 Zabrska A-2/3 Zacisze E-5 Zakopiańska L-2 Zamułkowa I-2 Żelazna I-3; J-2/3 Zofii Koniarkowej L-2 Żołnierzy Wyklętych K-4; L-4 Żwirki i Wigury A-5; B-5/6, J-4 Zygmunta Krasińskiego E-5, K-3/4; L-4

Al. Bojowników o Wolność i Demokrację P-5 Al. Fali R-5 Al. Gwiazd R-5 Al. Główna Q-5; R-5 Al. Harcerska Q-5; R-5 Al. Klonowa R-4/5 Al. Księcia Henryka Pobożnego Q-5 Al. Księżnej Jadwigi Śląskiej Q-5 Al. Muzyków R-4 Al. Planetarium R-5 Al. Różana Q-5; R-5 Al. Spacerowa Q-5; R-5 Al. Sportowa R-5 Al. Widokowa R-4 Al. Wojska Polskiego P-5; Q-5 Al. Wycieczkowa Q-4; R-4 Al. Łani R-4/5 Alfonsa Zgrzebnioka Q-5 Astrów P-5 Bankowa P-4 Bartosza Głowackiego P-5 Biskupa Bernarda Bogedaina P-4 Bolesława Chrobrego P-4; Q-5 Chorzowska Q-5; R-5 Cmentarna P-5 Czysta P-5 Częstochowska P-5 Dobrodzieńska P-5 Doktora Andrzeja Mielęckiego P-4 Doktora Józefa Rostka P-4 Drogowa Trasa Średnicowa P-5 Dworcowa P-4 Działkowa P-5 Dębowa Q-5 Floriańska P-4 Franciszka Karpińskiego P-4 Franciszkańska P-5 Franklina Delano Roosevelta Q-4 Fryderyka Chopina P-4 Gajowa P-4 Generała Jana Henryka Dąbrowskiego P-4/5 Górna Q-4 Górnicza P-5 Hajducka P-5 Henryka Majętnego Q-4 Henryka Sienkiewicza P-4 Hetmańska Q-5 Ignacego Mościckiego Q-4/5 Ignacego Paderewskiego Q-4/5 Jagiellońska P-4 Jana Faski P-4 Jana III Sobieskiego P-4 Jana Kilińskiego P-4/5 Jasna P-5 Juliana Grządziela P-5 Józefa Lompy P-4 Józefa Ryszki P-5 Józefa Wybickiego Q-4 Kadecka Q-4 Karolinki Q-4 Kaszubska P-4 Katowicka P-4/5; Q-5 Kazimierza Wielkiego P-4 Klimzy P-5 Konstantego Damrota P-4 Krakowska Q-4 Krakusa P-4 Krzywa P-4/5 Kręta P-5 Księcia Józefa Poniatowskiego P-4

Księcia Władysława Opolskiego P-4 Księdza Augustyna Kordeckiego P-5 Księdza Biskupa Ignacego Krasickiego P-4 Księdza Jana Gałeczki P-4/5 Ludwika Szabatowskiego P-4 Ludwika Urbanowicza P-5 Lwowska P-4; Q-4 Magistrala Węglowa P-4; Q-4 Marii Konopnickiej P-4; Q-4 Mazurska Q-4 Michała Drzymały P-4/5 Mikołaja Kopernika P-4 Modrzewiowa R-4 Młodzieżowa P-5; Q-5 Osiedle Klimzy P-5 Parkowa Q-4/5 Piaskowa P-5 Piotra Skargi P-4; Q-4 Plac AKS Q-5 Plac Dworcowy P-4 Plac Jana Matejki P-4 Plac Kopernika P-4 Plac Piastowski Q-4 Plac Powstańców Śląskich P-4 Pocztowa P-4 Pod Estakadą P-4 Pogodna P-4; Q-4 Powstańców P-4/5 Promenada generała Jerzego Ziętka R-5 Promenada Jerzego Ziętka R-5 Przy Gazowni P-5 Przyjemna P-5 Racławicka P-5 Rajnholda Domina P-5 Rondo księdza biskupa Ignacego Jeża Q-5 Rycerska Q-4 Rynek P-4 Różana P-5 Siemianowicka R-4 Sportowa P-5 Stanisława Moniuszki P-4 Starego Zdroju P-4/5 Stefana Żeromskiego P-4 Szczecińska P-5 Słoneczna P-5 Słowiańska Q-4 Tadeusza Kościuszki P-4; Q-4 Tadeusza Rejtana Q-4 Teatralna P-4 Towarowa P-4 Tysiąclecia Q-5 Ułańska Q-5 Wawrzyna Hajdy P-5 Willowa P-5 Wiosenna P-5 Wiśniowa Q-5 Wolności P-4 Wschodnia R-4 Wycieczkowa R-4/5 Węzłowiec R-4 Władysława Truchana P-4 Zielona Q-5 Zjednoczenia P-4 Łąkowa P-5 Świętej Anny P-5 Świętej Barbary P-5 Żwirki i Wigury P-5

July – October 2018 85

Index 3 Siostry Bajgiel i Kawa 42 Absurdalna 63 AïOLI Inspired by Katowice 57 Ambasada Śledzia 64 Amnezja 63 Anwa 74 Bar a Boo 55 B&B Hotel Katowice Centrum 78 Biała Małpa 63 Biała Małpa Mexico 58 Bierhalle 50, 69 Bistro & Cafe Krystynka wraca z Wiednia 50 bistro & cafe zielnik 50 Black 8 70 Bohema 50 Botanika 49 Break the Code Escape Room 71 Browariat 69 Buddha 49 Bujna 49 BUŁKĘS 51 Burgundia Wine Tastings & Wine Shop 67, 72 BWA Contemporary Art Gallery 27 Cadenza 59 Cafe Byfyj 36 Cafe Kattowitz 42 Campanile 78 Centrum Zimbardo 36 Cepelia 74 C'est Si Bon 46 Chata z Zalipia 59 Cinema City Silesia 71 City By Bike 70 City Information Office 23 City Pub 64 City Rock 45 Ciuciubabka 71 Cloud Scraper 26 Cooler Club & Food 46, 68 Courtyard by Marriott Katowice City Center 78 Cristallo 55 Cybermachina 64 Desa 73 DeSilva Inn Katowice Airport 79 DH Supersam 76 Diament Arsenal Palace Katowice/Chorzów 79 Diament Bella Notte Katowice/Chorzów 79 Diament Economy Gliwice 79 Diament Plaza Gliwice 79 Diament Plaza Katowice 78 Diament Spodek 78 Diament Vacanza Siemianowice Śląskie 79 Diament Zabrze 79 Drzwi Zwane Koniem 64 Dzień i Noc 51 Elka Cableway 34 El Mexicano 59 Empik 73

86 Katowice In Your Pocket

Europa 48, 52 EuroResidence Home Apartament 78 Fabryka Kurtosza 52 Flyspot Katowice 71 Galeria Katowicka 76 Galeria Sztuki Fox 73 Geszeft 74 Hana Sushi 57 Hobu 57 Hospoda 46 Hotel Katowice 78 Hotel Rycerski 79 Hotel Szafran 79 Hurry Curry 45 Ibis Budget Katowice Centrum 78 Ibis Katowice - Zabrze 79 I Coal You 73 Industrial Ethnography Museum 37 INQbator 68 International Congress Centre 29 JUMPCITY 71 Kartofelnik 52 Kato 65 Katowice Historical Museum 25 Katowice Miasto Ogrodów 26 Kawiarnia Wawelska 42 Kawosz 42 KluboGaleria SARP 51, 65 Klub Pomarańcza 68 Klub Prime 68 Kofeina Mini 52 Komis Płytowy 73 Kondrat Wina Wybrane 72 Kredens 65 Kręgielnia Galaktyka 70 Królestwo 69 Kurka Bez Piórka 74 Kyoto Sushi 57 La Cantina 58 La Petite Bretagne 43 Laserhouse 71 Legal Cakes 43 Legendia Amusement Park 34 Len Arte 56 Lilou 73 Little Hanoi...and more!

61 Longway 66 Lulua 74 Madlen Flowers 74 Mad Mick 46 Masala House 49 M Hotel Sosnowiec 79 Monopol 43, 78 moodro bistro & cafe 43 moodro restaurant 61 Mr. Fox Pub & Resto 65 Multikino 71 Museum of the Duke’s Brewery in Tychy 66 Namaste Traveller's Club 66 Nasze Bao 45 Natura 74

Noma Residence 79 NOVO 56 Novotel Katowice Centrum 78 Okiem i Brzuchem 48 Old Cuban 66 Organic Farma Zdrowia 74 Oświęcim Jewish Museum & Synagogue 41 Pan de Rossa 52 Parachute Tower 30 Park Hotel Diament Katowice 78 Park Inn by Radisson Katowice 78 Patio 52 Patio Park 52 Patio Zajazd 53, 78 Petit 46 Plac Wolności 26 Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra 29 Pszczyna 39 PTTK Katowice 23 Pub Kontynuacja 67 Q Hotel Plus Katowice 78 Qubus Hotel Gliwice 79 Queens 69 Rajzefiber 69 Restauracja Max 53 Restauracja Monopol 53 Restauracja Pod Drewnianym Bocianem 54 Restauracja Sunlight 47 Restauracja Tamarynd 54 Restauracja Vacanza 54 Ristorante Terra Mare 56 Royal 79 Rycerski 60 Rynek 24 Sadza Soap 74 Senator 78 Shrimp House 58 Silesia City Center 76 Silesian Freedom and Solidarity Centre 31 Silesian Hotel Quality and Economy 78

Silesian Museum 29 Silesian Parliament 25 SilesiaTrip.pl 23 Śląska Prażalnia Kawy Cafe Amor 43 Śląska Prohibicja 36 SmaQ Food & Wine 60 Souvlaki Bar 48 Spiż 69 Spodek 28 Steakhouse Da Da 54 Sweet Home Silesia 43 Synergia. Dobre Miejsce 43 Sztauwajery 31 Sztolnia. Chleb. Mięso. Wino 47 Tadeusz Kościuszko Park 30 Targowisko Miejskie 76 Tarnowskie Góry Mines 39 Tatiana 55 Termy Rzymskie 71 Thali House by Masala House 49 Ul. Mariacka 24 Ul. Mariacka Tylna 8 Upojeni 67 Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park 34 Valley of Three Ponds 31 Via Toscana 58 Vienna House Easy Angelo Katowice 78 Visiting Auschwitz 40 WHISKY & SPIRIT HOUSE 73 Wiejska Chatka 60 Willa Ambasador 79 Wilson Shaft Gallery 36 W. Krzyś 73 WunderBAR 47 Zaklęty Czardasz 48 Zdrowa Krowa 46 Zielony Most 49 Zillmann Tea & Coffee 36 Złoty Róg 60 Żółte Drzwi 67 Zoo 34 Żurownia 61

FEATURES INDEX Currency Exchange Jewish Katowice Katowice for Beer Lovers Katowice with the kids Language Smarts Market Values Polish Snacks & Shots Polish Vodka Silesian Grub Street Art Tourist Info & Tours Transport Tools/Apps

77 26 63 27 14 14 64 68 54 6 23 11 iyp.me/katowice

Gliwice ul. Ceglarska 35 www.queensnightclub.pl 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.

Genießen Sie in angenehmer Atmosphäre, die perfekt gemixten Drinks unserer Bar, die prickelnde Erotikshow der QUEENS - Girl´s auf der Bühne, während Sie sich entspannt in einem der vielen Sofas zurücklehnen. Sie erleben eine Tabledance Show der Extraklasse, die perfekt aufeinander abgestimmt ist.

Die Sound & Lichttechnik im QUEENS Striptease Club unterstreicht dieses noch. Geniessen Sie einen “Private Dance”, den persönlichen Striptease, nur für Sie mit einer Tänzerin Ihrer Wahl.

Die Tänzerinnen des Nachtclub´s, verstehen es Erotik, Verführung, Varieté und Akrobatik miteinander zu verbinden.

Ob Junggesellenabschied, Firmenfeier, Geburtstag, Vereinsfeier oder Abschlußfeier, der Tabledance Club ist der ideale Ort um einen unvergesslichen Abend zu erleben und tabulos zu feiern.

“Dich erwartet eine exzellente Tabledance - Erotikshow” Wir freuen uns auf euren Besuch Euer QUEENS - Team

CITY OF FASHION

300

OVER SHOPS &ENTERTAINMENT Place worth visiting!

The shopping center of fashion trends, inspiring events and entertainment

Silesia City Center, 107 Chorzowska St, Katowice www.silesiacitycenter.com.pl