Chorzów
Chorzów is an industrial city in the Silesian Voivodeship of southwest Poland, with a population of 105,628 in 2021. Many of its attractions are in the Culture Park along the boundary with Katowice.
Understand
[edit]Chorzów was already a mining and metal-working village in 1136 when first documented by Pope Innocent II, one of dozens in forest clearings across Silesia. They all remained small until the 17th / 18th centuries when better mining and steel-making techniques caused them to expand and grow into each other. In that era Silesia lay within Germany, and Chorzów was one of several towns that voted to remain German when Poland re-unified in 1921. From the 1930s Chorzów incorporated its nearby small towns, and was in turn almost engulfed by Katowice. After Germany was defeated in 1945 most of Silesia was allocated to Poland but the west around Ostrava re-joined Czechoslovakia.
20th century Chorzów earned its living from mining, steel, electrical machinery, electronics and chemicals. All these industries then collapsed and the region has been trying to re-invent itself since.
Get in
[edit]
For long-distance connections see Katowice#Get in. From Katowice-Pyrzowice Airport (KTW IATA) take the local bus into Katowice and change, there's no direct transport to Chorzów. Similarly from Kraków John-Paul II Airport (KRK IATA) travel via Kraków city centre.
By train
[edit]1 Chorzów Batory Station. This is the main station, 1 km south of town centre. Trains from Katowice take only 8 minutes, and continue west every 30 min to Swietochlowice, Ruda Chebzie, Ruda Śląska, Zabrze and Gliwice. Inter-city trains from Wrocław and beyond rush through non-stop, but you could change at Gliwice rather than backtracking through Katowice. Another hourly train from Katowice branches north from Chorzów Batory to Chorzów Miasto in town centre, Chorzów Stary, Bytom (6 stations) and Tarnowskie Góry; in early 2024 this train is replaced by a bus. Batory station is gloomy and has no facilities.
2 Chorzów Miasto Station is on the line towards Bytom and Tarnowskie Góry. It's a modern building opposite the hospital and close to town centre. But it's dark and dismal, and in 2024 is closed as the trains are replaced by buses - these stop just outside on Truchana.
Chorzów Stary Station is another 3 km north on that line but you're very unlikely to use it. It's just a halt amidst freight yards, the station building has been demolished, and you may find a parked freight train blocking access across the tracks to the platforms. Use the tram to reach this corner of town.
Trams run frequently along the boulevard from Katowice, and are the most convenient way to reach facilities in Park Śląski at the east edge of Chorzów. They continue into town centre, where one line turns south to Batory station, one goes west to Ruda Chebzie, and one heads north to Bytom. Tram tickets are the same as city bus tickets, see "Get around".
By bus
[edit]Bus 48 runs every 30 min from Katowice, taking 10 min to Chorzów town centre.
By road
[edit]From Warsaw take E67 / 75 southwest past Częstochowa to Bytom, then Hwy 911 / A1 south into town.
From Kraków take E40 west to Katowice then Hwy 86 onto 79.
From Berlin and Wrocław follow E40 southeast to Gliwice then Hwy 902 east.
Get around
[edit]ZTM Metropolia run almost all buses and trams across the 40-some cities of Upper Silesian Metropolis, which straddles the Czech border. They have a unified ticket system. See Katowice#Get around for ticket options and where to buy them.
See
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Centre
[edit]- The original village was 3 km northeast, but from 1797 the coal mines and ironworks caused this area to mushroom into Königshütte or Królewska Huta. Today this is known as Chorzów I or Miasto meaning town centre.
- 1 Rynek is the central square and former market place. It's large, lined with civic buildings such as the town hall of 1876 and the post office of 1892, plus lots of modern tat, and with a busy highway flyover slicing through. Other cities that carved up their historic centres in that manner, such as Dresden and Genoa, have lost their UNESCO listing in consequence, but the local governors shrewdly deduced that no such risk hung over Chorzów.
- 2 Martin Luther Church (Kościół Marcina Lutra), Powstańców 13, ☏ +48 32 241 1397. The Protestant church was built from the 1890s in neo-Gothic style. The exterior is fairly plain but it's ornate within.
- 3 Chorzów Museum, Powstańców 25. Temporarily closed. Small museum in city centre.
- Municipal Savings Bank a block west of the museum on Zjednoczenia was one of the tallest buildings in Poland when completed in 1935, at the dizzy height of 40 m.
- 4 St Hedwig Church, Wolności 51. M-F 08:00-12:00, 15:00-17:00. Neo-Romanesque RC church from the 1870s; its cemetery is two blocks south. Hedwig or Jadwiga of Silesia (1174 – 1243) at age 12 married Henry the future High Duke of Poland. After his death in 1238, Hedwig's relentless charity works and donations to the church led to her being canonised.
- Bismarck was the name of the steelworks and district further south by the main railway station. When Chorzów transferred from Germany to Poland in 1945 they needed a new name, but it had to start with "B" as that was the trademark embossed on the steel products. What they came up with was Batory, ruler of Poland, Lithuania and Transylvania 1576-86.
- 5 Church of the Assumption (Kościół Wniebowzięcia NMP), Farna 3. Neogothic church built 1898–1901.
North
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- Chorzów II was the northern extension of the 18th / 19th century city.
- 6 Museum of Metallurgy (Muzeum Hutnictwa w Chorzowie), Metalowców 4a, ☏ +48 32 704 9631. Tu, Sa 10:00-18:00, W-F 09:00-16:00, Su 13:00-18:00. Large modern museum exhibiting the local steelmaking industry. Adult 19 zł, conc 13 zł.
- 7 Elizabeth Church, Katowicka 90. Lutheran church from 1844 within a cemetery. It's named for Elisabeth Ludovika (1801-73), wife of King Frederick William IV of Prussia. She was Catholic and declined to convert to Lutheranism on marrying him, saying she'd first study its merits. Seven years later she'd either done studying or deemed it politic, and converted.
- Dom Kalidego at the east end of 3 Maja (between Elizabeth & St Barbara churches) looks to be only held together by its grime. It's one of the oldest buildings in town, erected in 1802 as part of a housing district for steelworkers, and this block housed the officials. Building and adjacent alley are named for the sculptor Theodor Kalide (1801-63).
- 8 St Barbara Church, 3 Maja 18, ☏ +48 32 249 6433. Built in 1852, the oldest RC church in town, and enlarged in later years. The exterior has been scrubbed up nicely, the interior needs the same. But all of that requires money, and if the priest hikes the price of a funeral any more, even the folk lying in the cemetery behind will quit in protest.
- 9 Saint Joseph Church, Łagiewnicka 17. This RC church is neo-gothic from the 1910s.
- Chorzów Stary - "Old Chorzów" or Chorzów III - was the original village northeast of the present centre, first mentioned in a papal bull of 1136. It's now an ugly brownfield area of semi-derelict industry. St Mary Magdalene Church is from 1890 but not worth a special trip.
- Żabie Doły: see Bytom for these lagoons further north, formed in the 20th century by mining subsidence.
Elsewhere
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- 10 Saint Laurence Church (Kościół Św Wawrzyńca), Marii Konopnickiej 29, ☏ +48 32 780 9961. This is where you want your wedding photos taken: it's a wooden church from 1599, formerly from Knurów village near Gliwice, moved to Chorzów in the 1930s.
- 11 Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park (Muzeum Górnośląski Park Etnograficzny), Parkowa 25 (Tram or bus to Śląski or AKS stop and walk in), ☏ +48 32 241 0718. M-F 09:00-17:00, Sa Su 10:00-17:00. Large skansen or open-air museum, with old farm buildings, dwellings and so on collected from around the region. Not much visible Nov-April as buildings are shuttered up against the winter. Its centrepiece was intended to be the 16th century church of Syrynia, but somehow that landed up in Katowice, and it's too frail to move again. Guided tour is available, but the accuracy of the guide's explanation is questionable at best. Adult 20 zł, conc or child 12 zł.
- Silesian Culture and Recreation Park (Wojewódzki Park Kultury i Wypoczynku), east of the Ethnographic Park and Highway 79, extends 2 km east-west and 3 km north-south along the boundary with Katowice. It's accessible free 24 hours, dog-friendly, with multiple entry points and transport routes. Attractions within (below) include the Stadium, zoo, planetarium, amusement park, Trade Fair Grounds, rose garden, swimming pool and water sports centre, and tennis courts. It's criss-crossed by walking and cycling trails and a cable-car plies above it. Large concerts, festivals and similar events are often held here.
- 12 Planetarium, Al Planetarium 4 (centre of park), ☏ +48 32 745 0055. M-F 08:30-19:00, Sa Su 10:00-19:00. Renovated in 2022 this has screenings, a space flight simulator and a camera obscura. Headphones for English commentary available.
- 13 Silesian Zoological Park (Śląski Ogród Zoologiczny), Promenada General Jerzego Ziętka 7 (Tram or bus to Zoo), ☏ +48 32 793 7166. M-F 09:00-16:00, Sa Su 09:00-17:00. Large zoo within Park Śląski. Reduced price Nov-Feb when the animals shelter from the cold. "Giraffe" is the name of the tall metal sculpture by the entrance, not remotely resembling one. Adult 26 zł, conc or child 13 zł.
- Rose Garden and Japanese Garden are by the entrance to the zoo.
- 14 Legendia, Al Atrakcji 1 (south tip of Park.), ☏ +48 666 031 196, info@legendia.pl. Apr Sept Oct Sa Su, May-Aug daily 11:00-19:00. Funfair, the oldest in Poland. Adult or child over 3 160 zł.
- 15 Elżbieta shaft complex (Zespół szybu Elżbieta) at Siemianowicka 64 housed the shaft of the former Elżbieta coal mine. The mine owners prettified it into a mock-castle or Moorish palace, though it more resembles a down-at-heel seaside casino, and is nowadays an events venue. Only if you happen to be passing.
- 16 Uroczysko Buczyna is a nature reserve of forest and wetland, south of Hwy E40 on the boundary with Katowice and Ruda Śląska. As with Żabie Doły to the north, the lagoons formed through mining subsidence.
Do
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- 1 Teatr Rozrywki, Marii Konopnickiej 1, ☏ +48 32 346 1931. A large theatre.
- 2 Śląski Stadium, Katowicka 10 (Tram or bus to Stadion), ☏ +48 500 006 415. Large stadium, rebuilt 2009-17 to have a capacity of 54,378. It formerly hosted the national soccer team; it no longer has a resident team but stages athletics events and rock concerts.
- Football: Ruch Chorzów were relegated in 2024 and now play soccer in 1 Liga, the second tier. Their home ground Ruch Stadium (capacity 9300) is just north of Batory Station.
Events
[edit]- Bluestracja is a blues festival organized by MDK Batory in late April.
- Constitution Day is May 3, with civic parades.
- City Festival is at the beginning of June.
- Port Poetycki is poetry, music and visual arts in June, at the site of the former President Mine.
- FEST Festival was in August but went bust in 2023.
- If Summer Ends is an alternative music festival in late August.
- Beer Festival is in September in the Fields of Mars in the Park of Culture.
- Independence Day and Chorzów Anniversary Feast is on 11 Nov.
- Christmas Market is held in the run-up to Christmas.
Buy
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- AKS Shopping Center (Galeria Handlowa AKS), Parkowa 20 (southeast of Hotel Diament Arsenal). The anchor store is Carrefour, open M-Sa 06:00-22:00.
- S1 Shopping Center (Centrum Handlowe S1), Strzelców Bytomskich 42 (west of the tracks into Chorzów Miasto). The main store is Lidl, open M-Sa 06:00-22:00.
Eat
[edit]- Rynek and Wolności have a strip of eating places. They include Pod Beczką (below), Na Winklu, Kartel, Kaskada, Everest, Pod Drewnianym Bocianem, Cafe Paterman, Piwniczka Piccolo, Tygiel Kulinarny and Włoskie.
- Pod Beczką Bistro & Pierogarnia Restauracja, Rynek 7, ☏ +48 790 779 889. M-F 11:00-18:00, Sa 11:00-16:30. Selection of Silesian food, good price, friendly service.
Drink
[edit]- Pubs around Rynek are Hard Rock, Kraken Restopub and Szuflada.
Sleep
[edit]- You could also stay in Katowice, as travel time is so short.
- 1 Focus Hotel, Armii Krajowej 15, ☏ +48 44 333 3333. Acceptable mid-price chain hotel near main highway and railway station. B&B double 350 zł.
- 2 Black Gold Center, Bolesława Chrobrego 13, ☏ +48 799 364 422. Basic hotel, acceptable on the occasions they clean it. B&B double 250 zł.
- 3 Hotel Diament Arsenal Palace, Paderewskiego 35, ☏ +48 32 606 8484. Middling to basic hotel close to stadium. Noise through thin walls is the main gripe. B&B double 300 zł.
- Hotel Diament Bella Notte is within the same building, similar price and quality.
- 4 Hotel Gorczowski, Stefana Batorego 35, ☏ +48 32 345 2137. Comfy mid-price place in a villa in Batory district. B&B double 500 zł.
- Hostel Kasyno shares the building with Hotel Gorczowski.
Connect
[edit]As of April 2024, Chorzów and its approach roads have 5G from all Polish carriers.
Go next
[edit]- Katowice is the chief city of the region and has the most extensive industrial and church heritage.
- Ruda Śląska and Bytom are smaller similar centres.
- Częstochowa is a pilgrimage destination for its monastery with the Black Madonna icon.