Just a few of my highlights , favourite cafés and what to do in the area 🙂
I volunteered in Wojkowice and lived in Będzin in 2022/23 and I would like to share a few of my favourite cafés, thrift stores and just recommendations on what to do in Będzin, Katowice and just the general ZTM Area (the zones your travel card covers).
Autumn
You’ve just arrived so you’ll want to get to know your new surroundings and the town you live in!
You’ve probably noticed that there’s a castle in Będzin, but I didn’t notice for a really long time that there was a Jewish cemetery at the foot of its hill. This area is beautiful to take a walk in, especially during the autum time, with all the colourful leaves. Check out the catholic cemetery on November 1st when all the graves are lit by candles for all saints day.
Other things to look out for in Będzin: The Palace, the old city wall, jerozalema: a Jewish cafe in the centre, M1 shopping mall, BIGA: a big thrift store and a second hand store on the second floor of the shopping zone behind your apartment building.
Winter
It’s getting really cold and depending on where you’re from it could be really tough for you to withstand all this snow and no sun.
Take Vitamin D, Zinc and Calcium to stay fit! You can find this at Rossmann. I escaped the cold by watching a lot of movies in cinema. Katowice has a some great Indie Cinemas. The Rialto is one of the oldest and it’s Interior is very retro and the seating is more like a café than a cinema. Światowid offers a great selection of foreign films and does different language weeks, so if you miss hearing your native tongue you might get lucky! They also have some „English-friendly“ movies, which means they add English subtitles to Polish movies, so you can actually experience them on a big screen. And lastly there’s Kosmos, which is more classic, but always has the newest releases and previews. A regular tickets costs 19płn and with your EYCA card you can get a reduced card of 16płn.
On the 6th January, you’ll have a day off. Poland celebrates Epiphany (Day of the three kings from the Nativity scene), so there will be a small parade mainly for kids in every city. In Katowice its at the Archikatedra Chrystusa Króla. Be there early so you can pick up cake inside the Church and a paper crown in front of it.
During the winter holidays there are also a lot of activities held for kids, but also offered for all age groups. I participated in a pottery class at the Pałac Młodzieży . I know that they offer different courses throughout the entire year, so if you’re interested in any crafting hobbies or theatre check out their offers.
Spring
You know it’s spring time as soon as all the trees blossom in white and pink!
Finally you’ll want to actually go outside again. You could use this to check out the different parks in Katowice. We have Three Lakes, mukowiec and Kościuszki. There is another big park in chorzoThe Silesia park, which is really great and large, there are statues, a Japanese garden, planetarium and cable car!
Sometimes it’s still cold so you can check out some nice museums: You’ve probably already been to the Silesian Museum, since it’s recommended by everyone (and really great). But I can also really recommend you to check out the Museum of the Silesian Uprisings in Chorzów. It’s free on Sundays and has a great interactive exhibition.
This is also when I started trying our different cafes in Katowice. My favourites were: Black Woolf, Synergia and Coffee-jka. Great Milk bars are, Europa and Golden złoty. The first is more traditional and the other one is very hip and is actually all vegetarian!
Summer
The days are getting longer and you can stay out longer!
One of my highlights of my volunteering year was the Juwenalia Festival in May. Juwenalia is a student festival celebrated by students in most cities. There are usually parades where the students dress up, sometimes sporting events but most importantly parties and concerts. You can check out the different ones around Poland, but the one in Katowice was amazing! I got early bird tickets for 59płn for three days! I knew only two artists beforehand, but I got to know many more Polish singers and met a group of really nice girls! I know that the Juwenalia in Gliwice is free, if you’re tight on money that month.
If ist getting really hot while you’re still in Poland or if you want to stay longer, check out podgornica lake. Its very close and has a really nice beach. You can also do Standup paddling or rent a bicycle boat.
Also, you definitely need to check out the Kato Centrum Zone. Next to the Spodek Arena and the conference centre you can hang out, there’s Parties and free outdoor cinemas.
I didn’t really use Facebook before coming to Poland, but there it’s really popular and you can find great events and groups to find things to do or to meet people!
Really helpful info to katowice on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/wellcomehomecom
If you didn’t have the chance to meet volunteers from the region during your on-arrival training like me, check out the activities of this group of volunteers from Katowice:
https://instagram.com/esckatowice?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
