Katowice

Basic Information

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While Poland is increasingly becoming less discernible from other western European countries (in a good way, that is), there are certain local traditions and laws which the foreign visitor should be aware of. This is In Your Pocket's run-down of the helpful things everyone should know when visiting Poland.

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Climate

Poland has a temperate climate with hot summers and cold winters. Seasons tend to be more pronounced than in the west and temperatures can get down as low as -20 C in winter and as high as +30 C in summer. The coldest weather tends to hit around February. 

Customs

If you are travelling within the EU those over 18 can now take 10 litres of spirits, 90 litres of wine and 110 litres of beer. Most countries will not allow more than 800 cigarettes from Poland. If purchasing art or books, you need to consider their age and value. In order to leave the country, art must be less than 50 years old and under a certain value (varies depending by type; photos under 6,000zł, other art under 16,000zł, for example); if one of these conditions is met, the gallery curator can then provide you with a 'zaświadczenie' (permission document) describing the artwork's price and when and where it was created. If the work exceeds the permitted age and value, you must get permission from the 'Wojewódzki Konserwator Zabytków' (Regional Curator's Office) to take it out of Poland; bear in mind that this process will likely take 2-3 months. Books must be less than 100 years old and under 6,000zł in value in order to leave the country; if neither applies, permission must be obtained from the National Library. Obviously, problems arise when purchases are made at bazaars or flea markets where vendors cannot provide the necessary documents; if there is any doubt about the value or age of your purchase, we suggest you visit an 'Antykwariat' (antiques dealer – see shopping) for advice.

Electricity

Electricity in Poland is 230V, 50Hz AC. Plug sockets are round with two round-pin sockets. Therefore if you are coming from the US, UK or Ireland you are definitely going to need a plug convertor. The best place to pick these up is at home, though if you arrive without one try your hotel concierge or reception; they should be able to point you to the nearest electrical store if they fail to provide a convertor themselves. 

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).


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).


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.

Population (2017)

Poland - 37,858,000
Warsaw - 1,764,615
Kraków - 766,739
​Łódź - 690,422
​Wrocław - 637,683
​Poznań - 541,563
Gdańsk - 464,829
​Katowice - 296,262

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.

Health & Emergency

In the case of an emergency, mobile phone users should dial 112 to be forwarded to the police, fire department or ER. From a landline or public phone dial the following: Ambulance: 999; Fire: 998; Police: 997.

English, German and Russian speakers have separate lines specifically designed for foreigners in distress: +48 608 599 999 or +48 22 278 77 77. Both numbers can be reached from a mobile phone or a land-line and are hotlines in case you run into any troubles during your stay.

For urgent medical emergencies, a list of Emergency Rooms can be found in the Directory. If you’ve woken up to find you’ve got a raging headache, a swollen foot you can’t put weight on and vague memories of some kind of calamity, we suggest you sort it out by calling a private clinic, thus avoiding the hassle of the notoriously long queues in Polish hospitals.

If it's a financial emergency, your hopes will rest on a Western Union money transfer. Most banks and many exchange bureaus (kantors) can now carry out such transactions, just keep an eye out for anywhere displaying the Western Union logo.

Internet

Internet access is typically free and widely available in Poland, with practically every café and restaurant offering wi-fi to customers with laptops and smartphones. Getting on the network often requires nothing more than a password, which you can request of your favorite bartender or barista with a simple, “Poproszę o hasło do internetu.”

Law & Order

In general Katowice is safer than most West European cities, and visitors are unlikely to face any problems if they simply employ common sense. Petty crime does exist, and travellers should be on guard against pickpockets; if you’re in a bar or restaurant keep your wallet inside your trouser pocket, not inside a jacket casually left lying around. Perhaps the biggest danger in Silesia (and PL in general) is posed by groups of drunken football hooligans who can be easily avoided and heard coming a mile away. Finally, foreign men should be suspicious of young women who take an overactive interest in them and suggest going to some dodgy nightclub not in this guide where they stand the chance of being intimidated into paying for vastly inflated drink charges by thuggish bouncers; unfortunately, it happens.

Staying safe and on the right side of the law is significantly easier for tourists who accept that Polish beer and vodka are rocket fuel and drink accordingly. If you’re determined to make an idiot of yourself, just make sure it’s not in front of the law. Those who fail to mind their manners may well be treated to a trip to Katowice’s premier drunk tank (ul. Macieja 10), a chastening experience which will set you back 250zł for a 6-24 hour stay. In return for your cash expect a strip search, a set of blue pyjamas and the company of a dozen mumbling vagrants. Not to mention a hefty fine (credit cards not accepted, of course).

Other easy ways for tourists to cross cops are by riding public transport without a ticket (see Public Transport) and, silly as it seems, by jaywalking. If you are from a country which doesn’t have or respect jaywalking laws, you'll be surprised to see crowds of people standing obediently at a crossing waiting for the lights to change. The reason for obeying this little rule is the fact that the local city police (Straż Miejska) will quite freely give you a 100zł fine for crossing a road at a place where no crossing is marked or a 100zł fine when the ‘walk’ light is red. And don’t think you are exempt by being a foreign visitor. You too are subject to the law and your non-residency means you will be forced to pay the fine on the spot.

Market Values

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 February 21, 2019 based on €1 = 4.33zł

Product Price (zł) Price (€)
McDonald's Big Mac 10.50zł € 2.42
Snickers 1.89zł € 0.44
0.5ltr vodka (shop) 25.90zł € 5.98
0.5ltr beer (shop) 3.29zł € 0.76
0.5ltr beer (bar) 9.00zł € 2.08
Loaf of white bread 2.70zł € 0.62
Pack of Marlboros 16.00zł € 3.70
1ltr of unleaded petrol (98) 5.02zł € 1.16
Local transport ticket (1 journey) 3.20zł € 0.74

 

Money

Poland has it's own national currency, called the Polish złoty (sign: zł; code: PLN). As part of Poland's ascension into the European Union, adoption of the Euro is obligatory, however there is no set date on which the country must switch to the Euro. At present it seems unlikely that Poland will adopt the Euro before 2019.

Currency can be exchanged at airports, hotels, banks and anywhere with a sign proclaiming 'Kantor'. Kantors will often provide better value than the banks in your home country or the ATM although for obvious reasons be very wary of Kantors in the airports, bus stations and close to tourist sights. Shopping around will reward you with the best rate. For a list of kantors in Katowice that won't rip you off, see Directory.

Since EU ascension and becoming a favoured tourist destination, prices in Poland and especially Kraków have been on the rise, making the country less of a bargain than it was five years ago. Having said that, however, prices for food, drink, cultural venues and transport still remain comparably cheap in contrast to Western Europe. A ticket to the cinema costs 10-30zł, while admission to most museums costs around 5-15zł.

Thinking of paying for your tram ticket with one of the 100zł notes in your pocket, though? Think again. Small shops, newsagents, public toilets, and even the occasional restaurant or bar, will often refuse to break a large note for you. As annoying as coins can be, they are essential if you intend to pay in cash, so hang on to your change - you'll need it.

Although well behind in terms of service and properly stocking the register before opening for business, Poland is ahead of the curve when it comes to cashless transactions. Credit or debit can be used just about anywhere (except for obwarzanki vendors and outdoor markets). Those making purchases with a credit card whose base currency isn’t Polish złoty, should beware however (and unless you’re Polish, this probably means you). If you are asked by a merchant, wait staff or on the card reader itself whether you want to be charged in your home currency or PLN, always choose złoty. Why? Because the companies that process credit card transactions typically tack on fees for converting the money, and then do so at a lousy exchange rate. Depending on the size and number of your purchases while in Poland, the cost can really add up. Visitors should be vigilant and monitor receipts when paying with a credit card - should you be charged in your card's original currency, don't be afraid to insist on having your purchase refunded and charged again in złoty.

National Holidays

With a full calendar of religious holidays, seasonal traditions and name days, it seems there's always something being celebrated here in Poland. Not to be confused with unofficial holidays like Women's Day (March 8th), national holidays that are still regular work days like the Day of Pope John Paul II (October 16th), or the rash of spontaneously decreed days of national mourning that occur each year, below we list Poland's annual non-working public holidays:

January 1, 2019 New Year's Day
January 6, 2019 Three Kings
April 1, 2019 Easter Sunday
April 2, 2019 Easter Monday
May 1, 2019 Labour Day
May 3, 2019 Constitution Day (May 3, 1791)
May 20, 2019 Pentecost Sunday
May 31, 2019 Corpus Christi
August 15, 2019 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also Polish Army Day
November 1, 2019 All Saints' Day
November 11, 2019 Independence Day (Nov 11, 1918)
December 25, 2019 First Day of Christmas
December 26, 2019 Second Day of Christmas

Post

A bureaucratic nightmare buried under incomprehensible paperwork, there is no indication that Poland's postal service - Poczta Polska - will be automated or computerised during our lifetimes. There can be no doubt that the post office is one of the most frustrating places to be a foreigner in Poland, as you're guaranteed to not understand a damn thing happening there. Your best ally is the person in line next to you; if there's one person in the room who speaks not a word of English, it's the qualified clerk at the service window. Also, don't expect any signs to feature English translations, though all paperwork has been mystifyingly translated into French (and only French). When you get to the head of that insufferably long queue, don't be surprised to be sent to another or back to the end, paperwork in hand.

If sending something of any monetary or sentimental value, please, make sure you do so by using priority mail or better; magic word: 'Priorytet.' Choosing the cheapest overseas option available will ensure that your package is used as a football, opened and resealed with or without all of its contents before it arrives after a minimum 90-day journey. We're not exaggerating, and, yes, we are still very angry.

There are several post offices around Katowice, with the main building at ul. Pocztowa 9 (D-3) being the largest and most incomprehensible. All post offices close early on Saturday, if open at all, and all will be closed Sunday. Good luck, gringo.

Religion

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 95% of Poles are Roman Catholics. And though that figure is based on baptisms and the number of actual practising Catholics is probably closer to 75% (and falling), Poland remains one of the most religious countries in Europe. For over one thousand years Poland has been a bulwark of Catholicism, fighting against the horrors of pagan invasions and looking to Catholicism for a sense of social and national unity. When Poland was partitioned in the 19th century, many turned to the Church for solace and during the communist era, underground resistance meetings were surreptitiously held in churches. Native son Pope John Paul II remains a genuine source of pride for all Poles, and is beloved in a way more profound than cynics in the West can understand. Those used to the more easy-going habits of the West may find the Polish enthusiasm for the Church a bit unnerving at first, particularly the solemn and opulent processions that occur from time to time, and the droves that flock to mass. Tourists should remember while visiting Katowice's many churches that these aren't museums, but active places of worship to be treated with the requisite respect.

Toilets

Generally speaking toilets in Poland come marked with a circle for women, and a triangle for men. Although the habit is gradually dying some restaurants and bars still charge a nominal fee for use of their facilities – no matter how much cash you’ve already spent in the establishment. This is a practice also used in train stations and most public conveniences. 

Water

Water in Poland is officially safe to drink although the quality of plumbing in many places can affect the quality of the water that is delivered from your tap. We therefore recommend that you use bottled water which is widely available and inexpensive. The best known bottled local brands are Żywiec, Cisowianka, Kropla Beskidu and Nałęczowianka. In restaurants many tourists are surprised to find a glass of water is not compulsory, and ordering some typically results in the receipt of a tiny glass bottle that will barely wet your whistle. Beer is often a better bet since it's cheaper and arrives in larger quantities, but if you're set on having water it's best to learn the difference between gazowana (carbonated water) and niegazowana (still water).
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