Ruda Śląska

Ruda Śląska is an industrial city in the Silesian Voivodeship of southwest Poland, with a population of 135,008 in 2021. It's part of the Upper Silesian metropolis, centered around Katowice.

Understand
"Ruda" means mineral ores, and from medieval times iron and coal were mined in dozens of villages set in the forests of Upper Silesia. Better mining and metal-working techniques in the 18th century caused the villages to expand and merge with each other, but in Ruda Śląska this never quite happened, so it's a straggle of ten towns with no centre. Silesia in that era was part of Prussia then Germany, so for example the town now called Nowy Bytom was known as Friedenshütte. When Poland regained independence in 1921, some Silesian cities voted to remain German but most including Ruda Śląska joined Poland; the remainder joined after 1945.

Traditional smokestack industries are in decline here as elsewhere in Europe, but they remain active in Ruda Śląska. This incurs an environmental and a human cost: a mining explosion in 2006 killed 23 and another in 2009 killed 18.

Get in
Ruda Śląska borders Katowice, so long distance public transport is via that city. Katowice-Pyrzowice Airport is 36 km north of Ruda Śląska, take the airport bus into central Katowice and change.

Trains from Katowice run every 20 minutes and take 17 min via Chorzów, Świętochłowice and Ruda Chebzie; they continue west to Zabrze and Gliwice, another 12 min. These trains may start from Częstochowa or Dąbrowa Górnicza.

is a simple unstaffed platform halt in the north of town. It has a ticket machine and that's all. Access to platforms is by a smelly passageway with steps and no ramp or elevator.

may be a more congenial place to get off. The station itself is just a halt, but the former station hall has been refurbished with cafes and a library. There's disabled access and trams outside run to Ruda Południowa in the centre of Ruda Śląska and on to Zabrze and Gliwice.

Long-distance buses don't serve Ruda Śląska. By road:


 * from Kraków follow A4 / E40 west 80 km.
 * from Wrocław follow A4 / E40 southeast 160 km.
 * from the Czech Republic follow A1 past Ostrava into Poland, turning east on A4 / E40 near Gliwice.

Get around
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 for ticket options and where to buy them.

Bus 130 runs from Katowice every 30 min to Ruda Śląska and its southern district of Halemba.

Bus 118 runs from Ruda Chebzie every 20 min to Ruda Śląska then north to Bytom.

See

 * Church of St Joseph is at Piastowska 25, 400 m north of the railway station. It's neo-Romanesque, built 1902-04.
 * on Plac Jana Pawła II is a sturdy neo-Romanesque building of 1912.
 * City Hall (Ratusz) is north side of Plac Jana Pawła II. Neither hall nor draughty square have any architectural merit, but a brass plaque commemorates the non-visit of Lech Wałęsa - Ruda Śląska is the largest conurbation in Poland never to have been visited by him. They may have been hoping that this would bring tourists flocking, to see what was so wrong with the place.
 * is redbrick neogothic, built in 1883. It's along E Kokota.
 * is redbrick neogothic, built in 1883. It's along E Kokota.

Do

 * Silesian Impresario Theatre is a performance venue at Piotra Niedurnego 69, 100 m north of City Hall.
 * Aquadrom is a water park at Kłodnicka 95 in Halemba district.
 * Aquadrom is a water park at Kłodnicka 95 in Halemba district.
 * Aquadrom is a water park at Kłodnicka 95 in Halemba district.

Buy

 * Ruda Śląska Plaza is the main mall, containing Cinema City and Carrefour supermarket. It's open M-Sa 08:00-21:00, Su 10:00-20:00.
 * Lots of convenience and discount stores near the Plaza, Biedronka is the commonest chain.

Eat

 * Eating places are clustered around Plac Jana Pawła II. They include Mąka & Oliwa, Smakosz, Luvu, Memo Kebab, At Mark's and Żółty Smok.

Drink

 * Wirek district to the southwest has Duet micro-brewery, Esencja Smaku and Pod Łososiem sports bar.
 * Wirek district to the southwest has Duet micro-brewery, Esencja Smaku and Pod Łososiem sports bar.

Connect
As of April 2024, Ruda Śląska and its approach roads have 5G from all Polish carriers.

Go next

 * Katowice at the centre of the metropolis is grubby and industrial but with lots of 19th / 20th century heritage.
 * In Chorzów the main sights are in the Culture Park along the boundary with Katowice.
 * Częstochowa is a pilgrimage site for Jasna Góra monastery, with the icon of the Black Madonna.