Zabrze

Zabrze is a city in the Silesian Voivodeship of southern Poland, part of a metropolis centred on Katowice. It's industrial, with a population of 168,946 in 2021. Its top sight is the Coal Mining Museum, with two facilities where you explore underground.

Understand
Medieval villages in the forests of Silesia mined coal and worked metal, but remained small until the 18th century, when mining and steel-making techniques advanced. In Zabrze the spark for growth came in 1791 with the discovery of coal suitable for coke, which you need for high-temperature steel and glass manufacture. In this era Poland was carved up between other nations and Zabrze was part of Prussia then Germany. When World War I broke out, it was thought politic to rename the town Hindenburg after the leader of the German Imperial Army. After the war Poland was re-established and the cities of Silesia voted on whether to join it; Hindenburg was among those voting to remain in Germany. It joined Poland and reverted to being Zabrze after World War II. Zabrze gained city rights in 1922. It quickly became of the mid-size industrial towns common in the Silesian region.

The post-war communist government promoted traditional smokestack industries, but these and communism collapsed together in the 1980s. This has left a large industrial heritage which today is the most interesting aspect of Zabrze.

Today, it is one of the cities composing the 2.7 million inhabitant conurbation referred to as the Katowice urban area, itself a major centre in the greater Silesian metropolitan area which is populated by just over five million people

Get in
For long-distance routes, see Katowice. By public transport from Katowice or Kraków  airports, travel via their city centres, there's no direct link to Zabrze.

By road
From Kraków and points east follow E40 to Katowice then Hwy 902.

From Warsaw follow E75 / A1 southwest past Częstochowa and Bytom.

From Berlin follow E40 southeast past Wrocław.

By bus
Long-distance buses don't call here, change in Katowice.

The bus station is 100 m west of the railway station and in 2024 is one big mess, as the old station is being demolished and a new transport centre built.

By train
Trains from Katowice run every 20 min and take 20 min via Chorzów Batory, Ruda Chebzie and Ruda Śląska, continuing to Gliwice.

An occasional long-distance train calls here, for example from Budapest via Bratislava, Breclav and Ostrava. But usually you change at Katowice coming from anywhere east (Kraków, Warsaw or Gdańsk), or at Gliwice from the west (Berlin or Wrocław).

is central in this straggling city. Few facilities here.

Trams link the GZM towns and are a good way to get here from Bytom, but slow from Chorzów or Katowice.

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.

See

 * at 3 Maja 18 is a confident redbrick neo-gothic building of 1900.
 * at Franklina Roosevelta 102 is a redbrick building of 1930-33 with a striking facade, like a Roman aqueduct.
 * was in use 1872-1954. It's an atmospheric bosky place with traditional grave markers, but seldom open.
 * at Franklina Roosevelta 102 is a redbrick building of 1930-33 with a striking facade, like a Roman aqueduct.
 * was in use 1872-1954. It's an atmospheric bosky place with traditional grave markers, but seldom open.
 * at Franklina Roosevelta 102 is a redbrick building of 1930-33 with a striking facade, like a Roman aqueduct.
 * was in use 1872-1954. It's an atmospheric bosky place with traditional grave markers, but seldom open.
 * at Franklina Roosevelta 102 is a redbrick building of 1930-33 with a striking facade, like a Roman aqueduct.
 * was in use 1872-1954. It's an atmospheric bosky place with traditional grave markers, but seldom open.
 * was in use 1872-1954. It's an atmospheric bosky place with traditional grave markers, but seldom open.

Do

 * Football: Górnik Zabrze play soccer in Ekstraklasa, Poland's top tier. Their home ground is Arena Zabrze (capacity 24,500) near the Botanic Gardens.
 * Football: Górnik Zabrze play soccer in Ekstraklasa, Poland's top tier. Their home ground is Arena Zabrze (capacity 24,500) near the Botanic Gardens.
 * Football: Górnik Zabrze play soccer in Ekstraklasa, Poland's top tier. Their home ground is Arena Zabrze (capacity 24,500) near the Botanic Gardens.
 * Football: Górnik Zabrze play soccer in Ekstraklasa, Poland's top tier. Their home ground is Arena Zabrze (capacity 24,500) near the Botanic Gardens.

Buy

 * Lidl is the largest central supermarket, at Franklina Roosevelta 43, open M-Sa 06:00-22:00.
 * Aldi is 500 m north of the station at Miarki 2, open M-Sa 06:00-22:00.
 * Galeria Zabrze is a shopping centre on Wolności, a block north of the station, open M-Sa 09:00-20:00, Su 10:00-19:00.
 * Lots of convenience stores, Biedronka, Żabka and Odido are the main franchises.

Eat

 * The main eating strip is Wolności, a block north of the station. Along here are Akira Sushi, Sorrento, Calavera, Mąka & Oliwa, Happy Star, Gruby Benek and Skrzydlaty Byk.

Drink

 * The main cluster of pubs is just north of the station.
 * Van Pur is a commercial brewery on Wolności south of the station. No tours.

Connect
As of April 2024, Zabrze 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.