Location: Zabrze
Top Things to do in Zabrze
What to do and see in Zabrze, Poland: The Best Places and Tips
Zabrze (/ˈzɑːbʒeɪ/; Polish pronunciation: [ˈzabʐɛ] ( listen); German: 1915–1945: Hindenburg O.S., full form: Hindenburg in Oberschlesien, 1905–1915: Zabrze, Silesian: Zobrze) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The west district of the Silesian Metropolis, a metropolis with a population of around 2 million. It is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Bytomka River, a tributary of the Oder.
Restaurants in Zabrze
1. Guido Mine
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 256 reviews
Reviewed By Mateusz P - Warsaw, Poland
Are you tired looking for a good place in Katowice to go for a date or just spend an interesting Sunday afternoon? You may visit Guido coal mine.
Guido coal mine offers several sightseeing tours and occasionally hosts cultural events. This review covers 2 sightseeing tours: level 320 and 355.
Guido is a retired coal mine closed in 1996 after more than 130 years of operation. Since 60ties the coal mine was considered as an experimental and used to test innovations in the mining industry before applying them on a large scale in other more profitable mines. Almost 20 years after the last tone of coal had been excavated the mine was renovated, audited for safety and reopened for visitors by the State Mining Authority. Do not worry, neither a degree in mining nor prior experience is required to visit the facility! Though the tours are very popular among miners, who bring their wives and families to show how their work looks like.
Level 320 tour takes place 320 meters below the ground. You will reach it by an authentic elevator. The tour is walk-based. The guide will explain you how a coal mine operates and miners’ work. You will pass by tapes used to transport coal underground, understand how ventilation system works and see two different mining combines. At the end you will get a ride on an electric queue. The tour finishes in an underground bar where you can order a pint of a local craft beer or eat a hot meal. This tour does not require to be fit or have any special outfit. Before entering the facility you will be given a helmet to protect your head.
Level 355 Shift tour was created to offer an opportunity to provide an authentic coal miner’s work experience. Before starting the tour you will receive a helmet, lamp, special outfit, shoes, mask, googles and a safety bag which can produce oxygen in case of an emergency. I believe the safety bag was to help visitors realize how heavy and uncomfortable for regular miners is to carry it on every day. During the tour you will see the most important attractions prepared for the 320 level tour except the ride on an electrical queue. Instead, you will take part in a few team-building activities such as assembling a tape-based construction to transport coal or building a ventilation system. Perfect idea for a stag or an integration event. The most impressive part of the visit is going down to the excavation point abandoned before the mine was closed in 90ties. The channel was very narrow and built using explosives. It took us a while to get there taking into account all safety equipment we were carrying on with us. Then all tour members agreed to turn off their lamps for a while to experience total darkness. These conditions imitate emergency situations when lack of any source of light causes miners who got their lamps damaged to loose orientation. The tour lasts 4 hours and ends in the underground bar. After the sightseeing you can take a shower on the ground.
I highly recommend the tour to anyone who would like to experience how coal miners’ job looks like in terms of tools and machines operated by miners, their tasks and activities, required physical effort, safety and conditions underground. You may also get a better understanding of the local cuisine, which if famous from being heavy, and think about possible long term impact on health of people who are minders on a regular basis.
Groups for both tours are small, 10 people on average. All tours are guided.
How to get to the place?
Car is perhaps the most convenient way to reach the mine. There is a free, spacious parking next to the visitors’ office where you may leave your car. If you do not have your own car, you may take the bus from the Silesian Insurgents’ Square in Katowice. It takes around 45 minutes to get to the mine. One-hour bus tickets are available in the local transportation office in the Katowice railway station.
It is almost impossible to get a spontaneous tour. I highly recommend buying the tickets online or calling the visitor office to book your trip in advance.
2. Botanisches Garten / Miejski Ogrod Botaniczny
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36 reviews
Reviewed By wodzik - Wroclaw, Poland
Botanical garden is located next to Ernest Pohl Stadium (Górnik Zabrze).
At first sight it seems to be neglected, but there are some beautiful spots worth the visit...
Entry fee is mere 2 PLN. If you arrive by car, you can easily find a parking place (no parking fee) around.
It is a great place for a treat from a daily routine, especially for those that work behind a desk. There are plenty of benches that you can seat and ponder about anything you want.
Moms with children will be also content since there is a quite large playground for kids in the middle of the garden.
Simply put a place for everyone...
3. Queen Luiza Groove
Overall Ratings
5 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By AgaSyntagma - Warsaw, Poland
361/5000
Possibility to visit the QL groove with young children. The trip takes 1.5 hours, guide in an interesting and fun way brings the history of mining - old mining machinery are run to see how the miners worked in reality . An additional attraction is a ride on an underground train and interactive educational park around the groove.
4. Coal Mining Museum
Overall Ratings
5 based on 16 reviews
Reviewed By Magdalena7301 - Warsaw, Poland
This is the mining museum combining the oldest woring steam power mining machine (you may see it in motion) and underground trip with guide including explanation of mining history and techniques in region, riding the underground train and seeing the machinery in action (you may even steer some of the pieces!!!!). It is really experience not to be missed!
5. Maciej Shaft (Szyb Maciej)
Overall Ratings
4 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By Mateoski - Zabrze, Poland
Good place for coffee and fast food near forest. Two levels - lift inside. Old mining machinery outside.
6. FunFest Bowling
Overall Ratings
4 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By Teresa K - Zabrze, Poland
Witam,miła,przyjemna,mimo,iż mała Galeria w Zabrzu proponuje zjedzenie pysznej pizzy w Da Grasso,oraz relaks w kręgielni,jak również bilard,oraz udane zakupy .Polecam,miła obsługa w całej Galerii.
7. Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
A small military museum, tanks, planes, a lot of russian vehicles and armoured carriers. You may touch, climb on vehicles, and in the weekend there is a possibility to go on the ride by the tank or other military vehicle. There is a possibility to organise a company party.
8. Mystery Room
Overall Ratings
5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By Joanna C
świetna zabawa dla dorosłych i dzieci!!! wspaniale i nietypowe miejsce na organizację urodzin dla dziecka od około 8 lat! polecam bo naprawdę warto!!!
9. Galeria Zabrze
Overall Ratings
2.5 based on 10 reviews
Reviewed By SidDan
During our short visit to Zabrze in Poland we have decided to visit this place to do some last minute shopping. I cannot describe how disappointed I was seeing this place from the inside.
From the outside this shopping centre looks quite attractive this however changes when you entering. The interior was very dark and unwelcoming. I know that architects tried very hard to capture the industrial effect however in such a small space this turned to be very depressing effect. You can feel almost claustrophobic. Lots of shops are still closed. Not much to choose from. The only one shop we visited was interior design shop with very high prices.
As that shopping mall was so depressing we decided to leave after just few minutes.
10. Przystanek11
Cooking workshop for children and adult. Indian cuisine, spanish, italian, polish, testing event (wine, coffee, tea, beer, whisky).
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