Szczyrk

Szczyrk is a winter sports resort in the Silesian Voivodeship of southern Poland. The town is at an elevation of 500-600 m in the Beskids mountains, and the highest local peak is Skrzyczne at 1257 m. In 2020 the population was 5700.

Get in

By plane Katowice (KTW ^IATA), Kraków (KRK ^IATA) and Ostrava (OSR ^IATA) airports all have a good range of European flights and are about 2 hours drive.

By road from Katowice follow Highway 1 past Bielsko-Biała, turning onto Highway 942 up the valley.

By public transport take the hourly regional train from Katowice to Bielsko-Biała, which takes 70 min via Tychy, Pszczyna and Czechowice-Dziedzice, and is heading to Zywiec.

Bus 120 runs hourly from Bielsko-Biała, taking 40 min to Szczyrk. It makes multiple stops along the valley road and ascends as far as Salmopol.

Bus W3 runs from Cieszyn six times a day, taking 90 min via Goleszów, Ustroń, Wisła and Przełęcz Salmopolska.

Get around

Ski buses run along the valley and are free with your lift pass.

See

• 1 Church of St James (Sanktuarium św Jakuba), Kolorowa 1, ☏ +48 33 817 8429. Charming 19th century wooden RC church. (updated Jul 2024)
• 2 Bator Art Gallery, Myśliwska 60, ☏ +48 729 830 858. Daily 10:00-20:00. Extensive collection of artwork, much of it for sale. (updated Jul 2024)
• 3 Sanctuary of Our Lady Queen of Poland (Sanktuarium Matki Bożej Królowej Polski), ☏ +48 33 817 8515. Richly decorated Marian shrine, with great views from the terrace. (updated Jul 2024)

Do

• Ski-ing: the main lifts are at Skryczne (537 m), Szczryk village centre (590 m) and Solisko (650 m). These ascend towards the ridge at 1200 m, with linking trails.
• Ski jump: Skalite is the local jump. See Wisła for the longer Malinka ski jump in the next valley.
• Walk: a trail follows the riverbank.

Buy

Ski slopes above Szczyrk

• Small supermarkets are strung along the valley. Żabka chain are usually open daily until 22:00, Biedronka stores are closed on Sunday.

Eat

• Over a dozen pubs and restaurants serve trad local food, no stand-out.

Drink

• Silesia is beer country, with Żywiec and Tyskie brewed further north.
• There isn't a vodka-distilling tradition here, but there's plenty in the supermarkets.

Sleep

Lots of accommodation, but it gets booked out at peak seasons.

• 1 U Kozakow, Szkolna 4a, ☏ +48 608 586 930. Clean spacious guesthouse. (updated Jul 2024)
• 2 Hotel Skalny, Klimczoka 3, ☏ +48 33 817 9193. Atmospheric small hotel. B&B double 250 zł. (updated Jul 2024)
• 3 Hotel Elbrus, Słoneczna 8, ☏ +48 33 826 1300. Smart spa hotel scoring highly for comfort and service. B&B double 500 zł. (updated Jul 2024)
• Mercure Szczyrk Resort, part of the Accor chain, opens in September 2024.
• 4 Dom Wczasowy Maria, Beskidzka 19, ☏ +48 33 810 5410. Pleasant friendly small hotel. B&B double 300 zł. (updated Jul 2024)
• 5 Hotel Klimczok, Poziomkowa 20, ☏ +48 33 826 0100. Large modern spa hotel in the hills, great scores for comfort and service. B&B double 600 zł. (updated Jul 2024)
• 6 Hotel Meta, Skośna 4, ☏ +48 515 777 775. Relaxing small place with a pool. B&B double 500 zł. (updated Jul 2024)

Connect

The hills in summer

As of July 2024, Szczryk has 4G from all Polish carriers, but the signal is patchy on the approach roads. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

• Wisła is a similar mountain resort to the west.
• Bielsko-Biała is a spa town with several Lutheran churches, reflecting its time under Hapsburg / Austrian rule.
• Żywiec has a famous brewery, lakeside resort areas and a small historic centre.