Ustroń

Ustroń is a mountain resort in the Silesian Voivodeship of southern Poland, 82 km south of Katowice, with a population of 16,000 in 2022. Poland's largest river, the Wisła or Vistula, arises nearby in these Beskids mountains.

Understand

This village is first documented in 1305, when it was part of a scheme to populate Upper Silesia. As well as obvious trades based on agriculture and forestry, Ustroń was a centre for metal-working, and Klemens Steel Works opened in 1772. Distance from raw materials and markets put it at a disadvantage to the industrial towns growing around Katowice, and the steelworks closed in 1897. By then the fashion for mountain resorts, spas and sanatoria was under way. From the 1950s the communists built a grand sanatorium complex, where disabled workers could wheeze the mountain air between furtive puffs of their cigarettes, and parts of this are still in use. There are hiking trails, and a chairlift provides access to the mountains year-round.

Get in

By plane

Katowice (KTW ^IATA), Kraków (KRK ^IATA) and Ostrava (OSR ^IATA) all have a good range of European flights and are about 90 minutes drive.

By train

Regional trains run from Katowice every two hours or so, taking 1 hr 40 min via Tychy, Pszczyna, Zabrzeg and Skoczow. They make four stops in Ustroń, all simple platform halts:

• 1 Ustroń the main station is 1 km north of town centre. It now houses a teddy-bar museum.
• 2 Ustroń Zdrój is closer to the main town.
• 3 Ustroń Brzegi
• 4 Ustroń Polana

Trains continue up the valley to make five stops in Wisła, the end of the line

By bus

Long-distance buses don't come here. Wispol is the local bus line:

• W2 from Bielsko-Biała: six a day, taking 50 min via Skoczów and continuing to Wisła.
• 52 from Cieszyn hourly, taking 40 min via Goleszów, and continuing to Wisła, Istebna and Koniaków.
• W3 from Cieszyn: six a day on the same route, continuing to Wisła, Przełęcz Salmopolska and Szczyrk.

Buses make multiple stops, there's no bus station.

Get around

The trains from Katowice and buses from Cieszyn serve the town.

A dozen taxi firms ply along the valley, call direct or book via Uber.

See

Równica Sanatorium

• 1 Muzeum Stara Zagroda, Ogrodowa 1, ☏ +48 33 854 3108. Closed. Wooden farmstead from 1768 recreating life of that era. It's only open in summer, and hasn't opened in 2024. (updated Aug 2024)
• 2 Kościół św. Klemensa, Daszyńskiego 15. The Church of St Clement was built in late baroque style in stages from 1780 to 1840. Clement (d 98 AD) was an early bishop of Rome, possibly Peter's immediate successor. (updated Aug 2024)
• 3 Kościół Jakuba Starszego, Kotschego 1. The Lutheran Church of James the Elder is a small neoclassical building completed in 1838. Elder or Great St James refers to the apostle, martyred 44 AD. (updated Aug 2024)
• 4 Dąb Sobieskiego - the Sobieski Oak - is on Daszyńskiego, 100 m south of the main railway station. It was planted in 1683 to mark the march-past of the troops of Jan III Sobieski to Vienna. There allied with Hapsburg forces they repulsed the besieging Ottomans, who never again reached so far into Europe, and spent the next 230 years in decline.
• Muzeum Rdzawe Diamenty (Rust Diamonds Museum), Kościelna 21 (by Ustroń railway station), ☏ +48 605 356 315. Tu-Su 11:00-17:00. Collection of vintage motorcycles. Adult 20 zł. (updated Jul 2024)
• Dworzec Dobrych Myśli (Good Thoughts Station), Dworcowa 4 (within Ustroń station), ☏ +48 509 066 933. Daily 10:00-18:00. Teddy bear museum for children. (updated Aug 2024)
• 5 Muzeum Ustrońskie im. Jana Jarockiego (Jan Jarocki Museum), Hutnicza 3, ☏ +48 33 854 2996. M-F 09:00-16:00, Sa Su 09:00-13:00. This displays the history of local metallurgy and forging, ethnography and art, and spa treatment in Ustroń. It's in the 200 year old former headquarters of the Klemens ironworks. Adult 10 zł, conc 7 zł, free Monday. (updated Aug 2024)
• Muzeum Zbiory Marii Skalickiej (Maria Skalicka Collection), 3 Maja 68 (facing Brzegi station), ☏ +48 33 858 7844. W-Sa 11:00-16:00. Part of Jan Jarocki Museum, this is the art and ethnography collection of Maria Skalicka (1923-2002). (updated Aug 2024)

Shunter at Jan Jarocki Museum

• 6 Leśny Park Niespodzianek (Forest Park of Surprises), Zdrojowa 16, ☏ +48 33 515 255 161. Daily Apr-Oct 09:00-18:00, Nov-Mar 10:00-16:00. Wildlife park ranged on the slopes of Równica, with Polish fauna such as bison, fallow deer, roe deer, mouflons, deer and wild boar. Some animals can be petted and fed. Raptors include eagles, falcons, hawks and owls, with flying shows. Adult 55 zł, conc or child 45 zł. (updated Aug 2024)
• 7 Równica Sanatorium is the centrepiece of a spa and rehabilitation complex built in the 1950s/60s, with 17 of a planned 28 buildings completed. They're striking modern designs, especially compared to the many ugly buildings of that period. Równica remains in use as a spa / sanatorium, others have become hotels.
• 8 Kościół Podwyższenia Krzyża Świętego, Lipowska 133, Lipowiec. Holy Cross Church was completed in 1810. The interior is rococo / late Baroque. (updated Aug 2024)
• 9 Kościół św. Anny (Church of St Anna), Zabytkowa 23, Nierodzim. A wooden church consecrated in 1768, the oldest surviving church in town. (updated Aug 2024)

Do

• Amphitheatre is the main live performance arena, on Parkowa behind Jan Jarocki Museum.
• Hiking: There are several trails, some reaching the Czech border. The trail to Wisła along the east riverbank is a good choice when the hills are socked in by cloud.
• Równica is the 884 m peak just east of town. You can drive to the 750 m mark then the summit is a broad easy trail.
• Winter sports: the skiing areas are small and non-linked, best suited for novices and nervous intermediates. The main area is Czantoria, reached by the chairlift starting next to Polana railway station at 389 m, and ascending southwest to Stokłosica forest at 851 m. It runs all year; in 2024 a day ticket is 35 zł. Palencia ski area is smaller still.

Buy

Church of St Anna

• Galeria Venus is a shopping centre near Zdrój station, open daily 09:00-19:00.
• Lidl and Carrefour are large supermarkets just west of St Clement's Church, both open M-Sa 06:00-22:00.
• Several convenience stores in town, Żabka is a common chain.

Eat

• Town centre places include Red Chili Kebab, Bahus, U Nepalczyka, Tete-a-Tete, Rybka, Oliwka and Karczma Góralska.

Drink

• Pubs include Absolem Cocktail & Shisha Bar, Karczma Wrzos Brewhouse, Oaza microbrewry, Utropek, and Konkurencja summer-only.

Sleep

The town is packed with hotels, guesthouses, and rooms for rent.

• 1 Hotel NAT, Szpitalna 88, ☏ +48 572 663 272. Central, clean but facilities worn and tired. B&B double 450 zł. (updated Aug 2024)
• Grażyna, Władysława Sikorskiego 10 (by Zdrój station), ☏ +48 33 854 1367. Smart clean chalet. B&B double 250 zł. (updated Aug 2024)
• 2 Willa Kraj, Adama Mickiewicza 3, ☏ +48 33 854 1059. Friendly B&B, good breakfasts. B&B double 300 zł. (updated Aug 2024)
• 3 Willa Kolor, Gałczyńskiego 2b, ☏ +48 33 854 5619. Welcoming place with good cooking. B&B double 250 zł. (updated Aug 2024)
• 4 Gościnny Dom, 3 Maja 23, ☏ +48 606 557 128. Spacious friendly guesthouse. B&B double 700 zł. (updated Aug 2024)
• Hotel Belweder, Zdrojowa 15 (above Forest Park of Surprises), ☏ +48 33 854 8500. Comfy spa hotel on the mountainside. You might need snow chains for the bumpy access lane. B&B double 450 zł. (updated Aug 2024)

Connect

As of Aug 2024, Ustroń and its main approach road have 4G from Orange, and 5G from Play, Plus and T-Mobile.

Go next

• Wisła is another mountain resort further up the valley, with a larger ski area.
• Szczyrk is another mountain resort in the next valley east.
• Cieszyn straddling the Czech border has many medieval buildings.