Silesia Park
Elka Cableway
ELKA CABLEWAY So you’ve arrived at Silesia Park and you realise just how big the whole place really is. You now have a choice walk, find a city bike, take the narrow gauge railroad or, to get a birds eye view, take the Elka Cableway, carrying you conveniently from one end of the park to the other in 40 minutes (a distance of 2185 metres!), and you’ll get some absolutely great views on the way in your choice of an 8-person cabin or a 4-person chair. Tickets can be purchased from ticket machines at either Point A, found at Legendia Amusement Park, or Point B, at the Silesian Stadium. Adults pay 10zł one way, 15zł return. Kids aged 3-16 and those with a disability pay 8zł one way, 12zł return. The last journey of the day leaves 15 mins before closure.QI‑1, Promenade Gen. Jerzego Ziętka, Chorzów, www.elka.parkslaski.pl. Open 11:00 - 19:00; Fri, Sun 11:00 - 20:00; Sat 11:00 - 21:00; closed Mon. Opening hours are subject to change from September; check online for more info. LEGENDIA AMUSEMENT PARK Opened in 1959, Poland has yet to build a larger amusement park than this dated wonder in Chorzów. If you’re a fan of old amusement parks like Vienna’s Prater, you’ll get a kick out of this product of a bygone era
Dino Valley, both the coolest and corniest part of the Zoo.
34 Katowice In Your Pocket
which features some rides and amusements that literally date back 50 years, among them a drenching water ride, haunted house ride and a couple twirling whirligig rides. The park is currently undergoing a revamp so there are plenty of more modern thrills to get excited about, including the ‘Tornado’ - the highest, fastest rollercoaster in PL, with two 360 degree loops. There are 40 attractions in all and your admission fee is good for all of them, as many times as you want, until the park closes for the evening. Overall it’s a fun outing, in turns amusing, amazing and depressing; one of a kind at any rate.QI‑2, Plac Atrakcji 1, Chorzów, tel. (+48) 666 03 11 96, www.legendia.pl. Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 21:00, Closed Mon. From September open Sat, Sun 10:00 - 20:00 only. All day tickets for kids (6-12 years old) and seniors (60+ years old) is 59zł. All day tickets for kids (12+) and for Adults is 79zł; children under 3 1zł. UPPER SILESIAN ETHNOGRAPHIC PARK This fantastic open-air folk park presents rural Silesian life through its aged architectural monuments. Since the late 60s, Chorzów’s ‘skansen’ has been rescuing endangered or forgotten Silesian structures by hoisting them up and dropping them in this makeshift village laid out over 20 hectares of idyllic countryside. Grouped into six ethnographic regions, visitors explore some 100 buildings dating from the late 18th to early 20th century, including traditional thatched-roof homes, granaries, historic wooden churches, wayside shrines and windmills (please note, on Mondays, you can only walk around them without entering). Many of the buildings are open with indoor exhibits and an informative staff on hand. There’s even an old karczma (inn) where you can get a bite to eat and a beer. One of the farms even has a few goats, sheep and horses, adding some extra magic to this romantic village of architectural artefacts saved from extinction. QQ‑4, ul. Parkowa 25, Chorzów, tel. (+48) 32 241 07 18, www.muzeumgpe-chorzow.pl. Open 09:00 - 19:00; Sat, Sun 10:00 - 21:00. 1 Sep - 30 Sep: 09:00 - 19:00; Sat, Sun 10:00 - 19:00. 1 Oct - 31 Oct: 09:00 - 17:00; Sat, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Last entrance 1hr before closing. Admission 10/7zł; children under 3 enter for free; Mon free. ZOO Located in Silesia Park, PL’s largest zoo is a massive 50 hectare extravaganza with 2,681 animals of 312 species from all over the world, including crowd favourites such as hippos, rhinos, Siberian tigers and cheetahs. The kids will be thoroughly enthralled thanks to a petting zoo and Dinosaur Valley, which features some rather silly concrete dinos. Feeding times for red pandas daily at 12:00, pelicans 09:30 & 17:00 and brown bears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 14:00.QI‑1, Promenade Gen. Jerzego Ziętka 7 (Park of Culture & Recreation, Chorzów), tel. (+48) 666 03 14 96, www.zoo.silesia.pl. Open 09:00 - 19:00. 1 Oct - 31 Oct: Open 09:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 18:00, Last entrance 1 hour before closing. Tickets 20/10zł, family 50zł. iyp.me/katowice