Dear Students,

If you are holding this book in your hand you are most probably considering coming to Wrocław to study. And we know you won’t regret it if you do make the choice to come. The city is one of the most interesting places in Poland with great culture, rich history, a good university and – last but not least –a fantas- tic student atmosphere. Keep your eyes wide open and be ready for surprises. The country and the city have changed a lot in recent years, but you will still feel here like you are riding a rollercoaster between the modern world, uniting Europe, and an old fashioned eastern province. In this guidebook we are going to prepare you for this experience.

The Jungle Book started in 2003. The idea is based on the assumption that foreign students planning to go to Wroclaw need a practical, fresh, sometimes subjective guidebook to help them to enjoy their stay from the very begin- ning. That’s why it was developed with great backing from foreign students, whose remarks and commentaries about living in Wrocław, both enthusiastic and critical, have been integrated into the text.

The current third edition of the Jungle Book is divided into three parts. At the beginning you will find some general information about the history and politics of Poland and a survival kit concerning living in the country generally, without any regional, specifically Wroclaw’s, context. In the following chapter we give you a set of information about the University of Wrocław and student issues. The last section, and the longest one, is an extensive practical guide- book for Wroclaw’s newcomer. In some passages it serves to make concrete some of the more general information from the first part.

There is a long list of people who deserve our appreciation. We would like to thank the whole Erasmus Office for help in recherché of information, in par- ticular Urszula Broda, Ewa Solecka-Drew, Basia Skałacka and Kasia Krawczyk. We owe gratitude to Barbara Kaczmarek for a great job on the graphic site of the Jungle Book and Rafał Próchniak for his design ideas and preparing the website. Last but not least we are very indebted to our readers: Richard C.R. Drew and Simon Watmough. Simon, many thanks for your great adds and comments!

We would be happy if after the time spent in Wrocław you could give us some advice, comments and proposals about what can be added or changed in subsequent editions of the book. Contact us over the website www.junglebook.uni.wroc.pl

Have a nice stay in Wrocław,

Sebastian Płóciennik and the 2wroclaw team, Dagmara Koczańska, Agata Nowak, Marek Pawlak, Kasia Szeliga POLAND KIT GENERAL INFORMATION ...... 5 POLITICS AND ECONOMY ...... 7 VISA AND PERMITS ...... 11 EU citizens ...... 11 Non-EU citizens ...... 12 JOB ...... 13 MONEY ...... 14 COMMUNICATION ...... 16 Mobile telephone ...... 17 Stationary telephone and VoIP.. 17 Internet ...... 18 UNIVERSITY KIT Post ...... 18 History ...... 39 TRANSPORT ...... 19 Structure and Faculties ...... 40 Train ...... 19 STUDENTS ...... 41 Bus ...... 23 International Relations Office ...... 41 By air ...... 24 International cooperation and Car ...... 24 exchange programs ...... 41 HEALTH CARE ...... 26 Scholarships ...... 42 SAFETY ...... 27 Erasmus coordinators ...... 43 MEDIA ...... 28 STUDENT’S DOCUMENTS ...... 44 Press ...... 28 Identity card ...... 44 Radio ...... 30 Sudent’s record ...... 44 Television ...... 30 ISIC ...... 44 WEATHER ...... 31 STUDIES ...... 45 HOW TO DEAL WITH POLES? ...... 32 Studying in English ...... 45 To speak Polish? ...... 32 Study like Polish students do ...... 45 Cuisine ...... 33 Learn Polish ...... 46 Facing a Slavic soul ...... 34 LIBRARIES ...... 46 TOURIST DESTINATION ...... 37 AID OF VOUNTEERS ...... 47

2 3 WROCŁAW KIT THE MEETING PLACE ...... 49 Fast food kiosks ...... 66 LEGALIZE YOUR STAY ...... 53 Milky bars ...... 67 ACCOMODATION...... 53 Restaurants and bistro ...... 68 „Ołówek” dormitory ...... 53 Coffee break ...... 69 Renting a flat ...... 55 Pubs and clubs ...... 70 Hotels and hostels...... 57 SPORT ...... 72 TRANSPORT...... 58 Sport centers ...... 72 City transport ...... 59 Swimming pools ...... 73 COMUNICATION ...... 62 CINEMAS ...... 74 Internet ...... 62 THEATRES ...... 75 POST OFFICES...... 62 FESTIVALS ...... 77 SAFETY...... 63 MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES ...... 78 HEALTHCARE ...... 63 CURRENT EVENTS ...... 80 SHOPPING AND SERVICES ...... 64 PLACES OF WORSHIP ...... 81 Shopping centers ...... 64 ROAMING IN AND AROUND ...... 82 Market places ...... 65 A Sunday afternoon’s walk ...... 82 Laundry service ...... 65 In Lower Silesia ...... 84 LUNCH TIME AND BEYOND ...... 66

2 3 * 4 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 5 * Poland kit

GOLDEN AGES, COLLAPSES AND WONDERS

he Republic of Poland (Rzeczpo- One of the most important periods Tspolita Polska) is located in East- in Poland’s history was the conversion Central Europe. It extends over the to Christianity around 966. A few years plain between the Carpathian Moun- later the German Emperor Otto III vis- tains and the Baltic Sea for about 650 ited Poland, acknowledging the exist- km from south to north, and about ence of his eastern neighbor. However, 690 km at its widest from west to east. the next 300 years were difficult. Like It is quite big – in European terms, of many other countries in feudal Europe, course. With an area of about 312,000 Poland went through territorial splitting square km, the country ranks in sixth and internal crisis. Better times came place on the continent. It has a popu- in the 14th century, when King Kazimi- lation of 38,8 million. erz the Great „met Poland wooden, and Poland borders in the north along left it bricked”. After founding a union the Baltic Sea, in the north-east with with Lithuania in the next century, the Russia and Lithuania and in the east Polish state entered its golden period. with Belarus and Ukraine. In the A hundred years later, Res Publica south, the border follows the ranges became a regional power, reaching far of the Carpathian and Sudeten Moun- to the east and south almost to the tains, which separate Poland from Black Sea. It also developed an original Slovakia and the Czech Republic, constitutional system, with an elected while to the west, the border with king and a key role for the gentry’s Germany is defined by the rivers Nysa Parliament (Sejm). It was also a multi- and Odra. ethnic state, relatively free from reli- Over the past millennium, the name gious conflicts, unlike the western Poland has been applied to a shifting parts of Europe. Accordingly, many territorial base. At one point in the Jews and Protestants settled in mid-1500s, Poland was one of the larg- Poland. est states in Europe. At other times, Problems began with wars against there has been no Polish state at all. Its the Ottoman Empire, which dragged on current frontiers were drawn in 1945. for two hundred years. From the 17th Norman Davies, a British historian, century, Poland was also confronted called his history of Poland „God’s Play- with burdens of military expeditions in ground”. Not without good reason: Russia, the Swedish invasion (known as from the 10th century, when the Polish the „Swedish Flood”) and civil war with state was founded by Prince Mieszko, the Ukrainian Cossacks. This, connect- until today, Poland has experienced ed with a decline in the power of Polish both golden ages and disasters. kings and the increasing influence of * 4 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 5 * oped world. Even while the politics of the second Rzeczpospolita appeared unstable not quite fully democratic, and beset by ethnic conflicts, the country enjoyed good prospects. The chance for successful develop- ment was lost when Hitler attacked Poland on 1st September 1939. The western allies, France and Great Britain, declared war on Germany, but in fact decided not to intervene military. Two weeks later the USSR, in keeping with its pact with the Third Reich, invaded Poland from the east. The two dictator- ships divided the country. The Soviets Stork – Poles love that bird and treat it as an unoffi- murdered thousands of Polish officers cial symbol of the country. It symbolizes rebirth, in the forests of Katyń and expelled hope and luck. millions to Siberia and Central Asia. The Nazis oversaw a brutal occupation aristocrats (magnates), heightened against Poles and started the Holocaust threats to Poland from powerful and against Jews. The cooperation of Hitler expanding neighbors. The critical and Stalin over Poland emerged once moment came at the end of the 18th again as the Third Reich was close to century, when Poland was divided defeat. In August 1944 Stalin ordered among Russia, Prussia and Austria. a halt to the Soviet offensive against The next 123 years were very the Germans in Poland, giving the important for the development of the SS troops time to crush the uprising in Polish national consciousness. It was a Warsaw. Over 200,000 citizens of the time of national insurrections, emigra- capital were killed in a few weeks of tion and dreams of freedom. The real fighting. At the behest of Hitler, Warsaw chance for independence came after was razed to the ground. the First World War, when Poland reap- World War II brought destruction to peared on the European map. Almost the country and death to over six mil- immediately, it had to again defend its lion citizens, among them three million independence as the Red Army of the Polish Jews. Although Polish soldiers USSR, sought to spread communism were fighting against Hitler on almost to Western Europe. The so called all fronts of the war and were officially „Wonder at Vistula River” – a battle the fourth biggest military power among that took place in 1920 near Warsaw the Allies, Poland could not be counted – saved Poland. Soon the Poles had to among the victors. In the agreements square up with another problem: how made on its behalf by the Allies and the to consolidate the various regions, Soviets at Yalta, Poland lost territory in which had been ruled by three differ- the east in favor of the USSR and ent countries, into one, unified state. gained former German territory in the After fifteen years of courageous west, including Wrocław and Szczecin. reforms and success in building up its However, the most significant outcome industrial base, Poland was ready to of Yalta was the loss of Polish independ- begin „catching up” with the devel- ence: Stalin took control over Eastern * 6 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 7 * Europe and installed communist gov- to recognize greater civil liberties. ernments throughout the region. Just one year later the regime For the next 45 years, Poland was blocked these reforms, introducing a communist state. It was turbulent martial law and arresting thousands time. The people protested against of people. In 1988, Solidarność was the ineffective and repressive sys- re-established and negotiations for a tem imposed upon them. In 1978, a transition to democracy began. The Pole, Karol Wojtyła, was elected first non-communist government in Pope and hopes for change were half a century of Soviet domination revived. In 1980, the social move- was elected in 1989. Poland had set ment „Solidarność” led by Lech out on the difficult path back to Wałęsa (Nobel Peace Prize, 1983) democracy, a free market and a forced the communist government united Europe.

THE LONG PATH BACK TO EUROPE

oland is formally a parliamentary Administratively the country is Prepublic. The political system is divided into 16 provinces, called based on government by the Parlia- województwa, which divide further ment (Sejm) with 460 members, the into 373 powiaty – 308 rural and upper house council or Senat (100 65 urban districts. members), and the president. The The first period of Polish democracy president is directly elected and has after 1989 was characterized by an a position comparatively stronger explosion of political life. The politi- than German presidents, but weaker cal scene was occupied by dozens of than in France. organizations, most of them rooted in

* 6 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 7 * the Solidarność movement. Accord- SLD leader, Aleksander Kwaśniewski, ingly, governments were not par- who held the post until 2005. Groups ticularly stable: in 1993 alone there associated with Solidarność returned were three cabinets. The difficult to power in 1997 creating a coalition reforms of the first years of freedom, of smaller parties, called AWS. They and continuous conflicts among the attempted further reforms, but failed democratic parties opened the door due to internal political conflicts. for a post-communist party (SLD) to SLD won the next election, in 2001. assume power in 1993. For the next 2005 was marked by two electoral four years they governed Poland in campaigns: general and presidential. alliance with the farmers’ party PSL After the toughest campaign in Polish but, surprisingly, economic and par- political history, Lech Kaczyński from ticularly foreign policy did not differ the conservative party PiS (Law and radically from the one ran previously Justice) was elected president. PiS, by the post-Solidarność parties. led by his twin brother Jarosław Ka- After presidential elections in czyński, also took a leading posi- 1995, Lech Wałęsa, the legend of the tion in the Sejm. The new govern- Polish revolution, was replaced by the ment was formed, in coalition with * 8 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 9 * POLITICAL PARTIES

It is difficult to categorize Polish political parties along the traditional division of left and right. Someone once observed ironically that there are only two kinds of political party in Poland: left-wing and God-fearing and left-wing and godless. In fact, it is attitudes to history and Poland’s communist legacy that have defined the political scene re- cently. The political landscape has been very dynamic: big parties have appeared and disappeared, politicians have risen quickly only to fall spectacularly into political oblivion. However, after the 2005 elections, the picture has become clearer. A visible division of the political system into conservative-national and left-liberal hemispheres has emerged. PiS (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość) – Law and Justice. A conservative party stressing the need for moral renewal in public life and reform of the judicial system. Now the biggest party in Parliament. Led by Jarosław Kaczyński. Support is around 25%. Samoobrona – Self-defense. A former party of radical, populist protest, now in govern- ment. It is especially popular in smaller cities and in the country, led by a charismatic leader, Andrzej Lepper. He has criticized economic reforms undertaken after 1989 and attacked the elites. Support is 5-7%. LPR (Liga Polskich Rodzin) – League of Polish Families – a national and Catholic party led by the young Roman Giertych. Support: about 2%. PO (Platforma Obywatelska) – Civic Platform. A liberal-conservative party situated in the centre of the political scene. Second largest party in Parliament, now in opposition. Support is about 30%. LiD (Lewica i Demokraci) – Left and Democrats. An alliance of leftist and liberal parties. One of the members is the former ruling post-communist party SLD. Support is about 12%. PSL (Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe) – Polish People’s Alliance. Its constituency is mainly rural and in small cities. A potential ally of the Civic Platform. Support: around 4%.

Samoobrona and LPR, parties often development with foreign loans, lead- considered populist or nationalistic. ing to significant indebtedness. In The coalition commenced a program 1980 the system collapsed, helping of combating corruption and nepo- to trigger the Solidarność revolution. tism in public life, and attempting In later years the communist regime to remove ex-communists from the attempted, but failed, to introduce security services. However, the gov- economic reforms. A growing govern- ernment’s approach been controver- ment deficit and hyperinflation once sial, splitting Polish society deeply again brought about economic crisis. and the coalition turned out to be With the fall of communism in 1989, very instable. the Polish economy began the transi- Over the last 15 years economic tion to a market orientation, for which reforms have had a tremendous it was ill-prepared. In 1990, Leszek impact on Poland. Under commu- Balcerowicz, the new minister of nism, the country was burdened with finance, introduced radical neo-liberal a heavy industrial, state-run, Soviet- reforms. This “shock therapy” later style command economy. In the became a model for many other coun- 70’s the communists tried to finance tries in transition. But the price of dras- * 8 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 9 * tic reform was high. In the early 1990s mobility of capital (particularly selling industrial output declined significantly, land). The difficult negotiations were and unemployment ballooned. Howev- completed in December 2002, and er, inflation eased and in 1993 the sit- on May 1st 2004, Poland became a uation stabilized. The country quickly full member of the EU. The path to became one of the leading economies NATO was shorter and easier. In 1999, of the former Eastern Bloc, growing Poland, together with Czech Republic at an average rate of 5% per year. In and Hungary, joined the alliance. 1996, Poland became a member of the However, Poland’s move firmly into Organization of Economic Cooperation the Western hemisphere has pre- and Development (OECD). At the end sented its own challenges. The deci- of the 1990s growth dropped off again sion to support the USA in the Iraq and unemployment grew quickly, war resulted in significant tension with reaching 20%. This encouraged the Germany and France. Poland’s position government to reform further, which on the European “constitution” has started to bear fruit in 2003. The fol- also been problematic, as the outline lowing year, Poland joined the Euro- weakens Polish influence in the voting pean Union. EU accession has seen a system. The EU-summit in June 2007 steadily improving economic situation. highlighted ongoing tensions between Poland has been opened to the world: Warsaw and Berlin over this and other exports have boomed and thousands issues. And the proposed US anti-mis- of workers have emigrated, a potential sile system in Europe, elements of obstacle to future growth. which may be located in Poland and In closing, we must say something the Czech Republic, has drawn harsh about Polish foreign policy. After 1989, criticism from Russia, as its relations Poland’s key foreign policy objective with Eastern Europe, and the West was clear: integration with the West. more generally, deteriorate. Both economic and political integration Although the integration into with Europe and admission to NATO Western Europe has been Poland’s were critical goals. The path to the key objective, it has also developed EU commenced in 1993, with Poland’s an active policy towards its eastern accession to the European Treaty – a neighbors. This manifested very free trade agreement. Negotiations for clearly at the end of 2004 during the full membership began in 1998. The Orange Revolution in Ukraine. The biggest sticking points were agricul- joint organization of the Euro-cup in ture, free movement of workers and 2012 will likely strengthen bilateral relations. Democratization in Belarus Gdańk: is another key objective. However, the city, where the most crucial question for Poland the revolution of Solidarność remains the difficult relationship with started. Russia. Divisions are rife: different interpretations of the Soviet legacy, Russia’s politically motivated embar- go of Polish agricultural products, the issue of oil and gas pipelines, and the anti-missile shield previously mentioned, are all sources of ongo- ing tension. * 10 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 11 * MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: www.msz.gov.pl MINISTRY OF INTERIOR: www.mswa.gov.pl OFFICE FOR REPATRIATIONS AND FOREIGNERS: www.uric.gov.pl LIST OF COUNTRIES WITHOUT THE VISA DUTY: www.msz.gov.pl/VISA,REQUIREMENTS,2346.html THE LIST OF POLISH CONSULATES ABROAD: www.msz.gov.pl/Polish,Missions,Abroad,2143.html VISA APPLICATION FORM: www.msz.gov.pl/Visa,Application,Forms,2348.html

LEGALIZE YOUR STAY Visa and permits

ENTRY, STUDENT VISA ferent requirements for EU/EEA stu- If you are from an EU country you dents and students from other coun- won’t need a visa to enter Poland and tries. For the first group, the whole study here (you need just your pass- process is much easier and cheaper. port). If you are from any other coun- try you should ask the Polish Embassy EU CITIZENS or Consulate in your home country You should apply for registration for requirements. Bear in mind that a no later than on the next day follow- tourist visa is usually valid for a maxi- ing the end of the first 3 months of mum of 90 days and does not permit your stay in Poland. The whole proc- you to study in Poland. ess takes 2 months and you will need The Polish visa regime will change the following set of documents: significantly from January 2008, • An application form or “wniosek”, when Poland becomes a member which you will be given and asked of the Schengen Zone (Schengen to fill in Polish (helpful explanations regulations will come into force are now provided in English and in Polish airports from March 29, French) 2008). Entering Poland from outside • Passport (or your ID), which you the EU will be the same as entering will be asked to produce in person, any other Schengen state, like Ger- and its photocopy many or France, and there will be no • Two color photographs 4,5 cm × 3,5 or limited border control with other cm: it is a requirement in Poland Schengen countries. Non-EU citizens that the photograph show your should note: until the new regime left ear. Ordinary passport photos comes into force a Schengen visa from other places may not meet does not permit entry into Poland. this requirement. Don’t worry; you If you stay in Poland longer than can get new photos taken in Poland 90 days (EU-citizens) or your student easily and cheaply. Polish photo visa does not include the whole peri- labs are well-accustomed to the od of your stay (non-EU) you should official requirements and will take apply for the Karta Czasowego Poby- account of this when asking you to tu Temporary Residence Card (TRC). pose correctly for your shot These are issued by the Department • Confirmation of your student status for Foreigners in the Voivodship Office (exchange or scholarship program) (urząd wojewódzki) located in the from the University of Wrocław – in capital of each region. There are dif- Polish! This will ordinarily include * 10 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 11 * information about your grant or cm: no profile, with your left ear other financial support. If not you clearly visible should present evidence that you • A copy of your birth certificate, have the financial means to cover translated into Polish by a sworn your stay in Poland (if necessary translator translated into Polish by a sworn • General duty stamps or proof that translator); you’ve paid the consular fee • Information about your place of • A certificate confirming registra- your residence in Poland (meldu- tion duty (in case the application is nek) submitted to the Voivodship) • Proof of health insurance (that • Information about a grant or other might be either a European Health maintenance sources and financial Insurance Card or documents support (if necessary translated proving that your have health in- into Polish by sworn translator); surance); • A document confirming, that you • A letter from the hosting university have medical insurance in Poland • The fee: 30 zł. • A copy of your residence registra- tion: a karta mieszkańca for stu- NON-EU CITIZENS dents living in students’ dormito- Many students from non-EU coun- ries. For those living in private flats tries can enter Poland for up to 90 copy of the lease, copy of the land- days without a visa. Some of them lord’s ID, and copy of act of owner- decide not to get the TRC and cross ship or amct of hire of the flat. the border every 90 days to get a • A letter of invitation from the uni- “new” stamp. This can work – apart versity addressed to the Voivodship from costs of travelling – but re- Office with information about your member, that you can only reside student status in Poland without registration for a • A signed copy of the application maximum of 180 days in a year. You instruction should apply 45 days prior to the • Four signed copies (one original expiry date of your visa/allowance and three copies) because the whole procedure takes The following fees are required for about 2 months. Be prepared to the TRC: 5 zł for fiscal stamps for present, in person, the following set you application and 0,50 zł for each of documents: another document submitted (you • A valid passport buy them at Voivodship Office), 300 • A completed application form (wnio- zł – after the positive decision and 50 sek) for issuance of a residence per- zl – for the Card. The TRC is mostly mit for a specified period of time assigned for one year, but of course • 5 color photographs 4,5 cm × 3,5 you can renew it.

* 12 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 13 * ADDING TO THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE Job in Poland

oland is in the midst of an eco- Other jobs portals: www.pracuj.pl, Pnomic boom and labour shortages www.jobpilot.pl, www.praca.pl, are increasingly evident. Poland is no www.jobs.pl. longer a ‘rock bottom wage’ country: You can also visit job agencies, like the average loan is around 800€. So it Adecco (www.adecco.pl), Grafton might not be a bad idea to look for job Recruitment (www.grafton.pl), Man- while you are here. EU-citizens from power (www.manpower.com) or member-states open to Polish work- Randstad (www.randstad.pl), but ers enjoy the same right in Poland and with agencies the recruitment process don’t need a permit to work legally is usually longer and more involved. (check the news: most have already It’s preferable that you speak Polish opened their labor markets). Citizens of if you are looking for a job, but this Russia, Ukraine and Belarus also don’t is not always essential. There are a need a permit, if they work not longer number of international companies than 6 moths yearly (only conformation that may be looking for fluent English from the employer to the labor office is speakers and/or speakers of other lan- needed). Citizens of every other coun- guages. To find their vacancies, you will try need a work permit. The only way need to go directly to their web pages. to get one is via your employer, who Last but not least: do not forget about has to pay a significant fee to register informal way of looking for jobs in you. So first find a job, then your boss Poland, like asking friends. Indeed, this will apply for your work permit. We might be the most successful way. assume, however, that the Polish gov- ernment will ease the policy soon due Working in a pub – the most popular to workers shortages in Poland. „praca” among students The easiest way for you to earn money in Poland is to teach your na- tive language. There is high demand for teachers of European languages, but also Mandarin and Japanese. You can phone or walk in and make an offer to language schools (there are many and their addresses and phone numbers are plastered on billboards and posters everywhere) or advertise individual lessons privately. Another option is working in a pub, but basic Polish is necessary. How do you look for a job? Well, like everywhere, there are dedicated websites and newspa- pers. Of the papers, the Monday edi- tion of “Gazeta Wyborcza”, a popular daily, is the best option. All their ads are posted online: praca.gazeta.pl. * 12 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 13 * FORGET ABOUT EURO Złoty is your money in Poland...

...at least until 2012. Złoty is a fully ex-changeable currency, so you 1 zł (złoty) = 100 gr (groszy) don’t have to worry about buying and coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 gr / 1, 2, 5 zł selling it. It is also quite a strong cur- notes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 zł rency. For the last few years the rate to € has rose steadily: in May 2007 it was 3,8 zł = 1 €. of shops, apart from little stands and 1 złoty (pr. zwoty) divides in 100 gro- kiosks. In some shops it is required szy (pr. groshy). The coins, apart from that bills covered by cards are higher groszy, are: 1, 2, 5 złoty. Notes: 10, than 20 zł. 20, 50, 100 and – rare – 200 złoty. What about a Polish bank account? Where can you change foreign cur- IYou’ll need to pay the branch a visit rency to złoty? In a kantor – there to conclude a contract (it is still not are also English or German markings: possible via the internet), but it’s not exchange, Wechselstube – which are complicated. Every bank will offer a licensed agencies to trade currencies. debit card (usually VISA Electron) for Some of them, especially at train free with the account. stations and bigger hotels, are open Finally, the cost of living. Poland 24 hours a day. You can also go to a is much cheaper than most other bank, but the rate is usually less favo- countries in Europe, but do not rable. In cantors you can also negoti- expect bargains and schnäppchen. ate the price if you exchange more Services, which are at least 50% than, say, 500 Euro. What can you do cheaper than Western Europe, are if you have no Polish zloty, but only where you will notice the difference euro or dollar, and there is no chance most. For example a visit to the to change it? Do not panic. Just ask a hairdresser for guys is around 25 taxi driver or a seller in a shop, if he zł. An hour in the dentists’ chair will can accept the foreign currency. The set you back 60-80 zł, and a meal exchange rate will not be very good, in a bistro15-20 zł. Transport, food, but in such situations you can swal- concerts and cinema tickets are also low that. However, do not even think relatively cheap. See the next page about changing money “in the street” to get more information about. with people offering it to you. The risk that you’ll be cheated is high. In the last years more and more people decide not to change money in cantors, but use ATMs (bankomat), where exchange rate is not as bad as we usually think, and provisions seem not to exceed reasonable level. ATMs are very popular in Poland and you should not have any problems to find them – even in small cities. Usually you can pay with your card in most * 14 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 15 * PRICES IN POLAND PRICES IN JULY 2007, WROCŁAW. THE EURO-ZŁOTY EXCHANGE RATE 1: 3,8

PLN EURO

Bread (1 kg) 2,09 0,55

Milk (1 l) 2,29 0,60

Butter (0,25 kg) 3,29 0,87

Chicken (1 kg) 18,69 4,91

Sugar (1 kg) 2,79 0,78

Apple (1kg) 3,99 1,05

Banana (1kg) 3,99 1,05

Eggs (10 pieces) 3,29 0,87

Yoghurt (0,2 l) 0,99 0,26

Cheese gouda (1kg) 19,99 5,26

Beer (0,5 l) 2,49 0,66

Tomatoes (1 kg) 2,59 0,68

Milk chocolate (1 bar) 2,35 0,62

Marlboro cigarettes (1 pack) 7,90 2,08

McDonalds Big Mac 6,90 1,86

Cappuccino (café) 5,50 1,45

Cinema ticket 17,00 4,47

Women haircut and styling 60,00 15,79

Taxi: 3 km (city zone) 15,00 3,95

Fast train ticket Wrocław-Kraków 43,00 11,32 (268 km), 2nd class

Petrol PB 98 (1 l) 4,76 1,25

Gazeta Wyborcza (daily press) 1,50 0,39 * 14 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 15 * SKYPE IT, POST IT, SURF IT, SEND IT Communication You may wish to bring your mobile to reduce the roaming fees within the phone with you to Poland. It should EU-area. work without any major problems, but So we suggest you consider an the pain after receiving the bill might easier (and cheaper) option. Let’s be hard to soothe. When making or start with telephone boxes (pay receiving calls with your home mobile phones), although their number is phone in Poland, you will be charged gradually declining. In most cities international roaming rates, which phone boxes (blue) are provided by are often very high. This problem will Telekomunikacja Polska (TP). You ease for EU-citizens in autumn 2007, need a phone card to use them. The when European telecoms are obliged cards offered by TP are available with 15, 30 and 60 credits. You can buy them in every post office and at PREFIXES most kiosks. There are two types of 0 – dial it before area code and mobile cards: with a chip or with a magnetic number. The only exception is mobile to stripe. The latter do not work in older mobile connection telephone boxes. Is some cities (e.g. 0048 – country code Wrocław), Dialog, a competitor to TP, provides orange pay phones, which call from a local phone to mobile – 0 … take coins. A local talk-talk costs number around 0,10 zł per minute. call from a mobile phone to a mobile However, if you want to call an- phone – …number other country it’s a lot cheaper to DIRECTORY: www.pkt.pl (also in English buy cards from other providers – like and German) TelePin, Telegrosik, Tele2 etc, which you can also use in TP’s phone boxes. * 16 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 17 * STARTERS MINUTES TEXTS

ORANGE (Pop / Orange Go) 5–20 PLN 0.60–0.80 PLN 0.15–0.20 PLN

ERA GSM (Tak Tak) 9–20 PLN 0.77 PLN 0.22 PLN

HEYAH 5–20 PLN 0.60–0.68 PLN 0.03–0.20 PLN

PLUS GSM (Simplus) 9–39 PLN 0.78 PLN 0.20 PLN

PLAY 30 PLN 0.49 PLN 0.15 PLN

These cards are only available in post ent amounts (usually 20, 50, 100, offices. To make a call, first dial the 150 zł). The bigger ones give you free-call number, type in the special additional credits for free. Finally, you code printed on the card and then can take-up a contract with one of the dial the phone number you want. 50 providers and get a phone (often for zł will get you about an hour of call- free) on a monthly billing cycle. The time within the European Union. minimum contract is usually 12 or 18 Every telephone box in Poland has months. You will have to show your its own number – when you press the passport and proof of permission to button D, that phone’s number will be stay in Poland. displayed. Give this number to some- The table shows prices as at June one and they can call you and it won’t 2007. They may vary according to the cost you a dime... particular plan you choose. Remem- ber that prices change regularly, so MOBILE TELEPHONE this table is only a guide. Most of the There are five providers of mobile providers offer additional bundles of phone services in Poland: Orange, texts and/or minutes, so always check ERA, Plus, Heyah and Play. You have the websites (ask a Polish friend for several possibilities to get access to help if you don’t speak Polish). a Polish GSM provider. First, you can buy a mobile set with a prepaid card LANDLINE AND VOIP from one of the providers; this will A landline connection is also an cost 200 to 500 zł. Second, just buy option if you’re here for a while and the SIM card. Make sure that your decide to live outside Ołówek. If your mobile does not have a SIM-lock or flat already has a telephone connec- have it removed (for about 20-30 tion, but it is not active, you’ll have zł). SIM cards cost around 5-20 zł. to pay an activation fee. If you need Top-up cards are available in differ- a new connection, you’ll have to wait for 2-3 weeks and pay a higher fee. In every case you’ll need permis- INTERNET PROVIDERS sion from your landlord. TP and a OF MOBILE TELEPHONE few smaller companies like Dialog ORANGE: www.orange.pl or Netia provide landline services. ERA GSM: www.era.pl They offer internet services too HEYAH: www.heyah.pl (see the next section), which might PLUS GSM: www.simplus.pl enable you to use an internet PLAY: web.playmobile.pl phone (VoIP) like Skype. For the * 16 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 17 * cards from Poland. Branch offices of INTERNET SITES Poczta Polska are like communication OF INTERNET PROVIDERS centres: you can buy stamps, send TELEKOMUNIKACJA POLSKA (Neostrada): letters, parcels, money, pay your bills, www.tp.pl buy telephone cards and call from a DIALOG (Dialnet): www.dialog.pl telephone box. They are open usually NETIA: www.netia.pl from 8.00 to 18.00. In big cities there HOTSPOTS: hot.spots.pl/eng/ or are also offices open 24 hours. free-hotspot.com You can choose “normal” or “prior- ity” mail delivery. The second is, of list of providers in Poland see the course, more expensive, but faster. voipproviderslist.com Stamp prices for letters and post- cards to all European countries are INTERNET the same, whichever country you Internet access in big Polish cities is choose (except Poland of course). extensive. But if you visit small towns Poczta Polska’s website lists all the and villages the impression might be information – in English. If you choose different. The easiest way to get online one of the listed topics a window will is to visit an internet cafe. Prices vary open. You will find the link to the Eng- from 3.50 to 5 zł per hour. Sometimes lish version in the left-hand corner. you can find computers in ordinary If your parcel is very urgent, try a cafes and you usually don’t have to courier service: Pocztex, DHL Servis- pay to surf… if you buy a coffee. More co, Masterlink, RAAB, Siódemka. In all and more pubs, cafes, hotels and public cases you call their toll-free number to institutions have hotspots, which makes arrange service. All these companies access from your laptop possible. have web pages. If you have a flat in Poland the best way to connect is to take up a contract with one of the internet providers, SERVICE OF POCZTA POLSKA like TP, Dialog (see the box), or a small www.pocztapolska.pl/cennik.htm local provider. The minimum contract is ● 2,40 zł – for a standard letter or usually 12 months. You can also check a postcard the offers of the biggest mobile phone ● 3,00 zł – for a priority standard letter providers – you can buy a modem for or a priority postcard a wireless connection in a special offer, ● 7,70 zł – for a registered letter like iPlus or Blueconnect. These are all ● 8,30zł for a priority registered letter. advertised online, but unfortunately The cost of sending a parcel depends only in Polish. We suggest you visit on its weight and the destination: the providers’ offices – their manag- ● up to 1kg: 56,00 zł for the smallest ers usually speak English and are very (21,00 zł to Czech Republic and helpful – or call the info line listed on Slovakia) ● up to 20kg the webpage. · 43,00 zł – for Czech Republic and Slovakia IF YOU STILL WANT · 146,00 zł – for the most European TO SEND A POSTCARD countries Almost every student uses e-mail · 199,00 zł – for UK, Belgium, Finland, to communicate, but some of you will Norway, Portugal, Hungary and Italy certainly want to send letters or post- * 18 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 19 * NOT VERY FAST, BUT NOT VERY EXPENSIVE Transport in Poland

hile exploring Poland you will Wmost probably use public trans- ORIENTATION port. It might not be very comfortable It is not necessary to buy plenty of books – or particularly fast – but you can still to plan a trip around Poland. Using reach almost every forgotten village Google Earth might even be very useful. for very little money. The most gen- However, the most popular portal for eral advice: always ask for discount Poland – wide information and maps is tickets, showing your Polish student www.zumi.pl Every week new addresses legitymacja, and check for current of hotels, restaurants, etc are added. special offers. The only problem is that the site is in Polish. To use it, you will need the first blue field and the second line, where TRAIN you type in the name of the city and the Travelling by train is definitely a street. Then press “Szukaj”. very good way to get around the country, and without doubt one of the most interesting and fun experi- you cannot use it for the trains of the ences you will ever have in Poland. PKP PR. If you combine your travel The Polish railways (Polskie Koleje taking for example IC and OS trains, Państwowe – PKP) are often criticized you will need two separate tickets... for their very poor standard of serv- but you buy them at one counter. ice. Certainly, trains are often slow, The situation will get more compli- old (sometimes ancient), and not-so cated, when private companies start comfortable but the fact is train trav- to expand in the Polish railway mar- el is very inexpensive and steadily ket. This might happen very soon. improving in quality. Air travel within Poland, however, is quite expensive WHERE TO BUY A TICKET? and going by car might be an adven- At train stations look for ticket ture as there are not many motor- windows (kasa biletowa). Sometimes ways in Poland and the style of driv- not every counter sells tickets for the ing tends to be aggressive. So, if you EC/IC/EX, but if not, this is clearly go, think about going by train! stated. If you want to buy an interna- tional ticket you must look for a kasa THERE ARE TWO COMPANIES międzynarodowa, which are only in Few years ago the PKP was larger stations. Do not expect the divided into two independent com- service personnel in the “national” panies: PKP Inter City (PKP IC) and counters to speak English. It is only PKP Przewozy Regionalne (PKP PR). possible to pay with credit card at a The first of them provides transport counter marked with a credit card on long-distances (IC, EC, EX, TLK logo. It is better to take cash. trains – see the box next page) and You can also buy your ticket in the the second one on regional and local train from the conductor. Just inform distances (P, OS trains). Why is it him first on the platform, before you important for you to know that? get on the train that you’d like to buy Because if you buy PKP IC ticket, a ticket from him. It costs more – an * 18 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 19 * TYPES OF TRAINS PKP PRZEWOZY REGIONALNE Pociąg osobowy (OS) – a local train. Usually stops in every town on its way, the slowest and least comfortable train to travel on, but also the cheapest. On timetables they are marked with black letters. Called ironically IEC: inter-every-city. Pociąg pośpieszny (P) – a fast train, stops at most medium-size railway stations. There are also sleeping/couchette cars in the fast night trains. On timetables all the fast trains are marked in red and with the letter P. Some of them have names like “Ślązak”, “Mewa”.

PKP INTER CITY TLK (Tanie Linie Kolejowe): this is a new line of fast trains. They should be similar to the P, but a bit more comfortable. Obligatory reservation costs 3 zł. In the night trains of TLK you can take couchette or sleeper for 50 zł. Ekspres (EX): express train that runs between the biggest cities. EX are more expensive than TLK. Obligatory reservation costs 10 zł, but of course they are more comfortable and have a restaurant car. On the timetable they are marked in red, with letters EX and always bear names. Inter-City / Euro-City (IC/EC): Higher standard Express trains. Ticket costs as much as EX, but reservation is more expensive up to 25 zł. They offer a full service buffet coach for passengers, and sometimes a complimentary snack is served. On the timetable they are marked red with the letters EC or IC and bear names.

* 20 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 21 * extra 2,80 zł for travel up to 100 km and 5,80 zł over 100 km. If you don’t PKP – INFORMATION inform the conductor first, he or she TELEPHONE: 9436 (in Polish) may charge you a penalty of 115 zł. MAIN SITE OF THE PKP: www.pkp.pl And the Internet? It is possible to buy TIMETABLE IN ENGLISH: http://rozklad.pkp.pl/ a ticket for PKP IC trains. Just visit the bin/query.exe/en site of the company to check the rules ONLINE TICKET SALE (IN ENGLISH): https:// – it is in English (see the box). bilet.intercity.pl/irez SITE OF THE PKP-IC: www.intercity.com.pl/ HOW MUCH? en/main As a student in Poland and a per- SPECIAL OFFERS OF THE PKP-IC: http:// son under 26 you pay 37% less for www.intercity.com.pl/en/77 SITE OF THE PKP PRZEWOZY REGIONALNE all 2nd class tickets you only need (IN POLISH): www.pr.pkp.pl your student legitymacja. Reserva- tions, however, are not covered by student-friendly rules. of the last day before the holiday With the discount a 200 km journey until 6:00 of the first day after holi- by an OS should cost around 20 zł. In days. Every Saturday is recognized general there is an easy rule of thumb as a holiday. It is a personal ticket, for ticket prices: fast trains and TLK so only the person whose name are 60% more expensive than OS appears on the ticket can use it. trains and EX/IC/EC trains are 50% Return of the ticket is possible only more expensive than fast trains and before the start of travel. It’s valid TLK. First class is 50% more expen- as far as some border stations in sive than the 2nd class, but don’t Germany and Czech Republic. forget – for this “deluxe” travel the • W SPÓLNY PRZEJAZD (common ride): student legitymacja is not valid. In an offer for combined travel (trains the TLK/EX/IC/EC you also have to of PKP PR & PKP Intercity). You can buy a reservation. It costs 3 zł for only buy it at a ticket window and the TLK 10 zł for the EX, 18-25 zł for every leg of your journey must be IC/EC. A place in sleeper cars costs at least 51 km. You will also need around 60 zł and couchette 20-50 zł to purchase a reservation for IC/ (it depends on special offers). EX/TLK trains. Both PKP PR and PKP IC have • Bilet wycieczkowy (journey ticket): special offers and discounts. Some if you travel less than 200 km and of them will apply, even after your do not mind travelling 2nd class on student discount. Always check the OS/P trains, this option may save newest offers before buying a ticket you upt to 30% for return ticket. It (see the box). Below you can find the is always one-way, so you’ll have to most popular special offers: buy a return ticket. Remember that PKP REGIONALNE is only valid on weekends, public • B ILET TURYSTYCZNY (tourist ticket): holidays, etc and the journey should costs 60 zł for 2nd class OS-trains start not earlier than at 20:00 on and P-trains or 80 zł for the 1st the day before the holiday. If the class P-trains for travel on weekends ticket is for up to 100 km, it is valid (successive holidays). It entitles you 1 day; for 100-200 km it will be to unrestricted travel on weekends valid 2 days, but no later than till or public holidays, etc, from 18:00 24:00 on the last day of holidays. * 20 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 21 * PKP INTERCITY The offers of PKP Intercity vary quite often, so please check the newest saving proposition on the website in English (see the box). However, the most popular are SUPER BILET and BILET WEEKENDOWY – the first one is valid for one train and one travel only and normally is available dur- ing specified days, while the second is valid for the weekends: the first- class ticket costs 149 zł and the sec- ond-class 99 zł. BUYING A TICKET Connections and prices are easily checkable on the PKP website. If you find yourself at the train station and only the timetable is available, bear the following tips in mind. Decide if you want to take PKP PR or PKP IC. For the latter, you will need the exact name or departure time of the train, the dopłata you will also need a new because you’ll need a reservation. reservation. If you are late for a PKP For PKP PR it is easier, because you IC train and have a reservation you can take alternative PKP PR trains don’t need to buy a new ticket at all, (the same or lower class of train) just a new reservation. But only if the on the route printed on the ticket on ticket itself is still valid. Complicated? the same day. On the shorter routes Of course not! there may be a stamp on the ticket Do you want to return your ticket? with hours of validation. If you want You will forfeit 15 % of the ticket’s to combine the trains of the PKP PR value. It’s also possible to return and PKP IC you will need separate tickets after the train departs, but tickets. And don’t forget: as a stu- only on the same day. The only dent younger than 26 you’re entitled exception is for a ticket reservation; to a 37% discount. Just flash your this must be returned no later than student legitymacja. three hours before departure. With a reserved ticket, you are entitled to request a window seat TAKING YOUR BIKE? (przy oknie) or a seat in a smok- You are allowed. If there is no lug- ing compartment (dla palących). If gage car you should take your bike you want to change your ticket for a to the first vestibule of the first car higher class train, it is possible only or to the last vestibule of the last within the same company. If you car – but remember that you are have a ticket of PKP PR for an OS responsible for your bike! Addition- and want to change for a P ask at the ally, you must buy a special ticket for counter for extra charge (dopłata). the bike. It’s not expensive: 30 km The same rule applies in the case costs 2,80 zł, for 100 km it’s 5 zł, of the PKP Intercity, but on top of and over 400 km 11 zł. * 22 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 23 * TRAVELLING ABROAD when all the seats are taken. This If you want to buy a ticket to go kind of short distance travelling is abroad you should visit the interna- especially popular in eastern Poland. tional counter kasa międzynarodowa, Usually these services depart from which are only located in bigger sta- (or near) PKS stations, which belong tions or stations near the border. As to the biggest bus company, PKS a general rule, most counter-staff (Polska Komunikacja Samochodowa) speak (some) English and/or Ger- or train stations. PKS provides a local man. Going abroad by train is more service too. You buy tickets from the expensive (but not prohibitively so). driver. But don’t be put off: there are ways Second, there are long distance to make the travel cheaper! buses, which are monopolized by the If you are under 26 it’s possi- regional PKS-branches. The buses ble to buy a Wasteels Ticket with always depart from PKS bus stations. a 25 % discount. You need your There are two kinds of buses: zwykły passport to purchase this. PKP also (normal) and pośpieszny (fast). But offers many discounts. You can find “fast” is a relative concept here: as them on the site of PKP IC. Look you know, we haven’t got many high- for names like: Inter Rail, Rail Plus, ways in Poland. On the other hand Euro Domino and also the Special the PKS has been modernizing its bus Offers to main European countries. fleet and traveling is often not as tire- You can save 40-70 % this way. some as it used to be. You buy tickets For the resourceful (and desperate), from the driver, but it is also possible, there are a few tricks. It’s a safe bet and even recommended, to purchase that national tariffs are cheaper than beforehand at the bus station. Unfor- international ones, so you can try to tunately, the timetable is a little dif- get to the last station in Poland, then ficult to locate. The best method is to cross the border with an international google “PKS” and the name of the city ticket to the first station abroad and of departure. Usually you will get a then buy a “national” ticket for your link to regional PKS-provider and to its onward journey in that country, of timetable. The only serious competi- course using all special offers & dis- tion for the PKS is the Polski Express. counts on the way. And finally, international bus travel. There are many bus companies pro- BUS viding this service. The most recog- Bus transport is quite popular in nizable is the Europe-wide Eurolines Poland, especially in the regions, – reliable and relatively expensive where trains are rare. Buses are (www.eurolines.com). But there usually cheaper than trains, although are many other companies that are the companies generally don’t offer cheaper and also not too bad. If student discounts. you want to find their offers visit There are three groups of bus www.gazeta.pl/ or www.onet.pl/ and services which should be mentioned. choose turystyka and then przejazdy First, local private bus services, which autokarowe. You will get the full time- is often provided by small operators table of all the busses going in and out with one or two small buses. Some- of Poland. The busses usually depart times they have no timetables: they from bus stations, or sometimes just wait for people and then depart from train stations. This information * 22 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 23 * homepage; the ticket, in general, is LOW-BUDGET AIRLINES sent to you via e-mail – you need to I N P O L A N D take a printout of it with you. Most airlines require a credit card as means RYANAIR: www.ryanair.com EASYJET: www.easyjet.de of payment (Centralwings now also GERMANWINGS: www.germanwings.de accepts payment by bank transfer). SKYEUROPE: www.skyeurope.com/pl WIZZAIR: www.wizzair.com CAR CENTRALWINGS: www.centralwings.com Driving a car in Poland might be LOT: www.lot.pl an adventure. This is because of the quality of roads and the way people PORTAL WITH LOW-BUDGET CONNECTIONS: drive a car here, although the situa- www.whichbudget.com tion is improving quickly. The main problem is the lack of is available where you purchase the dedicated motorways. The only real ticket. You can also buy tickets at one highways in Poland are in Upper of the numerous travel offices. Here Silesia between Kraków and Wrocław you can take a full advantage of your or between Poznań and Warsaw. student’s discounts like Euro26 or Sometimes there is a “highway lite” even your standard student ID. – four lanes, but with level cross- ings. Quite often on regular roads BY AIR there are 0,5 lanes on both sides, Internal Polish air travel is domi- which makes overtaking easier. On nated by LOT, the former state-owned the other hand, you must still be Polish Airlines. It provides the service careful because the 0,5 lanes used between Warszawa and provincial cap- by cyclists. In general, the quality of itals, like Wrocław. Ticket prices vary roads in Poland is poor. And with the from 200 zł up to 500 zł (or more), but enormous growth of cars on Polish it’s best to look for the newest offers roads in the last 15 years, you can- on homepage. You are unlikely to find not expect comfortable conditions. companies other than LOT flying on However, improvement is expected, local routes, since it is more profitable because the government plans to for the low-budget airlines to concen- build 1000 km of highways for the trate on international flights. coming 2012 Euro-championship. In recent years, there has been Polish driving habits will appear a proliferation in the international strange to some. Polish drivers pre- services of low-budget airlines flying fer a pro-active approach to getting to bigger cities like Warszawa, Kato- from A to B: in other words, aggres- wice, Kraków, Poznań and Wrocław sive and very fast. Drivers here are (Ryanair has the biggest network, not always willing to allow you to and now flies to/from 10 Polish cit- change lanes, which is especially ies). Depending on the place of des- annoying in crowded cities. It’s not tination and the time period between a rule, but don’t be surprised if it purchasing the ticket and the date of happens. Road rage is a very Polish your flight, prices vary from as little disease: Poland has the second as 50 zł (if you are lucky) to 800 zł. highest car accident rate in Europe, To purchase a ticket, you simply need after Greece. Another persistent to follow the directions on the airline’s problem is drunk driving – despite * 24 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 25 * FIAT 126p – the legend of the Polish roads, here simply called „maluch”, the little boy. Some foreign students buy old specimens of this great Italian design from the late 60 for a few hundreds złoty and challen- ge Europe’s motorways. Good luck!

R O A D R U L E S

● Poland has a right-hand traffic. ● Seatbelts must be worn by both front ● Highest speed: 50 km/ hour in towns, 90 seat and back seat passengers and it is km/hour outside urban areas, 110 km/ prohibited to use hand-held mobiles hour on dual carriageways and 130km/ while driving. hour on motorways ● Cars must be equipped with a fire ● Permitted alcohol content in blood is extinguisher, first-aid kit and hazard- 0.2 per mill. warning reflexive triangle. ● Passing lights must be used all day all ● Caution signs and plates explaining the year. Motorcycles same: the whole year. type of obstacle and danger have a ● Foreign drivers can use a driving license yellow background. from their home country or an interna- ● Buses moving from a bus stop enjoy the tional driving license for up to six right of way. months after entering Poland. After- ● Trams enjoy the right of way at equiva- wards they are obliged to pass through lent intersections. local exams which presuppose the ● Polish fines range from 50-500 PLN (e.g. knowledge of the Polish language. for speeding)

draconian penalties like cars being ten years ago, but still happens. Bur- confiscated. glary unfortunately, is common, so Important: if you come with do not leave radios or any valuables your own car to Poland with foreign in your car at night. Do not also for- plates, you should consider parking get to buy a green card (insurance). in guarded parking places at night. It is not required anymore when you Theft of cars is probably not so much are coming from within the EU, but it of a problem as it used to be, say, is recommended. * 24 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 25 * MORE THAN HOMESICK Healthcare tudents from EU countries are Sentitled to all medical services Free emergency which you access with your Euro- telephone number: 999 pean Health Insurance Card (EHIC). USEFUL WORDS Please ask your health care provider for further instructions before com- pharmacy/drug store – apteka ing to Poland. You don’t need to hospital – szpital take the card with you; a confirma- emergency ward – ostry dyżur tion certificate that you have one emergency ambulance service – pogotowie will do. For citizens from outside the EU, doctor – lekarz purchasing insurance at home (Euro- clinic – przychodnia 26 or ISIC), is advisable but this will not cover everything. The best who can prove they have Polish option is to purchase Polish insur- ancestry (usually parents born ance from NFZ (Narodowy Fundusz here). All documents in this case can Zdrowia), a public national health be submitted at Polish consulates in care provider. It costs just 36,75 zł/ your home country. Make sure you month, with all medical services pro- have received proper confirmation vided. To buy this insurance you will before you leave for Poland. have to go to an NFZ office and fill If you don’t want to queue in a in an application form. You will need public medical centre (although, this the following documents: your polish will undoubtedly add to your stock of student card (legitymacja), a cover authentic Polish travel stories!) feel letter from your university (from the free to go to a private doctor and International Relations Office) con- fork out of your own wallet. Prices firming that you are a student of the are quite reasonable for foreigners: university, and your passport. If you 50-100 zł for a basic consultation. don’t speak Polish, ask your Polish The system of non-public health care friends for help – you will need to is not widespread, but nonetheless fill out the application form in Polish. quickly growing in Poland so that There is one important concession cheap private health insurance will for students from non-EU countries soon be available. * 26 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 27 * A BIT OF COMMON SENSE IS ENOUGH Safety

oland’s reputation concerning the Plevel of safety is not too good. EMERGENCY CALLS However, the crime rate is similar 112 – emergency number for all the to most other European countries. three – police, fire and ambulance service Using your common sense and obey- 999 – emergency ambulance service ing some simple rules is quite enough 997 – police to be safe here. 998 – fire department Obviously, there is little point in running through every possible safety Calling these numbers is free of charge both from a phone box and mobile. hazard scenario you might come You can dial them even if you do not across. Instead, we can focus on a have any credits on your mobile, and few problem areas that are perhaps even without entering the PIN code. more likely in Poland than elsewhere. When travelling on night trains avoid sitting alone in the compartment on all fours. If you ran out of money and do not leave your baggage unat- and can’t pay for a cab, just ask your tended. If get in trouble find a conduc- friends to walk you back. Perhaps tor or a railway – policeman (Służba more importantly, do not argue with Ochrony Kolei – they wear green uni- police officers, if and when they ask forms). There are also police stations you for personal ID (it happens). Be at the bigger train stations. polite and obey all their instructions. In pubs you can lose a lot more If you get caught very drunk, do not than your sobriety. So if there is no panic. You get a comfortable bed in a cloak room, keep an eye on your sobriety room and – in the morning jackets and bags. – a bill for 200 zł. It is definitely not There are many stories about for- cheap accommodation. eign cars stolen in Poland. While this If something bad happens you was a huge problem in the 1990s, should phone the police or go to the it’s not such a worry now. But if you nearest police station. You cannot still feel uncomfortable with foreign expect the policemen to speak English plates, take advantage of guarded fluently, so if you don’t feel comforta- parking places at night. ble with your Polish skills, ask a Polish Football hooligans. If you decide to friend to go there with you. If there watch the Polish league and support a is nobody to go with you, remember club by wearing garish fan gear to the that the police are obliged to provide match, you can expect to be treated you with a sworn translator. as a soldier on a battlefield, where We know that many of you will prisoners are not taken. Another take a trip to the Polish mountains. serious problem is alcohol. In Poland In the Tatra, which are over 2000 we have so called “drunk tanks” for meters high, you should be especially drunk people, who misbehave and prepared to contact the mountain disobey the customs and cultural emergency service GOPR if things go habits. Here’s a tip for free: better to awry. Always have your mobile with take a taxi home, than crawling back you and in case of emergency call * 26 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 27 * 0601 100 300. There is also an emer- copy of your passport (pages with gency service in the lakes area, Maz- your picture and visa) just in case. ury: 0601 100 100 (Mazurska Służba If you lose any of your home country Ratownicza). documents – passport, ID, Student If you lose your passport, you ID – you will need to obtain a police have to contact your embassy to certificate for this. You can get one at get a replacement. Keep a photo- a police station.

THE LOVELY NOISE Media

PRESS lar Polish broadsheet newspaper, but Poland has a wide and diversified is targeted at a liberal – conservative range of press publications. All of the audience. Polish newspapers and magazines are available online as well. In some WEEKLY MAGAZINES bigger newsagent’s, like Empik or ● POLITYKA Relay (at the Railway Station), you (www.polityka.pl) can get foreign press as well. Most successful weekly magazine with 45 years history. Lots of infor- DAILY mation about politics and society. ● GAZETA WYBORCZA Liberal and serious. (www.gazeta.pl) ● WPROST Today it’s the second most popu- (www.wprost.pl) lar daily newspaper, with a liberal A successful magazine with a broad orientation. Each day they offer dif- range of information about politics, ferent weekly thematic supplements the economy and international issues. and local editions. From time to time Known from its provocative covers and you can find CD’s or DVD’s inside – determined, sometimes aggressive with foreign language courses, mov- style. A very specific mix of liberal and ies, etc conservative orientation. ● RZECZPOSPOLITA ● NEWSWEEK POLSKA (www.rzeczpospolita.pl) (www.newsweek.redakcja.pl) Another big and widely read daily. A Polish version of the American It is older than GW (born in 1920), magazine. Just like Wprost and Poli- bigger in format (for some people tyka, very popular in Poland since the this makes it less comfortable to contents are written well and in an read) and is considered conservative. interesting way. All the topics you’d Inside you will find weekly thematic expect in a weekly: comments on supplements. social, political, cultural and sporting ● DZIENNIK life – with a focus on Poland, of (www.dziennik.pl) course. The newest daily in Poland, found- ● PRZEKRÓJ ed in 2006 by the German Springer (www.przekroj.pl) Verlag. It’s the Polish version of “die Concentrates on cultural events and Welt”. Its aim is to be the most popu- cultural-historic information and news. * 28 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 29 * Associated with the leftist opinions. STUDENTS’ MONTHLY MAGAZINES ● TYGODNIK POWSZECHNY FOR FREE (www.tygodnik.com.pl) ● SEMESTR The magazine, having a long and (www.semestr.pl) respected history, is read by the Monthly magazine for students avail- “Catholic intelligentsia” of Poland. able for free in all the university build- Solid, profound articles concerning ings, in student’s organizations, can- mostly Christianity, cultural events teens... (be ready to catch them early and social issues, but also political at the beginning of the month since events in Poland and in the world. they disappear pretty fast). Contents: all that concerns what is widely called TABLOIDS “student culture” and “student issues”. FAKT (www.e-fakt.pl) is a typi- ● EUROSTUDENT cal tabloid, on the model of the (www.eurostudent.pl) German “Bild”. The first edition Filled with lots of advertisements was actually published in 2003. and „sponsored articles”. Available Its main competitor, SUPER EXPRESS in the main buildings of the Universi- (www.superexpress.pl), has a similar ties universities and in the halls of “target group” and contents, Color- dormitories. ful, focused on scandals, sport and ● AKTIVIST entertainment. (www.aktivist.pl) * 28 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 29 * Another free student magazine society and culture. Highly recom- with info about restaurants and mended. No music. pubs, nightlife and culture. It is a ● RADIO MARYJA kind guide to movies, exhibitions, www.radiomaryja.pl performances over the month. Avail- (88,9 MHz) able in pubs and cinemas. An Catholic and very conservative station run by the Redemptorist’s RADIO order, led by the charismatic Father Most of the radio stations in Poland Rydzyk. A very strong voice against give you a mix of music, news and the integration with EU and liberal commercials. If you are just clean- reforms, sometimes shocking, but a ing a window or just don’t like sit- part of today’s Poland too. ting in silence, it is not that bad. Besides, listening may be a great TELEVISION way to improve your Polish language In Poland we have three big media skills! Just set up your radio to Radio groups broadcasting TV programs. ZET (Wrocław: 93,6 MhZ) or RMF The most popular is the state owned FM (Wrocław: 92,9 MhZ). If you are TVP. During communism, it was a looking for something more from propaganda channel, which after 1989 your radio, at least more individual- turned into a media concern financed ity, it can be a bit like Tweedle-Dum both from taxes and from commer- and Tweedle-Dee. Below you can find cials. It has two main channels (TVP1, a basic description of more charac- TVP2) which broadcast news, movies, teristic stations (with frequencies for TV series, political discussion. Besides Wrocław). these, there is TVP3 which presents ● TRÓJKA mainly local socio-political news. www.radio.com.pl/trojka/ Recently TVP broadened its profile and (100,2 MHz) created thematic channels available on A good, middle class radio, with cable television. One of them is TVP reliable journalism with many dis- KULTURA which broadcasts contempo- cussions, comments and culture rary art, literature and cinema issues. programs. Interactive television (www.itvp.pl) is ● POLSKIE RADIO PROGRAM 2 a novel idea which allows you to watch www.polskieradio.pl/dwojka some programming via the internet. (98,8 MHz) Unfortunately, the quality of all TVP Mostly classic music, many inter- broadcasting is weakened by the fact esting live transmissions. that it is still governed by politicians. ● RADIO RAM The privately-owned and run TVN is www.radioram.pl/ TVP’s main competitor. It started (89,8 MHz) broadcasting in 1997 and immediately Plays a slightly different mix of music gained a great following. TVN does TV than another stations – ethno, bossa the “American way”, with reality shows, nova, chillout, smooth jazz, soul. interactive game shows, the newest ● TOK FM movies and sitcoms. TVN television http://serwisy.gazeta.pl/tokfm/ has several themed channels on cable 1,53862,2264799.htm television, like TVN24 (24h of news and (95,8 MHz) political debates), TVN STYLE (fashion Information radio about politics, debates and hints, culinary programs), * 30 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 31 * TVN TURBO (all about motoring). The Polsat than on TVN. It has several characteristic feature of TVN is to take themed channels broadcast on cable: foreign productions and re-produce POLSAT 2 (where you can watch all Polish versions (e.g. sitcoms… watch the repeats), POLSAT SPORT (very out for the Polish version of “The popular nowadays, because of the Nanny”. Classic). Polish Formula 1 racer Robert Kubi- The third media group is Polsat, ca, POLSAT ZDROWIE I URODA (all the first polish private television com- about keeping yourself in good shape pany, established in 1992. It broad- and the newest fashion hints). casts quite similar programs to TVN The TV guide is published every with some differences. For example, Friday in daily newspapers. You can there are more Polish productions on easily find it on internet.

TAKE A SCARF AND BEACH OUTFIT As the Polish climate is very variable it is necessary to bring different kinds of clothes. A warm coat and sweaters are essential for the winter months. A waterproof coat and sturdy shoes can be useful for the rainy days that occur often, especially in spring and autumn (some winters and summers are very rainy as well). AVERAGE TEMPERATURES winter: -5°C-0°C summer: 20°C-30°C, autumn: 5°C-15°C, spring: 5°C-15°C. YOU CAN FIND WEATHER FORECASTS FOR POLAND HERE: http://pogoda.onet.pl/index.asp?c=2%3C/div%3E

* 30 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 31 * HOW TO DEAL WITH POLES?

CHRZĄSZCZ BRZMI W TRZCINIE learned Polish even in as little as one Congratulations. You are in the semester. They organized tandems country of one of the most difficult with Polish students and took an languages in Europe. Polish has 7 intensive course at the university. cases and other complications in the How much Polish do you need for grammar. Because of a lot of “szcz”, everyday life? How popular is English “ć” and so on, it is not easy either here? If you stay in big cities, study- to spell or to pronounce. In a book ing at the university, visiting pubs written by the popular British writer in the centre, doing shopping in a David Lodge, linguists analyzed the supermarket, you don’t need more Polish word for scrambled eggs than 10-20 words and numbers. And – “jajecznica”. They figured, that it is in cities people generally speak for- a pure onomatopoeia: it sounds like eign languages, especially the young. eggs frying in a pan. In fact, many But if you plan to put your nose out a Polish words might be difficult for you bit, basic knowledge of Polish is nec- because of those rustling sounds. Be essary. In addition to that, any visit prepared: your Polish friends will ask to an administration office (which you to spell sentences which sound you almost certainly will have to like a chainsaw in hurricane (see the make at some point) requires a bit title) and might spell danger for your more than “tak” or “nie”. A good rule tongue. But do not give up! In the last of thumb is to remember that the years many foreign students have more complicated your mission, the

PRONOUNTIATION

WROCŁAW VROTS-WAHF ch, h as ‘h’ in the ‘hole’ cz as ‘ch’ in the ‘church’ READING POLISH VOWELS dz as the ‘ds’ in ‘adds up’ a as the ‘u’ in ‘cut’ dź, dzi similar to ‘dz’ but pronounced ą a cross between the the ‘awn’ with the tongue a little further in ‘lawn’ and the ‘ong’ in ‘long’ back on the roof of the mouth e as in ‘ten’ dż, drz as ‘j’ in ‘jam’ ę like the ‘eng’ in ‘engage’, g as in ‘get’ where j as the ‘y’ in ‘yet’ the ‘ng’ is one sound, not ‘n’ ł as the ‘w’ in ‘wine’ followed by ‘g’ ń, ni as the ‘ni’ in the ‘onion’ i similar to ‘ee’ in „feet’ r always trilled u, ó as in ‘put’ rz, ż as the ‘s’ in the ‘pleasure’ y similar to the ‘i’ in ‘bit’ sz as the ‘sh’ in ‘show’ s as s in ‘set’ READING POLISH CONSONANTS ś, si similar to ‘s’ but not as strident c as the ‘ts’ in ‘its’ w as the ‘v’ in ‘van’ ć, ci similar to ‘c’ but pronounced ź, zi similar to ‘z’ but not as strident with the tongue a little further szcz as the ‘shch’ in ‘fresh chesse’ back on the roof of the mouth * 32 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 33 * more likely you will need Polish (or a friend who speaks Polish) to be suc- USEFUL WORDS cessful. In this section you can find a AND SENTENCES small dictionary to help you.

I don’t speak Polish. CUISINE Nie mówię po polsku. Another aspect of living in Poland and with Poles is food. The country Could you repeat that? has its own interesting cuisine with Proszę to powtórzyć. lots of soups, flour dishes like pierogi Please write that down. or pancakes and, of course, meat. It Proszę to napisać. is also definitely a “potato country”. Polish cuisine is really not geared for How do you pronounce it? Jak się to wymawia? people who are on a diet. The flag ship is pierogi – dough filled with Where is… Gdzie jest … different fillings: cheese, meet, fruits. university uniwersytet They look like largish Italian tortel- train station dworzec PKP lini and usually there are 8 pieces in bus station dworzec PKS a portion. The most popular kind is tram/bus stop przystanek pierogi ruskie (don’t ask what they tramwajowy / have to do with Russia…) filled with autobusowy cheese, potatoes, fried onion and Two tickets please Proszę dwa bilety spices. Another popular variety is pierogi with cabbage and mushrooms Dormitory akademik inside, or with meat. Those of you who like sweets can also enjoy pierogi How much is… Ile kosztuje … with berry or strawberry – but mostly entrance wejście in summer. Here’s a tip: pierogi is open otwarte great if made fresh and made well closed zamknięte (which is not easy) and really, really bad if it is not. Fresh pierogi is best; avoid the frozen stuff. How do I get to… Jak się dostanę do… But before pierogi try barszcz Turn left Skręć w lewo – a soup made from beetroot. At Turn right Skręć w prawo the first sight it might be difficult to Go straight ahead Proszę iść prosto fall in love with, because the soup is dark red and has a “special” taste. Thank you Dziękuję But we know that many foreign stu- Please Proszę dents have indeed fallen in love with You are welcome Proszę barszcz and have tried to serve it in Excuse me/ I’m sorry Przepraszam their countries after returning home. Yes / No Tak / Nie Another personal favourite is Hi / Bye Cześć gołąbki – stuffed cabbage. Tender cabbage leaves filled with a mixture Good morning Dzień dobry of rice, sauteed mushroom or mince. Goodbye Do widzenia Absolutely delicious either fried or What’s the time? Która godzina? boiled. Yummm! Think twice before you decide to go to one of the global SOURCE: K. DYDYŃSKI, POLAND, LONELY PLANET GUIDEBOOK 2002 * 32 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 33 * fast foods chains, which are – not surprisingly – ubiquitous in Poland.

FACING A SLAVIC SOUL What are Poles like? While plan- ning your visit to Poland, you will surely have asked yourself: what can I expect? Let’s start with some stereotypes, both positive and negative. People living between the Odra and the Bug are often thought to be emotional (even hot-tempered), and very patriotic: freedom-loving, with a touch of the anarchist’s spirit. This image has been reinforced dur- ing the last 200 years of permanent revolution and uprising, WWII, and attendance than was the case in the Solidarność, which brought the big 1990s. On the other hand, you will mustache of Lech Wałęsa into the find that Poles are also very prag- set of Polish stereotypes. Poles like matic in their attitude towards faith, that image. Do not be surprised if one could say... nonchalant. you become involved in discussions In the opinion of many foreigners, about history – Polish people like that Poles are quite open-hearted. Is it too. Poles may often emphasize that true? Walking along the street you the first written constitution in Europe will certainly not see many people was established in Poland, that they smiling like the Brazilians do, and were betrayed by Western allies, when asking others for something that their country has been attacked, you may often face a cool reaction. destroyed and divided so many times. The hero of the movie “Sideways” Some people like to say that the Poles (2004) even says: “And now I will be have a ‘victim mentality’, but you gloomy like a Pole”. Another sugges- should decide that for yourself. tion is that Poles are a mistrustful lot: Poles are also very religious, most- one poll found only 11% declare, they ly Roman Catholic, to be precise. trust others easily (in Norway the fig- Have you seen reports on TV about ure was 80%). However, some socio- two million Poles going to Rome to logical surveys can be misleading, the funeral of the Pope in April 2005? and you should always get a sense This was no exaggeration. Religion of people from real life experience. is very important in Poland, even After few months here you can may for young people (they are some- even have the impression that Poles times called JP II Generation), which are reluctant to hide their emotions is not that obvious in many other behind a mask of political correctness countries in Europe. Membership in and that social relations are not so the EU has not caused a decline in structured and formalized as in other religious observance or identifica- cultures. You can move quite quickly tion, as some expected. There is from acquaintance to a friendship even a growing tendency to church here. But remember: if you ask Poles * 34 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 35 * friendly “how are you” be ready, that continents suggests that, at present, they will tell you the truth. Polish attitudes are reasonably mod- What about tolerance towards erate. One student observed that minorities, or national and sexual while people do stare at him from differences? In the past, Poland was time to time, this seems more a sign a multi-ethnic society, but after the of interest and astonishment than World War IIthat diversity was lost. aversion. There were few opportunities to test Another controversial issue is the our tolerance in practice. Since the Polish attitude to sexual minorities. beginning of the 90’s, when Poland Recent international media cover- reopened to the world, more and age has highlighted the intolerant more foreigners have come to live voices towards homosexuality that and work here. However, the una- are prominent (and ascendant) in voidable growth of immigration in Polish politics. Poland remains a very the coming years will be a real test traditional country. Gay and lesbian of the attitude of Poles to ethnic, life, while undoubtedly present (and national and religious diversity. A in some cities such as Warszawa, short poll among students from other Kraków and Sopot quite vibrant), is

HOLIDAYS IN POLAND

1st January, Nowy Rok (NEW YEAR’S DAY) 1791 when the Constitution (first in Europe) Most families would have a lavish dinner on was proclaimed. that day, often together with their relatives. 15th August: Święto Wniebowzięcia Wielkanoc i Śmigus Dyngus (EASTER SUNDAY Najświętszej Marii Panny i Dzień Wojska AND MONDAY) Polskiego (FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE It starts on first Sunday after the first spring BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AND POLISH ARMY DAY) full moon (March/April). Easter celebra- On the anniversary of the victorious bat- tions start on Saturday, when food brought tle of 1920 against the Russian Red Army, in small baskets to churches by believers is fought on the outskirts of Warsaw. blessed with Holy water. Sharing a blessed 1st November: Dzień Wszystkich Świętych egg on Sunday morning with one another (ALL SAINTS DAY) On 1st November most is a national tradition. On Easter Monday Poles visit cemeteries where their relatives’ there is a very ancient Easter tradition graves are and light candles. called “Śmigus-Dyngus” – custom of pour- 11th November: Dzień Niepodległości ing water on one another. (INDEPENDENCE DAY) On this day Poland Boże Ciało (CORPUS CHRISTI) regained its independence in 1918 after Thursday of the ninth week after Easter 123 years of partition. (May/June). The feast commemorates the 24th December: Wigilia (CHRISTMAS EVE) Eucharist. The Host is carried in procession 25th, 26th December: Boże Narodzenie proceeded by girls dressed in white and (CHRISTMAS) followed by the priests. A large number of This is the most important of the Polish holi- people still attend those processions. days. On Christmas Eve families start feast- 1st May: Święto Pracy (LABOUR DAY) ing by sharing holy wafers (oplatek), On that day in the previous political sys- exchanging good wishes and having cer- tem, huge propaganda parades used to emonial dinner with 12 dishes on the be organised. Today it is just a holiday. table. Traditionally there is no meat served 3rd May: Dzień Konstytucji (CONSTITUTION DAY) on this day. At midnight many families Celebrating the anniversary of May 3rd, attend Pasterka, the Shepherd’s Mass.

* 34 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 35 * they drink” asked the Pope smiling. DO’S AND DON’TS “Oh yes, they did”, was the embar- ● Is it advisable to kiss a woman’s hand? rassed answer. How much truth is Well, not every woman will like that... there in the stereotype of the heavy- ● Do give up your seat in the tram to an drinking Pole? On the one hand, you older person, or a woman with young will certainly see drunk people in the children. street … and not only on New Year’s ● Do remember that Poles celebrate a ‘name day’ as well as their birthday. Eve! (in recent times this is prob- ● It may be quite unusual, especially for ably due as much to British tourists Germans, to find that when proposing a on stag tours). On the other hand, toast people don’t look each other in since the beginning of the 90’s drink- the eye. Apparently they are concen- ing habits have changed, and ‘hard trating heavily on the glass, so as not to drinking’ is less common. First of all, lose a drop. vodka has lost its appeal. Among ● Do not say ‘hi’ (the Polish “cześć”) to young people beer is absolutely older people and to people in formal number one, but many people are positions or in administration. This is con- developing a taste for wine. Vodka sidered impolite. itself is preferred mixed, rather than straight, like the very popular “mad still largely ‘underground’, even in dog” shots: vodka, Tabasco and the big cities. Certainly, you will not raspberry syrup. find the degree of easy acceptance of What about the Polish attitude homosexuality that is commonplace in towards women? This is a country Western Europe. Polish gays and les- of traditional gallantry: opening bians tend for the most part to avoid the door for women and kissing the making any public suggestion of their hand is still wide-spread especially sexual orientation, and will expect the among older people. It used to be same from foreigners. Many, perhaps an important part of the old noble- most, are not out of the closet, even man’s ethos, but not only. During the to friends and family. last 150 years women have gained And please heed a friendly word respect, having taken responsibil- of caution: public displays of affec- ity for cultivating and maintaining tion between same-sex couples will Polish identity and traditions, while almost certainly elicit strong disap- men were at war or in exile. proval. In all, Poland faces now a How does the historical image of severe social conflict over this issue, ‘mother Poland’ translate into the very present in the recent public real life of modern Poland? More debate. common than the traditional family A very popular image of Poles is with a woman at home is a model that they drink… a lot. The French of the family with woman, who is say, “drunk like a Pole”. A funny working, taking care for the children historical anecdote comes to mind: and housekeeping at the same time. in 1978 Pope John Paul II, already Women face a “glass ceiling” in their elected to the rank, asked a Polish careers and are generally under- priest visiting the Vatican the reac- represented in public life. On the tion of his compatriots to his election. other hand, there are many indica- “They raved, they were delighted” tions of change. In the last 15 years and so on, said the priest. “And did women have held the post of prime * 36 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 37 * minister and president of the central tistics confirm this. Another sign bank. Many have held ministerial of progress is female participation positions. If you visit the universi- in Poland’s growing small-business ties you might get the impression sector, which has among the high- that there are more female students est rates of female participation in than male. Well, it’s true, and sta- the world.

The Tatra Mountains in late spring

TOP 5 TOURIST HIGHLIGHTS IN POLAND (apart from Wrocław and Lower Silesia)

Kraków – the old capital of Poland, beau- started and where the Solidarność revolution tiful and charming, with the Wawel castle began. It has an awesome old town; Długa and Kazimierz – the old Jewish quarter. A street is a must see. A good base camp to wonderfully rich cultural life. Starting from ascend to Sopot, a beautiful spa, Gdynia Kraków you can visit the Auschwitz Muse- and to the Hel Peninsula, known from the um, Wieliczka, the old salt minery and local sign which reads: “Welcome to Hel”. Zakopane, the spa in the Tatra mountains, Łódź – a big city, which is a bit in the a perfect place for skiing, trekking and to shadow of Warszawa, but has a fascinat- discover original regional culture. ing set of old industrial architecture, the Warszawa – great, but dramatic history, long Piotrowska street and lively culture widely known from the “Pianist” of Roman with particular accent on movies. Before Polański. Today, a dynamic metropolis and you go there watch “The promised land” financial center with architecture that arous- of Andrzej Wajda, the Oscar prizewinner. es a love-hate response in many. See the Mazury – in the south-east part of Poland reconstructed Old Town, the Museum of the you can find hundreds of beautiful lakes. Warsaw Uprising and the Łazienki Palace. A perfect place for sailing and discover- Gdańsk – the city on the sea, where WWII ing the Polish province.

* 36 POLAND KIT POLAND KIT 37 * UNIVERSITY 39 E University Kit

MORE THAN 300 YEARS of the country, including many aca- The history of the University of demics from the Polish Jan Kazimierz Wrocław goes back to the year 1702 University in the city of Lviv, which at when Emperor Leopold I of Habsburg the end of the Second World War was founded a small academy in Wrocław incorporated into the Ukraine. They which consisted of just two facul- became the first academic staff of the ties: philosophy and theology. It was revived university. Today the University called Leopoldina after its founder. of Wrocław is the largest university in Over a hundred years later, in 1811, the region and teaches over 40,000 the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm III students and around 1300 doctoral ordered the protestant university, students in 10 faculties. 9000 students which was situated in Frankfurt at the graduate from the University every River Oder, to move to Wrocław. The year. The University offers a broad new, enlarged university had faculties range of courses taught in Polish and of law, medicine, philosophy and two English. In accordance with the Bologna faculties of theology – Evangelic and process, all courses have three stages: Catholic. Over the years, more and a three-year Bachelor program, a two- more disciplines and faculties were year Master’s program and an optional added to the curriculum. With its open 4-year doctoral program. There is also character the University became a a wide range of continuing education centre of tolerance and humanism programs as well. and thus an attraction for many stu- dents from abroad. The international profile of the Uni- versity was manifested in the huge number of famous scientists, writers and philosophers who were educated or who taught here. Among the long list of persons gaining honorary doctorates are the biologist Charles Darwin and the musician Johannes Brahms. The internationally renowned politician, Javier Solana, was given this honor in October 2003. A number of graduates and professors of the University have received the Nobel Prize, e.g. Otto Stern, Theodor Mom- msen, Fritz Haber and Paul Ehrlich. After 1945 Wroclaw became a Polish city. To this largely destroyed city came people from many other parts

E 38 UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY 39 E UNIVERSITY OF WROCŁAW pl. Uniwersytecki 1, 50-137 Wrocław www.uni.wroc.pl

Faculty of Law, Administration Faculty of Physics and Economy and Astronomy ul. Uniwersytecka 22/26, 50-145 Wrocław pl. Maxa Borna 9, 50-205 Wrocław www.prawo.uni.wroc.pl www.wfa.uni.wroc.pl

Faculty of Historical Faculty of Chemistry and Pedagogical Sciences ul. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383 Wrocław ul. Szewska 48, 50-139 Wrocław www.chem.uni.wroc.pl www.wnhip.hist.uni.wroc.pl Faculty of Biotechnology Faculty of Social Sciences ul. Tamka 2 , 50-138 Wrocław ul. Koszarowa 3, 51-149 Wrocław www.ibmb.uni.wroc.pl www.wns.uni.wroc.pl Faculty of Biological Sciences Faculty of Philology ul. Kuźnicza 35 , 50-138 Wrocław pl. Nankiera 15, 50-140 Wrocław www.biol.uni.wroc.pl www.ifp.uni.wroc.pl (Institute of the Polish Philology) Faculty of Earth Sciences and Environment Management Faculty of Mathematics ul. Kuźnicza 35 and Computer Science 50-138 Wrocław pl. Grunwaldzki 2/4, 50-384 Wrocław www.wnoz.uni.wroc.pl www.ii.uni.wroc.pl, www.math.uni.wroc.pl

THE STRUCTURE Service (DAAD) as one of the dozen OF THE UNIVERSITY of such DAAD-supported institutes in The University of Wrocław offers 30 the world. different fields of studies in 10 facul- The University of Wrocław is not ties. Each faculty is usually divided only a set of regular buildings and into several departments, details of institutes where professors teach and which may be found on the Univer- students learn. There are also some sity homepage. Each department other extraordinary scientific “sites” has a special coordinator to whom the variety of which may surprise you. you may address all questions con- One of these is the Botanical Garden cerning your studies in Wrocław, e.g. (Wrocław) – a beautiful place of green- which courses are offered in English, ery available to everybody searching and how to achieve ECTS-points for for a place to relax and/or for some your classes. In the framework of biological or botanical inspiration. the University works also an inter- Another is the Scientific Polar Station disciplinary institute, which focuses on the Spits Bergen Islands, where on the Polish-German and Europeans glaciologists and speleologists explore issues – the Willy Brandt Centre (ul. and research the local glaciers. The Strażnicza 1-3, www.wbz.uni.wroc.pl). University has also very interesting It was created as a common project and well – equipped museums (more with the German Academic Exchange info in Wroclaw kit section).

E 40 UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY 41 E STUDENTS

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS The office is located in the main build- OFFICE ing of the University on the second After your arrival in Wrocław, this floor. In addition to the International should be the second place, after Relations Office, each department the dormitory, which you visit. In the has a special Erasmus Coordinator, to International Relations Office (IRO, whom you may put all questions con- Dział Współpracy z Zagranicą) you cerning your studies in Wrocław. can find out all about your study at the University, get your legitymacja INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION and indeks and ask important ques- AND EXCHANGE PROGRAMS tions concerning your stay in Poland. The University of Wrocław cooper- You can also check your e-mails there. ates with many foreign institutions of higher education. Each year, its departments admit approximately 600 students from throughout Europe and send almost 800 students abroad to study, as well many scientist to teach and conduct research. In recent years, the University of Wrocław has been actively participat- ing in large European exchange pro- grams such as LLP-Erasmus, Leon- ardo da Vinci, and CEEPUS, and has

E 40 UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY 41 E INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION OFFICE AND RECRUITMENT OFFICE Pl. Uniwersytecki 1, 50-137 Wrocław ul. Kuźnicza 49-55, 50-138 Wrocław room number 109, 120 room number 309 open Mo-Fr (except Wednesday) 9–14 www.dwz.uni.wroc.pl Ewa Solecka-Drew – DIRECTOR Ph.: +48 71 37 52 877 Jagoda Kraśniewska – DIRECTOR E-mail: [email protected] Ph.: +48 71 37 52 248 E-mail: [email protected] Magdalena Szymków – GENERAL AND STUDENT ENQUIRIES Urszula Broda – VICE DIRECTOR Ph.: +48 71 37 52 877 Exchange Programs E-mail: [email protected] Ph.: +48 71 37 52 703 E-mail: [email protected] UNESCO CENTER Basia Skałacka – INSTITUTIONAL LLP-ERASMUS Pl. Uniwersytecki 1, 50-137 Wrocław COORDINATOR room number 120 Ph.: +48 71 37 52 703, fax: +48 71 37 52 211 e-mail: [email protected] Katarzyna Szajda Ph.: +48 71 37 52 252 Alicja Meisel – COORDINATOR OF LEONARDO E-mail : [email protected] DA VINCI PROGRAM Ph.:+48 71 37 52 252, fax:+48 71 37 52 211 e-mail: [email protected]

Anna Sas-Korobczak – LLP-ERASMUS ASSISTANT Ph.:+48 71 37 52 703, fax:+48 71 37 52 211 e-mail: [email protected]

Ewa Nogaj – LLP-ERASMUS ASSISTANT e-mail: [email protected]

started partnership agreements within the framework of new programs such as Erasmus Mundus. Outside the EU, the University of Wrocław has special bilateral agreements with academic institutions from Russia, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan and USA. should contact the Polish Embassy in their home country and the Bureau SCHOLARSHIPS for Academic Recognition and Inter- The Bureau for Academic Recogni- national Exchange in Warsaw: tion and International Exchange, which is part of the Ministry of National Edu- ul. Smolna 13, 00-375 Warsaw cation, offers a number of government phone : + 48 22 826 74 34 scholarships. International students fax: + 48 22 826 28 23 wishing to apply for these scholarships www.buwiwm.edu.pl

E 42 UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY 43 E ERASMUS COORDINATORS 2007/2008

FACULTY OF CHEMISTRY Chemistry – PROFESSOR ANNA TRZECIAK [email protected] FACULTY OF LAW, ADMINISTRATION AND ECONOMICS Law/Administration – DR ANDRZEJ DROZD [email protected] Economic – DR WŁADYSŁAW SZMYT [email protected] FACULTY OF HISTORY AND PEDAGOGY FACULTY CO-ORDINATOR – DR STANISŁAW ROSIK [email protected] Departmental Co-ordinators: History – DR JAKUB TYSZKIEWICZ [email protected] History of Art – DR MAŁGORZATA WYRZYKOWSKA [email protected] Psychology – DR JAROSŁAW KLEBANIUK [email protected] Culture studies – DR BRONISŁAW CZAJKOWSKI [email protected] Ethnology – DR MARCIN BROCKI [email protected] Archeology – DR ARTUR BŁAŻEJEWSKI [email protected] Pedagogy/education – DR KATARZYNA KOKOT [email protected] FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES FACULTY CO-ORDINATOR – DR ROBERT WISZNIOWSKI [email protected] DEPARTMENTAL CO-ORDINATORS: Political sciences – DR PIOTR SULA [email protected] International Relations – DR MARIUSZ NIEMIEC [email protected] Sociology – DR MARCELINA ZUBER [email protected] Philosophy – DR KATARZYNA WRÓBLEWSKA [email protected] FACULTY OF MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCES MATHEMATICS – Dr Krzysztof Dębicki [email protected] COMPUTER SCIENCES – Dr Andrzej Łukaszewski [email protected] FACULTY OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY Physics and Astronomy – DR WOJCIECH CEGŁA [email protected] FACULTY OF PHILOLOGY FACULTY CO-ORDINATOR – DR MARIA DOROSZKIEWICZ [email protected] DEPARTMENTAL CO-ORDINATORS: Slavonic Philology – DR MARIA DOROSZKIEWICZ [email protected] Polish Studies – MAŁGORZATA PASIEKA [email protected] English Studies – DR JUSTYNA KOCIATKIEWICZ [email protected] German Studies – DR ANNA GONDEK [email protected] Ancient Languages – DR SŁAWOMIR TORBUS [email protected] French Studies – DR MAJA PAWŁOWSKA [email protected] Spanish Studies – DR JUSTYNA WESOŁA [email protected] Dutch Studies – DR JAN URBANIAK [email protected] Journalism – PROFESSOR MAREK BRATUN [email protected] FACULTY OF BIOTECHNOLOGY PROFESSOR MARIA MALICKA-BŁASZKIEWICZ [email protected] FACULTY OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES Biology – DR. DARIUSZ RAKUS [email protected] FACULTY OF EARTH SCIENCES AND ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT Geography – DR. KRZYSZTOF WIDAWSKI [email protected] Geology – DR. JACEK GURWIN [email protected] THE WILLY BRANDT CENTRE DR ROBERT GRZESZCZAK [email protected]

E 42 UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY 43 E STUDENT’S DOCUMENTS IN POLAND

STUDENT’S IDENTITY CARD or coordinator at your faculty. You The Student’s ID – legitymacja stu- can get your indeks in the Interna- dencka – is each student’s most impor- tional Relations Office. After you have tant document. You must leave two entered all of the required information photos at the International Relations in your indeks you must return it to the Office and a few days later you can pick International Relations Office. Only by up your legitymacja from the deanery doing this can you receive your valid (dziekanat) of your institute. You will and complete Transfer of Records! get only one copy of the document and you should always have it with ISIC you. Please remember these two very This is the International Student important things. Firstly, you must sign Identity Card and it should be pos- your Student ID. Secondly check that sible to apply for it at travel offices, have two stamps on your document, for example Campus, ul. Kazimierza the first with the name and address of Wielkiego 77/ 1a (tel. +48 71 34 38 your deanery and the second with the 384) or Almatur ul. Kościuszki 34 duration of your legitymacja. (tel. +48 71 34 34 135, e-mail: wro- You will need your legitymacja: claw @almatur.pl) The card is valid • to use the libraries – without it you for twelve months and costs about can’t take books with you. 50 zł. You will need to present a cur- • to obtain student discounts on public rent student identity card from your transport – 50% discount on bus and university and a passport photo. tram tickets, 37% discount on train More information about this card and tickets ( for students under 26) advantages that it brings are to be • to obtain the 10-50% discounted found here: admission to all museums, theatres, ISIC Connect: 0800 111 2804 cinemas and exhibitions. and www.isic.org

INDEKS EachEach sstudenttudent ggetsets hhisis oownwn student’s book – indeksindeks. YouYou n needeed t too f fillill i itt i inn y your-our- selfself ( (youyou m mustust e enternter t thehe namename o off y yourour t teacher,eacher, t thehe name of the course, and ECTS-credits). It is useful to carry it with you dur- ing the last four weeks of the term. Your teacher in each subject will enter the grade you have achieved and will also sign it. If you need a separate certificate for your home coordina- Your most important document: Student Identity Card tor, talk to your teacher

E 44 UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY 45 E STUDIES

o help students make the most of STUDY LIKE POLISH STUDENTS DO Ttheir studies abroad, the European Polish students usually study only Commission has developed the Euro- at one department (for example either pean Credit Transfer System (ECTS), a Political Science or Sociology or Histo- points-based system of academic rec- ry). They get their complete time-table ognition facilitating the measurement at the beginning of each semester and and comparison of learning achieve- don’t have to subscribe to any classes. ments and enabling their transfer These schedules with lectures in Polish between educational institutions. Usu- are published on the homepages of ally a student should achieve a spe- the departments a few days before the cific number of the points, e.g. 30, in beginning of the new semester, but you one semester. can also buy them in the copy shops (punkt ksero) of the departments. It’s STUDYING IN ENGLISH not common for Polish students to take The University of Wrocław offers part in seminars other than those from degrees at the master’s and doctoral the schedule of their faculty. level. All faculties at the University You should distinguish between of Wrocław provide at least one mas- two types of academic classes in ters program in English in addition to Polish: lectures (wykłady), which the extensive number of programs are usually delivered by a professor, offered in the Polish language. At the and exercises (ćwiczenia). For Polish doctoral level students may study students it is obligatory to attend in English in any area they choose. exercises – most often they are Fees for degrees at the master’s held in the same form as seminars and doctoral level are 4500 Euro per (discussion about the text which year. For further information please is to be prepared in advance). An contact the coordinators of the pro- important thing: ask your teacher grams. what requirements you have to fulfill

E 44 UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY 45 E in order to get either ECTS or a cer- weeks course just before the begin- tificate (zaliczenie). ning of the new semester. Further- Even if you have only started to more there is also a one-semester learn Polish, we advise you to choose course, lasting from October till the at least one lecture or seminar in Polish end of January and from the end of (ask your Polish friends to recommend February till the middle of June, during you some of interest). Apart from the the summer semester. These courses educational aspects, this is a great are free of charge for students. There opportunity to meet Polish students: are many other offers, definitely they are also eager to get to know for- worth checking out on the website of eigners interested in their country. the Institute: www.sjpik.uni.wroc.pl Another way to improve your LEARN POLISH: TO TALK NOT ONLY Polish is through Tandem. Be pre- ABOUT WEATHER pared to be asked to take part in a You can learn Polish throughout the Tandem program by students from whole year by attending afternoon and the 2Wrocław group (see the next weekend courses and a monthly sum- section) during the meetings organ- mer course offered by the School of ized at the beginning of each semes- Polish Language and Culture for For- ter. Polish students teach you Polish, eigners at the University of Wrocław, and in exchange you teach them your run by prof. Anna Dąbrowska. Courses native language. In this way learning are organized on three levels: for times and the form and frequency of beginners, intermediate and advanced meetings depend on you and your students. You will be taught by profes- Tandem partner. Tandem has proven sional teachers from the Institute of a very effective way of learning for Polish Philology who are experienced in those who like meeting new people, teaching Polish as a foreign language. are interested in other cultures or for There is a special offer for most those who enjoy learning a foreign exchange students: an intensive two language in an informal setting.

LIBRARIES Each faculty and department has its own library. There is a main University Library, Bibli- oteka Uniwersytecka, at ul. Szajnochy 10; tel: 071 34 63 110, available online under www.bu.uni.wroc.pl You can borrow books from Monday to Friday (9:00-19:00) and Saturday (9:00-14:00). The library’s reading rooms are open: Monday-Friday, 8:00-20:00, Saturday 9:00-19:00 and Sunday 9:00-14:00 (with two breaks: 12:00-12:20 and 16:30-16:50). It is possible to search and reserve books online: www.bu.uni.wroc.pl/katalog Important: the catalogue also covers the resources of the faculty libraries. This means that you can easily find out from which library a book is available, and the conditions under which it may be borrowed. Another important point to note is that a student may only borrow books from their own faculty library or from the main library. Books ordered from any other faculty library can be only accessed in the reading room of that faculty. To obtain a member’s card allowing you to use the university’s libraries you will need to have your student’s index with a special library card, your passport and 20 zł for the card.

E 46 UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY 47 E 2wroclaw – AID OF VOLUNTEERS

2wrocław is a students’ volun- join the mailing list: wroclaw2@yahoo- teers group which is registered by groups.com the IRO. The whole idea of the group The list was created as a means of is to assist you at the very beginning communication between Polish and of your stay in Wrocław by helping international students. Because of you to register in the dorm, find a spam and viruses wroclaw2group has flat or gain your residence permit. been closed for non members and it is 2wrocław also organizes events such not possible to attach anything to e- as theme parties, trips and movie mail. It is easy to apply for member- evenings. ship. Just find the name of the group Before your arrival to on the list of the yahoo Wrocław you will get an portal and follow the pro- email from one of the mem- cedure. Your e-mail with ber of 2wrocław, offering to application will be sent to pick you from the airport, the administrator and after railway or bus station. You his confirmation you will will also get an invitation to become a member.

E 46 UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY 47 E WROCŁAW KIT 49 X Wrocław Kit

THE MEETING PLACE

rocław’s most distinctive feature under the German Empire, Breslau Wis arguably its waterways: 12 – with a population of 600,000 inhab- islands with 112 bridges to explore. itants – became its third largest city. But the city stands out today more The prosperity of the city lasted until with its booming economy and a very the Second World War. dynamic society. An equally impor- However, fortune did not desert it tant trait of the Lower Silesian capital even during the war, which passed is its history with numerous changes the city by until 1945. Only then, in state afiliation and changing for- when the Red Army was moving tunes over the centuries. west, and the city was transformed The first settlements appeared into a huge fortress named “Festung in this area in the 7th century on Breslau”. From then on, the streets the Cathedral Island (Ostrów Tum- became the scene of intense clashes ski). The written history of Wrocław with the Russian army. The buildings dates back to the year 1000, when in the area of Grunwaldzki Square one of the first Polish bishoprics was and neighboring streets were torn established here. At this time the down in order to make a runway for city was named Vratislavia and its the last German planes. The “Fes- area was limited to Ostrów Tumski. It tung” eventually capitulated the last quickly became a commercial centre, German city to fall in the III Reich. extended its territory, and became More than 70% of buildings were the informal capital of Silesia. destroyed. In the 11th century, the city’s multi- In 1945, as a result of agreements cultural character emerged, with new signed in Yalta and Potsdam by Great inhabitants: Germans (henceforth Britain, the USA and the USSR, Lower Wrocław also became known by its Silesia with Wrocław was incorporated German name, Breslau), Jews, Flem- into Poland. The Germans who had ish, Czechs and many others. Trade not left the city during the war were developed dynamically and soon displaced. The empty houses were Wrocław joined a powerful association inhabited by the Poles displaced from well known in Europe: the Hanseatic the eastern parts of Poland, which League. In the 19th century, the city were lost to the USSR. Polish intel- enjoyed a spectacular cultural and ligentsia moved from Lviv and formed commercial growth. In 1816 it became the new University of Wrocław. The the official capital of Silesia and soon most significant Polish art and library was included into the growing railway collections were moved to Wrocław system and was connected to the as well: for instance the Ossolineum most important European cities. After scientific library and the cyclorama of Prussia united the German states the Racławicka battle. WROCŁAW KIT 49 X This complete exchange of popu- lation – extraordinary in European ORIENTATION IN WROC Ł AW history – has marked the subsequent The axis of the city is the river Odra, which development of Wrocław. In the build- flows from the south–east to the north- ings, on which writings in German west. The western and the northern parts were visible under the freshly painted of the city are dominated by bleak post- walls, people lived speaking with the war blocks of flats, constructed to replace soft accent of the eastern borderland buildings destroyed during the war. The of the old Poland. They yearned for south and the east contain older buildings and villas. The most attractive districts to their lost homes and could not quite live in: Krzyki, Biskupin, Sępolno. adjust to their new surroundings. The For extensive information about the city new generation on the other hand, felt in four languages with a link to a reliable uprooted, having no specific regional map: www.wroclaw.pl culture, which was just an amalgam of different traditions. The fate of Wrocław, until the seventies, was also “wild west” of Poland. It became an uncertain because of a lack of agree- important cultural centre, particularly ment with Germany on the recognition of the experimental theatre groups. of Poland’s western border. Henryk Tomaszewski settled here These events have shaped Wrocław with his Pantomime Theatre and Jerzy into a melting-pot with a place for Grotowski founded his Laboratory. everyone. Thus, when the city and the Wrocław was one of the founding cit- people overcame the uncertainty and ies of the opposition movement in the lack of a common history, Wrocław 1980; Solidarność, the legendary trade started to revive and ceased to be the union, was strong here. The people of

X 50 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 51 X Wrocław also deployed other methods City Hall of Wrocław in the fight against the communist regime. They founded the “Orange Alternative”, an organization which arranged events, performances and marches, and whose chief weapons were derision, irony and laughter. A smiling dwarf with an orange hat was the symbol of the group (notice the small statute next to the underground on the Świdnicka street!). They made the grey reality of those times a little bit more colorful. The glorious days of Wrocław returned in the beginning of the nineties, when its economy benefited from free market reforms and the renovation of the centre began. The link with the city’s history – via the restoration of historical buildings and symbols (the bear for instance -pay attention to the statue near Piwnica Świdnicka!) – and the creation of its certs. It’s becoming an economic hub modern appearance ran parallel. and an attractive place to work too: As a region of educational and many foreign investors have located employment opportunities, Wrocław here recently. LG Phillips with its LCD- became an attractive place to live. Its factory, Google with its research cen- population grew to 650,000. It also tre, Hewlett-Packard and KPIT Cum- became one of the “must sees” in mins from India are new arrivals. This Poland, encouraging tourists to stop inflow of capital has brought about a somewhere other than Kraków. real-estate boom. Wroclaw has ambi- The run of good luck was interrupt- tious goals for the future: it is bidding ed by the huge flood of 1997. The for the EXPO exhibition and will be old part of the city, where the most one of the cities organizing the Euro precious collections of art and books 2012 football championship. It is also are located, was saved thanks to the bidding to host a campus of the Euro- dedication and sacrifice of Wrocław’s pean Technology Institute, a European inhabitants. version of the famous MIT. The city overcame tragedy and con- Wrocław’s history and the changes tinued to develop. It is the centre of it has experienced, continue to fasci- the region and one of the most impor- nate. They are the subject of a thrilling tant cities in Poland. It is famous for its book called “Microcosm” (published atmosphere and openness – people, also in Poland as “Mikrokosmos” and who decide to stay soon feel at home in Germany as “Die Blume Europas”) and call Wrocław “their city”. It is full written by the famous British historian of young people and is always buzzing Norman Davies. It makes for a great with life – with its clubs, cafes, street read if you are interested in learning bands and dancers, and open air con- more about Wrocław! X 50 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 51 X VOIVODSHIP OFFICE DOLNOŚLĄSKI URZĄD WOJEWÓDZKI ul. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 50-951 Wrocław; www.duw.pl

DEPARTMENT FOR FOREIGNERS OPENING HOURS: Mo, Tue, Thu, Fri: 8-11 and 13.30-15, Wed: 9-12 and 15-17.

VISAS AND TEMPORARY RESIDENCE CARDS: room 0139 – Tel: 071 34 06 953; room 0141 – Tel: 071 34 06 869; room 0142 – Tel: 071 34 06 531; room 0143 – Tel: 071 34 06 587; room 0146 – Tel: 071 34 06 098

REGISTRATION OF INVITATIONS: room 0136 – Tel: 071 34 06 158 and 071 34 06 458

REPATRIATION: room 0132 – Tel: 071 34 06 609

MANAGER: room 0145 – Tel: 071 34 06 517

X 52 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 53 X LEGALIZE YOUR STAY

ll of you who do not live in a better than in other countries. The only Astudent dormitory will need to problem might be the Polish language, register yourself in a the flat you are but as far as we know, there have been living (the registration form is called no significant problems in the offices of “Meldunek”). In order to do that, you Wrocław in recent years. If you’d like to should go the Register Office (Biuro feel sure, you think your language skills Meldunkowe, ul. Zapolskiej 4, Tel: 071 are not good enough, ask a Polish 34 07 991, 071 34 20 412) with the friend or tutor to come go with you, copy of your landlord’s ID and the because all the forms need to be filled order of allocation of the flat. Stu- in Polish. You must appear personally. dentsdents wwhoho staystay inin a dormitorydormitory willwill be registered automatically. TheThe V Voivodshipoivodship o office,ffice, w wherehere youyou g getet y yourour T Temporaryemporary R Resi-esi- dence Card is located in the cen- tre of the city in a huge “socialist” building (see the box). To get to the Department for Foreigners, use the side door on the left side of the building – from the Most Pokoju (Bridge of Peace), oppo- site the National Museum. Don’t be afraid of the Polish red tape. Bureaucrats are no worse or

ACCOMODATION

CAN YOU LIVE IN A PENCIL? are well-furnished (bed, table, chairs, Most of the exchange students and cupboards). You will get bed linen choose to live in Ołówek, one of but, except for cooker and a small the dormitories in Wrocław. Ołówek fridge, the kitchen is not equipped! If means “pencil”; check out the shape you wish, it is possible to share your of the building from a distance. The room with a Polish student. Single higher, neighboring dormitory is rooms cost about 150 € and double called Kredka – “crayon”. To rent a rooms 80€ per month. room before you arrive in Wroclaw, fill How is everyday life at Ołówek? in the form included in the application Well, it’s a truly amazing experience pack from the University of Wrocław for many; Erasmus life is in full swing and send it back to the IRO. here, and you can expect to have the The dorm has 17 floors with sin- time of your life, and make many won- gle, double, and some triple rooms derful, lasting friendships. But it is not (all with balconies). Two rooms share for everyone (especially those with a a kitchen and a bathroom. The rooms penchant for peace and quiet!). Read X 52 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 53 X PROS AND CONS OF O Ł ÓWEK + comfortable rooms / close to the centre of the city / Erasmus life & parties – closing hours / strict rules for visitors / it’s not exactly cozy... / laundry is poorly equipped

the information below carefully before go to the administration a few days you decide to apply to live here. before and obtain (written) permis- Opening time: If you go out, please sion. This can come as a rude shock notice that the front door is closed to students who are used to living in from 2.00 to 3.00 at night. You can’t their own apartment. Whatsmore, get in meanwhile. This means that you must pay for your guests; your you have to wait outside or have an monthly rent doesn’t cover this. The extra hour of party time in the pub cost is roughly 24 zł per night, and Alibi opposite the dormitory. your guest cannot ordinarily stay long- Heating: It works from the middle er than 5 nights in one month. This of October. price does not include a bed! It is up Visitors: Please notice that every to your friends to bring their own guest has to leave an ID in the recep- mats and sleeping bags. If you want tion. Generally no guests are allowed to have a guest in one of the guest- after 11 pm, but the reception is not rooms, it is no problem – but you that strict until 2 am. If you have must book in advance. One night in a scheduled a party beyond this time, double room is 24 zł; a single room is you need to inform the reception and 48 zł. Much cheaper than a hotel! administration about it. Washing machines: There are four Guests: If you want to have guests washing machines available for free. over night in your room you have to You have to reserve them at recep- X 54 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 55 X tion by signing in a special book. You most basic things, so be aware. How- will get the key to the laundry for ever, things are (slowly) improving. two hours. But there is no dryer, so you have to dry your washing in your RENTING A FLAT room. If the list is full, or the wash- If you don’t like the atmosphere of ing machines out of service, you can Ołówek (unlikely) or if its rules, regu- always take your washing to one of lations, bureaucracy and restrictions the public laundries... annoy you (almost certainly), the city Internet: In each room you can offers some alternatives: a private access a broadband internet connec- house or flat. You can either rent a tion. It’s very fast and costs next to room in a house/flat occupied by the nothing: 10 zł per month. You just owners (most often an old lady), or have to fill in an application form (or rent a room in a students house where register online) and give it back to the entire flat is co-rented by students. the administration. Be careful with the first option. If you Television and more: There is a tel- share a flat with an owner-family or evision room, a learning room, and a an owner-single person, you should club with games like table tennis on be ready to conform to their (some- the 12th floor. You can get the key for times weird) requirements. For exam- the rooms at the reception. ple they might forbid you to have Shopping: In front of the dormitory guests, force you to come back before there is a supermarket, where you can 22:00. So before signing a contract find everything you need. It is open always ask about the smallest details every day (even Sunday) till 11 pm. concerning your life in the house. Another possibility is to walk few min- Living in a student share-house should utes to Plan Grunwaldzki where a huge be less complicated. Also it’s better to mall with dozens of shops is located. know the people you will share with Administration: the office is on the at least a little bit. Depending on the ground floor, open Mo-Fr 8.00-14.00. flat there could be single, double or Language issues: While Ołówek even more bedded rooms. Important, could be fairly described as a veritable although maybe obvious – before Tower of Babel, English is, of course, making a final decision always go and the lingua-franca among the foreign see the place. Don’t rent it without students staying here, who make up seeing it for yourself, no matter how an increasing proportion (perhaps well you know the landlord or how 70% now) of the residents. Ołówek is much he talks it up. How much should in the middle of a period of transition, it cost? Single rooms start from 350 zł as it deals with the needs of the grow- and a place in a shared room from ing number of foreign students living 250 zł. in the dorm. In recent years, the lack of English language amongst the HOW MUCH FOR A FLAT? ladies at reception, who play a signifi- cant role in your life at Ołówek, has (prices in June 2007) been a recurring concern, and often a One room: 1015 zł source of genuine frustration for non- Two room: 1551 zł Polish speaking students. You can Three-roomed: 2014 zł expect to have difficulties communi- Four-room: 3034 zł cating with them, even concerning the SOURCE: GAZETA WYBORCZA X 54 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 55 X If you are thinking of renting an numerous announcements published apartment/flat in its entirety (then every Tuesday), “Słowo Poskie” splitting the cost among you), you can (regional daily) or “Gazeta Wyborc- expect the following: a double room za” (the most popular domestic daily flat costs 1500 zł, a single room flat, newspaper). You should consider, 1000 zł (prices from summer 2007 that many of the offers stem from without meters). real estate agencies. The sooner you start searching, There are also four academic the better. By the end of September agencies providing information on all the best located and cheapest flat rental (called Banki Stancji): rooms will probably be occupied, 1. Fundacja UNIVERSITAS, ul. so you may end up having very lit- Kuźnicza 49/55, II floor, open Mo- tle choice of flats with relatively Fr 9-17. For 20 zł (10 zł fee + 10 poor conditions. Don’t hesitate to zł of deposit (which is given back tear off those little pieces of paper if one of the advertisements is no with telephone numbers from the longer valid). You can go through announcements hanging on the bus/ the whole catalogue of ads and tram stops. Go and see the board write down the information you of announcements, which you need. can find in every academic building. 2. Fundacja MANUS, plac Grun- Another good source worth recom- waldzki 7/5, room 4, open Mo-Fr mending are newspapers, ask for: 9-16 on the Wrocław University of “Giełda Dolnośląska” (weekly with Technology Campus; www.manus. X 56 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 57 X stancje.pl/ Their procedure is offers. Furthermore you can find a exactly the same as the one of list of hotels with the links to their Universitas. You pay 20 zł (10 zł of homepages in the internet via two fee + 10 zł of deposit) for the list useful sites (in foreign languages): of offers with the telephones num- www.wroclaw.pl and www.spanie.pl. bers to of the hirersvendors. Obviously the most comfortable and 3. Bank Stancji Zrzeszenia Studentów the most expensive hotels are situated Polskich (ZSP is the oldest Polish near Rynek – the market place, and student organisation), Pałacyk, ul. ul. Kiełbaśnicza. Sometimes, however, Kościuszki 34, www.zsp.wroc.pl. they offer good discounts. For exam- The offers are listed on the board ple, the four-star “Art” hotel attracts of announcements in the corri- tourists with a special price for a dor / hall inside the building. double at weekends – it costs around 4. Bank Stancji Samorządu Stu- 200 zł per night. Still too much? Take denckiego Uniwersytetu Wro- a 10 min walk to Ostrów Tumski or ul. cławskiego (Bank of Lodgings of Piłsudskiego and you’ll find some nice the Student Council), pl. Uniwer- but cheaper places to stay. sytecki 1, room 134. Here the Definitely the low budget solution announcements are also listed in a is to stay in youth hostels. Don’t for- glass-case in the hall of the build- get that some of them have special ing on the ground floor free of rules like closing time from 10-18. In charge. this price sector the best offer has Another option is look for flat over “Mleczarnia” (see the box). the internet. There’s a wide range of web pages to help you finding the perfect flat. Try: INFORMATION www.e-stancja.pl; www.wroclaw.pl ▪ www.itwroclaw.pl www.stancje.pl;

www.dlastudenta.pl. LOW-BUDGET HOSTELS Remember that all these ads are writ- ten in Polish, so you may need a Polish The Stranger Hostel native speaker to give you a hand. ul. Kołłątaja 16/3, 50-002 Wrocław And finally, you can always go to Tel: 071 34 41 206, Fax: 071 34 41 206 http://wroclaw.strangerhostel.com professional agencies, which adver- tise in many newspapers. It is a good Międzynarodowe Schronisko option if do not care about paying a Młodzieżowe PTSM – Hotel Tumski few hundred zloty for their services. Wyspa Słodowa 10 Tel: 071 32 26 088 or 099 www.hotel-tumski.com.pl HOTELS AND HOSTELS Most of you will have guest dur- Szkolne Schronisko Młodzieżowe ing the stay in Poland: parents, sis- ul. Kołłątaja 20 ters and brothers, friends. Where to Tel: 071 34 38 856 accommodate them? The first option www.mdk.kopernik.wroclaw.pl is Ołówek, but if your guests have Mleczarnia hostel higher expectations you should find a ul. Włodkowica 5 hotel. Go to the info point on Rynek Tel: 071 34 57 396 (by the Ready’s restaurant) or to www.mleczarniahostel.pl travel offices in order to check their X 56 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 57 X TRANSPORT

et’s start with trains. Wrocław has Berlin, and only one train per day to Lgood long distance connections to Prague. most of the bigger cities in Poland. The main train station (Wrocław An IC to Warszawa takes 4,5 hours, Głowny) is around 1 km southeast of pośpieszny trains around 6 hours. If Rynek at ul. Piłsudskiego. There are you want to go to Kraków you’ll need also two other stations, where non- 4,5 hours. The regional Lower-Sile- local trains also stop at Nadodrze in sian transport is not that good fol- the north of the city and Mikołajów in lowing the flood 1997; many routes the west. were damaged and haven’t been If you want to buy tickets it is not repaired until now. Trains to Jelenia necessary to go a station or use the Góra and the Karkonosze mountains internet. You can do it at the Orbis take about 3,5 hours (130 km). For bureau on Rynek in an orange build- short distances, a bus might be bet- ing near McDonalds, however, only ter. Least satisfactory are the train tickets of the PKP IC or sleeper in connections to Germany and the night trains are available here. Czech Republic. There is only one Another option is the bus. The very slow IC (we call it IEC – inter PKS-bus station is just a minute or every city) and one fast train to two south of the main train station by X 58 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 59 X foot. From there, also international the shuttle service between the Kato- lines provide services to many cities wice Airport to and Katowice train in Europe. You can find PKS timetable station, particularly at night. See: online: www.wroclaw.pl/m/20 (site in www.gtl.com.pl/eng/index.html?pa Polish). ge=dojazdy,1 – This page is avail- An increasingly popular way to get able in English, German and French. to Wrocław is by air. The airport is Another airport not too far from located in the south-west of the city, Wrocław is Poznań. 20 min. drive by taxi. All the infor- mation you will need is available in CITY TRANSPORT English at: www.airport.wroclaw.pl/ City transport in Wroclaw is really en/index.php. Many people destined extensive, but unfortunately some for Wrocław also fly to Katowice parts of the transportation system (Pyrzowice) and from there take a seem constantly under re-construc- 2,5 hours to Wrocław. If you take tion (it may get worse before it this option, make sure you check out gets better). That is why the routes

COST OF TICKETS IN WROCŁAW FOR NORMAL TRAMS AND BUSES You can buy reduced ticket if you have the Polish student ID (legitymacja) All options: www.mpk.wroc.pl

TICKETS NORMAL REDUCED

single ticket (regular bus, within the city, single ride) 2,00 1,00 single ticket (regular bus, outside city borders, 2,60 1,30 single ride) single ticket (fast/night buses, single ride) 2,80 1,40 daily ticket to bearer (all lines, within the city) 9,00 4,50 5-day ticket to bearer (regular, within the city) 23,00 11,50 5-day ticket to bearer (fast, within the city) 27,00 13,50 10-day ticket to bearer (regular, within the city) 40,00 20,00 10-day ticket to bearer (fast, within the city) 48,00 24,00 10-day ticket to bearer (regular, outside city borders) 46,00 23,00 30-day ticket to bearer (regular, within the city) 90,00 45,00 30-day ticket to bearer (fast, within the city) 114,00 57,00 30-day ticket to bearer (regular, outside city borders) 108,00 54,00 60-day ticket to bearer (regular, within the city) 168,00 84,00 60-day ticket to bearer (fast, outside city borders) 216,00 108,00 90-day ticket to bearer (regular, within the city) 234,00 117,00 90-day ticket to bearer (fast, outside city borders) 306,00 153,00 Ticket for luggage 1 zł (over 120 cm as a sum of three measures) Ticket for pet 1 zł

X 58 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 59 X CONNECTION BROWSER

1. Initial stop (where you start) 2. Final stop (where you want to get to) 3. Time 4. Find connection from this time 5. Find connection to reach destination at this time 6. Days: ROBOCZE SZKOLNE (Monday-Friday during school year); ROBOCZE FERIE (Monday-Friday during school holidays); SOBOTA (Saturday); NIEDZIELA (Sunday); ŚWIĘTA (Public holidays) 7. Find a connection 8. Minimum time to change lines 9. Minimum time to change stops (e.g. stops have the same name for a whole big cross-road) Minimum times add up (so if you have both change lines and change stops, it is position 8 + position 9).

of trams and buses are subject to higher than 600 and are also more change quite often. Still, it’s all man- expensive than regular ones. There ageable and after a few days you are also fast (express) buses, which will get used to it and your way to cost more and are marked with red the faculty or city center won’t be a letters, and of course night bus lines problem. marked with numbers higher than 200.Tickets are available at newspa- TRAMS AND BUSES per stands (kiosks) and ticket auto- Regular city transport operates mates. It is (theoretically) possible to from around 5 a.m. and continues buy single tickets onboard, but they until 11 p.m. Trams and regular cost nearly 0,40 zł more and, to be buses are marked by numbers. If you honest, drivers in daytime trams and see a yellow table on the tram it busses do it reluctantly (e.g. they will means that the route has been tem- tell you that they do not have tickets porarily adjusted. A new route is also available). The ticket must be vali- marked yellow on the plan. Suburban dated on the tram/bus. If you want buses are marked with numbers to buy a ticket for 60 days you can X 60 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 61 X only do so at special MPK-shops: one of them is on the pl. Bema, just three stops by tram away from Ołówek.

HOW TO FIND A CONNECTION? Use the internet city map (see the box for links) to find stop names. They are very useful to know, because with knowing stop names lets you make the best use of the connection brows- er. You can also find regular schedules on the internet, but again you have to know stop names (they are on the map, on tram/bus schedules at stops and on stops themselves, usually over the sign).

TAXI When taking a taxi, you should choose a cab with a TAXI sign on the roof and a dashboard meter inside. It’s BIKE preferable to order a taxi by phone; you Cycling is a very good and popu- can usually do this in English. It’s not lar way to get around Wrocław in the expensive. For example, from the rail- warmer months (8 months roughly per way station to Ołówek the fare is around year). However, in the winter you’d 20 zł, and from Ołówek to Rynek around have to be a desperado. There are 15 zł. Now every taxi must have a cash other problems too. The city’s network register, so you can always ask for the of bike tracks is still quite poor (but printed bill. If you feel that something is getting better). Sometimes you’ll have not ok with the price, call the phone to join the traffic on the road; do not number of the company and ask for expect much gallantry from car drivers. help. Here are some (randomly chosen) If you live at Ołówek there is a good taxi phone numbers: City Radio Taxi – connection into town and the university. Tel. 96 62; Blues Taxi – Tel: 96 61; Euro If you want to check the newest devel- Taxi – Tel: 96 66. There are of course opments in Wrocław’s bike network, many others; their numbers are in local try: www.rowery.eko.org.pl. Unfortu- newspapers. nately it’s only in Polish, but at least you can review some of the maps. Where to buy a second hand bike? Well, the best USEFUL LINKS place is the weekend bazaar on Niskie City map: www.wroclaw.pl/m6861/ Łąki street, where you can find an old Schedules: www.wroclaw.pl/m/15/ “Dutch” for 200-300 zł. And where to repair a bike? One of the best work- Connection browser: shops is on the corner of Księcia Witol- http://gisserver.um.wroc.pl/agc_dll/ businf013.dll da and Mostowa streets. An important piece of advice: always lock your bike. Public transport company: If not, you may find it has returned to… www.mpk.wroc.pl the Niskie Łąki, of course! X 60 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 61 X COMMUNICATION

INTERNET But if you just want to check email Where to get internet access and do not have your own computer? in Wroclaw? Well, if you live in Academic centres like the Institute Ołówek, you will have access to a of the History of Art (Instytut His- fast (and dirt cheap) internet con- torii Sztuki, ul. Szewska 36, room nection there. If you have a flat the 207) or the Institute for Physics, pro- best way to connect is to take up vide access for free, but the opening a contract with one of the internet hours are quite limited. Also, at the providers (see the Poland kit). If you Law Department there is a good have a laptop you can always look computer library, but only if you for hotspots in the city. The whole are registered at the faculty. Other Rynek offers free access: just find a “free” places? I would recommend bench or a beer-garden, and off you the small cafeteria in the Ossoli- go. There are some nice cafes, where neum Library on the third floor, just you can surf and check your email. by the reading room. You can buy a One of the best is Mleczarnia café on nice cup of tea for 1,80 zł and spend Włodkowica. the rest of the day surfing. Another possibility is Coffee Heaven at Rynek: but tea and coffee prices are higher, and the two computers are usually occupied. You can always find a typical inter- net cafe (kawiarnie internetowe). There are many of them around the city. Prices vary from 3,5 to 5 zł per hour. Here are some options in the city centre:

W SERCU MIASTA – Przejście Garn- carskie 4, Mo-Sa 9-18, Su 11–18.

MEGANETCAFFE – ul. Kuźnicza 10 Mo-Fr 9-24, Sa, Su 10-24.

INTERMAX INTERNET CAFE – ul. Psie Budy 10/11, Su–Su 24h

POST OFFICE There are many agencies of the post offices in Wrocław and most of them are open from Monday to Friday between 8 and 18. The addresses of the post offices near to where you are likely to live or study are: Near Ołówek: pl. Grunwadzki 6A, open Mo-Fr 9–17. City center: Rynek 26, open 24 hours a day Main building of the University: pl. Uniwersytecki 1, open Mo-Fr 7.30–14.

X 62 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 63 X SAFETY If you need to report an offence, you must goto the district HQ, in the area the offence happened. To find out which station that is, call one of the emergency police numbers: 997, 112 or the Wroclaw Police Head Quarters (Komenda Miejska Policji) – ul. Druckie- go-Lubeckiego 1 (the entrance from ul. Podwale): Tel: 071 34 35 812, 071 34 42 749, [email protected] You can try to look for your lost property in Biuro Rzeczy Znalezionych (Lost Property Office) open on working days 10–13 at ul. Długa 49, Tel: 071 35 50 919. If you lose some- thing or are robbed on a train or train station – Biuro Rzeczy Znalezionych at the main railway station (Dworzec Główny PKP – ul. Piłsudskiego, Tel: 071 36 95 328.

HEALTHCARE

f you want to register in the Polish – you will be told which hospital is cur- Ihealth care system you should visit rently on active standby. Surgical and the NFZ (for info on the system – see orthopedic emergency cases are treat- the Poland kit). The address of the ed in the Dolnośląski Szpital Specjali- NFZ office in Wrocław is: styczny im. T. Marciniaka – Centrum Centrum Obsługi Ubezpieczonych Medycyny Ratunkowej, ul. Traugut- Dolnośląski Oddział Wojewódzkiego ta 116, Tel: 071 78 90 200. There also Narodowego Funduszu Zdrowia is an outpatient clinic there – Tel: 071 ul. Dawida 2, 50-527 Wrocław 34 82 815. Go to room 118, which is open Mo- Fr 8.00-16.00. Ask for the list of health centres, which have contracts with the NFZ. If you have your own insurance you can choose freelyservices avail- able from different practitioners in the other health care centres – mostly privately owned (for the most popu- lar – see the box). If your symptoms require a more specific explanation and you cannot speak Polish, take MEDICAL CENTERS your tutor or friend to translate. Maybe the best approach is to call a Specjalistyczna Przychodnia Lekarska centre and ask if an English-speaking VITA, ul. Oławska 15, Tel: 071 34 33 556 Information and registry open 7:30–19:00 doctor is currently available (unfortu- nately many of them have moved to DOLMED, ul. Legnicka 40, UK or Sweden in recent years). The Tel: 071 35 93 354, 071 35 93 356 only place where you’re guaranteed to Prywatne Centrum Medyczne find one is the Skandynawskie Cen- PROMEDIS, ul. Oławska 27-29, trum Medyczne SCM Sp. z o.o. But Tel: 071 34 19 664, 071 34 19 666 it may cost you more than the usual Centrum Medyczne PRACTIMED, 50-60 zł. ul. Pabianicka 25, Tel: 071 79 83 679 In case of emergency, call Wroclaw’s e-mail: [email protected] Medical Information on 071 37 26 816 X 62 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 63 X SHOPPING AND SERVICES

roclaw is quite a big city and are many night shops (sklep nocny), Wthere are a variety of depart- where you can find food and drink. ment stores, supermarkets and shop- ping malls, usually open every day SHOPPING CENTERS (apart from 12 public holidays per year). Some of the biggest shopping Galeria Dominikańska centres are located in the outskirts of plac Dominikański 3 the city. These offer free shuttle Opening hours: Mo–Sat 9.30-21, buses from the PKS station, south of Su 10-20. Rynek. Some shopping centres are, TRAM: 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 7, 23. however, just around the corner. Do not BUS: 114, 120, 122, 501, 604, 201, ignore the market places, where you 205, 206, 209, 231, 235, D, E, K, N can buy good-quality fresh vegetables and fruits, much cheaper than in super- Pasaż Grunwaldzki markets. If you are desperate for plac Grunwaldzki 22 something at night you are not con- Opening hours: Mo–Sa 9-21, demned search for petrol station. There Su 10-20 X 64 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 65 X BUSES: from the city center 131, 141, N MARKET PLACES This complex of shops and cinema is situ- ated near Ołówek. So if you live in a dor- Hala Targowa (covered market) mitory it takes only 5 min walk to get. ul. Piaskowa 17 Opening Hours: Mo–Fr 8–19, Sa 9–15. Arkady Wrocławskie Tram: 8, 9, 11, 17 ul. Powstańców Śląskich 2-4 Opening hours: Mo–Su 9-21. Bazar Zielinskiego Trams: 2, 6, 7, 11, 14, 20, 22 ul. Zielińskiego Buses: A, D TRAM: 20, 14, 17, 2, 11, 5 A mall with relatively expensive shops. BUS 135, 144 It is just 5 minutes walk from Rynek or from the train station.

Korona ul. Krzywoustego. Opened: Supermarket Real Mo–Sa 9-22, Su 10-21. Other shops Mo–Sa 9-21, Su 10-20. Two free buses leave from ul. Dwor- cowa (close to the main train station). One of them goes through plac Grun- waldzki, the other one through plac Dominikański (the bus stop between the church and Galeria Dominikańska) and plac Kromera BUS: 128, 130, 131, 141, 147, 504, 201, 231, 604

Bielany Wrocławskie ul. Czekoladowa 3 Open: Mo–Sa 9-21, Su 10-20. TESCO: 9–24. A FREE BUS leaves from the main bus station (Dworzec Główny PKS) every 20 minutes.

LAUNDRY SERVICE You can find laundry(dry cleaning) services in the shopping malls (for example Arkady Wrocławskie). We also recommend TELEPRALNIA (www.telepralnia.pl) at ul. Kolejo- wa 2a, open Mo–Fr 8–21, Sa 9–17, Tel: 071 33 26 061 or (0) 694 546 081. This is a full- service, ecologically-friendly laundry situated near the railway station. You can order via telephone or internet. Even better, they will collect your clothes and then drop them back. Another good address is a laundry situated at the corner of Sienkiewicza and Wyszyńskiego – just two stops by tram from Ołówek.

X 64 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 65 X LUNCH TIME AND BEYOND

FAST FOOD KIOSK zapiekanka is drowned in a flood of While walking in Wrocław you will red sauce. Tost is something similar, see many (more or less) ugly kiosks but made from two slices of bread along the street. They offer hotdogs, witch cheese and mushrooms inside. hamburgers, French fries, etc. Sounds In kiosks you won’t pay more than familiar? But a Polish hamburger is 5 zł. Apart from that in the city you somewhat different to what you may be can find fast foods of American origin used to: stuffed with a load of vegeta- like McDonalds or KFC. Reach deeper bles and sauces. Many kiosks also sell into your pocket: a set can costs up pita and knysza, which is something to 10 zł. similar to Turkish bread with different ingredients inside: tuna fish, burger, OUR TIPS sausage and lots of vegetables. Tostoria Turkish cuisine is expanding the Underground passage of pl. Do– in Poland, especially with gyros minikański, open Mo-Sa 9:30–21, Su (Döner). The most popular Polish 10–20 fast food is zapiekanka (bread Our students have decided: this is pizza) and tosty (toasts). The idea the best place to go for some tasty of zapiekanka bases on pizza. It (but not healthy) Polish fast food. is long bread (sometimes even 40 The Tostoria is supposed to have the cm) with cheese and mushrooms. best zapiekanka – a small baguette If you don’t like too much ketchup with mushrooms, cheese and ketch- it is better to say that before your up – in town. It’s easy to believe as X 66 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 67 X this little takeaway with only few ter, where you will get your meal. possibilities to sit down is always There are different types of milky very crowded. Order your zapiekanka bars. Some are old and not very and they’ll make it fresh for you. cozy, but mostly they are renovated Jadłostacja and clean. The most important thing ul. Więzienna 31, open 11–last guest – they are not expensive: for a sim- Jadłostacja is a very small fast food ple dinner with soup and second dish outlet with nice décor; you can relish you usually pay no more than 7-10 zł. the variety of colors. This place is And you will feel really full. famous for different kinds of grilled bread, toast, salads and delicious cia- OUR TIPS battas with vegetables, cheese, Bazylia mushrooms and ham. And a nice pl. Uniwersytecki, Faculty of Law, atmosphere. Economics and Administration, open daily 8–21, Su 8–18. MILKY BARS This is definitely one of the most If you like fast foods bars, try the popular places for a lunch for stu- Polish version – bary mleczne (milk dents studying in the city centre. bars). Milk bars are one of the few Bazylia seems like a typical milk bar, things – besides bureaucracy – left but the menu is quite varied, from from communist times. Here, you typical Polish dishes, like bigos and can experience a very good ”home barszcz (pierogi are rare: what a cooked” dinner, especially pierogi, scandal!), to lasagne and many sal- pancakes, burgers, steaks, good ads. The atmosphere is modern and soups, salads, etc. The only problem appealing. And, more importantly, is that you have to choose from the the ventilation is great, so you do list of dishes (in Polish) and the usu- not smell like a bucket of French fries ally inpatient (it is not their fault) all afternoon. You order your food at ladies do not speak English (and one of the two cashiers (usually only will often resent the idea that this one of them is open). They open the is even a possibility. C’mon, you are second one specially around noon, in Poland now! Speak Polish!). First when the bar is really crowded. Be you order your food and pay at one clever: sometimes people wait at counter, then you get a bill which one cashier while the other one has you have to show at another coun- no customers. Ordering food is not always easy, especially if you can- not speak Polish. At the cashiers you have to say exactly what you want to eat. You get a bill, which you than give to the ladies at the counter, who give you your dishes. Another strange thing is that they do not pro- vide napkins; you will have to ask for one. Bazylia offers sets: for 7-12 zł you can have a two-dish meal. Usu- ally you should not spend more than 10 zł. You can also get a good lavazza coffee for 2,60 zł and cakes. X 66 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 67 X OUR TIPS Le Bistro Parisien ul. Nożownicza 7, open daily 9–23. This French bar, run by „real” French people, has become famous for its wonderful salads. You just have to try them, but be sure you’re really hungry – they are served in bowls like flowerpots, including fried potatoes. Yummy!!! Also strongly recommended: French (whole meal) crepes (pancakes) with salty or sweet fillings. If you are lucky you might snatch a seat on the big sofa or one of the armchairs and have a glass of good French wine. It is quite small, so it gets crowded (and smoky), but a lot of students go there anyway for the pleasant atmosphere and the delicious food. Quickly, cheaply, yummy – STP, one of the Taberna flamenca Camaron many fast-food bars near Rynek. ul. Ruska 19, Mo-Thu, Su 12–24, Sa 12–1:30 Miś In the city center you can find the ul. Kuźnicza 48, Mo-Fri 7–18, Sa spirit of the southern part of Spain. 8–17, Sa: closed Where? Taberna – the authentic Do you want to try out a typical Andalusian tavern where the energy Polish stołówka (canteen)? Here you and earthiness of Spain meet. The go! The smaller milk bars, like Miś, characteristic interior design, flamen- offers really inexpensive, typical co music and original Spanish menu Polish food like barszcz, bigos and offered by the chef from Toledo create pierogi. As Miś is one of the cheap- a very unique atmosphere. Taberna is est in town, it’s always very crowded. like a flamenco dance – a combina- Since it’s simply a place to quickly tion of fire and earth elements; you’ll satisfy one’s hunger, people eat and be back for sure. Good food and rea- go, so don’t expect too much from sonable prices. the decor. The process of ordering Kurna Chata is the same as in Bazylia; you can ul. Odrzańska 7, open Mo-Fr 10–24, order half portions. Sa-Su 12-24. Kurna Chata is probably one of RESTAURANTS AND BISTRO the most “Polish” bistros in Wroclaw, If you love to eat lunch in more imitating a traditional hut with lots pleasant surroundings, and prefer of wooden decorations. They offer a more leisurely pace, you should traditional Polish food like pierogi, check the list of bistro and inexpen- bigos, kiełbasa, but the traditional sive restaurants. Of course, such dishes are rearranged, with a touch places could also be a good choice of imagination. You have to order for a lovely dinner in the evening. your food at the bar. The tasty food X 68 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 69 X is definitely a good preparation for big glasses with a thick swamp of the cold winter, as all dishes are coffee on the bottom. Those times soaked with fat. Please note: you are (thankfully) long gone and there shouldn’t go there before having a are plenty of places in Wrocław where date, because you will smell like a you can find good coffee. chip shop afterwards. A good place to go with your parents in order to OUR TIPS make them familiar with traditional Chocoffee Polish food. No smoking. ul. Igielna / ul. Więzienna or ul. Włod– Mexico Bar kowica 19, open Mo-Sa 10-22, Su ul. Rzeźnicza 34, open So-Th 12–23, 16-22 Fr-Sa 12-24. A must-visit for all chocohol- This lovely little Mexican restau- ics! They offer a rich selection of rant close to Rynek is always busy handmade pralines and truffles with and crowded. The interior design fillings you’d never expect – from (complete with chandelier made vanilla, mint or melon to cheese or of bottles) and the imaginatively something spicy. Weird and wonder- painted walls are striking. And the ful designs abound (e.g. chocolates in food? You won’t be disappointed. the shape of uncompleted Max Berg They offer a wide choice of delicious projects!) Try hot chocolate or coffee Mexican dishes like tortillas, burritos, with additions like ginger, cinnamon, and quesadillas. You can order small or chili. You can try something with- portions if you want. Vegetarians will out cocoa as well – white chocolate also get their monies worth, with a with ice cream is great. Chocoffee tasty selection of vegetarian dishes. is a nice place to plonk on a lounge, Smoking is allowed. chat with friends and taste each oth- Vega ers’ coffee. Rynek, open 8-19, Sa–So 9–17 Pożegnanie z Afryką A must-see for all vegetarians. ul. Kiełbaśnicza 24, open Mo-Sa 8- Vega is a large self service restau- 22, Su 10-22 rant with two floors. On the first floor A must-visit for all coffee lovers! you get traditional Polish food like In a typical coffeehouse atmosphere bigos, pierogi and gołąbki, all without – the decor is toned in warm brown meat. On the second floor they serve – they offer the widest choice of very tasty, Asian and Indian food. international and boutique coffees Try samosa or Japanese rice – in town. If you just want to have a mmmm, yummy! The atmosphere is simple coffee, that’s fine too. But a little clinical, and the portions are don’t pass up the chance to explore quite small and it is not the cheapest a world of coffee. They offer Blue way to have a quick lunch. The Mountain – supposedly the best cof- ordering process is like Bazylia. Have fee bean in the world, grown only on a look at the bill-board at the Jamaica. You can buy beans fresh entrance if you are interested in yoga to take away too – whole or freshly and esotericism. ground – as well as all sorts of nice things used to serve and make cof- COFFEE BREAK fee. Bad news for smokers who might Once, like two decades ago, Poland be inspired by Jim Jarmusch’s “Cof- was famous for its coffee served in fee and Cigarettes”: no smoking. X 68 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 69 X K2 past the beer garden, smile at the ul. Kiełbaśnicza 2, bouncer (don’t forget), and you’re in! open daily 11–23 The club looks a bit like private flat; Hey! What’s with the tea bias on this there are lots of comfy time-worn page? Well, you’ll be happy to know sofas and armchairs (if you can find it’s not all about coffee in Wrocław. one free), waiting for you and your K2 is the perfect place for lovers of all drink. You can have an awesome time kind of tea. Upstairs you feel like here. Be warned: on weekends it’s you’re in someone’s home. And you’ll absolutely packed so expect to stand, discover how the place got its name... squeezed in like sardines. This lovely teahouse offers an amaz- Mleczarnia ingly wide choice of tea. You will ul. Włodkowica 5 (next to the Syna– always find a quiet corner for you and gogue), open daily 10–last guest. your tea and you will not be disturbed The klubokawiarnia (club and cafe in by smoke – no smoking! one) Mleczarnia is one of the hippest Coffee Planet places in Wrocław. This offshoot from Rynek 7 (Pasaż pod Błękitnym Słoń– Kraków hit Wrocław like a shot. In the cem), open 10–22 evening it’s so crowded that you’ll be Very modern, artistic interior, huge lucky to get a free table. Oodles of windows facing Rynek, high stools candles, peculiar paintings, lots of odds and long counters... interesting place and ends and some easy music create to have a coffee. As to the quality – it a cozy, trattoria-like atmosphere. You differs. Coffee Planet offers snacks can go there for a coffee or a delicious and sandwiches, and delicious cakes hot chocolate in the afternoon, check (especially carrot pie!). You can use mails (a free hot spot) and come back internet for free! And at night, it in the evening for a beer or a cocktail. turns into a disco club with a cozy It’s just always the right time for Mle- dance floor. Caters to a more chic, ‘in’ czarnia! Trust us, you will absolutely crowd. Discreetly gay friendly… this is love this place! As it is very close to the Rynek, after all. cinema Helios, it’s always a good idea to head to Mleczarnia after the movie PUBS AND CLUBS for a wine and debrief... Wrocław is a city with quite inten- H2O Cafe sive night life with plenty of pubs ul. Zelwerowicza 16/18, open daily, and clubs. If you want to discover usually 19-2 the best places, take a walk from Despite the fact that the club is quite the university zone, across Rynek to small, and the décor unforgivably un- the corner between Włodkowica and chic, H2O is the undisputed centre of Antoniego. Follow the crowd, train gay/lesbian night-life in Wrocław. your ears and keep your eyes open. Make your mark on the dance floor, Here are some suggestions, in no with a giddy mix of 70s disco, camp particular order. classics, contemporary pop and even Mañana the odd dance-floor anthem. For ul. Świętego Mikołaja 8/11 open those who need to escape the relent- daily 16–last guest. less disco grind, there is an outdoor One of Wrocław’s trendiest clubs. It’s patio with chairs and tables. Be situated on the second floor of an old warned: H2O has no air-conditioning building. Go through the backyard, and poor ventilation. X 70 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 71 X A lazy afternoon in Mleczarnia

Bezsenność Chill Out Club Pasaż Niepolda, ul. Ruska 51 (first ul. Św. Doroty (just off Kazimierza courtyard to the left), open daily Wielkiego street), open 17 – 2 18–last guest. As the name suggests, Chill Out is Having opened at the beginning of a place to go to relax and unwind to 2005 Bezsenność (Insomnia) has ambient electronic and lounge music. quickly become an Erasmus student The place is a little like a maze, with institution. That’s probably due to different corridors filled with little the fact that the dance floor is huge, nooks and crannies to sit and relax. and you can dance to really good and Comfortable sofas inside the club varying music all night long, or just add to the ambient feel, and the lounge around on the masses of idyllic patio with balcony will increase sofas, where you can chill and chat. this feeling. The whole ethos recalls The bar is quite big and standing the famous Buddha Bar; check out there you will no doubt soon spark the replica of Buddha in the back! up a conversation with one of the Chill Out is definitely one of the best many locals or foreigners holding the places to go with a small group of bar in place. Sometimes they even friends and have a beer. have live-concerts. But be aware Jazzda that there is a queue to get in on Rynek 60, in the corner of Jaś and weekends and that you have to pay Małgosia. Open daily, usually 9–2 an entrance fee of 5 zł. Three words: 70s time warp! Step X 70 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 71 X inside the time-machine, and re-enter The way to Kamfora suggest an that glamorous decade. Even the dance off the beaten truck place and this floor is blinking, so that you immediate- feeling is not disappearing when you ly look for John Travolta jumping from go down the stairs into the raw-brick behind one of the pink walls, hips shak- cellar. But it is still just few steps ing to the disco rhythm. They also have from Rynek and crowded Pasaż Nie- a limited food menu. You’ll probably only polda. The music is really good here: go there to dance, because the crowd is a various mix of ambient, chill-out, not to everyone’s taste... So, it’s not a funk and sample jazz. From time typical student spot, but in a group to time you can listen to concerts, of people you can have a fun time. poetry readings and watch movies. The entrance fee of 10 zł is not very On weekends Kamfora organizes gor- student-friendly either. geous parties, regularly led by best Cafe Club Kamfora DJs, for example the famous duo ul. Św. Antoniego 24c, in the court- Skalpel. A free hot spot and a good yard, www.kamfora.pl coffee available as well.

SPORT

f you like watching sport, Wrocław SPORT CENTER Ihas quite a lot to offer. There is a Centrum Rekreacji “Szczepin” basketball team – Sląsk – one of the ul. Lubińska 53, Tel: 071 35 48 185 best in Poland for many years. Anoth- www.mosir.wroc.pl er very popular sport is speedway; Centrum Rekreacji i Lodowisko “Spiska” Wrocław also has a strong team. You’ll ul. Spiska 1. Tel: 071 36 76 008 find the racetrack at the Olympic Sta- www.mosir.wroc.pl dium, and as well as league matches Centrum Rekreacji “Gwarna” there are international races. You can ul. Gwarna 10. Tel: 071 34 19 004 also watch – or take part – in a yearly www.mosir.wroc.pl marathon. You might be surprised, Centrum Rekreacji Sępolno but there is no strong football (soc- Krajewskiego 2, Tel: 071 34 84 217 cer for you Aussies and Americans!) www.mosir.wroc.pl representation in Wrocław. Only sec- Korty Tenisowe “Tęczowa” (tenis courts) ond league matches are played here, ul. Tęczowa 60 A. Tel: 071 34 29 649 which local football fans are a little Stadion Piłkarski “Oltaszyn” sore about. ul. Strachowskiego 53 www.mosir.wroc.pl The city offers plenty of opportuni- ties for those who don’t mind working Climbing center ZERWA Przybyszewskiego 63, ph. 071 375 64 11 up a little sweat. Not far from Ołówek www.zerwa.pl there are parks and you can go run- ning along the banks of the river Odra. Teren rekreacyjny “Górka Szczepińska” ul. Długa. Wherever you decide to live, there are small fitness clubs, sport centers, Akademia Ruchu swimming pools (see box, previous ul. Ruska 47-48 A. Tel: 071 79 32 938 www.akademiaruchu.com.pl page). Just ask around or visit the Yoga, dance and fitness center. internet sites (www.wroclaw.pl/m36 353/; www.mosir.wroc.pl). X 72 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 73 X SWIMMING POOLS

Miejskie Zakłady Kąpielowe Wrocławski Park Wodny (Aquapark) ul. Teatralna 10/12, Tel: 071 34 41 656/ ul. Borowska 264 657/658, www.mzk.wroc.pl www.parkwodny.wroc.pl

Śląsk – Basen Wojskowego Ośrodka THERE ARE ALSO SOME Szkolenia Wojskowego OPEN AIR SWIMMING POOLS ul. Racławicka 62, Tel: 071 36 16 211 OPEN FROM MID OF JUNE:

Basen GEM Basen Kąpielowy “Ślężna” ul. Baudouina de Courtenay 16, ul. Ślężna 76, Tel: 071 36 75 591 Tel: 071 37 28 853 Open 15th June – 2nd September every- day between 9–19 Basen Akademii Ekonomicznej ul. Kamienna 57, Tel: 071 36 80 100 Centrum Rekreacji i Kąpielisko “Morskie Oko” Stadion Olimpijski ul. Chopina 27, Tel: 071 37 29 410 ul. Paderewskiego, Tel: 071 34 87 077 Tel/fax: 071 34 86 394 Open 1st June – 2nd September Redeco, Nowy Dwor ul. Rogowska 52 A, Tel: 071 35 76 359 www.redeco.pl

X 72 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 73 X CINEMAS here used to be a few lovely little (and if you speak Polish, there is no Tnot-so comfortable cinemas screen- problem at all). ing a variety of films in Wrocław. There Multiplexes that screen hit movies are not many left now, due to the are pretty crowded on weekends and expansion of multiplexes. These present Tuesdays (Tuesday is cheap ticket interesting movies too, but usually day). So if you plan to see the pre- only for a short period of time. miere screening – book tickets or In Poland usually only kids’ movies buy them in advance. You should (both cartoon and regular) are usually pick up your tickets 30 min- dubbed. Most films are in the original, utes before the showing. Do not with Polish subtitles. So if you know worry if you are a bit late: there are the original language – you’ll be fine annoying ads before every movie. Ticket prices are generally not Cinema Helios high, although it may be quite expensive to go to a multiplex on a weekend (especially if you like coke and popcorn). Small cinemas usually charge the same all week (they are generally cheaper); some may also have either cheaper days or special offers. Prices generally range from 13 to 19 zł. Ask for special offers and student discounts.

MULTIPLEXES http://multikino.pl/26065,2613,rezerwacja. html Helios ul. Kazimierza Wielkiego 19/23 (9 rooms), near Rynek SMALL CINEMAS www.helios.net; Tel: 071 786 65 66 Atom Cinema City Korona ul. Piłsudskiego 74 (‘NOT’ building), near ul. Bolesława Krzywoustego 126c (9 rooms), the main train station. Korona commercial center, free bus from www.acf.pl/index2.php; Tel: 071 34 71 465 pl. Grunwaldzki / pl. Dominikański / Warszawa ul. Dworcowa (in front of the train station). ul. Piłsudskiego 64a (in the courtyard), at www.cinema-city.pl; Tel: 071 323 60 00, Piłsudskiego – Świdnicka crossroad; 071 323 60 10, 071 323 60 11 Tel: 071 79 24 383 Multikino Lalka pl. Grunwaldzki 22, Pasaż Grunwaldzki ul. Prusa 32, near Ostrów Tumski; Information and booking: 071 733 44 10; Tel: 071 79 24 405 http://multikino.pl/26065,2613,rezerwacja. html Lwów al. Hallera 15, 10 min. south from Arkady Wrocławskie the center. ul. Powstańców Śląskich 2-4 (10 rooms) www.odra-film.wroc.pl

X 74 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 75 X THEATRES or drama lovers, Wrocław offers a independent and experimental plays Frich stage life. Teatr Polski – the and organizes seminars for theatre Polish Theatre – on ul. Zapolskiej is buffs from all over the world. the biggest in the city. The theatre’s For some time now, Wrocław’s stage- program presents various classical as has been enriched by many smaller, well as experimental productions. It independent theatres. The full list can utilizes two other locations in Wrocław: be found easily on www.wroclaw.pl. Na Świebodzkim – in the old railway We can recommend the Teatr Pieśń station, with a very up-to date stage Kozła (Goat Song Theatre), the grow- hosting avant-garde spectacles – and ing theatre and cultural hub in the Old Scena Kameralna (Small Theatre) Brewery (Stary Browar) at Hubska for smaller spectacles. Street 44-48 or a new project Teatr Wrocławski Teatr Współczesny Sztuk (www.teatrsztuk.pl). – The Modern Theatre of Wrocław, Wrocławski Teatr Lalek – the Pup- located in the city centre, plays pet Theatre of Wrocław is, loved mainly mostly modern dramas performed but not only by kids. Many international on three stages – one big and two troupes come to play here each year, so smaller ones (the one in the cellar the repertoire includes plays from dif- creates a special atmosphere). The ferent cultures and eras. theatre has recently gained a very And finally, something about music. good reputation, particularly for Opera Dolnośląska (Lower Silesian actors and the repertoire of often Opera) presents various productions controversial and unique dramas. Even the web site is worth seeing! There is quite a lot on offer for pan- tomime fans. Wrocław is very famous for experimental pantomime, thanks mostly to influential and creative artists of the past. One of them was Henryk Tomaszewski (1919-2001) the founder and director of the Wrocławski Teatr Pantomimy (Pantomime Theatre of Wrocław), which is still open and active. The most well known theatrical institution in Wrocław is Institute of Jerzy Grotowski. Grotowski, who died recently in Italy, was a giant of the theatre. He was famous for his theatrical experiments within the Teatr Labolatorium – Laboratory The- atre, and was constantly looking for Head in the clouds, pantomime new artistic inspirations. The Institute performance of houses the documentation of his work Ewelina Ciszewska and is located at the original site of (Teatr Sztuk). ©Łukasz Giza the Laboratory Theatre. It presents X 74 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 75 X for lovers of classical music. The cal music: Filharmonia Państwowa director Ewa Michnik often stages im. Witolda Lutosławskiego (State spectacles in unusual surroundings, Philharmonic). It’s a must see, like such as the Peoples’ Hall (“Aida”) the Teatr Muzyczny (Capitol Musical or the Odra River (“Gioconda” was Theatre) on the same street, which performed there, on a specially con- stages modern and classic musicals. structed stage in 2003). The opera is The creative young directors and art- based at the splendid Opera House on ists are full of energy and new ideas. ul. Świdnicka, which has been recently They have found new inspiration not opened after a long restoration. Not far only to rebuild the theatre, but also to from there, on ul. Piłsudskiego, there modernize the image of the Operetta. is another important place for classi-

THEATRES IN WROCŁAW

Teatr Polski Pieśń Kozła – Stowarzyszenie Kultury ul. Gabrieli Zapolskiej 3, Teatralnej www.teatrpolski.wroc.pl ul. Purkyniego 1, www.piesnkozla.art.pl Teatr Polski – Scena Kameralna, ul. Świdnicka 28 Wrocławski Teatr Lalek pl. Teatralny 4, Teatr Polski – Scena “Na Świebodzkim”, www.teatrlalek.wroclaw.pl pl. Orląt Lwowskich 20c Instytut im. Jerzego Grotowskiego, Rynek–Ratusz 27, Wrocławski Teatr Współczesny www.grotowski-institute.art.pl im. Edmunda Wiercińskiego, ul. Rzeźnicza 12, Teatr Muzyczny CAPITOL www.teatrw.pl ul. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 72, www.teatr-muzyczny.home.pl Wrocławski Teatr Pantomimy al. Dębowa 16 Opera Dolnośląska www.pantomima.wroc.pl ul. Świdnicka 35, www.opera.wroc.pl Teatr Ad Spectatores ul. Powstaców Śląskich 82/58, Filharmonia Wrocławska www.adspectatores.art.pl im. W. Lutosławskiego, ul. Piłsudskiego 19, www.filharmonia.wroclaw.pl

X 76 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 77 X FESTIVALS estival life in Wrocław has been hot jazz days in May. Apart from that, Fflourishing for some time. It does you can regularly enjoy jazz con- not make much sense to thumb the certs in the club Rura (ul. Łazienna current program here: you’ll find 4). Among the “special dishes” of this at EMPIK shops, OKiS (Centre Wrocław’s music menu is the Singing of Culture and Art), the Centre of Actors’ Festival (Przegląd Piosenki Tourist Information and the web site Aktorskiej). Young actors and artists of the Municipal Office of Wrocław from all over Poland come to present (www.wroclaw.pl). We just want to their favourite interpretations. draw your attention to some of the For theatre fans, the most impor- more established events of interna- tant event would have to be the tional standing. International Theatre Festival, spon- First of all, the Wratislavia Can- sored by Dialog (Międzynarodowy tans – International Music Festival Festiwal Teatralny Dialog). The of Fine Arts (www.wratislavia.art.pl). festival presents all the different It is held over two weeks – one in faces of contemporary theatre, with June and the other in September. The controversial performances and art- bill includes classical music, ballet ists’ forums (www.dialogfestival.pl). performances, sacral music from dif- Movie lovers will relish the chance ferent religions, and vocal and instru- to explore a world of film in July, mental recitals. Wrocław is a good when the New Horizons Film place for jazz fans – the international Festival, sponsored by Era (Festi- jazz festival, Jazz nad Odrą (Jazz wal Filmowy Era Nowe Horyzonty) is upon Odra), runs for at least three held. You can see hundreds of films X 76 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 77 X from all over the world that are not well presented in the multiplexes (in 2007, the festival hosted a wonderful showing of Australian films, and was a hit!). The festival’s aim is to show- case the diversity of contemporary film art, and does so perfectly. Last but not least, the Brave Fes- tival – which stands against “cultural exile”. It is worth a mention. Since 2005, participants have communi- cated through art, addressing the problem of dying cultures, forgot- ten identity, and the spirituality of old cultures, cultural minorities, and values left behind, turned down, sold or ruined. The festival includes films showings, workshops, performances, concerts.

MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES

rocław has so much to offer life, and the most important academ- Win the way of museums and ic events take place here. At the top galleries; we can only sketch the of the staircase, in Wieża Matem- best on offer here. You’ll find a full atyczna (Mathematics Tower), you list at the above mentioned portal will find an exhibition depicting the www.wroclaw.pl. Each museum has a history of the University of Wrocław, special day when entrance is free of with archival materials on the univer- charge. For some time, we have had sity and its scientists. A magnificent a “night of museums” event as well, view over the city is offered from which gives you an opportunity to the tower’s terrace. Sadly, the Ora- visit all the places in one night. torium Marianum (Music Hall) was Being a student of the Univer- completely damaged during WW II sity of Wrocław, you should definitely and the original interior was partly visit the University Museum with restored during the recent refurbish- its various departments. Three of ment. However, thanks to its acous- these are located in the main build- tics, you can enjoy the many musical ing of the university. One of the most concerts held here. interesting rooms is the splendorous The Muzeum Narodowe (Nation- Aula Leopoldina, where Leopold I al Museum) in Wrocław displays (founder of the university) and his regional artifacts, highlighting the sons – Joseph I and Charles VI – are spacific character of Silesia. Even glorified. The Aula is located on the though the majority of the objects 1st. floor. It plays a large role in the are dated from the Middle Ages to ceremonial elements of university the 19th century, the most exciting X 78 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 79 X exhibition is the one of modern Polish (Centennial Hall) located not far from art. The architecture of the museum Ołówek (you can see it from your win- building is also interesting, and the dow!). It is one of the most important location – on the bank of Odra River works of 20th century architecture, – stunning. built in 1913 by Max Berg. In 2006 Another branch of the National it was included to the UNESCO-list of Museum houses the Panorama the world’s heritage sites. Racławicka, a painting (120×15 m) If you are not fond of getting lost by Wojciech Kossak and Jan Styka in huge museum halls, small gal- brought from Lviv. The reopening leries could be the go. You can find of Panorama in Wrocław in 1985 them easily on every corner of the was considered an act of resistance Old Town. One of the most active is against the Soviet Union. Why? The Entropia (www.entropia.art.pl) on ul. painting depicts the victorious battle Rzeźnicza 4. It presents mostly mod- of the Polish army over the Russians ern art, frequently independent and near Racławice village in 1794. alternative. Much bigger, and perfectly If you are interested in his- located, is Galeria Awangarda Biuro tory you should visit the Cmentarz Wystaw Artystycznych (Gallery of Żydowski (Jewish Cemetery), which the Vanguard) on ul. Wita Stwosza is situated in the southern part of – more official, but still very brave in the city on ul. Ślężna. There are over presenting pieces of modern, some- 12 thousands of Jewish graves and times controversial, art and organis- tombstones with a variety of forms ing interesting exhibitions. Domek and symbols (even Mauritanian and Romański (Romanesque House) in Egyptian styles). It is an atmospher- Nankiera Square presents photos and ic, nostalgic place, recalling the old new media exhibitions. Do not forgrt to Jewish culture in Wrocław. visit the small passage with commer- A definite must see for fans of cial galleries located on Jatki street architecture is the Hala Stulecia (Shambles) – very picturesque.

MUSEUMS IN WROCŁAW (CHOICE) Aula Leopoldina, Oratorium Marianum, Mathematic Tower, pl. Uniwersytecki 1, www.muzeum.uni.wroc.pl OPEN DAILY (exc Wed) 10-15.30; TICKETS: Normal – 4,50 zł, Student – 2,50 zł. National Museum, pl. Powstańcow Warszawy 5, www.mnwr.art.pl OPEN We, Fr, Su 10-16; Thu 9-16, Sa 10-18; TICKETs: Normal – 15 zł, Students – 10 zł, Groups – 5 zł, Sa – entrance free of charge Panorama Racławicka, ul. Purkyniego 11 www.panoramaraclawicka.pl/en_index.htm OPEN DAILY (exc Mo) 9.00 -17, TICKETS: Normal – 20 zł, Students – 15 zł Museum of Funeral Art – Old Jewish Cemetery, ul. Ślężna 37/39, Tel: 071 791 59 03/04) OPEN DAILY 10-18; TICKETs: Normal – 7 zł, Student – 5 zł Century Hall, ul. Wystawowa 1, www.halaludowa.wroc.pl OPEN DAILY 8-19; TICKETS: Normal – 10 zł, Student – 5 zł.

X 78 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 79 X CURRENT EVENTS

If you feel bored with pubs and clubs, it’s and Art (OKiS – Ośrodek Kultury i Sztuki) time to look for some other ways to spend located at Rynek-Ratusz 24. Remember: your spare time. Many students look for cultural institutions offer discount tickets for interesting cultural events. How does one students (with a student card – legitymacja know where to go and what to see? studencka). There is always one day a Some current cultural events are announ- week when the ticket prices are lower than ced in a supplement “Co jest grane” to usual (cinemas) or even free (museums). “Gazeta Wyborcza” published on Friday. If you want information in English (includ- There is also a free magazine with the ing movie schedules with original titles!), same title offered in public places, with a Wrocław Weekly covers selected (and the list of current exhibitions, plays and mov- most interesting) events. At the web site ies. Another magazine – “Aktivist” focuses www.wroclawweekly.pl you can also sub- on alternative cultural activities. If you scribe to a newsletter with all the informa- are interested in alternative culture, see tion (in PDF and for iPod), and in case you www.independent.pl – there is informa- miss something, there are podcasts and tion about alternative events not only in vodcasts. Wrocław, but all over Poland A pretty extensive list of places and events Do not hesitate to stop by the Centre for (in Polish this time) is located at Wrocek.pl Tourist Information (Centrum Informacji Tur- – especially if you need to find something ystycznej, Rynek 5) or the Centre for Culture on a map...

X 80 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 81 X PLACES OF WORSHIP Most of the churches in Wroclaw p.m. And there are plenty of other are Roman Catholic. In many of activities offered by the churches: them mass takes place at least twice choirs, Bible groups, and Taize a day. We would especially recom- groups. There are also many other mend taking part in some of the places of worship in Wrocław. There is masses for students. The churches a Synagogue (the Jewish community that organize student activities are in Wrocław is around 200 families), called duszpasterstwa. The most an Orthodox church, a Greek-Ortho- famous is the Dominican church (on dox church, a few Protestant church- the Dominikański square) and the es and the Muslim Center of Culture Wawrzyny around 300 meters from and Education with a mosque and and Ołówek. Students’ masses are at 8 the Buddhist Meditation Centre.

CATHOLIC CHURCHES BAPTIST CHURCHES St. Laurence (św. Wawrzyńca), ul. Bujwi- ul. Kłodnicka 2. Times of services at 11 on da 51, close to Ołówek. Services for students Sundays and Holy Days, 18 on Thursdays on Sundays and Holy Days at 8, in the lower church (recommended!). You should be ORTHODOX CHURCHE there at least 15 minutes before the Mass in order to find a sit (it’s very crowded). The Birth of the Holy Mother of God (Narodze- mass is generally for students from surround- nia Przenajświętszej Bogarodzicy) ul. Mi- ing dorms. There is always a choir singing; it’s kołaja 40. Times of services: on Sundays a very joyful and lovely service.. and Holy Days at 8, 10.30, 17; Monday- St. Adalbert (św. Wojciecha), pl. Domini- Saturday at 9, 17. kański. Two services for students on Sun- days and Holy Days at 8. This mass is one of the most popular among students in MOSQUES Wrocław. The church is large, full of young The mosque at the Muslim Center of Cul- people, with a very good choir (schola), ture and Education, ul. Kasprowicza 24. and very solemn atmosphere. Time of services: praying hours; Friday services starts at 13. EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCHES AND PARISHES BUDDHISM ul. św. Krzysztofa 1. Times of services on Buddhist Meditation Centre Sundays and Holy Days at 10 (in German). ul. Ruska 47/48A, IV flour, entrance from Divine Providence (Opatrzności Bożej), the yard. ul. K. Wielkiego 29. Times of services on Tibetan, Karma Kagyu, Diamond Way Sundays and Holy Days at 10. http://www.wroclaw.buddyzm.pl St. Christopher’s Parish (św. Krzysztofa), Meditations on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sat- ul. Partyzantów 60. Times of services on urdays at 20. Sundays and Holy Days at 10.

X 80 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 81 X ROAMING IN AND AROUND WROCŁAW

A SUNDAY AFTERNOON’S WALK can climb to the top of them. And if The weekend has come, or you climbing church towers is your thing, just have a free afternoon and feel check out the 70 m Tower of St. Elis- like spending it somewhere outside abeth Church by the Rynek. in nice, green surroundings, without Ostrów Tumski is crowded with crowds of people? Wrocław is consid- unique architectural monuments, ered a “green city”, and has a lot to mostly churches: St. John the Bap- offer in this respect... One of the nic- tist Cathedral, the Church of the est walks is through Ostrów Tumski Holy Cross, St. Martin’s Church, (Cathedral Island) – a magical and and many others. Definitely visit the mysterious place. It’s the oldest part smallest church on Ostrów Tumski of the city; the very first wooden set- – St. Idzi Church and the Church tlements in the Middle Ages were built of the Blessed Virgin Mary – worth here. It’s located near the city centre, seeing for its amazing stained-glass so you won’t have any problems find- windows. Don’t forget to stop for a ing it. There are also two highly visible while on the Green Bridge – if you towers (the Twin Towers) of St. look carefully, you’ll see hundreds of John the Baptist’s Cathedral (St. spider webs covered with dewdrops John the Baptist is the patron saint shining in the light. of Wrocław) to guide you. If you have Ostrów Tumski is incredibly beauti- enough strength left in your legs, you ful at night, so I suggest a visit after X 82 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 83 X sunset too. It’s the only place in Wrocław where the street lamps are Botanical Garden, ul. Sienkiewicza 23 gas-lit... manually! Every evening open April till October daily 8-18 (Palm at dusk, the lamplighter comes by, house – open daily 10-18) lighting each in turn. Early in the tickets: Normal – 5 zł, Student – 3 zł morning, with the first rays of the Japanese Garden (at Szczytnicki Park); sun, he returns to put them out. open from April till October 9-19 Try to find the hidden entrance tickets: Normal – 2 zł, Student – 1 zł to The Botanical Garden – “oasis Zoological Garden of beauty and rest” while walking ul. Wróblewskiego 1 through Ostrów Tumski, between the open – Summer season 9-18, churches. The gardens were estab- cash desk till 17 lished as a scientific institution of the tickets: Normal – 10 zł, Student – 4 University, at the turn of the 19th Tower of St. John the Baptist’s Cathedral, century. It still houses a great variety Ostrów Tumski, of plants – trees, shrubs, bushes and open Mo-Sa 10-18 flowers. They are very well-maintained student tickets – 3 zł and well-studied by scientists, but regular nature lovers are sure to find Tower of St. Elisabeth Church, some hidden secrets. The Botanical ul. św. Mikołaja open – summer season: Mo-Fr 9-19; Sa Garden changes appearance (colour, 11-17; Su 13-17; winter season: Mo-Sa smell… the whole atmosphere) almost 10– 17, Su 13-17. every month. Right next to the palm house (a greenhouse), you’ll find a

nice summer cafe. It’s open from Cathedral Island March to October from 8-18. Student (Ostrów Tumski) tickets cost 8 zł, and you can get in either from Ostrów Tumski or from ul. Sienkiewicza. When fed up with the city’s tiring noise, pollution and traffic, I would also recommend going to one of the ten parks in Wroclaw’s (free admis- sion). Szczytnicki Park and Park Południowy (South Park) are partic- ularly great. You can experience real peace and quiet there. Szczytnicki Park is situated near Hala Stulecia (Centennial Hall) on ul. Mickiewicza. It is a huge green area (about 100 ha), covered with trees, grass, and flowers. Many of Wrocław’s inhab- itants used to visit for an off-day walk, sometimes with their children, dogs, bikes... It creates a nice family atmosphere, but there are also cor- ners of the park where you may find yourself completely alone. X 82 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 83 X It’s absolutely obligatory to take this area in past centuries, and the a walk under the beautiful Pergola main local river Ślęża. It is situated around the small pool (which turns at the crossroads of important trade into an ice-skating rink in winter) just routes running from south to north behind the Hala Stulecia, or visit the and from east to west. Today, near Japanese Garden nearby. The gar- 3 million people live here, the fifth den’s design was strictly supervised largest population among Poland’s by Japanese specialists, gardeners regions (7,6 % of the Polish popu- and architects. It is beautiful in the lation). The biggest cities: Jele- spring when all the colored plants nia Góra, Legnica and Wałbrzych. are in blossom, but it’s also magnifi- Due to its undeniable diversity cent when covered with snow. Each and beauty, the region is increas- element of the garden (cascades, ingly favoured by tourists. There are trails, lakes, bridges) has its special numerous wildlife parks, the Odra, place and meaning – all must be Widawa, Ślęża, Bystrzyca river-val- consistent with the rules of Japanese leys, the Oława, Karkonosze and garden art. You really do feel like you Sudety Mountains, and collections are actually in Japan! The garden is of Gothic and Baroque architecture. open daily from April 1st to Octo- You should reach for a Lower Silesian ber 31st, 9-19. Student tickets cost guidebook to get more information about 1 zł. about what to see. Here just some On the other side of ul. Wróblews- highlights. kiego, opposite Hala Ludowa, you will Karkonosze Mountains find the city’s Zoological Garden. If The Karkonosze Mountains are you like animals, and rare or exotic the natural border between Poland species, you will love it. It is one of and the Czech Republic. The high- the biggest zoos in Poland, a home est peak, Śnieżka, is 1603 meters for over 6,000 animals. The zoo is above sea level. It is a unique region open every day – in summer 9-18, with a belt of Alpine vegetation. in winter 9-16. Student tickets: 4 zł. Park Południowy (South Park) Samotnia is located in the southern part of Wrocław. Its romantic atmosphere, calm pond, sightseeing terrace and winding paths invite all who seek a good atmosphere for active relaxa- tion, for a little sunbathing, or just for a nice place to read an interest- ing book.

IN LOWER SILESIA Lower Silesia is one of the 16 provinces of Poland, located in the south-west of the country. It bor- ders on Germany to the west and on Czech to the south. The name Silesia (Śląsk) comes from the name of the Slavic tribe „Ślężanie” that inhabited X 84 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 85 X Kłodzko

In 1959, the area was declared a leave the path. You must be espe- National Park, and in 1992 included cially careful in winter – some routes in UNESCO’s biosphere reservation. may close due to avalanche danger. It is the nearest hiking spot in the Krzyżowa – Kreisau summer and also a great ski resort in Krzyżowa is well-known in Ger- the winter like Szkalrska Poręba or many as Kreisau. It was once the Karpacz. If you want to escape the residence of the von Moltke family, traffic and city noise, we recommend who opposed Hitler during WWII. In you go. Check out the mountain hos- 1989, the famous “mass of reconcili- tel at Samotnia near Karpacz. How ation” took place here, attended by to get to Karkonosze? Bus is best; the Polish Prime Minister Tadeusz the train takes too long. To get to Mazowiecki and the German chan- Samotnia, take a bus to Karpacz cellor Helmut Kohl. Today Krzyżowa (or Jelenia Góra and than change to is the seat of the Krzyżowa Founda- another bus) and then you must hike tion and a beautiful meeting centre an hour up. The mountain hostels are with a very interesting program of open throughout the year and offer conferences and seminars. See: full accommodation. And it’s cheap! www.krzyzowa.org.pl A bed costs 25-35 zł. Buying food Krzyżowa is a small village located there, however, can be costly, so 15 km from Świdnica. To get there take your own food and tea (a cup of you should take a bus from Wrocław hot water costs 0,50 zł). While hiking to Świdnica and for the remainder a in the mountains, remember you’re city bus (not very frequent) or a taxi in a National Park; it’s forbidden to (around 25 złoty). X 84 WROCŁAW KIT WROCŁAW KIT 85 X Świdnica Prince of Świdnica, is the largest in Świdnica is around 50 km south- Silesia. It is located in an old park west of Wrocław. Famous in the past with multicolored rhododendrons, mainly for its beer, which was served surrounded by beautiful terraces… all around the world. Go see the Evan- the Water Terrace has 27 fountains. gelical church of the Augsburg denom- Inside the castle you can explore ination, which is probably the largest various exhibitions, most notably the timber-framed church in Europe (now antique and modern porcelain, which on the UNESCO list), as well as the by the way is still produced in Książ. world famous wooden Church of the The former stables near the castle Holy Trinity, with its gorgeous baroque house a very famous stud-horse interior. See also the Basilica of Sts. breeding center as well as a riding Stanislav and Vaclav; it has the sec- center. Książ is also famous for its ond highest tower in Poland. How to carriage races. get there? There are many buses and How to get there? Take a bus or minibuses going to Świdnica at least train to Wałbrzych (around 70 km every hour (50 km – 1 hour) from Wrocław) and catch a city bus Książ – a castle between green hils (no. 8), which brings you directly The castle of Książ, built in the to the main portal. Entrance ticket: 13th century by the order of Bolko I, 10 zł (12 zł if you take a guide).

Śnieżka (1602 m.) – the highest mountain in Lower Silesia, known for its severe climate: the average annual temperature is just 0,4C and wind reaches 220 km per hour.

X 86 WROCŁAW KIT NOTES 87 X 86 WROCŁAW KIT NOTES 87 Imprint

Editor and author: Sebastian Płóciennik

Co-authors: Dagmara Koczańska, Agata Nowak, Marek Pawlak, Kasia Szeliga

Layout and composition: Barbara Kaczmarek Cover design idea by Rafał Próchniak

Pictures: Sebastian Płóciennik; page 75 – Łukasz Giza

Proofreaders: Richard C. R. Drew, Simon Watmough

© Copyright by Centrum Studiów Niemieckich i Europejskich im. Willy Brandta Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego 2007

ISBN 978-83-88178-46-7

GAJT Wydawnictwo 1991 s.c., ul. Kużnicza 11-13, Wrocław