# Szczyrk

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

## Get in

By plane Katowice (KTW), Kraków (KRK) and Ostrava (OSR) airports all have a good range of European flights and are about 2 hours drive.
By road from Katowice follow Highway 1 past Bielsko-Biała, turning onto Highway 942 up the valley.
By public transport take the hourly regional train from Katowice to Bielsko-Biała, which takes 70 min via Tychy, Pszczyna and Czechowice-Dziedzice, and is heading to Zywiec.
Bus 120 runs hourly from Bielsko-Biała, taking 40 min to Szczyrk. It makes multiple stops along the valley road and ascends as far as Salmopol.
Bus W3 runs from Cieszyn six times a day, taking 90 min via Goleszów, Ustroń, Wisła and Przełęcz Salmopolska.

## Get around

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

## See

* 49.718819.03531 Church of St James (Sanktuarium św Jakuba), Kolorowa 1, ☏ +48 33 817 8429. Charming 19th century wooden RC church. (updated Jul 2024)
* 49.710519.01542 Bator Art Gallery, Myśliwska 60, ☏ +48 729 830 858. Daily 10:00-20:00. Extensive collection of artwork, much of it for sale. (updated Jul 2024)
* 49.723419.02073 Sanctuary of Our Lady Queen of Poland (Sanktuarium Matki Bożej Królowej Polski), ☏ +48 33 817 8515. Richly decorated Marian shrine, with great views from the terrace. (updated Jul 2024)

## Do

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

## Buy

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

## Eat

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

## Drink

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

## Sleep

    Lots of accommodation, but it gets booked out at peak seasons.
* 49.720719.03841 U Kozakow, Szkolna 4a, ☏ +48 608 586 930. Clean spacious guesthouse. (updated Jul 2024)
* 49.718419.03152 Hotel Skalny, Klimczoka 3, ☏ +48 33 817 9193. Atmospheric small hotel. B&B double 250 zł. (updated Jul 2024)
* 49.718819.02873 Hotel Elbrus, Słoneczna 8, ☏ +48 33 826 1300. Smart spa hotel scoring highly for comfort and service. B&B double 500 zł. (updated Jul 2024)
* Mercure Szczyrk Resort, part of the Accor chain, opens in September 2024.
* 49.715919.02424 Dom Wczasowy Maria, Beskidzka 19, ☏ +48 33 810 5410. Pleasant friendly small hotel. B&B double 300 zł. (updated Jul 2024)
* 49.726519.0035 Hotel Klimczok, Poziomkowa 20, ☏ +48 33 826 0100. Large modern spa hotel in the hills, great scores for comfort and service. B&B double 600 zł. (updated Jul 2024)
* 49.707219.0146 Hotel Meta, Skośna 4, ☏ +48 515 777 775. Relaxing small place with a pool. B&B double 500 zł. (updated Jul 2024)

## Connect

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

## Go next

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