Zabrze

Zabrze is a city with the area of 80.4 square kilometres inhabited by approximately 170 thousand people. It neighbours with Bytom, Gliwice and Ruda Śląska.

The most famous attractions in Zabrze are the historic Guido Mine and Queen Louise Adit, i.e. the complexes belonging to the Museum of Coal Mining. It is in the Guido Mine at the level of 320 metres under the ground that one of the most iconic pubs in the Silesian Province is situated. It owes its unique atmosphere to the raw, mine interior, which has been preserved thanks to the brick ceiling and sidewalls. The mine is included in the Industrial Monuments Route of the Silesian Province. All facilities are accessible to visitors.

The Silesian Centre for Heart Diseases is located here, a leading cardiological and cardiac surgery centre in Poland. It was here that Professor Zbigniew Religa performed his first successful heart transplant in 1985. It was a true revolution in Polish medicine and transplantology. In 2018, the staff at this facility performed more than 100 lung and heart transplants, which means twice as many as just a few years ago. The story of the pioneers of Polish cardiosurgery, Prof. Zbigniew Religion and Prof. Marian Zembala was depicted on the big screen in 2014 in Łukasz Palkowski’s film “Bogowie” (Gods).

In the future it will be possible to admire the panorama of Zabrze from the water tower. The building at Zamoyskiego Street is among the most beautiful ones in the region. The tower, which was erected in 1909, is 46 metres high. Today, for nearly 34 million zlotys, it is being restored to its former glory. When the renovation works are over, the building will be open to the public.

Zabrze also means football. Górnik Zabrze is one of the most successful football clubs in Poland, which has won the title of the Polish Champion several times. The club’s players included, among others, Ernest Pohl, Jerzy Gorgoń, Andrzej Szarmach and Włodzimierz Lubański, former titled Poland’s national team players. On average, over 18 thousand people come to watch Górnik Zabrze at play.

Famous pianist Krystian Zimerman, who was the winner of the Chopin Competition in 1975, was also born in Zabrze.

One of the most characteristic landmarks of Zabrze is the Water Tower.