After the Silesia Marathon: Bielsko-Biała

The Route: Katowice → Bielsko-Biała → Katowice → Katowice Airport (KTW) Logistics: Direct train from Katowice, one night in the centre, direct train back. A short walk between station, hotel and castle. Marathon Month: October Duration: 1 night

Katowice ──(direct train, 55 to 59 min)──> Bielsko-Biała (Old Town, castle, hotel)
    ▲                                                   │
    └───────────────────(train back)────────────────────┘
    │
    └──(train or AP bus)──> Katowice Airport (KTW)

The Silesia Marathon finishes on a Sunday in early October, and by Monday most runners want a bed that is not a train seat. Bielsko-Biała is the sensible compromise: under an hour away, a town centre that can be crossed on foot, and a castle with a museum in it. The railway runs straight through, so there is no change on the way.

October in Bielsko-Biała: the hills behind the town turn colour in October, evenings are cold and the castle closes by mid-afternoon on most days, so go to the museum first and keep the evening for a slow dinner.

Direct trains from Katowice take 55 to 59 minutes. They are run by Intercity, with EIC and Pendolino services as well. Listed fares started at PLN 24 on an Intercity train, PLN 73 on an EIC and PLN 78 on a Pendolino. One timetable page listed seven direct departures and two with a change on its sample day, the first at 08:09 and the last at 22:25. The Monday after a Sunday race is a normal working day for the railway, so the later morning trains are fine.

Night one: Bielsko-Biała

The Sułkowski Castle stands at ul. Wzgórze 16, on a hill above the town. A first castle was built in the fourteenth century by Duke Przemysław I Noszak of Cieszyn on the Biała river, which then marked a border. In 1752 Aleksander Józef Sułkowski bought the estate. He was an illegitimate son of August the Strong, Elector of Saxony and king of Poland, and he rose to be a prince of the Holy Roman Empire. His descendants held the castle until 1945. They rebuilt it in the second half of the nineteenth century, which gives it its mixed, eclectic look.

The Bielsko-Biała Museum is inside. Its displays include the history of the city and castle, a lapidarium of exposed old walls, an armoury and hunting room, a small Sułkowski family section with a gentleman's study and a ladies' parlour, an ethnographic collection, and art from the late Middle Ages to the present. The classicist music salon is the grandest room and still hosts concerts. Opening hours differ between listings: Monday is closed, Tuesday to Friday it opens at 9:00 and closes around 15:00 or 16:00, and check weekend hours and ticket prices before going. Phone the museum on +48 338 111 035 or see museum.bielsko.pl. The route inside is stairs and rooms, so expect to be on your feet.

The walk from the hotel to the castle is short, and the Old Town square is close by. Streets in the centre slope, so allow for that on the way up to the castle.

For a bed, the Prezydent Hotel at ul. 3 Maja 12 stands next to the town hall tower, with 41 rooms, and some of them look over the castle and Chrobry Square. Hotel Stara Szmergielnia, at ul. Cyprysowa 63, is a boutique hotel set among the Beskid Mały hills, which suits a quieter night but sits away from the Old Town. Neither hotel's own website could be opened for this guide, so check rooms, breakfast and cancellation terms directly.

The Rynek and the streets around it have places to eat, so choose one on arrival, and book if you are in a group.

Getting back

Take a direct train back to Katowice in the morning and check the timetable the night before, since the sample listing had no train earlier than 08:09. From Katowice, Katowice Airport (KTW) is reached by the airport rail connection or the AP bus. Allow extra time on a weekday morning.