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Maciej Shaft

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Zabrze

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“Maciej” Shaft is a complex of buildings of the former hard coal mine Concordia (later “Pstrowski”) situated in the district of Zabrze - Maciejów. The name of the shaft derives from the name of Maciej Wilczek, the owner of Zabrze estates. The history of these buildings from the beginning of the 20th century should finish along with the exhaustion of hard coal deposits in this area, fortunately, the new owner - Mining Company DEMEX Sp. z o.o., transformed the shaft into a deep well and the premises, buildings, structures, devices and equipment related to the site are available for tourists, constituting a part of the Industrial Monuments Route. At present, tourist can visit: the building with the operating double drum powered winding machine, building of the shaft top, the hoist tower and the shaft with a deep-water intake. In the “Maciej” Shaft, inside the adapted buildings as well as in the field and on the site we can see original machines which used to work for the purposes of the mine - learn about their construction and application.

Route chronicle

When the weather is good, from the viewing platform at the rope pulleys on the hoist tower a broad panorama of the area of Zabrze and Gliwice stretches. From the highest point of the site you can go down to the dark cellars of engine rooms, where you can stand face to face with the emerging elements of the mechanical and electrical system of the winding machine drive. Each of them is a masterpiece of technology on its own, and all together they create a unique atmosphere of communing with the forces of nature which were mastered by human technical thought. You can also see the inside of the ventilating duct - this way, when the mine was in operation, milliards of cubic meters of “used” air were exhausted into the atmosphere. On one of the steel posts of the hoist tower there is a trace of history from the last war - indentations from projectiles after firing the tower. “Maciej” Shaft is famous in the area for the fact that it supplies the “spring” of drinking water. People who use it claim that its taste is much better than of the water in the taps - you can find it by yourself - a “spring” tap is located outside the building, anyone can take water from there and freely enjoy its taste, providing that you are patient enough to stand in the queue, as the water is very popular not only among residents of Zabrze. While leaving the site you should also touch the original horse shoe (found during revitalization works of the main scales building) ... and say your wish ...

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Objects on the trail

Old Factory

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Not long ago textile industry stimulated the economy of Bielsko-Biała. From the development of small-scale manufacture of cloth In 16th century and later of manufactures and big factories in the 19th century textile industry made the city into the most important industrial centres in this part of Europe. You can learn almost everything about textile industry at the Museum of Technology and Textile Industry, a branch of the Museum in Bielsko-Biała.

Upper Silesian Narrow Gauge Railways

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We can now take a train ride from Bytom to Miasteczko Śląskie in small coaches of the Upper Silesian Narrow Gauge Railways. We get on the train at the railway station of Bytom Karb Wąskotorowy and get off near the reservoir of Nakło–Chechło. Few people know that it is the oldest operating narrow-gauge railway line in the world. The first stretches of the line were launched as early as in 1853. In the following decades, in Upper Silesia, a network of lines connection was constructed, which in its heyday was nearly 250 km long.

"President" Shaft

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"The buildings of the former coal mine „Prezydent (President)"" in Chorzow are among the most important monuments of architecture and mining technology in Upper Silesia. A winding tower of the mine is unique on a European scale. It was built of reinforced concrete in the 30s the last century. Next to the tower, there are numerous mine buildings, some of which house the ""Sztygarka"" hotel and restaurant."

Chorzów

Museum of Printing

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The Museum of Printing in Cieszyn was initiated in 1996. It is housed in a tenement house, at Głęboka Street, which is the most important street in the city. Its main organizer was Karol Franek, a printer fascinated with old machines and printing equipment. The museum’s motto is: "You will not find the deceased at the wall ...” This means that each machine is still operating, and you can see how it works. The museum presents all stages of traditional printing.

Bracki Browar Zamkowy w Cieszynie

Cieszyn

The Castle Brewery in Cieszyn was founded by Charles Ludwig Hapsburg, archduke of Cieszyn in the 1840s. It continued old medieval traditions of the local brewers, offering at the same time a new product, which was the then popular beer of the pilsner type. Today, together with the Żywiec Brewery, it belongs to the Heineken Company.

“Elektrownia” Contemporary Art Gallery

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The Gallery "Elektrownia" (“Power Station”) is housed in the old building of the largest and most modern industrial plant the town city - the coal mine "Saturn". The building was built of brick, in the style characteristic of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It was designed by outstanding Polish architect, Joseph Pius Dziekoński. Inside the building, there are art exhibitions, an original turbine, a control panel and a powerful flywheel.

Czerwionka-Leszczyny

Museum of Iron Ore Mining

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"The Museum of Ore Mining in Częstochowa is one of the places in Poland where you can learn about traditional methods of mining iron ore in natural conditions. It is housed in the underground corridors hollowed out beneath the Częstochowa Stanisław Staszic Park. Besides the old corridors, we can see specialized machinery and equipment. The opening of the exhibition took place in 2008. The museum is a branch of the Częstochowa Museum."

Museum of Railway History

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"The Museum of Railway History in Częstochowa was founded in 2001, and it was originally housed in a room located on the first floor of the Stradom Częstochowa railroad station. The museum will be taken on a journey into the past and see, for example, an old ticket office with urnishings, old railroad uniforms, documents and photographs, lamps, rails, maps or plates of steam engines and other machinery. The museum is located on the Industrial Monuments Route of the Silesian Voivodeship."

Museum of the Production of Matches

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"Matches in the box labeled with a black cat are probably known to every household in Poland. But few know where and how they are manufactured. You will the answers to these questions in the Museum of the Production of Matches in Częstochowa. It is situated in the oldest, operating Polish match factory, whose traditions date back to 1882. In the museum you can see the whole process of production, an exhibition of sculptures made from one match, and even a documentary film of 1913!"

Drill Mine of the “Sztygarka” Town Museum

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"The ""Sztygarka"" City Museum in Dąbrowa Górnicza boats almost a century-old tradition. Originally, the museum specialized only in collecting geological exhibits. At present, it also possesses archaeological, historical, ethnographic, travel and natural history collections. The museum, located in the former mining administration building, which later housed the school of mining, was built in the first half of the nineteenth century. Close to the ""Sztygarka"", there is a drill mine open to the public."

Museum of Sanitary Technology

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"The Museum of Sanitary Technology is the youngest museum in Gliwice. It was founded in 2005. It is located within premises of the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant, which until recently, was not a tourist attraction. In the renovated and stylish building of the pumping stations from the beginning of the last century, one can see some old sewage treatment equipment and a few decade old sanitary fittings, and afterwards, we can take a tour of the still operating plant, built for the twenty first century."

Artistic Casting Department

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"The Artistic Casting Department of the Gliwice Museum one of the most modern museums in Poland. It is housed in the former engine room of the Coal Mine ""Gliwice"". Visitors can learn about the history of the Royal Iron Foundry, as well as about a rich collection of art castings. Mirosław Nizio, a designer of the Warsaw Uprising Museum, has designed and arranged a multimedia exhibition entitled ""Rightly famous is Gliwice, today”."

Gliwice Radio Station

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"The wooden transmitting tower of the radio station in Gliwice is a marvel of engineering and prewar thought and the testimony of its builders’ courage. With a height of 111 m, it now occupies the first place on the list of the world's tallest structures, built entirely of wood. It was built in 1935 within the premises of the newly created broadcasting station at Tarnogórska Street. On August 31, 1939, the building was the scene of a provocation carried out by officers of the Nazi SS, known in historiography as the “Gleiwitz incident”."

Historic Water Supply Station "Zawada"

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The water supply station in Karchowice near Pyskowice was officially opened in 1895 as the first state run (then Prussian) drinking water intake that would meet the needs of residents of the Upper Silesian agglomeration. In the stylish, brick buildings we can admire the original equipment, including piston pump units, turbine pump units, piston compressors and steam boilers. The station produces clean water even today.

Giszowiec Settlement

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The housing estate of Giszowiec in Katowice is workers’ colony, which is unique in Europe. It was built in the years 1906-1910 for the workers of the industrial plants – mostly of the mine "Giesche" (later "Wieczorek") owned by the Georg von Giesche's Erben company. The colony was designed by Emil and Georg Zillmann, who implemented the idea of a city-garden. The blocks of apartments and public buildings have been preserved to this day.

Nikiszowiec Settlement

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The housing estate of Nikiszowiec together with nearby Giszowiec in Katowice is one of the most interesting examples of the workers’ colonies in Europe from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The both settlements designed at the request of the Georg von Giesche’s Erben Company by eminent architects from Berlin - Emil and Georg Zillmann. The construction of Nikiszowiec began in 1908 and ended in 1919. Nine brick blocks public buildings and even a church were built.

Wilson Shaft Gallery

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Silesian Museum

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The complex of buildings of the Silesian Museum, situated in the former Katowice coal mine, along with other institutions which are being built here will create the so-called Cultural District - the new centre of cultural life for the city. The coal mine "Katowice" operated from the third decade of the nineteenth century until the end of the last century. In total, about 120 million tons of coal were mined. Characteristic old buildings have remained of the mine, many of whom were built as early as the nineteenth century, and each individual building was given the features inspired by the Romanesque and Gothic styles.

Katowice

Museum of Power Industry

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Central Museum of Firefighting

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Museum of the Silesian Press

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Museum of Bread, School and Curiosities

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Ruda Śląska

Ficinus Workers' Settlement

Ruda Śląska

The „Ficinus” workers’ settlement in Wirek, a district of Ruda Śląska, is probably not so knowm and impressive as Giszowiec or Nikiszowiec in Katowice, but it has its own style and extraordinary features. The houses lining Pawła St were built in 1860s not of brick, but of sandstone extraxted from the Slesian quarries. The Miners working in the nearby mine Gottessegen, which means God’s Blessing, lived in these houses.

Histori Narrow-Gauge Railway Station

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The Rudy train station is located in the middle of the old narrow-gauge railway line between Gliwice and Racibórz. There is an open air railway museum, with a mile-long stretch of track (along which tourist trains run). It is an attraction on the Industrial Monuments Route. The narrow-gauge railway appeared in Rudy at the end of the nineteenth century. It was in March 1899 that “Kramer and Partners” opened a 23-kilometer railway line from Gliwice through Nieborowice to Rudy and Racibórz Płonia, and three months later, it started carrying passengers.

"Ignacy" Historic Mine

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"In Niewiadom, one of the districts of Rybnik, we will find the coal mine ""Ignacy”, which is one of the oldest in Upper Silesia. It was built at the initiative of the Prussian minister, George Charles von Hoym, already in 1792. The coal mine under different names operated for over 200 years. In the twenty-first century, its surface buildings with equipment have been made available to the public. Two valuable, still operating steam engines of the winding tower are of particular intereSt The property is located on the Industrial Monuments Route of the Silesian voivodeship."

Tradition Park

Siemianowice Śląskie

In the Traditio Park we can admire spectacular monuments of technology, as well as participate in interesting cultural events. At the site of the former coal mine "Michał” the headframe of the shaft "Krystyn” has been restored to its former splendour. In the machinery building are on display: a winding steam engine from 1905, an electric compressor from 1915, and a multimedia exhibition. There is also a performance hall here.

Świętochłowice

Black Trout Adit

Tarnowskie Góry

"The Black Trout Adit in Tarnowskie Góry is one of the most interesting remains of the centuries-old mining of galena, lead and silver ores in this area. In the nineteenth century, it was built as a drainage tunnel in the mine ""Frederick."" Today, it is a remarkable tourist attraction, offering the longest underground boat rafting in Poland. It is up to 600 meters long! Along the route one can see a spectacular rocky gorge, ""black"" trout and bats. We can also listen to interesting mining stories.

Historic Silver Mine

Tarnowskie Góry

"Tarnowskie Góry was a mining town already in the medieval times. For centuries, mining of silver and lead ores ensured prosperity of its residents. Mining ceased in the 20s of the last century. The Historic Silver Mine and the Open Air Museum of Steam Machines in Tarnowskie Góry invite to a nearly two-kilometer walk along the tourist underground route, as well as to the exhibition devoted to ore mining and the open-air museum with a collection of steam engines and locomotives - mostly from the early twentieth century."

Citizens Brewery

Tychy

"In Tychy, in addition to the well-known Prince Brewery, there was also a plant for the production of beer called the Civic Brewery. It started operating in the late nineteenth century, when it was owned by the company Brauerei Aktien Gesellschaft Brieger. After a century, the plant was shut down in 1999, and currently, its old buildings are owned by a private company. It houses an entertainment center with a restaurant and a music club.

The Museum of the Duke’s Brewery

Tychy

"The tradition of brewing in Tychy goes back in 1629, which is marked in the beer label - under the crown prince. A modern brewery was built in this town by Duke Johann Heinrich Hochberg von Pless XI in the second half of the nineteenth century. It was later developed into one of the largest breweries in the Polish lands. The Tychy Brewery presents its history and today’s times .This is a combination of a modern museum with a tour of the modern facility and tasting a recognized brand of beer."

Museum of Ustroń

Ustroń

"In 2008, after 236 years of continuous operation, the Ustroń Forge was shut down. Health resort qualities prevailed over the industry. Currently, the traditions of Ustroń metallurgy and forging are displayed in the Ustroń Museum, located in the former administration building of the steel plant ""Klemens"". The museum strives to serve as a cultural center, so apart from exhibitions, it publishes books, organizes jubilee celebrations, meetings and concerts, promoting artists from Ustroń.

"Guido" Coal Mine

Zabrze

The historic Coal Mine "Guido" in Zabrze may surprise by diversity of its tourist offer. For those who love the history of mining there are a surface and two underground routes on the levels of 170 and 320 meters. Here you can learn all about coal mining in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Besides, "Guido" invites you to theater performances and concerts.

"Queen Louise” Adit

Zabrze

""Queen Louise"" in Zabrze is the oldest state-run coal mine in Upper Silesia. Its origins date back to 1791. In 1993, the Mining Heritage Park "Queen Louise” was opened in the mine. The biggest attraction is an underground tourist route with a length of over 1.5 km. A visit to the museum provides a unique opportunity to see up close the work of a miner, mining machines and devices, and even taste some of the Silesian dishes.

Maciej Shaft

Zabrze

Shaft "Maciej" is a complex of buildings of the former coal mine “Concordia” (later “Pstrowski”) situated in Maciejów, a district of Zabrze. Coal was already mined in this region in the first half of the nineteenth century. The history of the shaft dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century, when in the area of the mine "Concordia” the tenth shaft called the "Westschacht" was dug out. After 1945, it was renamed "Maciej". The complex had been operating until the parent mine was shut down. Today, we can visit a headframe, from which we can admire the panorama of the urrounding areas, buildings of the shaft top, a hoisting machine and a drinking water intake.

Żarki

The Historic Brewery in Żywiec

Żywiec

The Żywiec Archducal Brewery is one of the most famous and successful producers of beer in Poland. The history of the plant began in the mid-nineteenth century, when the decision was taken by Archduke Albrecht Friedrich Habsburg, the then owner of Żywiec to build a brewery. Many of the original brewery buildings have been preserved to this day. They were designed by Karol Pietschka. The Żywiec Brewery Museum astounds with modern solutions, where we will learn the history of the plant and the process of beer production.

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Katowice