Anybody from Sanok? Good, bads, uglies?

Hey guys and gals, anybody live in Sanok?
My wifey wants to go back to live in Poland, and this looks like an attractive place to live and work, especially since I work in the automotive industry and they have some of that stuff going on. Not to mention, I need an ice-rink to play hockey (superficial, yes I know, but f-k, if you've never popped a slap-shot in the upper left corner, you don't know how overrated sex is).

I visited there this January and liked it above all other Polish hamlets. The coal smoke to heat the hovels is a little overwhelming, but free healthcare and cheap beer makes the balance.

And I don't just want a "yes, I live in Sanok" answer, I want you to expound on the goods, the bads and the uglies.

My gf has got family there, says it's a place from which youngsters are rather moving out than staying. She says it is a place attractive to live in but not to work. You know fresh air, nice sights. But all her cousins from Sanok went for work to Cracov or outside of Europe.. so I'd rethink this choice if I were you.

From what I know about Autosan, it's a place where jobs go to those who know the management. There's not much else there in the way of the automotive industry - unless you count the usual small businesses.

As for living there - it would probably drive you mad after a few months. There's precious little to do, though there are some good pubs - especially one called "beerland" ;) In all fairness, if you have enough money to buy a nice house outright and working is more for pleasure, Sanok will be a great place to live. But if you need to work to live - then steer clear.


It certainly isn't "free" - either you or your wife will have to have a real work contract, and they'll be paying circa 20% of their wages to cover the healthcare for both of you. Even if you both have "umowa o pracy" - then you'll be looking at 20% each.

There is lots of cheap beer in Sanok, though.


That's pretty much how I'd describe the place. A wonderful place to live if you don't have much pressure to actually do much - but there's precious little happening and very little to fall back on. Even Przewozy Regionalne closed down the train station ticket office - which tells you a lot!

For someone financially independent, it seems like a fantastic place to live - close to Bieszczady, close to the (really) wild Ukrainian Karpaty, the list is endless. But economically, the town is suffering badly - the only real reason that it has anything is because it's the centre of life for Bieszczady.

Thanks for the perspective Delphia... did you actually live there? or close by?

I can't imagine it's a place that attracts many foreigners, but I could be wrong. As far as healthcare, I was in jest... of course it's not free, but if it weren't for healthcare costs in the U.S. I probably would have left my corporate gig long ago to work on my own. There exists a strong possibility that I would choose to work independently in Poland too, and for one, lower healthcare costs make it much more likely.

Concerning Sanok, I really don't know much about it other than being there one day. To be honest, I don't know of many nice Polish mountain towns, but this seemed to fit the bill. I love the mountains, outdoors, all that stuff... it's a lot more affordable than say my wife's town of Wroclaw.

Just a few days here and there - it's a perfect gateway to Bieszczady and often overlooked, but I think it's a great place to visit.


No, definitely not - I can't imagine there being many foreigners there at all. Maybe a couple, but certainly not a lot.


Have you considered some of the towns in Dolnoslaskie? Places like Kłodzko will be dirt cheap to live in, yet much closer to civilisation in general.

Hi. My wife and I (also 2 daughters) recently relocated to Tyrawa Solna, about 14km north of Sanok on the San river. We boaght a small holiday resort (kryptosresort.com). We find the people very friendly and helpfull.

Sure it can be dull here in winter but if you are an entrepeneur, then Sanok is your oyster.
IF you are in the area again please visit us. We need more English speaking people here.

Nice looking place. I'm hoping to be down in that part of the world this summer, will drop you a line if I do get there.

It looks lovely. Good luck with the new opening in May.

Looks good. We'll be passing through in July, this time with my wife and kid. We'll ring you in advance.
Not much of an entrepeneur, though I do make money on the side in the U.S doing translations. In Poland, it would be my primary income as I'll obviously be quitting my day job. Always thought that I'd like to open a car wash though... Poland seems to be short on those. A coin operated do-it-yourself, and just wait for the grosze to start piling up :)

Dull? I guess it depends on your expectations. I was bored stiff this winter in Wroclaw - I'd be happy closer to nature near the mountains. I saw 50 or so thousand people in the square watching some lame ass pop concert on new year's and that to me is really dull.


Not a big fan on a lot of "civilization". Though my wife is a big fan of her family and she's pretty reluctant to look so far from Wroclaw. If I lose the battle, I may have to start looking at those places. As far as distance is concerned, your perspective is way different growing up in the Midwest, also your sense of space..., I don't like population density... the east fits that bill :)

Thanks. You are welcome.