Abandoned / Derelict places in Poland to visit

Hi there

I'll be in Krakow in September for a few days (and also October as well) and I'm mainly going to be doing some photography with friends. I'm looking for places that are abandoned, derelict and run-down. In particular I'd love to find some old disused train carriages for the theme I'm thinking of. Its not problem to go somewhere a few hours out, so doesn't have to be strictly near Krakow.

I'll be asking my friends as well, of course, but figured it would worth posting here to see what wealth of knowledge I could obtain.

Thanks
Colin

Avoid the Krakow's Rynek area then. Take a train to the vicinity of Krakow and start from there (bike trip would be fun ;).

Near Wisla stadium (north of it) walking along the park "Blonia" (with polish 'L') there is a very cool abandoned sports facility with an olympic sized pool :) not a train station but very kewl and right in central krakow

tops for me though is the abandoned 'insane asylum' haha in Szczawnica about 2 hour drive from krakow. Try to say that name 3 times real fast.

there is also another cool abandoned mental institution near Katowice in the suburbs.. sorry I can't remember the name now.

happy hunting though - tons of abandoned buildings in PL :D

post if you find some other cool spots

Don't forget to see "szkieletor". This building site has been waiting for somebody to finish it for more than 20 years. It's not abandoned though.

This might be useful for you: inyourpocket/poland/krakow/sightseeing/Abandoned-Krakow.

Also the Liban Quarry:

Thank you for all the suggestions.

Jon - I've seen that In Your Pocket link before.. its quite sparse actually. Zakrzówek is beautiful though - I need to go back there.

Maluch - Are you able to tell me how to get to the insane asylum in Szczawnica? There's also an abandoned health spa place there, of which I found a youtube video for. No idea where it is exactly though. I have actually been to Szczawnica before, albeit briefly. Would love a reason to go back.

haha maybe i stretched the definition ;) my girlfriend calls it a "sanotorium" which in English speak i think of as for mental health. I suppose its more of a regular hospital closed within last 5 years. Very very cool spot and I got some great photos there myself in the winter

zdrojowa 20 - enjoy ;)

cool inyourpocket site! hotel forum is a classic (not best photos) but best food. would love to get up to one of the rooms there

Merged: Urban exploration in Poland

For those who like Urban Exploration and visiting unusual places (not just urban - many are in the countryside) this website might be useful. For those who don't read Polish so well, you'll find different categories on the right side (like castles, military, industrial, underground/tunnels). Fascinating:

forgotten.pl/miejsca.php?typ=domy,%20dworki%20i%20bloki

They have a facebook page too:
facebook.com/forgottenpl

Any Polish town is run-down. Appallingly so. Not difficult to find terrible ***** everywhere. For example, Gdansk is still a bombed out ruin 70 years after the event.

As another poster said, just get on your bike :)

At least the deplorable statue of the savage murderer and admitted terrorist Feliks Dzerzhinskiy was one blot on the Polish landscape that was rightfully toppled and erased forever:

Can't say I've noticed that myself though there are some parts of that city which count as faded elegance. Down in the south west you can still find some places that seriously need reconstruction and even ul. Mała in Warsaw has been patched up now.


Not really abandoned or derelict place since that photo was taken right in the heart of the capital right outside City Hall. Even far from abandoned, and a part of town that was redeveloped decades ago though visiting Poland one day (and maybe trying to learn a little of the language) would doubtless show you things like that. Just round the corner though there are some interesting ruins, some being rebuilt as we speak. There's interestingly a controversial osiedle that some want demolishing and replacing with offices though that won't happen until there's more money in the project.

There are the old tram sheds in Wola (near ul. Korczaka and behind Dw. Zachodnia) which are worth a visit and only a few stops away.

Szopienice.

Such places throughout Poland really do need levelling. The authorities will never have the money to renovate them or even retain the facades; what and would the use of retaining such ruins possibly be? The population is dying out anyway - literally, from too much pork dripping and vodka.

I fail to see the cultural importance of 130 year old buildings, even if they were built by the Donnersmarcks for the proletariat.

Sooner or later these poor areas will improve and cities like £ódź seem better for the old buildings which very much form an architectural unity and give the city its unique atmosphere. Once they're gone, they're gone for good and replaced with the slums of tomorrow. Of course if there's no architectural merit at all and the residents' lives are made miserable by their surroundings it's a different story.

For one day only, the Warsaw Elizeum is open. If you're in town and haven't been before, it's very worth it. Normally, it's visiting only by special arrangement.

Demand is likely to be high, so turn up early.

zabytki.um.warszawa.pl/content/biuro-stołecznego-konserwatora-zabytków-zaprasza-do-podziemnego-salonu-księcia-kazimierza-po
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizeum_w_Warszawie

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Somebody please correct my ignorance, but it just look some like some storage caverns from the photos. What's the attraction ?:)

It's just something interesting to see. A network of tunnels and a grotto used as the king's brother's knocking shop. Built by a famous architect.

Quite a history and not usually possible to see. There are also some other tunnels in Warsaw, even harder to get into.

Interesting then :) In communist times I had a ganders at the monks' remains in the crypt of the Franciscan church in Krakow - perfectly preserved for 350 years in the crypt micro-climate.

I am visiting Poland in 2 weeks and want to see some abandonded buildings.

But, what is the law about entering them?? Do you get a fine if the police catches you? Or they don't care?
And do the people living in villages call te police if they suspect someone entering?

Thanks!!

More like private security firms........ and they have pretty vicious dogs. And don't even think of going on disused army land. I strayed onto that at Ustka on the Baltic and the following rumpus nearly started a full on NATO attack:)

Stay at home and play Counterstrike is my advice.

Merged: Liban Quarry, Krakow open to the public?

Is the Liban Quarry accessible to the public? If so, has anyone been there and know the best way to enter it?

According to this link you can go to visit the quarry, but there is a chance you may get asked to leave by employees of the housing office buildings at the quarry's entrance:-

inyourpocket.com/krakow/liban-quarry_49806v

Hi guys,

Is their any places to visit outside of warsaw ? not more than 2 hours of journey.

BR,
Harry84

Much less than 2 hours. Get the train to Modlin (lots of those due to the airport) then walk or get the bus to the fortress. Be sure to walk around to the less visited bits.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modlin_Fortress
twierdzamodlin.pl/?pl:42:/Zwiedzanie/Oferta

The Spichlerz (granary) looks fascinating when you see it from across the river. I don't know if people are supposed to visit, though graffiti suggests they do.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granary_on_the_Narew_river