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Place in Silesian Voivodeship, Poland
Photo: Aw58, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Żywiec is a town in the Silesian Voivodeship of southern Poland, 85 km south of Katowice. It's best known for its brewery and is a resort town, with a large lake, and winter and summer leisure activities in the nearby Beskids mountains. In 2019 its population was 31,000.
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Muzeum Miejskie - Stary Zamek
Built for defence in the early 15th century, the castle was made-over into a palace in the 18th. It was used as apartments and offices in the 20th century but re-opened as a museum in 2005.
Historic brewery owned by Heineken. However in 2023 the group re-organised and sold off a similar brewery elsewhere; all this is still playing out and brewery tours are suspended.
Serving good trad fare near Rynek. They have rooms, but these don't rate well.
Grubby but acceptable for a short stay.
Friendly and mostly clean hostel 1.5 km north of railway station.
Family-friendly apartment complex in the lakeside village.
Good chain hotel west edge of lakeside village.
Smart modern hotel and restaurant in mock-rustic style, the name means "Highland Manor". It's at the S1 motorway junction 5 km west of town, a good base or stopover for motorists.
By road from Katowice follow S1 motorway south past Bielsko-Biała. Exit onto Highway 946 spur for town centre, but for the brewery stay on S1 until the next interchange 3 km further south.
Read in the guideWalk in town centre. Buses ply to the bus and railway stations and the brewery.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Balice · International · KRK
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