Czestochowa
From MaxTravelz
Częstochowa is in Poland.
Contents |
Understand
Częstochowa, and the monastery of Jasna Góra is holy place for Polish and foreign Roman Catholics.
Get in
Get around
There is extensive and quite decent public transport network in Częstochowa (bus lines and one tram line)
Ticket fares:
- daytime
- regular - 2.20 zloties
- reduced - 1.10 zloties
- at night
- regular - 4.40 zloties
- reduced - 2.20 zloties
- outside city limits
- regular - 3.30 zloties
- reduced - 1.65 zloties
There are also 24-hrs tickets available: 8.00 zloties regular one and 4.00 zloties reduced rate one. If you plan to stay two weeks or longer please inquire about availability of seasonal tickets.
Bus and tram tickets can be bought in kiosks, other outlets (for examples some shops) or you can buy them directly from bus and tram drivers.
Taxis are available all day long and they charge higher fares between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. Moving around the city by taxi is comfortable and fast. It is relatively cheap. From my own experience I can say taxi drivers tend to be honest and don't overcharge their customers. But I don't know about foreigners and people not native of Częstochowa who don't know the shortest routes.
Please note that calling a taxy by phone is safer and about 30% cheaper. I wouldn't count on operators knowledge of English so you'd better ask a friend who speaks Polish to call a taxi for you.
Taxi company's phone numbers:
- "Tele-Taxi" 0-34-361-61-61
- "Radio Taxi Carex" 0-34-364-11-11
- "Euro Taxi" 0-34-322-52-22
- "Echo Taxi" 0-34-361-19-19
- "Inter Taxi" 96-24
- "Lider Taxi" 96-29
- "919" 0-34-324-13-13 0-34-324-14-14
See
Częstochowa is best known for its Black Madonna icon, housed in the monastery of Jasna Gora. Black madonna icons are controversial in many respects, read the previous link for more information, or the book Longing for Darkness: Tara and the Black Madonna by China Galland.
Pope John Paul II, who was from Poland, presided over an enormous gathering of pilgrims in Czestochowa which is documented in Longing for Darkness. The Polish labor movement, Solidarity (Solidarnosc) is also linked with the Madonna in Czestochowa thanks to its leader (and now former Polish president) Lech Walesa's devotion to her.
Do
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Czestochowa is very small, and accommodations are easy to find. The monastery has a large guesthouse built to accommodate the immense amount of pilgrims who walk here annually from all over Poland. The only time of year you're likely to have a problem finding a place to stay is immediately before and after 15 August, the Feast of the Assumption - a Marian holiday which draws thousands to the monastery for special devotionals.
Cope
English speakers are easy to find near Jasna Góra - many nuns and priests on the grounds are multilingual. The town is another matter.
Some advice from a native local. Please be warned that in the area around Jasna Góra you can be approached by some shady individuals that will want to trick you into buying something. Don't be fooled -- your money will definitely not go towards costs of Jasna Gora renovation or charitable cause it will be probably spent on cheap booze.
Get out
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