Płock is a town of 127,000 inhabitants (agglomeration of 203,000) located in central Poland. The town is situated on the river Vistula (Wisła in Polish). Płock is of special interest to fans of Art Nouveau, or secesja in Polish.

Understand

If you are looking for an undiscovered tourist attraction away from the main touristic corridors, Płock is a good bet. Silent, picturesque, interesting. Recommended for a day or two.

Get in

People travel here by bus. Pex (Polski Express) or Komfort Bus serves the busy main line of the area - Warszawa- Płock- Włocławek- Toruń. Warszawa- Płock seem to be served hourly, journey time is approx. 1 h 50 minutes. Płock-Wrocławek is served with somewhat less intensive schedule, approximately a bus is running every two hours or less. There are also multiple bus connections from Kutno.

Get around

Płock has an extensive bus system with most of the town hotspots covered. The timetables and route maps can be found on the kmplock website [1] (in Polish) or at the bus stops. Most of the buses seem to run a few times an hour and from experience they are very rarely late (unlike England), in fact if anything arrive at the bus stop 5-10 minutes before scheduled departure time as they do sometimes arrive a little early and tend not to wait. There are very modern buses on some lines while some have older ones but all are of decent standard. The buses do tend to get busy most days so be prepared to stand (remember that in Poland it is considered polite to offer your seat to elders).

You need to buy the ticket before boarding and they are around 3-4 zł for an adult ticket with concession prices available. They are available at nearly every food shop and easy to get, you need to scan them in the machine once you get on the bus.

See

• Vistula River, particularly attractive at sunset.
• Cathedral, early romanic then modified in the centuries, on the hill neighboring the Vistula, in town center.
• The remnants of Cazimir's Castle, facing the Cathedral.
• Masovian Museum, in Ul. Tumska - a collection of Art Deco furniture and paintings.
• Stary Rynek, the City Hall square. The City Hall itself is interesting.
• Strolling in the no-traffic area (Ul Tumska to Stary Rynek).

• Zoo, walk past the railway/road bridge, on the main road, walk over the small bridge over the rail tracks. Interesting collection: lions, many types of miniature monkeys, fish, crocodiles. A bit overcrowded in animals. Cages are small, especially for the mighty sea turtles. Fee 1,2 euro.

Do

• Walk the riverside. It's a nice walk along the steep bank of the Vistula river. Go to the City Hall, then move southwards till you reach the promenade on the bank. If you choose to go down the steps, you can walk at the bottom of the steep slope and walk past the rock-like forms of the sandy cliffs that are located in the direction opposing to the two Vistula bridges. Another option is to remain atop and stroll westwards on the top of the cliffs. Nice views are guaranteed.

Entertainment

• "Reggaeland" [2], the second largest reggae festival in Poland. Professionally organized, 3 scenes (reggae, ragga/dancehall, raggajungle), good artists, nice vibes. Reggae festival takes place on the very river bank, in mid-July.

Buy

There is a factory outlet of Levi Strauss (producing here). Reasonable prices, 2nd choice very cheap.

Eat

• Restaurant Art Deco, Stary Rynek 17, +48 024 268 5751. Atmospheric restaurant. One specialty is czernina, duck blood soup. Expect 40 zł.

• Restaurant Angielski (see below in sleep). Restaurant and pizza. Expect 20 to 35 zł.

Many zapiekanka stands, especially in the center (typical 2 zł). Kebab restaurants are popping up lately-- expect 15 - 20 zł, less at the stands).

Drink

• Blikle Caffeteria, at the Tumska street, somewhat in the middle. "Trufle" cakes similar to muffins are delicious, as are the ice sorbets.
• Black Cat, in Stary Rynek (old town square), is a "bar for artists."

Sleep

• Hotel Tumski Płock****, Piekarska 9, 09400 Płock, ☏ +48 24 262 90 60. 

• Hotel Petropol (Accor/Orbis chain), Aleia Jachowicza 49, ☏ +48 24 262 4451, fax: +48 24 262 4450, petropol@orbis.pl. 

• Hotel Angielski, Ul. Tumska 9, ☏ +48 24 264 1525. 

Stay safe

City center looks safe, compared to other cities.