Footloose in Poland
Get into the Polish groove
The worst of winter is over now and if you. have been hibernating for the past couple of months, now is the time to come out of yourshell and dance. Words by Duncan Rhodes.
If the architecture of Poland conjures up stereotypes of grey skyscrapers, oily shipyards and Socialist tower blocks, then at least another aspect of this great nation enjoys a much more colourful reputation. Thanks to an endless diaspora of immigrant workers and an ever-increasing number of incoming tourists, stories are quickly reaching the rest of Europe about a land of bars that never close, vodkas as smooth as honey, and girls cute enough to make James Bond fluff his lines. Best of all, it’s all true.
KATOWICE
www.cracow-life.com/poland/katowice Although it has often lived in the shadow of its more celebrated cousin, Krakow, Katowice can teach Poland’s cultural capital a thing or two when it comes to nightlife. With its head admirably free from its own posterior, Katowice is considerably better at listening out for current trends and attracting cutting edge artists to its ever-increasing range of bars and clubs.
ELEKTRIC DREAMS
Electronica is the music favoured by the Katowice clubbing crowd; Inqbator (Ul. Dworcowa 2, tel: 032 353 8194, www.inq. pl) matches Berlin’s electronic scene beat for beat, and remains a leading light for androgynous teenagers keen to be hip. Elektro (Plac Sejmu Slaskiego 2, tel: 032 785 7131, www.jazzclub.pl/elektro) offers a slightly more mature jazz-oriented alternative. For those who take a while to settle into an evening Dekadencja (Ul. Mariacka 20, tel: 032 203 4433, www.. dekadencja.com) is the place to be. Retro lampshades and comfortably worn-in upholstery may remind you of your aunt’s living room but they also create the perfect atmosphere for a catching up with friends.
IT TAKES TEA TO TANGO
Looking for something a bit different? Having fun in Katowice doesn’t have to entail a night of bruised toes, beer-soaked Levis and tinnitus. In Czakram (Ul. Mariacka 20, tel: 032 203 4433, www.dekadencja.com), which is affiliated with Dekadencja, discover a space that acts as a tea room, shisha parlour, art gallery, concert venue and – on Mondays – Argentinean tango classroom.
WROCLAW
www.wroclaw-life.com Amazing architecture, fascinating history, friendly people – if Wroclaw has an Achilles’ heel it’s a lack of serious clubs. As if to compensate, the city’s best bars often turn the smallest space imaginable into a pulsating dancefloor. Tables and chairs aren’t always spared. You have been warned.
SAY CHEESE
Apart from the odd rave in Max Berg’s modernist monster the Hala Ludowa (People’s Hall), clubheads may be a bit disappointed by Wroclaw’s scene, which is dominated by cheesy dens of iniquity. Droga do Mekki (Pasaz Niepolda, Ul. Ruska 51, www.mekka.pl) is a rare exception to the rule with a knowledgeable crowd throwing the latest minimal moves to the latest minimal music. Upstairs the punters at Bezsennosc (Pasaz Niepolda, Ul. Ruska 51, tel: 071 792 8048, www.bezsennosc.wroclaw. pl) tend to be much more lively, even if their tiny dancefloor means you’ll have no choice but to perfect that shoulder shuffle you just witnessed downstairs. The pick of the Wroclaw bunch however is undoubtedly the anarchic Caf
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