01 May 07

Features

BYDGOSZCZ

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With an inviting and relaxed atmosphere, great spa treatments and dental care you can afford, Bydgoszcz in Poland is much more than just a collection of letters, says
Guy King.
Photographs by Tim White

BYDGOSZCZ, until you know how to say it, is a city with an unpronounceable name. And when you do know how to say it – “Bdghst” – it remains a city that few people have heard of. Yet look a little further, and talk to some Polish friends, and you’ll find it’s more than just an obscure former trading centre in northwest Poland.

It’s one of Europe’s healthiest cities. From dental care to outdoor sports and a fantastic climate to minimal pollution, Bydgoszcz is so good for you it should have a spa therapy named after it. Bydgoszcz therapy perhaps. That sounds about right.

Stepping off the plane at Bydgoszcz International Airport, I am surprised to find that Poland isn’t grey, wild beasts don’t roam the roads and there are no dark satanic mills. Forget these untrue Polish stereotypes. No, the sun is splitting the sky and a lush green forest surrounds the airport. It’s common to have 30°C temperatures outside the winter months and, when I meet the mayor, Konstanty Dombrowicz, he jokes that next year they are expecting oranges. Driving to the hotel through the centre of town, cyclists whizz past and joggers bob along, giving the distinct impression that this is a healthy place. To later discover that 50 people turned 100 years old in 2007, out of a population of only 370,000, confirms this.

Inspired by this statistic, I’m ready to detox in Bydgoszcz. And the next morning I set off in search of the secret to eternal life. The city has a wonderful park, offering horse riding, fishing, swimming, sailing and climbing, with skiing and ice skating in winter. There is minigolf and a driving range, and a nine-hole golf course is imminent. Travelling in the back of a traditional horse and carriage, my eyes return again and again to idyllic scenes of happy mushroom pickers swinging their baskets in the breeze. It’s true, really

Bydgoszcz also boasts a relaxing canal, winding its way through the pretty city centre past the modern opera house and late-gothic cathedral, whose interior is more Technicolored than Joseph’s dreamcoat. The city sits upon two Mayor Dombrowicz tells me animatedly that Bydgoszcz hosts regattas and motorcar races, and is in the running for the World Athletics Championships. The Republic of Ireland football team faced Poland here in 2004, as did Scotland in 2001, after which several Scottish fans married local women and decided to settle there. Later, I meet one these Scots in a bar and he tells me that, although there are more “bonny” cities in Poland, Bydgoszcz is a fantastic place to put down roots.

The Scottish connection dates back to the Highland Clearances, which took place mainly between the 1770s and 1850s. Large numbers emigrated to Poland and a couple of Bydgoszcz’s mayors were actually Scottish. The city is twinned with Perth in Scotland, and in May next year will host its very own Highland Games, with pipes, cabers, the lot.

With a good day’s exercise under my sporran, I know it’s time to really check out Bydgoszcz’s health credentials, with a trip to the dentist. Dental tourism is on the rise in Poland, as the cost of treatment in western European countries is becoming increasingly expensive. Before too long I’m horizontal, jaws wide open, having a check-up. I am impressed by the dentist’s professionalism and the money saved, if I was having treatment, would pay for the rest of my trip. A filling, extraction or scale all cost 57PLN (€15) and a porcelain crown is 419PLN (€110) – so low that the next stop has to be the optician’s for an eye test and a new set of frames for only 152PLN (€40).

Now, what healthy weekend would be complete without a visit to a spa? Villa Park Hotel, a short drive from the city, is a modern resort featuring every treatment you can think of – plus the cryotherapy, endermology and balneotherapy that you didn’t think of. Poland’s affordability really is spectacular, and when state-of-the-art spa treatments start at 57PLN (€15), it means the world to your wallet.

Of course, if you are so inclined, the city will also serve your needs for spiritual wellbeing. Christians will be delighted to hear that churches in Poland are routinely bursting at the seams, with three or more services on a Sunday. Non-believers can try mushroom picking as an alternative which, by all accounts of pickers I spoke to, is quite uplifting.

Luckily Bydgoszcz offers non-healthy indulgences as well, otherwise where’s the fun? Chocolates are a local speciality and, as it’s a university town, the bars are bustling in the evenings. One guide promises that they close “only when the people want to go home”. Checking out the hot pants sported by female bar staff in one chain-pub, Roosters, I doubt some visitors will ever want to leave.

Before leaving Bydgoszcz there is one more tried-and-tested therapy to try: shopping. The city does a great line in jewellery, dresses and hats – three important ingredients for a wedding, if you’re planning one. Judging by the quality and value of the restaurants, catering would be more than affordable, too.

Make sure your guests go for mushroom soup though. The people of Bydgoszcz have mushroom soup with every meal. Hang on a minute, come to think of it, that may well be the secret of their good health.

City guide

PLAN AHEAD
For tourist advice, river cruise bookings, and any other information, contact the tourist office (tel: +48 52 321 45 95 or go to www..bydgoszcz.pl).
WHEN TO GO
May to October is the best time to visit, with consistently high temperatures in summer, up to 35°C. It gets well below zero during winter, but the city looks beautiful at Christmas, with a tree and ice rink.
WHERE TO STAY
View a comprehensive list of places to stay at www.it.byd.pl, with prices to suit every budget. Or, visit www..bydgoszcz.pl and click on “tourism”. I stayed in the very central Hotel Orlem (www..hotelpodorlem.pl), with its gold-painted banisters, red carpets, stained-glass windows and chandeliers. Another hotel worthy of note is City Hotel (www.city-hotel.pl).
WHERE TO EAT
Restauracja Meluzyna, Gdanska 50, (tel: +48 52 327 5205) serves cracking mushroom soup and other local delicacies.
BEST DENTIST
The best dental clinic is Remedium, on Gdanska Street (tel: +48 52 321 0445) www..remediumclinic.pl).
HOW TO BUDGET
A 10 minute taxi ride from the airport to the city centre is 27PLN (€7). A kebab and a beer each cost 6PLN (€1.50). A comfortable double room in a three-star hotel will be no more than 228PLN (€60). The local currency is the Polish zloty.
DON’T MISS
Parkland surrounds Villa Park Hotel and there are a number of packages on offer, from weekends to fortnight breaks (www.villapark.pl). Lesny Park, located on the outskirts of the town, has a zoo with animals native to Poland.
TIME TO REFLECT
There is a large war memorial in the town square, where a ceremony is held each year to mark the city’s Bloody Sunday massacre, which happened during World War II. There was also a female concentration camp in the city
TAKE A DAYTRIP
Torun is twice the size of Bydgoszcz and is 48km away. As well as lots of shopping opportunities, the city has its very own leaning tower and is the birthplace of famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.
WHERE TO PARTY
Rooster (3 Mostowa, www.rooster.pl/bydgoszcz). There is also a vibrant latenight bar on a boat beside the main bridge.