Stairs

Guide on Stairs

• Are stairs the most comfortable way to climb uphill? They are a cruel invention (because who prefers to walk up and down the stairs rather than using the lift), yet so simple and functional that they’ve survived in nearly unchanged form for over 8,000 years. When designing a neighborhood on a hilly terrain, there was no way to avoid them.

• Architects and planners, Szczepan Baum and Danuta Dzierżanowska tried to make it easier for residents to navigate this demanding landscape. This is how Niedźwiednik came to be—currently one of the densest neighbourhoods in Poland in terms of stairs.

• Are stairs the most comfortable way to climb uphill? They are a cruel invention (because who prefers to walk up and down the stairs rather than using the lift), yet so simple and functional that they’ve survived in nearly unchanged form for over 8,000 years. When designing a neighborhood on a hilly terrain, there was no way to avoid them.

• Architects and planners, Szczepan Baum and Danuta Dzierżanowska tried to make it easier for residents to navigate this demanding landscape. This is how Niedźwiednik came to be—currently one of the densest neighbourhoods in Poland in terms of stairs.

• Today, no one would likely choose to invest in building on such challenging terrain. Yet Niedźwiednik was constructed based on principles completely different from the investor-driven logic that’s been dominating residential developments in recent years.

• In many ways, it stands in stark contrast to the new Polish housing estates. The fact that no modern investors would even consider Niedźwiednik can be seen as the highest architectural compliment.

• There are indeed too few parking spaces here, no supermarket, and to reach nearly every building, you have to climb stairs—often crossing paths with wild boar herds... A nightmare difficult to endure? Quite the opposite!

• As Niedźwiednik proves, a good place to live is more than just the sum of such factors. The people who grew up here or moved here as adults don’t want to leave or move away—unless it’s to the second hill or a different floor. Could there be a better factor for measuring architectural success?

• We encourage you to take a walk through the stairs—both those in the guide and those you need to climb to reach the ones in the guide.

• Today, no one would likely choose to invest in building on such challenging terrain. Yet Niedźwiednik was constructed based on principles completely different from the investor-driven logic that’s been dominating residential developments in recent years.

• In many ways, it stands in stark contrast to the new Polish housing estates. The fact that no modern investors would even consider Niedźwiednik can be seen as the highest architectural compliment.

• There are indeed too few parking spaces here, no supermarket, and to reach nearly every building, you have to climb stairs—often crossing paths with wild boar herds... A nightmare difficult to endure? Quite the opposite!

• As Niedźwiednik proves, a good place to live is more than just the sum of such factors. The people who grew up here or moved here as adults don’t want to leave or move away—unless it’s to the second hill or a different floor. Could there be a better factor for measuring architectural success?

• We encourage you to take a walk through the stairs—both those in the guide and those you need to climb to reach the ones in the guide.

• The stairs on Góralska were not part of the original neighborhood plan; they do not fully
  align with Baum’s architectural concept. They are steep and long, with 148 steps, including 17 landings. Despite the help of a railing, they are exhausting to climb. With a 20-meter elevation gain over just 100 meters, they have a gradient comparable to the trail from Morskie Oko to Szpiglasowa Przełęcz in the Tatra Mountains.

• The stairs have been closed for around 15 years. In many places, the concrete is chipped, and plants sprout from the cracks where water has damaged the structure. Moss now covers the steps. They cannot be repaired or dismantled. For several years now, they have not been cleaned and are slowly fading into obscurity, blending into the hillside.

• Despite the official closure and the symbolic blockade marked by a pipe welded to the railing supports at both the top and bottom, the stairs are still occasionally used. From the base, one can see an irregularly worn path leading upwards, as if new steps are being traced within the old ones. This new route, marked out by the residents, is gentler and follows a curve, much like the original architectural concept intended. In their current state, the stairs have become more of a monument to stairs than a functional part of the neighborhoods architecture.

• The stairs on Góralska were not part of the original neighborhood plan; they do not fully
  align with Baum’s architectural concept. They are steep and long, with 148 steps, including 17 landings. Despite the help of a railing, they are exhausting to climb. With a 20-meter elevation gain over just 100 meters, they have a gradient comparable to the trail from Morskie Oko to Szpiglasowa Przełęcz in the Tatra Mountains.

• The stairs have been closed for around 15 years. In many places, the concrete is chipped, and plants sprout from the cracks where water has damaged the structure. Moss now covers the steps. They cannot be repaired or dismantled. For several years now, they have not been cleaned and are slowly fading into obscurity, blending into the hillside.

• Despite the official closure and the symbolic blockade marked by a pipe welded to the railing supports at both the top and bottom, the stairs are still occasionally used. From the base, one can see an irregularly worn path leading upwards, as if new steps are being traced within the old ones. This new route, marked out by the residents, is gentler and follows a curve, much like the original architectural concept intended. In their current state, the stairs have become more of a monument to stairs than a functional part of the neighborhoods architecture.

• The steepest stairs in the neighbourhood are long, straight, and rugged. They lead from the garages on Góralska Street up to the playground on the same street, which also serves as an unofficial view point. This is the quickest route to get off the hill on Góralska. Finding the stairs from the bottom is more complicated though. To reach them you have to locate a path behind the garages and from there it is all uphill—no curves, no flat stretches, no to rest benches along the way.

• The stairs have a handrail, but this additional feature, which is typically meant to make climbing easier, only appears after a few meters. Perhaps it’s a test—if you can’t manage that distance without the handrail, you should take a gentler route.

• So, the stairs are uncompromising. First, you have to discover them, then climb 60 meters. The ascent is steep, but the view at the top makes the effort worthwhile.

• The steepest stairs in the neighbourhood are long, straight, and rugged. They lead from the garages on Góralska Street up to the playground on the same street, which also serves as an unofficial view point. This is the quickest route to get off the hill on Góralska. Finding the stairs from the bottom is more complicated though. To reach them you have to locate a path behind the garages and from there it is all uphill—no curves, no flat stretches, no to rest benches along the way.

• The stairs have a handrail, but this additional feature, which is typically meant to make climbing easier, only appears after a few meters. Perhaps it’s a test—if you can’t manage that distance without the handrail, you should take a gentler route.

• So, the stairs are uncompromising. First, you have to discover them, then climb 60 meters. The ascent is steep, but the view at the top makes the effort worthwhile.

• Another set of closed stairs!

• The church is located just a few dozen meters beyond the border of Niedźwiednik. However, the stairs leading to it share so many features with the stairs on the estate that they’ve been included in this guide.

• These are classic temple stairs—long, wide, with handrails on both sides. As Vitruvius recommended, they are not too steep, facilitating entry into the sanctuary.

• The church itself resembles a hill, to which stairs were added to allow access to the summit. Currently, the stairs are closed and don’t seem to be awaiting renovation. Entrance to the church is now through the side doors of the nave. What a loss of symbolism!

• Another set of closed stairs!

• The church is located just a few dozen meters beyond the border of Niedźwiednik. However, the stairs leading to it share so many features with the stairs on the estate that they’ve been included in this guide.

• These are classic temple stairs—long, wide, with handrails on both sides. As Vitruvius recommended, they are not too steep, facilitating entry into the sanctuary.

• The church itself resembles a hill, to which stairs were added to allow access to the summit. Currently, the stairs are closed and don’t seem to be awaiting renovation. Entrance to the church is now through the side doors of the nave. What a loss of symbolism!

• Historically, the proportions of stair construction—width and height of steps and risers, tread length, shape of the steps, curve of the flight—have been directly linked not only to the scale of the human body but also to social changes.

• While the shape of stairs has remained largely unchanged for 8,000 years, the proportions of their components reflect religious, economic, and aesthetic shifts over time. Even within the estate itself, where you can explore stairs built at different times—from the 1980s to the summer of this year—you can observe noticeable changes in their proportions. We encourage you to conduct your own analysis and test the stairs with this in mind.

• If you’re unsure how to date the stairs in Niedźwiednik, examining the materials and construction techniques can offer some clues. Cast concrete with visible formwork lines suggests a late 1980s construction. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw the introduction of flat, square slabs in various finishes and shades, which over time have become more uniform and lighter.

• Historically, the proportions of stair construction—width and height of steps and risers, tread length, shape of the steps, curve of the flight—have been directly linked not only to the scale of the human body but also to social changes.

• While the shape of stairs has remained largely unchanged for 8,000 years, the proportions of their components reflect religious, economic, and aesthetic shifts over time. Even within the estate itself, where you can explore stairs built at different times—from the 1980s to the summer of this year—you can observe noticeable changes in their proportions. We encourage you to conduct your own analysis and test the stairs with this in mind.

• If you’re unsure how to date the stairs in Niedźwiednik, examining the materials and construction techniques can offer some clues. Cast concrete with visible formwork lines suggests a late 1980s construction. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw the introduction of flat, square slabs in various finishes and shades, which over time have become more uniform and lighter.

• Despite the vast number of stairs already existing in Niedźwiednik, new ones continue to be built. And as difficult as it is to admit, some of them seem unnecessary.

• For many years, the neighborhood has seen little investment in the renovation of the original stairs or the construction of new ones on par with the enclosed stairs on Góralska Street. This, however, is understandable when you consider how different these new constructions are. Often, they consist of just two or three steps, with a handrail, a ramp and warning plates for people with visual impairments. As a result, they are much more accessible.

• However, the location of the newest stairs once featured a ramp—a perfect counterpoint to stairs and a much more accessible structure that better matched the external curve of Góralska Street.

• Even though the design of the stairs attempts to adapt to a changing society, the number of their users is unfortunately declining. Today, most residents own cars or take buses. But not all stairs can be avoided this way. As a result, many older residents are forced to move out of Niedźwiednik to neighborhoods with less demanding terrain.

• Despite the vast number of stairs already existing in Niedźwiednik, new ones continue to be built. And as difficult as it is to admit, some of them seem unnecessary.

• For many years, the neighborhood has seen little investment in the renovation of the original stairs or the construction of new ones on par with the enclosed stairs on Góralska Street. This, however, is understandable when you consider how different these new constructions are. Often, they consist of just two or three steps, with a handrail, a ramp and warning plates for people with visual impairments. As a result, they are much more accessible.

• However, the location of the newest stairs once featured a ramp—a perfect counterpoint to stairs and a much more accessible structure that better matched the external curve of Góralska Street.

• Even though the design of the stairs attempts to adapt to a changing society, the number of their users is unfortunately declining. Today, most residents own cars or take buses. But not all stairs can be avoided this way. As a result, many older residents are forced to move out of Niedźwiednik to neighborhoods with less demanding terrain.

• While in Niedźwiednik, you can sharpen your sensitivity to stairs and start noticing them everywhere—even where they don’t actually exist!

• This distinctive feature of the estate appears in many forms and scales. The unique geological formation of the area has given rise to exceptional architecture that evokes the very image of stairs. The designs by Baum and Dzierżanowska for Niedźwiednik are reminiscent of architec- ture found in workers’ recreation centers and sanatoriums in mountainous regions.

• These massive stair-house and stair-garage structures climb up the hills, and from a distance, they resemble the stairs leading to apartment blocks perched on the slopes. Examples of this architecture include the houses on Leśna Góra and Niedźwiednik Street, as well as the garages on Góralska Street. The latter, at least theoretically, could be walked along, offering the experi- ence of stairs on a truly monumental scale.

• While in Niedźwiednik, you can sharpen your sensitivity to stairs and start noticing them everywhere—even where they don’t actually exist!

• This distinctive feature of the estate appears in many forms and scales. The unique geological formation of the area has given rise to exceptional architecture that evokes the very image of stairs. The designs by Baum and Dzierżanowska for Niedźwiednik are reminiscent of architec- ture found in workers’ recreation centers and sanatoriums in mountainous regions.

• These massive stair-house and stair-garage structures climb up the hills, and from a distance, they resemble the stairs leading to apartment blocks perched on the slopes. Examples of this architecture include the houses on Leśna Góra and Niedźwiednik Street, as well as the garages on Góralska Street. The latter, at least theoretically, could be walked along, offering the experi- ence of stairs on a truly monumental scale.

• There’s a place in Niedźwiednik where the density of stairs is unquestionably the highest. It’s the staircase complex on the slope of Leśna Góra, across from the primary school. The sheer number of stairs is surprising, and some of them even appear to have been built without any clear need, as other pedestrian paths already lead up the hill.

• But is the only function of stairs to move from a lower point to a higher one or vice versa? Stairs are also natural gathering places. Of course, you can sit comfortably on them, but here, many benches and low walls have been placed, particularly inviting rest. These features suggest that the social function was important in their design.

• The staircase complex also perfectly reflects the architectural vision of Baum and Dzierżanowska. In their plans, the stairs in the estate were meant to follow gentle curves, allow- ing for smooth ascents. Here, however, the large number of stairs—at first glance, seemingly excessive—allows the pedestrian to decide the level of difficulty for the path they want to take to ascend the hill.

• There’s a place in Niedźwiednik where the density of stairs is unquestionably the highest. It’s the staircase complex on the slope of Leśna Góra, across from the primary school. The sheer number of stairs is surprising, and some of them even appear to have been built without any clear need, as other pedestrian paths already lead up the hill.

• But is the only function of stairs to move from a lower point to a higher one or vice versa? Stairs are also natural gathering places. Of course, you can sit comfortably on them, but here, many benches and low walls have been placed, particularly inviting rest. These features suggest that the social function was important in their design.

• The staircase complex also perfectly reflects the architectural vision of Baum and Dzierżanowska. In their plans, the stairs in the estate were meant to follow gentle curves, allow- ing for smooth ascents. Here, however, the large number of stairs—at first glance, seemingly excessive—allows the pedestrian to decide the level of difficulty for the path they want to take to ascend the hill.

• The next set of stairs, or rather a pair of stairs, was neither designed nor planned by Baum and Dzierżanowska, nor did it come about through the initiative of the neighborhood council or the city. It is a grassroots, anonymous, and an illegal initiative, which evokes mixed feelings among the residents.

• The pair of stairs in question are located in the forest, behind the gazebo on Leśna Góra. The first set of stairs was created by digging into the earth, while the second was built by piling up soil on the slope. It looks like an experiment, an attempt to test out ideas, to verify which set of stairs works better, or perhaps even to understand what stairs really are. As if someone were checking—do you make stairs by adding or subtracting material? From the perspective of a resident of Niedźwiednik, a place overflowing with an unusual number of stairs, such questions seem entirely relevant.

• These studies of stairs in the landscape might also be an attempt to test whether it’s easier to ascend the forested hill with stairs or without them. Or perhaps some resident, so accustomed to using stairs, needed an element that would allow for a smooth transition between the city and the forest?

• The next set of stairs, or rather a pair of stairs, was neither designed nor planned by Baum and Dzierżanowska, nor did it come about through the initiative of the neighborhood council or the city. It is a grassroots, anonymous, and an illegal initiative, which evokes mixed feelings among the residents.

• The pair of stairs in question are located in the forest, behind the gazebo on Leśna Góra. The first set of stairs was created by digging into the earth, while the second was built by piling up soil on the slope. It looks like an experiment, an attempt to test out ideas, to verify which set of stairs works better, or perhaps even to understand what stairs really are. As if someone were checking—do you make stairs by adding or subtracting material? From the perspective of a resident of Niedźwiednik, a place overflowing with an unusual number of stairs, such questions seem entirely relevant.

• These studies of stairs in the landscape might also be an attempt to test whether it’s easier to ascend the forested hill with stairs or without them. Or perhaps some resident, so accustomed to using stairs, needed an element that would allow for a smooth transition between the city and the forest?

• It is said that there used to be beautiful wooden stairs leading into the forest here. But are they still there? How many steps did they have? What type of wood were they made from? Did they have a railing? Did they follow a curve? Were they steep? Did the residents like them? Did they just grow over? Did someone help them along? Who used them? Who built them? When were they made? And will there be new stairs here one day?

• It is said that there used to be beautiful wooden stairs leading into the forest here. But are they still there? How many steps did they have? What type of wood were they made from? Did they have a railing? Did they follow a curve? Were they steep? Did the residents like them? Did they just grow over? Did someone help them along? Who used them? Who built them? When were they made? And will there be new stairs here one day?

Stairs Monument

• Are stairs the most comfortable way to climb a hill? It’s a cruel invention – yet simple and functional enough to have survived in nearly unchanged form for 8,000 years. When designing a settlement located on a hillside, it's hard to avoid building stairs. However, the architects of Niedźwiednik tried to make it easier for residents to move through this challenging terrain by laying out the staircases as arcs on the plan. This approach lengthened the paths but also allowed for gentler inclines.

• The stairs on Góralska Street were not part of the original design of the settlement, and they don't entirely fit into the architectural concept by Bauman and Dzierżanowska. They are steep and long: 148 steps with 17 landings – and, despite having handrails, climbing them is exhausting. A 20-meter rise over a 100-meter stretch is exactly the kind of slope you’d encounter on the trail between Morskie Oko and Szpiglasowa Przełęcz in the Tatra Mountains.

• Are stairs the most comfortable way to climb a hill? It’s a cruel invention – yet simple and functional enough to have survived in nearly unchanged form for 8,000 years. When designing a settlement located on a hillside, it's hard to avoid building stairs. However, the architects of Niedźwiednik tried to make it easier for residents to move through this challenging terrain by laying out the staircases as arcs on the plan. This approach lengthened the paths but also allowed for gentler inclines.

• The stairs on Góralska Street were not part of the original design of the settlement, and they don't entirely fit into the architectural concept by Bauman and Dzierżanowska. They are steep and long: 148 steps with 17 landings – and, despite having handrails, climbing them is exhausting. A 20-meter rise over a 100-meter stretch is exactly the kind of slope you’d encounter on the trail between Morskie Oko and Szpiglasowa Przełęcz in the Tatra Mountains.

• Closed off for about 15 years, the stairs are damaged in many places and overgrown with moss and vegetation. In their current form, the stairs exist more as a monument than a functional element of the settlement’s architecture. Despite being out of use, local residents still occasionally use them, creating a narrow path—a new route within the old stairs. This path is gentler and winds in an arc, much like the original intentions of the settlement’s architects.

• On Narracje, this path was cleared, and the gaps in the steps were filled with a mixture of concrete fragments and natural binders found in the area – in a way that minimally interferes with the architectural and natural ecosystem. The new stairs wind through the old ones, highlighting the divergence between the original settlement plans and the solutions that were implemented. Closed off (and preserved in this closure like a monument), they could exist as a permanent ruin – or a suggestion of how best to climb a hill.

• Closed off for about 15 years, the stairs are damaged in many places and overgrown with moss and vegetation. In their current form, the stairs exist more as a monument than a functional element of the settlement’s architecture. Despite being out of use, local residents still occasionally use them, creating a narrow path—a new route within the old stairs. This path is gentler and winds in an arc, much like the original intentions of the settlement’s architects.

• On Narracje, this path was cleared, and the gaps in the steps were filled with a mixture of concrete fragments and natural binders found in the area – in a way that minimally interferes with the architectural and natural ecosystem. The new stairs wind through the old ones, highlighting the divergence between the original settlement plans and the solutions that were implemented. Closed off (and preserved in this closure like a monument), they could exist as a permanent ruin – or a suggestion of how best to climb a hill.