Gliwice, a city with a rich industrial history, hides two unique places for billiard lovers that combine tradition with a professional approach to the sport.

The NOT Billiard Club at 25 Górnych Wałów Street is a true institution on the billiard map of Silesia. Established in the 1990s, the club is located in a historic building belonging to the Supreme Technical Organization, which gives it a special character. The club's interiors have retained elements of industrial architecture, reminiscent of the region's industrial roots. NOT offers eight professional billiard tables, kept in perfect working order. What sets this place apart from others is that over the years it has been the arena for many regional tournaments and championships, and top Silesian billiard players have trained on its tables.

The club's history is closely linked to the development of billiards in Silesia - in the 1990s and early 2000s, when the sport was booming in Poland, NOT became a training center for young talent. The club is famous for its friendly atmosphere and affordable prices, making it accessible to both beginners and advanced players. It is worth mentioning that NOT regularly hosts amateur billiard leagues, which attract enthusiasts from all over the region.

Just a few minutes' walk from NOT, at 11 Dolnych Wałów Street, is Black Ball, a modern billiard club that provides an interesting contrast to the more traditional NOT. Black Ball is a place that was created out of a passion for billiards and a desire to create a space that combines sports competition with elements of club entertainment. The interiors are decorated in a modern, minimalist style, with a dominant black color scheme that alludes to the club's name.

Black Ball offers six pool tables and two snooker tables - a rarity in the region and one that attracts lovers of this variety of billiards. The club is also distinguished by professional table lighting that meets tournament standards. An interesting fact is that Black Ball regularly hosts professional billiard coaches who conduct workshops and individual lessons here. Price-wise, Black Ball ranks in the middle range, while offering a discount system for regular customers and students.

Both Gliwice clubs are linked by an interesting local rivalry - for years the 'Billiard Derby of Gliwice' tournament has been organized here, in which players of both clubs compete for a symbolic trophy and prestige. This friendly rivalry has already become part of the local billiard tradition and attracts numerous fans.

Leaving Gliwice and heading towards the provincial capital, we find ourselves in Katowice, where billiards functions as part of a wider entertainment offer. Diament - Bowling & Billiards Club at 4 Adam Mickiewicza Street is a place that combines tradition with modernity in the heart of Katowice.

Diament is a true entertainment center with over 20 years of history. Founded in 1998, initially as a small billiards club, over time it has grown to impressive proportions. It now offers 12 professional billiard tables of various sizes, allowing for both pool billiards and snooker. In addition to billiards, Diamond also offers 8 bowling lanes, making it ideal for groups looking for a variety of entertainment.

What sets Diament apart from other venues is its rich history associated with Silesian billiards. Between 2000 and 2010, the club was the site of regular meetings of the Silesian billiard league, and its tables hosted qualifiers for the Polish championship. There is an anecdote circulating among local regulars about the visit of legendary snooker player Stephen Hendry, who, during a private visit to Katowice, was said to have played a few games at the Diamond and left his autograph on one of the cues, which is still proudly displayed in the club.

The Diamond also offers professional catering facilities - a bar with a wide selection of drinks and a menu of snacks ideal for consumption while playing. Pricing-wise, the club ranks in the mid-range, offering various hourly packages that become more attractive in the predawn hours. The atmosphere at the Diamond is more commercial than at Gliwice clubs, but the professionalism of the staff and the quality of the equipment compensate for this aspect.

Crossing the border of Katowice and heading to neighboring Sosnowiec, we end up at Falcon Pizza&Billiard Club at 32 Gospodarcza St. This is a place that uniquely combines the passion for billiards with culinary culture, creating a space where sports meets gastronomy.

Falcon is a relatively new spot on the billiard map of Silesia, operating since 2015, but has already managed to gain recognition among local lovers of the sport. The club offers six billiard tables maintained in excellent condition. Falcon's distinguishing feature, however, is the combination of a billiard club and a pizzeria, which creates a unique atmosphere of a place where one can both compete at the table and enjoy Italian specialties.

Falcon's interiors are decorated in an industrial style with sports elements - on the walls hang billiard-related memorabilia and photos from tournaments held at the club. An interesting fact is that Falcon regularly organizes 'Pizza & Pool Nights' - evenings during which mini-billiard tournaments are held, and the winners receive vouchers for pizza. This formula has gained great popularity among the local community.

Price-wise, Falcon is very affordable, offering attractive packages combining a game of pool with an order of pizza. The club attracts a diverse clientele - from families with children (for whom there are smaller pool tables) to groups of friends and professional players. The atmosphere here is definitely more casual and less formal than in typical billiard clubs, which for many is an additional advantage.

On the southern outskirts of the Silesian Voivodeship, in the small town of Wodzislaw Slaski, there is a place unique on the billiard map of the region - Billiard Academy Wodzislaw Slaski on Powstańców 13 Street. This is not just a billiard club, but a real educational institution, whose main goal is to train young talents and popularize billiards as a sports discipline.

The Academy was founded in 2010 by a group of billiard enthusiasts who saw the need to create a place dedicated to the training of young people. For more than a decade of activity, the Academy has developed a reputation as one of the best training centers in southern Poland. The Academy's interiors are functional and professional - eight top-notch billiard tables, specialized lighting and technical training space create ideal conditions for learning and improving skills.

What sets the Academy apart from other clubs is its educational nature. The venue offers regular billiard courses for different age groups, starting with schoolchildren. The Academy's training program was developed by professional coaches and is constantly updated in accordance with the latest trends in world billiards. It is worth mentioning that the Academy boasts impressive successes of its alumni - several of them made it to the junior national team, and one won a medal at the European Junior Championships.

An interesting fact related to the Academy is the history of its establishment. According to local stories, the initiative to create a training center was born during a chance meeting of several billiard enthusiasts in a small pub 'Under the Green Cloth', which no longer exists. The discussion about the lack of a professional training place for young people turned into a concrete plan of action, which resulted in the creation of the Academy. This story is often cited as an example of how passion and determination can contribute to the development of a local sports community.

The Billiard Academy in Wodzislaw Slaski is also the organizer of the cyclical tournament 'Młode Bile' - a competition dedicated to children and young people from the entire Silesian province. This tournament has become an important point in the calendar of young billiard players and a springboard for further career for many of them. Price-wise, the Academy offers very affordable conditions, especially for schoolchildren, for whom special training packages have been prepared.

Also worth mentioning is the social dimension of the Academy's activities. The venue runs a program called 'Billiards instead of the computer', which aims to encourage young people to spend time actively and develop social skills through sports. The program has received recognition from the local authorities and is partly financed by municipal funds.

In summary, the Billiard Academy in Wodzislaw Slaski is a place that goes beyond the standard definition of a billiard club. It is a center that combines sports passion with education and a social mission, contributing to the development of billiards in Silesia and raising the next generation of talented players. For those interested in a professional approach to billiards, and especially for parents looking for a worthwhile activity for their children, the Academy is an ideal point on the map of billiard Silesia.