The perfect way to take a walk around the neighborhood. Why are more and more people replacing music in their headphones with captivating stories?

A walk that begins with “turn on an episode”

For years, music was the natural companion of walks. It added pace, lifted the mood and helped shut out the noise. But audio stories are also a good choice – they do not merely fill the silence; they guide your thoughts by the hand. It only takes a few minutes to enter a crime story, report, conversation with an interesting person or novel that begins to unfold somewhere between one step and the next.

It really works well during walks along familiar routes. When we pass the same shops, squares, tenement buildings and pedestrian crossings, our minds can drift to a completely different place. In Bolesławiec, you can walk through the city center, toward the park, along the Bóbr or simply around the housing estate, while listening to a story from the other end of the world, an event from a hundred years ago or a conversation that suddenly puts your own thoughts in order. Such a walk has two levels: the body walks along the pavement while the imagination goes on its own little tour.

Why are stories in headphones so captivating?

Audiobooks and podcasts are convenient because they do not require looking at a screen. You can listen to them while walking, cleaning, riding the bus, cooking or relaxing. For many people, this is a way to “read” when it is difficult to find time for a paper book. Instead of putting off reading until the evening, you can take it with you on a half-hour walk.

The popularity of audio content is clearly visible in the data. According to the Total Audio 2025 report, more than 93 percent of Poles listen to at least one form of audio each month, while 80 percent do so during the day.

The time spent listening to audio has risen to more than five hours a day. Podcasts are also gaining a stronger position: the “Podcast Listener in Poland” report indicates that the weekly reach of podcasts in Poland rose from 4.4 million people in 2020 to 8.4 million in 2024, while the monthly figure is nearly 11 million listeners.

From crime stories to reports. Every walk can have a different mood

The greatest advantage of audio stories lies in the choice. One day you can turn on a light conversational podcast, the next a powerful report, then an audiobook with a thrill, and on the fourth day a popular-science series. As a result, a walk begins to have its own dramaturgy. A short route around the block goes well with one podcast episode. A longer walk through the park can become a chapter of a novel. A weekend trip out of town practically calls for a report or audio drama that unfolds slowly, like mist over a river.

It is no coincidence that story-, conversation- and emotion-based formats remain high among the most popular podcasts in Poland. Just check the bestseller list, for example, on the Audioteka portal.

A walk with a story helps you rest from the screen

There is one more important reason why this type of listening suits walks: it lets your eyes rest. An audiobook, podcast or captivating audio series lets you have fun without scrolling, reading comments or jumping between apps. On the other hand, it is a different kind of rest than music provides. A playlist creates a mood, but a story can engage your attention, quiet the race of thoughts and give a walk its rhythm. Instead of thinking about emails, duties and tomorrow’s to-do list, we follow the voice of the narrator or host. For many people, it is a small mental reset: movement for the body, a story for the mind.

How to start? Begin with a short route

There is no need to plan a major walking expedition right away. Simply choose a podcast episode or the first chapter of an audiobook and set off for 20–30 minutes. It is best to begin with content that genuinely interests you: crime stories, local history, conversations with people, psychology, literature, sport, culture or popular-science topics. If you like the story, the walk will start getting longer on its own. Suddenly, you may find that you can turn down one more street, walk around the park a second time or take the scenic route to the shops.

It is also worth remembering about safety! When walking around the city, it is better not to cut yourself off completely from your surroundings. One earbud, transparency mode or lower volume can help you hear cars, cyclists and other pedestrians. The perfect walk is one from which we return not only in a good mood, but also without an incident of the “I didn’t hear the scooter” variety.