Nie wiem, w którym kierunku iść, więc patrzę na mapę przy skrzyżowaniu.

Because the preposition w here means in / in which, and after w (in this meaning) Polish uses the locative case.

• basic form: kierunek = direction
• locative: kierunku
• basic form: który = which
• locative masculine singular: którym

So:

• w którym kierunku = in which direction

This is a very common Polish way to say which way or in which direction.

Because który has to match the noun it describes, and it also has to change for the case required by the sentence.

Here the noun is:

• kierunek — masculine singular

And after w, we need the locative. So:

• nominative: który kierunek
• locative: w którym kierunku

So którym is just the correct case form of który for this phrase.

Because Polish often uses an infinitive after expressions like I don’t know... when English would say I don’t know which way to go.

So:

• Nie wiem, w którym kierunku iść. = I don’t know which direction to go.

The infinitive iść means to go / to walk.

Polish is expressing the idea I don’t know what I should do or I don’t know where to go. Using the infinitive is very natural here.

A more explicit version could be:

• Nie wiem, w którym kierunku mam iść.

That means roughly I don’t know which direction I’m supposed to go, but the shorter infinitive version is very common.

Because iść usually refers to going in one direction, at one time, right now / on one occasion.

• iść = to go, to be going, one-directional
• chodzić = to go around, to go habitually, repeatedly, or in no fixed direction

In this sentence, the person is trying to choose a direction at a specific moment, so iść is the right choice.

Compare:

• Nie wiem, w którym kierunku iść. = I don’t know which way to go.

But chodzić would sound wrong here, because the speaker is not talking about repeated wandering in general.

Usually, yes — iść is most strongly associated with going on foot.

If the person were driving, Polish would more naturally use:

• jechać = to go by vehicle

So:

• Nie wiem, w którym kierunku jechać. = I don’t know which direction to drive/go.

But in everyday speech, iść can sometimes be used more generally if the exact mode of movement is not very important. Still, the default idea is walking.

Because więc means so / therefore, and in Polish it normally introduces another clause. Polish punctuation usually puts a comma before conjunctions like this when they connect clauses.

So:

• Nie wiem, w którym kierunku iść, więc patrzę na mapę...

This is similar to English:

• I don’t know which way to go, so I’m looking at the map...

The comma is standard here.

Yes. Here więc means so, therefore, or thus.

It shows a result:

• I don’t know which direction to go, so I look at the map.

Other possible Polish words in similar contexts are:

• dlatego = therefore / that’s why
• zatem = therefore / thus
• to = so, then (more conversational in some contexts)

But więc is a very normal, neutral choice here.

Because the verb patrzeć normally goes with the preposition na when it means to look at something.

So the pattern is:

• patrzeć na + accusative

Examples:

• patrzę na mapę = I look at the map
• patrzę na ciebie = I’m looking at you
• patrzymy na niebo = we’re looking at the sky

Without na, it would sound unnatural here.

Because na after patrzeć na takes the accusative case.

• nominative: mapa
• accusative: mapę

So:

• patrzę na mapę = I look at the map

This is a common pattern:

• widzę mapę = I see the map
• mam mapę = I have the map
• patrzę na mapę = I look at the map

All of these use the accusative form mapę.

Because the preposition przy means by, near, or next to, and it requires the locative case.

• basic form: skrzyżowanie = intersection
• locative: skrzyżowaniu

So:

• przy skrzyżowaniu = by the intersection / near the intersection

This suggests the map is located close to the intersection.

They are similar, but not identical.

• przy skrzyżowaniu = near the intersection, by the intersection
• na skrzyżowaniu = at the intersection, on the intersection area itself

In this sentence, przy skrzyżowaniu sounds natural if the map is mounted or placed nearby — for example, on a sign or board next to the crossroads.

If you said na skrzyżowaniu, it would suggest being directly at the intersection itself.

Because przy requires the locative case.

The noun skrzyżowanie is a neuter noun, and in the locative singular it becomes:

• skrzyżowanie → skrzyżowaniu

This -u ending is common with many neuter nouns in the locative singular, though not all nouns behave exactly the same way.

So:

• przy skrzyżowaniu
• o skrzyżowaniu
• w skrzyżowaniu (less common depending on meaning)

all use the locative form.

Polish word order is fairly flexible, although some versions sound more natural than others.

The original sentence:

• Nie wiem, w którym kierunku iść, więc patrzę na mapę przy skrzyżowaniu.

is completely natural and neutral.

You could also say:

• Patrzę na mapę przy skrzyżowaniu, bo nie wiem, w którym kierunku iść.

This changes the structure slightly and means:

• I’m looking at the map by the intersection because I don’t know which direction to go.

So yes, word order can change, but the original is a very standard way to say it.

Yes. A very common simpler phrase is:

• którędy = which way / by which route

So you could say:

• Nie wiem, którędy iść.

This also means I don’t know which way to go.

The difference is:

• w którym kierunku sounds a little more literal: in which direction
• którędy sounds more like which way / along which route

Both are natural, but którędy is often more conversational.

Because Polish usually does not need subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

• wiem = I know
• patrzę = I look / I am looking

So ja is unnecessary unless you want emphasis.

• Nie wiem... = I don’t know...
• Ja nie wiem... = I don’t know... / Me, I don’t know... (more emphatic)

Leaving out the pronoun is the normal default in Polish.

Yes. Polish present tense can often correspond to either the English simple present or present continuous, depending on context.

So:

• patrzę na mapę can mean
  • I look at the map
  • I’m looking at the map

In this sentence, the natural English translation is probably I’m looking at the map, because it describes what the speaker is doing right now.

A natural stress pattern would usually highlight the important information:

• Nie wiem, w którym kierunku iść, więc patrzę na mapę przy skrzyżowaniu.

Often the strongest stress would fall on words like:

• kierunku
• mapę
• skrzyżowaniu

If the speaker wants to emphasize the uncertainty, they might stress:

• Nie wiem...

If they want to emphasize the solution, they might stress:

• więc patrzę na mapę

Polish stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable of each word:

• kie-RUN-ku
• PA-trzę
• MA-pę
• skrzy-żo-WA-niu

Yes, it sounds natural and correct.

It is clear, idiomatic, and grammatically standard. A native speaker would understand it immediately.

A slightly shorter, more conversational version might be:

• Nie wiem, którędy iść, więc patrzę na mapę przy skrzyżowaniu.

But your original sentence is absolutely normal Polish.