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Many people come to Katowice by chance - their low-fare flight happens to fly to the Katowice Airport, or they have a few hours to kill between trains at the Katowice Central Train Station. But we have a wild suggestion: don't just think of Katowice as a stopping-point on the way to Cracow or other larger cities, but take the time to discover this little city in south-western Poland - you might just be pleasantly surprised!
Getting There
Polish rail (PKP) has a good connection to Katowice (the train to Wroclaw, not to mention Prague and Vienna, goes through there), and the journey takes an hour and a half. You can check their timetables here.
The Town
Katowice is located in Upper Silesia, which means it's changed hands many times in its long history. Originally inhabited by ethnic Silesians, it was ruled by the Polish Piast dynasty before falling into Czech hands in 1335, and then into the Hapsburg domain in 1526. The city of Katowice was founded in the 19th century, gaining city status in 1865. The city has a long history of being a multi-ethnic city, and its inhabitants consisted mainly of Poles, Germans, Jews, and Silesians. After the Industrial Revolution, the city became one of the largest centre of coal and steel production, and to this day is known as an industrial centre of Poland.
What to See
While it's not the cultural mecca Krakow is, Katowice still has several cultural centres, including the Wyspianski Silesian Theatre, Silesian Philharmonic, many museums including the Silesian Museum and the History of Katowice Museum, and is the site of numerous festivals and music concerts year-round.
Despite its industrial background, Katowice has plenty of green spaces and parks to relax in, particularly in the warmer months. Silesian Culture and Refreshment Park, Tadeusz Kosciuszko Park, and Zadole Park are just a few of the larger ones, and dozens of others lay hidden throughout the city.
The city centre itself displays a good contrast of modern skyscrapers and Modernist and Art Nouveau buildings from the turn of the century, notably the Cathedral in Katowice and Drapacz Chmur, one of Europe's first skyscrapers. Katowice's Rynek is getting a facelift soon as well, though today you'll find a nice promenade with many shops and restaurants. Other historic buildings worth seeing include St. Stephen's Church, Silesian Insurgents Monument, the Silesian Library, and the Goldstein Palace.
Fun in Katowice
Even though the city is much smaller than Krakow, Katowice gets a surprising number of good live music acts that play on its stages. Perhaps it's the quality of the larger venues it offers, whereas in Cracow you'll mostly find bands playing in smaller underground clubs. Here's some of our favourite venues for catching a great live show (or having a few beers on regular nights).
Cogitatur is Katowice's premier concert venue, featuring a spacious stage upstairs and a full bar with a tasty menu on the lower level. Our favourite Jekyll and Hyde type of club is Hipnoza Jazz Club and Electro, another spacious bar with high ceilings and jazz music on the top floor, and a cool basement bar with non-stop electro/lounge music in the basement. Spodek is where all the major foreign acts rock out on, so if you'd like to catch stars like Tool or Depeche Mode, chances are you'll see them here. Chorzow Stadium is another place to catch huge foreign acts, and is an outdoor venue located in wonderfully gigantic Chorzow Park.
For more information, please visit the city's official website.
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 | | "First of all, I,m from Scotland - NOT UK. My Babcia lived and died in Chorzow, I went to visit her home last month and I nearly died with shock when I saw the lack of progress in Silesia in general. But I still belive in Silesia - the land of my Babcia i Dziadek." | Dawid
United Kingdom
Aug.24.2010
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "I was born there and actualy miss it. Lived here nearly in US 30 years yet, still something pulls me back. Visted few times and taken my children back. My kids loved it. Although, most of the family has moved back to Germany. Still we want to visit it again. Someone asked about orphanage the only one that i can recall was in Szopienice near a cemetary it was called Dom Dzieca. I remember walking pass it when walking up the hill to the cemetary. In 2003 it ws still there. " | Izabela
United States
Jul.19.2010
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "I hope to travel to poland and visit the birth place of my father,he was born in kierzno which is near kepno.I'm told its's a beautiful country" | John BURZALA
United Kingdom
Jun.06.2010
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "I was born in Kattowice.I will visit Kattowice in late July 2010 I would like to find my family, Kubica and Klimaniec. " | regina klimaniec
Australia
May.19.2010
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Jesse and Tristan is sitting next to me" | anthony
United States
Apr.21.2010
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "HI" | anthony
United States
Apr.21.2010
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "iwant to know more details about foto "holas"in the past.if its possible,i want to know more about Bushman family that was the owners.
thank you" | ofra
Israel
Apr.15.2010
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "My grandad came from Katowice; Jan Fojcik, (son of Maria and Josef Fojcik), any information or leads would be great as it is difficult to access records remotely.
My mum and I have put off going to the city, but I feel the time is coming. I's good to read the range of opinions." | Tracey Randall
United Kingdom
Apr.06.2010
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "All of the above sounds true. Katovice has 300000 inhabitants, but the urban sprawl is 3 million.
A few streets are very attractive, and so are the recently developed huge shopping malls, but the general appearance is shabby. There is some seriousluy heavy industry left, but most factories and mines have been closed, which looks sad.
The budget flights to Katowice are cheap, and hotel accommodation is from about 30 euros per night, breakfast included. Look up Hotel Polon1a in Katowice to see what I mean.
Public transport costs per week what I spend in Holland in a day, and it's everywhere.
I visited the Katowice area 3 times and I intend to go there again. I suppose that tells you something..." | Koos
Netherlands
Mar.29.2010
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Well in fact Katowice's agglomeration is more than twice bigger than Krakow's.
The point is history - while Krakow was developing and it dominates all surrounding villages around, cities in Katowice's agglomeration became more-less equally developed. In our area we say that we are different, but equal:)
Plus something worth noting - Bytom, a city within Katowice's agglomeration is older than Krakow. I mean, it gained the rights to be a city a bit earlier in XIII century." | Pablo
Poland
Mar.10.2010
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Hi MT! I know Krzysztof Oset and the message was provide ;)" | nosu
Poland
Nov.22.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Just wanted to bring to everyones' attention, that the entire world has filty places. Check Mexico City, Los Angeles, New York, China, Belgrade to name a few... not that I am excusing the poles but reality is that there is no heaven on earth!
To those there are from Poland can you tell how the heck you can find phone directories in your country?
Have a great day!!!!" | Anna
United States
Nov.19.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Siema :P
jestem z Niemczech,
i co roku jade do polski 3 razy :PP
i babcia mieszka w katowicach :))
Pozdrawiam wszystkich ;*;*;*" | Katrin ;P
Germany
Nov.05.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Well said: "do not look like disney world, this place is real and i love it"
I love this place too and all other cities around Katowice like Bytom or Gliwice with medieval market places surrounded by coal-mines..." | Trretop
United States
Sep.21.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "When i was a little boy i was in a orphanige in katowice.... does it still exist?" | david
United States
Aug.17.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "I'd like to know where the village of budnanuvka (sp?) is in relation to this city. Family may have come from there." | okzebra2
United States
May.21.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "hi,people in katowice.i'm looking for a man who named krzysztof oset,if someone knows him,please tell him i still keep his lighter for him,please dont worry.i will try my best to send it to him." | MT
China
May.10.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Hi i was looking as my Father(Tadeusz Zajac) came from here during the war he had a brother i knew as Eddie & i think he had sisters who stayed in Poland " | Stephen Zajac
United Kingdom
May.09.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "I was born in Katowice have not visited but would like to some time.I'm looking for my mother's relatives but have no idea where to begin. My mother's name was Krystyne Filak
" | Eryka Martin
United States
Apr.25.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "been there a few times and the more i go back the nicer thigs i see, it is interesting and alive. i like places that do not look like disney world, this place is real and i love it" | john
Ireland
Apr.07.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "This city was so dirty and we were robbed by two kids on scooters. So glad to live, or be from, this place. I would never go back there." | Jo
United Kingdom
Feb.19.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "I was born in katowice poland I loved it and no it was not clean but you should see it now. now i have moved to wales to work and now im a builder and i visit family once a month out in poland we do have a lot to offer in poland" | andrzej
Poland
Feb.08.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "I visited Katowice in March, 1992--was only there briefly but my American sensibilities were shocked by the pollution and dirt. Yet I could see the lovely city still there under the grime, and I do hope, as the years have passed, that the dirt has been cleaned away and the gems of the old city brought back into view." | Dave
United States
Jan.01.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "i would say that population of katowice can not be measured without surrounding cities of the upper silesian metropolitan union (katowice agglomeration). therefore it is about 3,000,000. this is one continuous high dense city area! krakow apart of the old town is rather a low dense type.
as i said before, with the industrial heritage - katowice (and agglomeration) is not for wimps!
krakow is pretty nice though but bit dull ;-)" | ooi
United Kingdom
Sep.07.2008
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Can this the place I went to last month?
It's a dump." |
United Kingdom
Sep.05.2008
rates this page 3/5
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| | "ooi, katowice is no way bigger than cracow! the population of katowice is just above 300,000! cracow has almost three times that, and is much prettier and more interesting culturally. katowice does have better concerts, but it's because it has better venues and a nice stadium." | anka
Poland
Sep.03.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "katowice (and agglomeration) is a great, modern city! it is misleading in the article about size of katowice! about 3 milion people is living there, few times more than in cracow. music scene is much better than in cracow! i recommend the spodek arena - great concerts!
according to locals classic music concerts are the best in poland (katowice is a home of polish national orchestra) . i went to one at a big white building in the katowice downtown - really impressive (the music).
katowice - not for wimps!" | ooi
United Kingdom
Sep.02.2008
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "This is the city of my mother's birth. I am seeking anyone and all that may know her. Her name was Leokakja Kupiec. Born to Stanley Kupiec and Joanna. She was taken from this city at the age of 17. She was born in 1924 here. Her brothers were Joseph, Walter, and sisters, Amelia, Sophia. If you knew of her or her please let me know through this site." | alina surga
United States
Aug.28.2008
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Just found a cheap flight from Scotland so next free weekend I'll try Katowice .. thanks " | Robert Anderson
United Kingdom
Aug.27.2008
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "i was born in katowice
Irka M
" |
United States
Aug.15.2008
rates this page 3/5
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| | "kto pisze,ten zostajie. ;-)
weiter so!,gruß an Katowice." | Peter
Germany
Aug.08.2008
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Nie¼le napisane, krótko, zwiê¼le i na temat :-)" | KinKa
Poland
Jul.27.2008
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "dobrze napisane" | natasza
Poland
Feb.24.2008
rates this page 4/5 |
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