Katowice & Chorzow
Home of the Spodek
Information
Katowice is the largest city in Silesia in Poland with a population of about 320,000 in the city itself and over 2.1 million if the surrounding cities of the Upper-Silesian Metropolitan Union are taken into account.
Katowice is one of 11 Polish candidate cities for European Capital of Culture 2016.
Located in the middle of Silesia on the banks of the river Rawa, Katowice's historical importance as Poland's main industrial centre has been indisputable in recent decades.
Nowadays Katowice has also a rich cultural life with theatres, the Silesian Philharmonic, the Silesian Museum and famous concert hall known as the Spodek. Visitors will find an interesting city with many relics, stunning modern architecture, hospitable people and easy access to the Beskidy Mountains and other Silesian Cities.
The city is at the intersection of major road and rail routes connecting Poland to the rest of Europe in all directions, with Katowice International Airport in nearby Pyrzowice. Until recently, the dominant economic sectors in the Katowice region were mining, steel, electrical machinery, electronics, and chemicals. Due to economic changes in Poland, this situation is changing, and heavy industry has given way to commerce and services. There are many new business buildings such as the Katowice Business Centre, the ALTUS Centre Building, and Punkt 44 Leisure Centre.
Flying to Katowice
Some major airlines, Poland's national carriers LOT Polish Airlines and some other low cost airlines fly to Katowice's Pyrzowice Airport . Domestic flights operated by LOT (under Eurolot brand) connect Katowice with Warsaw's Frederic Chopin Airport. There are also connections to Kraków-Balice Airport.
Katowice International Airport - Live Flight Arrivals Information
Katowice International Airport - Live Flight Departures Information
There's a frequent shuttle bus from outside the terminal building to the city centre dropping off near the main railway station.
Trains from all parts of Poland and other countries arrive at Central Station. There are fourteen trains per day between Warsaw and Katowice and twenty-eight trains per day between Cracow and Katowice during the day; the journey takes 180 minutes (from Warsaw) and 80 minutes (from Cracow).
You can arrive by train directly from Vienna, Budapest, Kiev, Berlin, Ostrava, Praha, Bohumin, Bratislava, Zilina, Cesky Tesin, Hamburg, Moskva & Minsk.
By car
The main approaches to Katowice are:
- from Cracow on the A-4 motorway; Katowice is about 60 km westward of Cracow
- from Wroclaw on the A-4 motorway; Katowice is about 180 km eastward of Wroclaw
- from Warsaw on the E-67 European main road; Katowice is about 300 km south of Warsaw
- from Cieszyn (on the southern border) on the E-75 European main road; Katowice is about 70 km north of Cieszyn
All routes converge on the main crossroads (the A-4 and E-75) which lies near the city centre. Katowice has no big car parks system but there are many small car parks along the roads in the city center.
By bus
Long-distance bus services arrive at International Katowice Bus Station (in the city centre, close to Sadowa Street). The main operator is Pekaes Eurolines.
Tourist Attractions
The finest examples of Modernism (International Style and Bauhaus inspired architecture) could be easily found in the city downtown. Central Katowice also contain a significant number of Art Nouveau (Secesja) buildings along with the Communist Era giants such as Spodek or Superjednostka.
- St. Michel Archangel A complex of the wooden churches in the Kosciuszko Park
- Christ the Lord Cathedral, 49a Plebiscytowa Street.
- The Jewish Cemetery 12 Kozielska St.
- Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary Panewniki, A church and a cloister of Franciscan brothers under the invocation of Ludvig the King.
- The Wyspianski Theater
- Concert Hall - The Spodek (teh Flying Saucer), 35 W. Korfantego Avenue. Wide variety of concerts, performances and sports events.
Theater
- Silesian Theater
- Ateneum Theater
- Korez Theater
- Cogitatur Theater
- Rialto Cinetheater
Museums
- Silesian Museum
- History of Katowice Museum
- Muzeum Archidiecezjalne
- Muzeum Misyjne OO. Franciszkanów
- Muzeum Biograficzne P. Stellera
- Muzeum Prawa i Prawników Polskich
- Muzeum Najmniejszych Książek Świata Zygmunta Szkocnego
- Izba Śląska
- Centre of Polish Scenography
- Silesian center of refreshment and culture
Art galleries
- Galeria Sztuki Współczesnej BWA Al. Korfantego 6
- Galeria Sztuki Współczesnej Parnas ul. Kochanowskiego 10
- Galeria Sztuki Atelier 2 ul. Batorego 2
- Galeria Związku Polskich Artystów Plastyków ul. Dworcowa 13
- Galeria Architektury SARP ul. Dyrekcyjna 9
- Galeria Art-Deco pl. Andrzeja 4
- Galeria ul. Jordana 39
- Galeria Akwarela ul. Mikołowska 26
- Galeria Marmurowa ul. Mikołowska 26
- Galeria Piętro Wyżej
- Galeria Sektor I
- Galeria Szyb Wilson