Katowice: Guide

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 are taken into account. 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 is 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.

Understand

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.

The origins of Katowice go back to 1397 when the settlement of Kuznica was founded. Katowice was first mentioned as a village in the middle of dense forests in 1598. In the 18th Century numerous work colonies sprang up here and in around 1769-70 the Duke of Pless established an underground coal mine. The next industrial sites were the Hohenlohe steelworks in the village of Wełnowiec, founded in 1805, the Baildon steelworks in 1828 (named after their founder, a Scotsman), and the Wilhelmina zinc works in 1834.

In 1873 Katowice achieved the status of county town. In 1897 Katowice was formed into a separate urban district, which also included the suburban municipalities of Bogucice - Zawodzie, Dąb, Wełnowiec and Załęże.

In 1889 one of the largest companies in Upper Silesia, the Kattowitzer Aktien-Gesellschaft, was set up with its headquarters in Katowice. As a result, major insurance companies and large-cap banks were attracted to the city. During the First World War, the steel industry continued to develop at a frenetic pace. Rail connections were also developed.

After Third Silesian Uprising Polish Government had decided to give Silesia considerable Autonomy with Katowice as a capital and home of the Silesian Parliament. It was the time of city most intense growth (1922-1939).

In 1975 the neighbouring municipalities of Piotrowice, Ochojec, Panewniki, Kostuchna, Wełnowiec, Szopienice, Giszowiec, Dąbrówka Mała and Murcki were merged with Katowice. Construction works are still continuing in the city centre. The main communications artery (Al. W. Korfantego) has been widened, while old industrial buildings to the west of this road have been demolished. To the east the historic Tiele-Winckler Palace has also been demolished. On the market place, old buildings have been replaced by modern shops: "Zenit" and "Skarbek", and also the "Dom Prasy".

The construction of the Roundabout and the "Flying Saucer" Sports Hall (1962 -71) had a significant impact. The Millennium Housing Estate on the border of Katowice and Chorzów, the Paderewski Estate to the east of the city, the Południe Estate covering the suburbs of Kostuchna, Piotrowice, Ligota, and the Roździeński Housing Estate should also be mentioned.

Get in

By plane

The Katowice-Pyrzowice airport in Pyrzowice (34 km from Katowice) is an airport for domestic and European flights to following cities:

}

There's a frequent shuttle bus from outside the terminal building to the city centre dropping off near main railway station.

For further information see
and

By train

Katowice Main Railway Station is located in the city center.

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 Vienn, Budapest, Kiev, Berlin, Ostrava, Praha, Bohumin, Bratislava, Zilina, Cesky Tesin, Hamburg, Moskva, Minsk. The Main Station has left luggage lockers. The station is an easy two minute walk apart main Bus Station.

The trains within Poland are run by Polskie Koleje Państwowe
(see )

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 (see )

Get around

Public transport

All public bus and tram transport is supervised by KZK GOP. 24h free phone information: 0 800 16 30 30.

Buses & Trams

The main bus station of the Passengers' Municipal Communication is situated near the Railway Station. Booking-Offices and the information office are situates there, open: 8 am - 6 pm. At each bus-stop there is an information board with bus routes and where they go.

There are also tramways which transport passengers within the city and beyond the limits of the city. The dispatcher's office and information of the Municipal Tramway Enterprise are situated at the tram-stop in Rynek (the market square) in Katowice.

The same ticket type is used in bus and tram. Katowice offers many different tickets.
Consider, if it is better to use one-ride ticket, week-ticket or monthly ticket.

One ride ticket price:
within one zone 2,40 PLN (normal rate) 1,20 PLN (reduced rate)
within two zones 2,90 PLN (normal rate) 1,45 PLN (reduced rate)
within three or more zones 3,50 PLN (normal rate)1,75 PLN (reduced rate)

Monthly ticket price (valid for one specified holder only):
The holder is authorised to ride all bus and tram lines within one selected town (municipality): 82 PLN (normal rate) 41 PLN (reduced rate)
The holder is authorised to ride all bus and tram lines over the entire network 96 PLN (normal rate) 48 PLN (reduced rate)
The holder is authorised to ride all bus lines or only tram lines within one selected town (municipality) 78 PLN (normal rate) 39 PLN (reduced rate)
The holder is authorised to ride all bus lines or only tram lines over the entire network 92 PLN (normal rate) 46 PLN (reduced rate)

Other season tickets valid for buses and trams.

Transferable:

1-day: normal rate 12 PLN, reduced rate 6 PLN
2-day: normal rate 18 PLN, reduced rate 9 PLN
5-day: normal rate 30 PLN, reduced rate 15 PLN
7-day: normal rate 34 PLN, reduced rate 17 PLN
14-day: normal rate 56 PLN
monthly: normal rate 108 PLN

Taxi

Taxi-stops are situated in several places in Katowice:
at the entrance of the railway station on the ground floor from 3 maja St.
Plac Oddzialow Mlodziezy Powstanczej
the "Silesia' hotel
Skargi St.
the "Katowice" hotel
Korfantego Av.
Dworcowa St.

See

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.

A complex of the wooden church under the invocation of St. Michel Archangel in the Kosciuszko Park
The cathedral under the invocation of Christ the Lord 49a Plebiscytowa Street
A Catholic chuch under the invocation of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary

The Augsburg-evangelical church under the invocation of the Lord's Resurrection
The edifice of the Administration Office of the Province and assumptions of Plac Sejmowy
The Tax Collector's Office edifice with a dwelling skyscraper and the development of the southern quarter
The Wyspianski Theater
An urban villa at Plac Wolnosci 12a
An architectural complex of a church, a hospital and a convent in Bogucice
A Catholic church under the invocation of St. Szczepan
Buildings of the Jadwizanki sisters convent
The hospital of brothers of the Order of St. John of God
The parish and friar cemetery
Workers' housing estate in Giszowiec
The mining housing estate in Nikiszowiec
The Jewish cemetery 12 Kozielska St.
The Sports-Show Hall "Spodek"
The Silesian Insurgents Monument
The gen. Jerzy Zietek Park of Culture and recreation
The Provincial House and Hospital of the Elizabethan sisters
The church under the invocation of Saint Apostles, Peter and Paul
A church and a cloister of Franciscan brothers, under the invocation of Ludvig the King and the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary in Panewniki
The church under the invocation of St. Jadwiga in Szopienice
The church under the invocation of St. Ann in Nikiszowiec
The church under the invocation of St. Anthony in Dabrowka Mala
The church under the invocation of St. Joseph in Zaleze
The church under the invocation of St. John and St. Paul in Dab
''The Garrison church under the invocation of St. Kazimierz
A church under the invocation of St. Joseph the Worker in Jozefowiec
The church under the invocation of the heart of Jesus the Lord in Murcki

Do

Cinema