Katowice is the capital of the Silesian Voivodeship and the hub of an urban agglomeration with several million inhabitants. The village grew into an industrial city in the 19th century thanks to coal and ore, receiving city rights in 1865.
Katowice is the capital of the Silesian Voivodeship and the hub of an urban agglomeration with several million inhabitants. The village grew into an industrial city in the 19th century thanks to coal and ore, receiving city rights in 1865. Following a plebiscite and the division of Upper Silesia, it joined Poland and became the capital of the Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship in 1922. From 1953 to 1956, it was called Stalinogród. Today, approximately 279,000 people live here.The city center (Śródmieście) stretches from the train station to the Rynek. Nearby lies the pedestrian street ul. Mariacka, with its 19th-century neo-Gothic St. Mary's Church, which becomes the hub of nightlife in the evenings. Just a few minutes' walk north stand the Spodek Hall and the Culture Zone (Strefa Kultury) on the grounds of the former Katowice Mine. In the east of the city, the mining settlements of Nikiszowiec and Giszowiec are preserved.Since 2015, Katowice has been a UNESCO Creative City of Music. Alongside NOSPR concerts, the OFF Festival in August and the Tauron Nowa Muzyka Festival shape the calendar, while the Spodek hosts the finals of the Intel Extreme Masters e-sports tournaments.
Sights in Kattowitz (Katowice)
Discover the most important sights and attractions
Point of Interest
1Concert Hall NOSPR
The Concert Hall of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra at Plac Wojciecha Kilara 1 opened on October 1, 2014. It was designed by Tomasz Konior, while Yasuhisa Toyota (Nagata Acoustics) was responsible for the acoustics of the grand hall, which seats around 1,800. It also features a chamber music hall with 300 seats. The building stands on the former grounds of the Katowice Coal Mine and, together with the Silesian Museum and the Congress Centre, forms the Culture Zone.
The Cathedral of Christ the King (Archikatedra Chrystusa Króla) is the seat of the Archdiocese of Katowice. It was built from 1927 to 1955 in the Neoclassical style and is considered Poland's largest cathedral.
Founded in 1929 by the Silesian Sejm, the museum moved on June 26, 2015, into a new building designed by the Graz-based firm Riegler Riewe on the premises of the defunct Katowice coal mine. A large portion of the exhibitions is underground, including “Światło historii” on the history of Upper Silesia and galleries of Polish art since 1800. From the headframe of the Warszawa II shaft, you can gaze over the Culture Zone. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 8 PM; admission is free on Tuesdays, otherwise all exhibitions cost 29 zł (reduced 19 zł), and the observation tower 15 zł (as of October 2026).
The hall on Aleja Korfantego was built from 1964 to 1971 according to the plans of Maciej Gintowt and Maciej Krasiński and opened on May 9, 1971. Its name means 'Saucer', and the roof is a tensegrity construction based on a concept by engineer Wacław Zalewski. It seats around 11,000 for concerts, ice hockey, and basketball, and since 2014, Spodek has been a regular host of the Intel Extreme Masters.
The settlement in the east of the city was built from 1908 to 1919 for the workers of the Giesche-Grube (from 1946 Wieczorek), designed by Emil and Georg Zillmann from Charlottenburg. Nine brick blocks with around 1,000 apartments are grouped around courtyards; at the center are Plac Wyzwolenia and the St. Anna Church, completed in 1927. Since 2011, Nikiszowiec has been a Polish Historic Monument. In the former laundry room at ul. Rymarska 4, the Museum of the History of Katowice has a branch, and the settlement served as a backdrop for films such as "Sól ziemi czarnej" (1969).
Wine shop, bar, and restaurant on ul. Krzywa 9, awarded a Bib Gourmand in the Guide Michelin 2026. The extensive wine list is complemented by regional cuisine such as local cheese, goose breast, and house-cured ham, with a wider selection of dishes available on weekends.
Large restaurant on ul. Krawczyka 1 in Nikiszowiec, on the ground floor of a house where miners once lived. The cuisine serves Polish and Silesian classics, and the Michelin Guide lists the restaurant in its selection.
Restaurant and cocktail bar at ul. Francuska 1a. The menu is inspired by the chef's travels and incorporates many Middle Eastern flavors, while the wine list focuses on natural wines and many open wines. Guide Michelin features Amfora in its selection.
Family-run brasserie with a terrace at ul. Panewnicka 224 on the city outskirts. The cuisine combines regional specialties such as herring with sour cream, apple, and horseradish, with Mediterranean influences; the Michelin Guide features the restaurant in its selection.
Beef roulade filled with onions, bacon, and pickles. Served with Silesian dumplings and red cabbage or fried sauerkraut.
Silesian Dumplings (Kluski śląskie)
Unfilled potato flour dumplings with a slightly chewy consistency and a mild taste. They are served as a side dish, often with mushroom sauce or rendered bacon.
Krupnioki
Silesian blood sausage made from pork blood, offal, and buckwheat groats. Since the 17th century, it has been considered high-energy food for miners; today, it is primarily eaten on holidays.
Culture in Katowice
Industrial Heritage and MusicThe Cultural Zone demonstrates how Katowice repurposes its mining past: Where the Katowice Mine once operated, now stand the NOSPR Concert Hall, opened in 2014, the Silesian Museum, opened in 2015, and the International Congress Centre with its green roof. The orchestra was founded in Warsaw in 1935 and re-established in Katowice in March 1945.Silesian IdentityIn the 2021 census, Silesians were the largest minority in Katowice, making up 17.8 percent of the population. This history is visible in the brick miners' settlements like Nikiszowiec, and palpable in Silesian cuisine with beef roulade, dumplings, and red cabbage. A good introduction to the regional history is the exhibition 'Światło historii' on Upper Silesia in the Silesian Museum.
Cocktail bar at ul. Dyrekcyjna 10 with brick walls and a long wooden counter. Besides house cocktails, there are interpretations of Silesian cuisine, with concerts and DJs on weekends. Open from 4 PM, Sundays from 1 PM, Fridays and Saturdays until 3 AM, closed Mondays.
Concert venue at Plac Sejmu Śląskiego 2, hosting live music from jazz, indie, and hip-hop for over 20 years. Many concerts require tickets; the program is on the club's website.
Wine bar at ul. Wawelska 2, focusing on Moravian wines from the Czech Republic and a selection of international labels. Eight wines are served daily directly from the barrel, by the glass or by the litre. Open from 1 PM, Fridays and Saturdays until midnight.
Getting ThereKatowice Airport is located in Pyrzowice, about 30 kilometres north of the city. The ZTM Metropolitan Transport Authority's Express Bus AP runs approximately every 30 minutes to the city centre, and since December 2023, the airport also has a train stop about 500 metres from the terminal. From Katowice railway station, direct Intercity trains to Krakow take less than an hour, and Express-Intercity-Premium trains to Warsaw take approximately 2 hours 20 minutes.Getting AroundZTM trams and buses connect Katowice with the neighbouring cities of the metropolitan area. You can reach Spodek and the Culture Zone on foot from Rynek, ZTM buses run to Nikiszowiec, with stops including Nikiszowiec Kościół and Nikiszowiec Szyb Wilson. If you're coming by car, it's best to park it at your hotel or in a car park, as the city centre attractions are close to each other.
