Welcome to Katowice – a city reborn after a long era as an industrial town!
Katowice is one of the younger cities in Poland and has come a long way in a very short time.
As a young, dynamic city, Katowice is the cultural and administrative hub of Upper Schlesia. For a long time, coal and steel dominated the image of this 150 year old city. Today, the city is associated with science, the service sector and art. Katowice is well on its way to becoming a European cultural capital.
Tourists tend to forget Katowice, and the same goes for the Poles themselves, having long since written off the city as just an industrial town. They couldn’t be more wrong. In recent years, the historical working class city of Katowice has emerged as one of Poland’s most innovative, culturally dynamic and economically sustainable regions.
The heavy industry has long since moved away, and instead, small startups create a modern and revitalized city. There are plenty of fun things to do in Katowice. Katowice has many cultural events, shows and festivals taking place all year round, truly emphasizing Katowice’s UNESCO status as a “city of music”.
Spend the day walking around in the beautiful Nikiszowiec district and let yourself be inspired by art and music all around the the city. A visit to the Silesian Museum is recommended, as is a walk through the popular “The Valley of Three Ponds” park/Dolina Trzech Stawów during the spring and summer months. Here you will find plenty of ponds and even a small beach area!
As evening approaches, you’d better be ready for a long night filled with dancing and partying. Katowice may not have the charming old squares found in many of the other Polish cities, but there is still plenty to see and do, and Katowice deserves far more attention than it currently receives. The infrastructure has been improved, the price range is low and companies will fly you there, cheap and easy.
There has never been a better time to visit Katowice than right now!
Cuisine
The Polish kitchen isn’t widely spoken of, so what is there to eat in Poland? The cuisine offers big portions with filling food, no one goes hungry after a restaurant visit! Despite the dishes being simple, you will experince food with good ingredients and it feels as if someone put their soul into the cooking. You naturally have to try soups like Zurek and Borstjt. Zurek is a classic Polish soup with sausages, eggs and potatoes. It’s often served inside of a piece of bread. Borstjt is Polish beet soup. Another classic is “pierogi”, steamed dumplings with different fillings. If you have a sweet tooth, you will love Polish desserts and cakes. We encourage you to try Sernik (Cheese Cake) and Macoviec, which is a Polish poppy cake. You will, of course, also find international dishes in Poland. All of this and more can be found at the Mariacka and 3 Maja streets. Here you find restaurants, bars and stores.
Night Life
You will find plenty of restaurants at Mariacka Street, but it’s also a perfect place if you feel like some fun after dinner, since it hosts a plethora of bars and night clubs. It’s a pedestrian street and kind of like the ”Champs Elysées” of Katowice.
Flights and transport
You can fly to Katowice (KTW- Pyrzowices), located 30 km north of Katowice city. The airport has ´two terminals. You can easily take a bus from the airport to the city, and there are several to choose from with different prices. The trip will take about 35 and 50 minutes depending on traffic, and will cost you between 2-6 EUR / person for a single fare; although, be aware that prices can change. Taxis are, of course, available and the airport has its own official companies, such as Airport TAXI Service, located right by the exits of terminals A and B. This might be a better alternative, but it will cost you at least 40 EUR. If you choose another taxi service, it’s important to negotiate the price before getting in the taxi.
Public transport is fine, offering a well developed system of buses and trams running across all of Katowice. Ticket prices are reasonable and tickets can be bought directly from the driver or in local newspaper kiosks or food stores. The prices vary depending on zones you travel in. Uber also operates in Katowice and taxis are always available. Other than public transport, you also have the option of walking around town, which is doable even during winter time.
Seasonal average temperature
Good to know
Poland is an EU member and also a part of the Schengen Agreement since December 21 2007. Since the airline companies have to know that the same individuals that have checked in baggage are present on the flight leaving the country, you have to be able to provide a passport or national ID Card upon departure. You must also show an ID at times during your stay in Poland, e.g. when checking in to your hotel or when departing.Poland doesn’t accept a Swedish driver’s license as a valid ID, since it doesn’t show your citizenship
Despite having joined the EU, Poland uses Polish Zlotys (PLN) as their official currency. Poland is far more keen on using cash compared to, for example Sweden. Some stores only accept cash, while most hotels and restaurants, as well as a few stores, accept card payments. ATMs are mostly available in the cities.
Poland is a very price worthy destination, and is among the cheapest countries in Europe. Here you get bang for your buck! Food stores, public transport and activities are much cheaper than at in Sweden or UK, but also cheaper than a lot of other European countries.
Poland is a destination getting more and more popular among tourists from all over the world, since Poland is amazing in many ways! There are many places to visit and the Poles are also both friendly and humorous! Learn a few common words such as ”Siemka” (hello) and Dziękuję (thank you), and you’ll for sure have a memorable stay in Poland!
External Resources
http://www.arrivalguides.com/en/Travelguides/Europe/Poland/KATOWICE
https://www.swedishnomad.com/sv/55-anledningar-att-resa-till-polen/
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