Katowice

From World travel guide

Katowice is the largest city in Silesia in Poland, with a population of about 320,000 in the city itself, or over 2.1 million if the surrounding towns of the Upper-Silesian Metropolitan Union 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 a interesting city with many relics, hospitable people, and easy access to the mountains and other silesian cities.

Contents 1 Understand 2 Get in 2.1 By plane 2.2 By train 2.3 By car 2.4 By bus 3 Get around 3.1 By bus 3.2 By tram 3.3 By taxi 4 See 5 Do 6 Learn 7 Work 8 Buy 9 Eat 9.1 Budget 9.2 Mid-range 9.3 Splurge 10 Drink 11 Sleep 11.1 Budget 11.2 Mid-range 11.3 Splurge 12 Contact 13 Stay safe 14 Cope 15 Get out 16 External links

Understand

Get in

By plane

• Katowice-Pyrzowice airport in Pyrzowice (34 km from Katowice)is the airport for domestic and European flights from e.g. Warsaw, Gdansk, Athens, London, Milan, Paris and Roma. There's a frequent shuttle bus from outside the terminal building to the city centre, dropping off near main railway station. (see GTL Airport Katowice - Pyrzowice)

By train

Katowice 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). The Central 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 PKP)

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 is 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 PEKAES EUROLINES)

Get around

By bus

By tram

By taxi

See

• History of Katowice Museum
• Silesian Museum

Do

Cinema

• Swiatowid, 7 3-rd Maja Street. The primary place for art-house film in the city centre
• Rialto, 24 St Jana Street. An artist run venue which specialises in more experimental film and music and has a lovely cafe too.
• Cinema City, 44 Gliwicka Street modern multiplex type cinemas with approx 13 screens and IMAX 3-D system.
• Helios, 13 Uniwersytecka Street modern multiplex type cinemas with approx 9 screens. This one is in Altus - the highest building in Katowice.

Theatre

• Silesian Theatre, 2 Main Market. Katowice's main repertory theatre, located in the city center.
• Theatre Korez, 2 Plac Sejmu Slaskiego. Well known for being involved in some of the most cutting-edge theatre in the city.

Music

• Concer Hall The Spodek, 35 W. Korfantego Avenue. Wide variety of concerts, performances and sports events.
• Silesian Philharmonic, 2 Sokolska Street.
• National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra Katowice, 2 Plac Sejmu Slaskiego.

Learn

Work

Buy

Eat

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Contact

Phone Katowice's area code (for landline numbers) is 032 when dialed from within Poland or +4832 from outside Poland.

Internet There are also plenty places that offer web and other internet access. These include:

• CafeKontakt Internet Café Bar: Katowice, 3 Stawowa Street

Stay safe

Katowice is a generally safe city to stay in. Beware of the usual nuisance of petty theft (especially at Railway Station).

Cope

Get out

• Oświęcim and Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi camp there
• Adit of the black trout in Tarnowskie Gory
• Central Firefighting Museum in Myslowice
• Mining skansen in Zabrze
• Monumental Mine in Tarnowskie Gory
• Silesian Ethnographic Park in Chorzow

External links

• Official city page
• Tourist Information Silesia-Region

WikiPedia:Katowice Dmoz:Europe/Poland/Voivodships/Upper_Silesia/Katowice

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