Katowice: Poland’s Topnotch Industrial and Cultural Destination
Noted for its past as an industrial hub, Katowice, Poland is a city in the southern part of the country and the capital of the Silesian province. Today, it has a vibrant art scene aside from being a center of science, culture, industry, business, trade, and transportation in the region. An emerging metropolis with a growing population, Katowice, is sometimes overlooked by tourists, thinking it’s just a coalfield, rather than the interesting cultural destination that it has become.
Best Time to Visit
A good time to be in Katowice is during Industriada, a one-day festival held once a year in June where the city’s industrial spaces showcase diverse events that include exciting artistic performances, exhibitions, shows, competitions and creative workshops. This coincides with one of the best and busiest months to visit the city. Months of March and May are other appealing months to tourists. As expected, these months have rates for Katowice hotels and flights.
What to Do & Area Attractions
Near the city proper is Courtyard by Marriott Katowice City Center, a sophisticated hotel set along a tree-lined street. The elegant Hotel Monopol is a mere 5-minute walk from Silesian Museum with its exhibitions about the region’s ethnology, archaeology and a collection of Polish paintings. Q Hotel Plus Katowice is also nearby. A must-see is Spodek, the biggest arena and concert venue resembling a flying saucer that hosts the best concerts, sport events, and cultural activities in the city. Also worth a stopover is the Goldstein Palace, considered an epitome of Katowice architecture.