Explore Katowice
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What to know before visiting Katowice
Katowice is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Katowice urban area. As of 2021, Katowice has an official population of 286,960, and a resident population estimate of around 315,000. Katowice is a central part of the Metropolis GZM, with a population of 2.3 million, and a part of a larger Upper Silesian-Moravian metropolitan area that extends into the Czech Republic and has a population of around 5 million people, making it one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the European Union. Throughout the mid-18th century, Katowice developed into a village following the discovery of rich coal reserves in the area. In the first half of the 19th century, intensive industrialization transformed local mills and farms into industrial steelworks, mines, foundries and artisan workshops. The city has since reshaped its economy from a heavy industry-based one to professional services, education and healthcare. The entire metropolitan area is the 16th most economically powerful city by GDP in the European Union with an output amounting to $114.5 billion. Katowice Special Economic Zone is ranked fourth on the list of the TOP10 Global Free Zones. Katowice has been classified as a Gamma - global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network and is a centre of commerce, business, transportation, and culture in southern Poland, with numerous public companies headquartered in the city or in its suburbs including energy group Tauron and metal industry corporation Fasing, important cultural institutions such as Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, award-winning music festivals such as Off Festival and Tauron New Music, and transportation infrastructure such as Katowice Korfanty Airport. It also hosts the finals of Intel Extreme Masters, an Esports video game tournament. Katowice is also home to several institutions of higher learning, notably the University of Silesia, the Silesian University of Technology and the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music. The city is a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network having been recognized as a City of Music. -Wikipedia
General Info
Time Zone
GMT +02:00
Currency
Polish Zloty
1USD = 3.86 PLN
Best time to visit
June
July
Local Weather
JAN
-4.3°
-4.3°
FEB
-3.4°
3.7°
MAR
-0.7°
8.2°
APR
3.5°
14.9°
MAY
8.0°
19.6°
JUN
11.7°
22.9°
JUL
13.3°
24.9°
AUG
12.9°
24.6°
SEP
8.9°
19.1°
OCT
4.6°
13.7°
NOV
0.9°
7.7°
DEC
-2.9
2.7°
Popular Activities
Explore the popular activities
Silesian Museum
Kosciuszko Park
Museum of the History of Katowice
Valley of the Three Ponds
Silesian Insurgents' Monument
Market Square in Katowice
Archcathedral of Christ the King, Katowice
Goldstein Palace
Zabytkowy Młot
Guitar History Museum
Katowice Forest Park
Archdiocesan Museum
Wilson Shaft Gallery
House of Fear Asylum
Museum of the History of Computers and Information Technology
Zabytkowe koło wyciągowe
Bajka Pana Kleksa
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Popiersie Konstantego Wolnego
Katowice
Gallery of Fine Arts in Katowice RONDO ART
Bogucki Park
Legendia Silesian Amusement Park
Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park
Planetarium Śląskie
Silesia Park
JumpWorld Park Trampolin Katowice
Wielka Fabryka Elfów - Katowice
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