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| Katowice | |||
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Katowice
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| Coordinates: 50°15′N 19°0′E / 50.25°N 19°E | |||
| Country |  Poland |
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| Voivodeship |  Silesian |
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| County | city county | ||
| Established | 16th century | ||
| City rights | 1865 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Piotr Uszok | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 164.67 km2 (63.6 sq mi) | ||
| Highest elevation | 352 m (1,155 ft) | ||
| Lowest elevation | 266 m (873 ft) | ||
| Population (2009) | |||
| - City | 308,724 | ||
| - Density | 1,874.8/km2 (4,855.7/sq mi) | ||
| - Urban | 2,746,000 | ||
| - Metro | 5,294,000 | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 40-001 to 40-999 | ||
| Area code(s) | +48 32 | ||
| Car plates | SK | ||
| Website | http://www.um.katowice.pl | ||
Katowice [katɔˈvit͡sɛ] (
listen) (Czech: Katovice, German: Kattowitz) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers (tributaries
of the Oder and the Vistula). Katowice is located
in the Silesian Highlands, about 50 km
on north from the Silesian Beskids (part of the Carpathian Mountains) and about
100 km on south-east from Sudetes Mountains.
It is the central district of the Metropolitan Association of Upper Silesia, with a population of 2 million. Katowice is large local center of science, culture, industry, business and transportation. Katowice is the main city in the Upper Silesian Industrial Region, and of the 2,7 million[1][2][3][4][5] conurbation, the Katowice urban area, within a greater Silesian metropolitan area populated by about 5,294,000 people.[6] The population within the city limits is 308,724.[7]
Katowice has been the capital of Silesian Voivodeship since its formation in 1999. Previously, it was the capital of the Katowice Voivodeship, and before then, of the Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship.
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The area around Katowice in Upper Silesia has been inhabited by ethnic Silesians from its earliest documented history. It was first ruled by the Polish Silesian Piast dynasty (until its extinction). From 1335 it was a part of the Crown of Bohemia. In 1526 the territory passed to the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy after the death of King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia. In 1742 most of Silesia was annexed from Austria by the Kingdom of Prussia during the First Silesian War.
Katowice was founded in the 19th century and gained city status in 1865 as Kattowitz in the Prussian Province of Silesia. The city flourished due to large mineral (especially coal) deposits in the nearby mountains. Extensive city growth and prosperity depended on the coal mining and steel industries, which took off during the Industrial Revolution. Kattowitz was inhabited mainly by Germans, Silesians, Jews and Poles. Previously part of the Beuthen district, in 1873 it became the capital of the new Kattowitz district. On 1 April 1899, the city of Kattowitz was separated from the district, becoming an independent city.
According to the Treaty of Versailles after World War I the Upper Silesia plebiscite was organised by the League of Nations. While in the city of Katowice the plebiscite resulted 22,774 votes to remain in Germany and 3,900 votes for Poland[8] in the voting district of Katowice overall (combined with rural areas near the city and castle area) they were 66,119 votes for Poland and 52,992 for Germany[9] and following the Silesian Uprisings (1918-21) Katowice became part of the Second Polish Republic with a certain level of autonomy (Silesian Parliament as a constituency and Silesian Voivodeship Council as the executive body).
The city was occupied by Nazi Germany between 1939-1945.
In 1953 the city was renamed Stalinogród ("Stalin City") by the Polish communist government. However, the new name was never accepted by the city's population and in 1956 the former name of 'Katowice' was restored.
Severe ecological damage to the environment occurred during the post-Second World War time of communist governance in the People's Republic of Poland, but recent changes in regulations, procedures and policies of Polish government since the fall of Communism have reversed much of the harm that was done.
Due to economic reforms, there has been a shift away from heavy industry, and towards small businesses.
Katowice lies on Katowice Highlands, as part of the Silesian Highlands, in the eastern part of Upper Silesia, within the central portion of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. In administrative terms, Katowice is an urban community in the Silesian Voivodeship in south-west Poland. It is central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - metropolis with the population of 2 millions. It borders the cities of Chorzów, Siemianowice Śląskie, Sosnowiec, Mysłowice, Lędziny, Tychy, Mikołów, Ruda Śląska and Czeladź. In geographical terms, it lies between the Vistula and Oder rivers, on the Silesian Highlands. Several rivers flow through the city, the major two being the Kłodnica and Rawa Rivers. Within 600 kilometres of Katowice are the capital cities of six countries: Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Bratislava, Budapest and Warsaw.
The climate of the area is continental humid. The average temperature is 8.2 degrees Celsius (average -1.5°C in January and up to average 18°C in July). Yearly rainfall averages at 60.85 mm. The area's characteristic weak winds blow at about 2 m/s from the west - Moravian Gate.
| Weather data for Katowice | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) |
1 (34) |
3 (37) |
7 (45) |
13 (55) |
19 (66) |
21 (70) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
18 (64) |
13 (55) |
6 (43) |
2 (36) |
12.4 (54) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) |
-1.5 (29) |
-0.5 (31) |
3.0 (37) |
8.0 (46) |
13.5 (56) |
16.0 (61) |
18.0 (64) |
17.5 (64) |
13.5 (56) |
9.0 (48) |
3.0 (37) |
-0.5 (31) |
8.2 (47) |
| Average low °C (°F) |
-4 (25) |
-4 (25) |
-1 (30) |
3 (37) |
8 (46) |
11 (52) |
13 (55) |
12 (54) |
9 (48) |
5 (41) |
0 (32) |
-3 (27) |
4.0 (39) |
| Precipitation cm (inches) |
3.04 (1.2) |
2.92 (1.1) |
3.24 (1.3) |
3.68 (1.4) |
5.29 (2.1) |
5.95 (2.3) |
7.37 (2.9) |
5.11 (2) |
4.49 (1.8) |
3.52 (1.4) |
3.76 (1.5) |
3.28 (1.3) |
60.85 (24) |
| Source: MSN Weather[10] | |||||||||||||
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Katowice lies in the centre of the largest conurbation in Poland and is one of the largest in the European Union, numbering at about 2.7 million. This urban expansion boomed in the 19th century thanks to the rapid development of the mining and metallurgical industries. The Katowice urban area consists of about 40 adjacent cities and towns. However, the whole Silesian metropolitan area (mostly within the Upper Silesian Coal Basin) consists of over 50 cities/town. This metropolitan area has a population of 5,294,000. Katowice is also part of a megalopolis of over 7 million inhabitants covering Katowice, Ostrava, Kraków and Częstochowa regions.
In the year 2006 Katowice and 14 adjacent cities united under one municipal organism - the union of cities - Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union. Its population is 2 million and its area is 1,104 km². In 2006 and 2007, the union planned to unite these cities in one city under the name "Silesia"; however, this proved unsuccessful.[11]
Katowice are to the group of Polish cities whose centers do not originate from the medieval town. Downtown City was formed in the mid-nineteenth century. Established at the time the buildings are decorated eclectic (mostly Renaissance and Baroque) as elements of Art Nouveau style (secesja). The end of the nineteenth century, which may seem surprising for visitors today, the center of Katowice, was regarded as a "little Paris"[12]
Katowice's mixture of architectural styles. Most of the historical buildings were thoroughly reconstructed. However, some of the buildings from the 19th century that had been preserved in reasonably reconstructible form were nonetheless eradicated in the 1950s to 1970s. Mass residential blocks were erected, with basic design typical of Eastern bloc countries.
Public spaces attract heavy investment, so that the city has gained entirely new squares, parks and monuments. Katowice's current urban landscape is one of modern and contemporary architecture.
Examples of Modernism (International Style and Bauhaus inspired architecture) may be found in the city downtown. Central Katowice also contain a significant number of Art Nouveau (Secesja) buildings along with the Communist Era giants such as Spodek or Superjednostka.
Katowice's Rynek is the old centre and marketplace of the city. Unfortunately many old buildings were demolished in the 1950s to make space for monumental communist modern buildings. Several streets around the Rynek and the Rynek itself are now closed to traffic and have been made into a shopping promenades.
Regeneration of the Rynek area should start at 2007-2008 and there was an international architectural competition in 2006 to find the best design.
Best buildings and places to see in Katowice:
Other:
Katowice is a large coal and steel centre. It has several coal mines (Wujek Coal Mine, Mysłowice-Wesoła Coal Mine, Wieczorek Coal Mine, Murcki Coal Mine, Staszic Coal Mine) organized into unions - Katowice Coal Holding company (pl: Katowicki Holding Węglowy), two steelworks (Huta Baildon, Huta Ferum), and one foundry of non-ferrous metals (Huta Metali Nieżelaznych Szopienice).
Katowice is also a large business and trade fair centre. Every year in Katowice International Fair and Spodek, tens of international trade fairs are organized. Katowice has the second largest business centre in Poland (after Warsaw Business Centre). Skyscrapers stand along Chorzowska, Korfantego and Roździeńskiego street in the centre of the city. The newest office buildings (A-class) in Katowice are the Chorzowska 50, Altus Skyscraper and Silesia Towers (under construction).
Katowice is the seat of Katowice Special Economic Zone (Katowicka Specjalna Strefa Ekonomiczna).
The unemployment rate in Katowice is one of the lowest in Poland, at 2% (in 2008), according to the official figures.[14] The city is still characterized by its working class strength and thus attracts many people seeking jobs from neighbouring cities (other districts USMU).
The average monthly salary in Katowice is the highest in Poland - about 4222,52 zł ($~1,220), in Warsaw it's about 4135,93 zł ($~1,200).[15]
Katowice is the third largest scientific centre in Poland (after Warsaw and Cracow). It has over 20 schools of higher education, at which over 100,000 persons study.
There are also:
The public transportation system of the Katowice and Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union consists of four branches - buses and trams united in the KZK GOP and furthermore the regional rail. Additional services are operated by private companies and the state-owned railways.
Silesian Interurbans - one of the largest tram systems in the World, in existence since 1894. The system spreads for more than 50 kilometres (east-west) and covers fourteen districts of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union.
Several important roads in neighbourhoods of Katowice (USMU):
The city and the area is served by the Katowice International Airport, located about 30 km from the center of Katowice. With over 20 international and domestic flights daily, it is by far the biggest airport in Silesia (~2,5 million passengers served in 2008; 2 terminals: A and B).
Because of the long commute to the airport, there is a proposal to convert the much nearer sport aviation-serving Katowice-Muchowiec Airport into a so-called city airport, a second international airport for smaller, business-oriented traffic.
The first railroad reached this area in 1846 (the Upper Silesia Railway, in Polish: Kolej Górnośląska; in German: Oberschlesische Eisenbahn). Nowadays Katowice is one of the main railway nodes and exchange points in Silesia and in Poland. Cheap and fairly efficient, the Polskie Koleje Państwowe (Polish State-Owned Railways) in the area of the proposed union constitute one of the main transport hubs in Poland (the most important one being Warsaw). The main railroad station is Katowice Central Station. Both the domestic and the international connections run from there to almost every major city in Poland and Europe.
The Silesian Stadium is located between Chorzów and Katowice. It is a national stadium of Poland, more than 50 international matches of Poland national football team were played here as well as around 30 matches of UEFA competitions. There were also a Speedway World Championship, Speedway Grand Prix of Europe and a number many concerts featuring international stars.
There are many sports centers in the city as well. Most of these facilities are swimming pools and sports halls, mostly built by the municipality in the past several years.
Katowice is a city where you can enjoy active leisure as well. Tourists can relax playing tennis or squash, doing water sports also sailing (for example - in Dolina Trzech Stawów), horse-riding (in Wesoła Fala and Silesian culture and refreshment park), cycling or going to one of numerous excellently equipped fitness clubs. Near the city center are sporting facilities like swimming pools (for example "Bugla", "Rolna") and in neighbourhood - golf courses (in Siemianowice Śląskie).
Defunct sports clubs:
Katowice is twinned with:
Katowice travel guide from Wikitravel
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Katowice [1] is the largest city in Silesia in Poland with a population of about 320,000 in the city itself and over 2.1 million if the surrounding cities of the Upper-Silesian Metropolitan Union [2] 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 an interesting city with many relics, stunning modern architecture, hospitable people and easy access to the Beskidy Mountains and other Silesian Cities.
The city is at the intersection of major road and rail routes connecting Poland to the rest of Europe in all directions, with Katowice International Airport in nearby Pyrzowice. Until recently, the dominant economic sectors in the Katowice region were mining, steel, electrical machinery, electronics, and chemicals. Due to economic changes in Poland, this situation is changing, and heavy industry has given way to commerce and services. There are many new business buildings such as the Katowice Business Centre, the ALTUS Centre Building, and Punkt 44 Leisure Centre.
The origins of Katowice go back to 1397 when the settlement of Kuznica was founded. Katowice was first mentioned as a village [3] in the middle of dense forests in 1598. In the 18th Century numerous work colonies sprang up here and in around 1769-70 the Duke of Pless established an underground coal mine. The next industrial sites were the Hohenlohe steelworks in the village of Wełnowiec, founded in 1805, the Baildon steelworks in 1828 (named after their founder, a Scotsman), and the Wilhelmina zinc works in 1834.
In 1873 Katowice achieved the status of county town. In 1897 Katowice was formed into a separate urban district, which also included the suburban municipalities of Bogucice - Zawodzie, Dąb, Wełnowiec and Załęże.
In 1889 one of the largest companies in Upper Silesia, the Kattowitzer Aktien-Gesellschaft, was set up with its headquarters in Katowice. As a result, major insurance companies and large-cap banks were attracted to the city. During the First World War, the steel industry continued to develop at a frenetic pace. Rail connections were also developed.
After Third Silesian Uprising Polish Government had decided to give Silesia considerable Autonomy with Katowice as a capital and home of the Silesian Parliament. It was the time of city most intense growth (1922-1939).
In 1975 the neighbouring municipalities of Piotrowice [4], Ochojec, Panewniki, Kostuchna [5], Wełnowiec, Szopienice, Giszowiec, Dąbrówka Mała and Murcki were merged with Katowice. Construction works are still continuing in the city centre. The main communications artery (Al. W. Korfantego) has been widened, while old industrial buildings to the west of this road have been demolished. To the east the historic Tiele-Winckler Palace has also been demolished. On the market place, old buildings have been replaced by modern shops: "Zenit" and "Skarbek", and also the "Dom Prasy".
The construction of the Roundabout and the "Flying Saucer" Sports Hall (1962 -71) had a significant impact. The Millennium Housing Estate on the border of Katowice and Chorzów, the Paderewski Estate to the east of the city, the Południe Estate covering the suburbs of Kostuchna, Piotrowice, Ligota [6], and the Roździeński Housing Estate should also be mentioned.
Some major airlines, Poland's national carriers LOT Polish Airlines [7], and a low cost airline Centralwings [8] (owned by LOT) and some other low cost airlines fly to Katowice's Pyrzowice Airport [9] (KTW). Domestic flights operated by LOT (under Eurolot brand) connect Katowice with i.e. Warsaw's Frederic Chopin Airport [10] (WAW). There is also possibility to flight from and to nearby Kraków-Balice airport.
The Katowice-Pyrzowice airport in Pyrzowice (34 km from Katowice) is an airport for domestic and European flights to following cities:
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There's a frequent shuttle bus from outside the terminal building to the city centre dropping off near main railway station.
For further information see the websites of GTL Airport Katowice - Pyrzowice [11] and GTL Travel [12].
Katowice Main 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). You can arrive by train directly from Vienna, Budapest, Kiev, Berlin, Ostrava, Praha, Bohumin, Bratislava, Zilina, Cesky Tesin, Hamburg, Moskva, Minsk. The Main 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 [13]).
The main approaches to Katowice are:
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 are many small car parks along the roads in the city center.
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 the website [14]).
All public bus and tram transport is supervised by KZK GOP. 24h free phone information: 0 800 16 30 30. KZK GOP Website [15].
The main bus station of the Passengers' Municipal Communication is situated near the Railway Station. Booking-Offices and the information office are situates there, open: 8 am - 6 pm. At each bus-stop there is an information board with bus routes and where they go.
There are also tramways which transport passengers within the city and beyond the limits of the city. The dispatcher's office and information of the Municipal Tramway Enterprise are situated at the tram-stop in Rynek (the market square) in Katowice.
The same ticket type is used in bus and tram. Katowice offers many different tickets. Consider, if it is better to use one-ride ticket, week-ticket or monthly ticket.
One ride ticket price:
Monthly ticket price (valid for one specified holder only):
Other season tickets valid for buses and trams.
Transferable:
Taxi-stops are situated in several places in Katowice:
A note: when you take a taxi always ask for the price beforehand unless you are willing to pay anything. Different types of taxis can charge very different prices which can vary up to 5 times the regular fare depending on location and time.
The finest examples of Modernism (International Style and Bauhaus inspired architecture) could be easily found in the city downtown. Central Katowice also contain a significant number of Art Nouveau (Secesja) buildings along with the Communist Era giants such as Spodek or Superjednostka.
motto: Before swallow us the fires - about spirituality of our factories.
rather common discos
There is a lot of cultural events in Katowice. Exhibitions, concerts, festivals, spectacles and so on - thay all happen in galleries, clubs and theatres. It is impossible to mention here all of them as they appear without any regular schedule. To get information 'whats on' it is suggested to have a look at up-to-date internet releases of conventional press like Ultramaryna [47] or Gazeta Wyborcze: Co jest grane [48] bringing cultural news for whole agglomeration. Below there is a list of events that happen at regular schedule.
Silesia and especially Katowice is one of major business centres of Poland. Silesia is the main industrial centre in Poland, its economy used to be based on coal, metallurgy, energetics, and chemical industry. Nowadays it is converting to more modern profile - services and information technology. The most of industrial works are located outside the city in the surrounding locations meanwhile offices remain in Katowice. There are institutions supporting development and economic growth of the region:
There is also company-organizer of numerous tradeshows and fair in Katowice: International Katowice Fair [69]
For those interested in renting office spaces there are variuos offers. From XIX/XX century adapted houses and old factories (like B-class old printing house [70]) to A class skyscarpers - two mostly noticable are ALTUS [71] and Chorzowska 50 [72].
There is a medium number of hotels and guest houses in the Katowice area.
Katowice is a generally safe city to stay in. Beware of the usual nuisance of petty theft (especially at Railway Station).
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Contents |
Katowice pl.
| Plural only | |
|---|---|
| Nominative | Katowice |
| Genitive | Katowic |
| Dative | Katowicom |
| Accusative | Katowice |
| Instrumental | Katowicami |
| Locative | Katowicach |
| Vocative | Katowice |
[[File:|center|600px|thumb|Katowice at night]]
| Coat of Arms | |
|---|---|
| [[File:|100px|Coat of Arms of Katowice]] | |
Katowice (pronounce: [[File:]] [katɔ'vʲitsɛ], also known as Kattowitz in German) is a city in Poland. It is in the south of Poland in the historical region called Silesia on Kłodnica and Rawa river. It received city rights in 1865. Between 1954 and 1956 Katowice had the name Stalinogród - "Stalin City". It was given by the polish communists. There are about 315,123 people living there. The mayor of the city is Piotr Uszok. For a long period of time the city was ruled by Germans, as it was a part of Germany until 1918. There is a little airport called Airport Muchowiec. There are both modern and old buildings in Katowice. It was the center of the coal mining and metallurgy.
Contents |
[[File:|thumb|right|300px|Districts of Katowice]]
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I. City
II. North-Town
III. West-Town
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IV. East-Town
V. South-Town
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   | Tram in Katowice - Strassenbahn Tramway in Katowice Poland Kattowitz Polen Tramwaje |
| | Silesia Travel Guide - Silesia Online | Slask Travel Guide | Katowice Hotels Apartments Poland |
| | Hotel in Katowice - Hotel Katowice hotel, poland hotel, katowice pyrzowice airport hotel |
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