CARWIZ Rent a car Katowice downtown
Katowice's city center blends industrial heritage with modern culture. The lively Rynek (Main Square) and Mariacka Street are popular for dining and nightlife. Nearby, the Culture Zone features the Silesian Museum, Spodek Arena, and the National Radio Symphony Orchestra. Just outside the center, Nikiszowiec offers a glimpse into the city's historic mining roots. It's a vibrant urban space with something for every visitor.
What to do in Katowice?
Katowice, the capital of Silesia, is a city in transformation. Once defined by heavy industry and coal mining, Katowice has reinvented itself as a hub of innovation, design, and culture. It’s a city that challenges expectations—gritty in parts, but also forward-thinking, green, and full of surprising beauty.
The city center mixes modernist and post-industrial architecture, with landmarks like the Spodek Arena, a spaceship-like sports and concert venue, and the NOSPR concert hall, home to the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. Together with the Silesian Museum, which is built in a former coal mine, these form Katowice’s Cultural Zone—a stunning example of urban regeneration done right.
Katowice’s industrial roots are celebrated, not hidden. The Nikiszowiec district, with its red-brick buildings and workers’ housing blocks, has become a creative enclave filled with galleries, cafés, and cultural festivals. Street art and murals bring color and life to the cityscape.
Despite its urban vibe, Katowice is one of Poland’s greenest cities. Silesian Park, one of the largest urban parks in Europe, offers open space, a zoo, a planetarium, and a vintage cable car. Cyclists and joggers will find plenty of trails and green routes connecting neighborhoods and cultural sites.
Katowice also shines as a UNESCO City of Music, hosting events like Tauron Nowa Muzyka and OFF Festival, two of Europe’s best alternative music gatherings. The food scene is diverse, with everything from traditional Silesian dumplings to vegan street food.
Not a typical tourist city, Katowice appeals to the curious. It’s a story of reinvention—tough, proud, and surprisingly cool.
