Katowice – Kraków Day Trip

For many, Katowice is just an airport stop on the way to Kraków but, over the last few years, this post-industrial city has become a destination in its own right for many travellers.

Katowice Spodek

Some 80km to the west of Kraków, Katowice (pronounced “kah-toh-veet-seh”) has transformed its mining and industrial history into something uniquely 21st century. Though it has some pretty streets and green spaces, Katowice’s modern architecture is what makes this quirky city worth a visit. From brutalist apartment blocks to the fantastic Spodek – a spaceship-shaped cultural centre, Katowice crams a lot of different buildings into its urban centre.

These days, the arts have replaced coal mining. The NOSPR building houses Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, one of the country’s key musical institutions. Katowice is a UNESCO City of Music. Beneath the towering crane of a former coal mine, the Silesian Museum is now an impressive art gallery – one of the cultural highlights of the city.

At first glance, Katowice will strike many as ugly and a bit uninspiring. It might even be considered the polar opposite to historic Kraków. Stick with it, though, as this unusual place begins to grow on you. It’s a great place to explore and, at night, the city is sprinkled with attractive neon.

How Much Time Should I Spend In Katowice?

You can reach Katowice from Kraków in roughly an hour, which makes it a good day trip from Kraków. There are plenty of places to eat close to the station, so you easily have an evening meal before catching a late train back.

I found, however, that I was truly starting to understand the city as I got to the end of the day and would definitely recommend getting a bed for the night, especially if you include a concert and a few hours in the Silesian Museum.

Silesian Museum in Katowice

What Should I See In Katowice? What Are Katowice’s Must-See Attractions?

Katowice bears all the hallmarks of a 19th- and 20th-century industrial city, complete with ring roads, concrete apartment blocks, and even a crane tower from a former coal mine. This heritage is hardly pretty but it gives the city a unique character. It’s an interesting place to explore. Recently, like many post-industrial cities, Katowice has focused on creativity, with the Silesian Museum being one of the highlights.

A professional guided tour remains the best way to get to know any new city.

• One of the key pleasures of Katowice for me is looking at the range of architecture. From the impressive contemporary train station, there are the communist-era Skarbek shopping mall and Zenit building on the Rynek, the Superjednostka housing block on the al. Wojciecha Korfantego, the Rondo tram stop, as well as skyscrapers like the MCK, and plenty of other notable structures. Not all of these are beautiful but they give Katowice its unique character.
• Similar to its sister branch in Kraków, Forum Designu Katowice features the very best in contemporary Polish design. From knick-knacks and children’s toys, through to fashion and furniture, this is a brilliant place to find unique souvenirs.
• Perched unceremoniously on the edge of a big roundabout, the Silesian Insurgents’ Monument is a huge, three-winged sculpture commemorating the uprisings that aimed to make Upper Silesia part of the new Polish state in the early 20th century.
• Meaning ‘saucer’, Spodek dates from when Katowice was temporarily named Stalinogród and is a fine example of playful, early ’70s public architecture. It is now something of an emblem for the city – a mixed-use venue, including live music, and the complex has a gym, hotel, and ice rink. The whole area has been landscaped with walkways and viewpoints.
• Close to Spodek, linked by a pedestrian bridge, is the gorgeous National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra concert hall. The red brick and glass exterior is pleasing enough, but the performance space within is stunning and state of the art. There are also green spaces behind with a small amphitheatre and a maze.
• Immediately identifiable by the striking headframe tower of the former mine shaft, the Silesian Museum is one of Katowice’s must-see attractions. Over a number of buildings and four underground levels, the museum includes a gallery of Polish modern art, a unique collection of ‘amateur’ art (including ‘outsider’ works), a gallery of sacred art, a history of Upper Silesia, and temporary displays.
• The former homes to the mining community can be seen in the gorgeous red-brick district of Nikiszowiec, to the south of the city. You’ll also find the Ethnography Museum and Szyb Wilson art gallery here.
• There’s a lot more to discover in Katowice and beyond the centre, you can take guided tours to Moszna Castle and deep into one of the area’s 320m coal mines.

Welcome to Katowice

Should I Have A Tour Guide For Katowice?

Although I enjoyed rambling around Katowice and following my nose, you’ll get a better grounding in the city’s particular history by taking part in good tour. The striking architecture represents radically different epochs, which mirror Poland’s experience of the last 300 years. A guide can make sense of all this, giving you an enriched appreciation of the place.

Get Your Guide is a great place to find a tour, and genuine customer feedback means you aren’t taking a risk when you book.

Is Katowice Expensive? What Is A Reasonable Katowice Budget?

Like other Polish cities, Katowice is relatively cheap by western European standards, and you should plan for a similar budget to Kraków. See our How Much Money Do I Need For Kraków? page for a rough breakdown of the costs.

Approximate Daily Katowice Budgets (Per Person)

• Budget Katowice Trip: 250zł (about US$60, 55€, £50)
• Mid-Range Katowice Trip: 500zł (about US$130, 120€, £100)
• Luxury Katowice Trip: 850zł (about US$210, 200€, £165)

Forum Designu Katowice

Is It Easy To Get Money In Katowice?

Poland has a very modern attitude to money. Contactless payments (with card or phone) are the norm in shops, museums, restaurants and bars, even little corner shops. There’s no minimum spend – you can even buy tram tickets with contactless, but you may have to enter your PIN for payments over 50zł.

Similarly, ATMs usually accept cards from overseas – check with your bank before travelling – and give a handful of language options.

Although Poland is in the EU, the currency is the złoty and not the Euro. Carry a bit of cash and some loose change as a backup. A handful of places still insist on it. The public toilets in the Galeria Katowicka mall (next to the train station) are free.

You can find more practical information on our Polish Currency page.

Katowice station

How To Get To Katowice

Katowice is only an hour away from Kraków by train or coach, making it easy to get to for a day trip, and both methods cost roughly the same.

The train probably has the edge in terms of comfort and there are regular departures from the centre of Kraków. Tickets cost roughly 125zł (6€) each way at time of writing. The station at both ends is right in the centre of town, so there’s no extra travel required. You’ll arrive next to the main shopping mall and town square, with most of the main attractions within walking distance.

INFOBUS runs services from Kraków’s Dworzec Autobusowy to Sądowa Dworzec in Katowice, which is a 10-minute walk from the main train station. A one-way ticket costs, at time of writing, approximately 24zł (6€). These should run daily but check with a service like 12go for the latest timetables.

See our How To Travel From Kraków To Katowice page for full details of how to book.

Is It Easy To Get Around Katowice?

Katowice has an integrated bus and tram service, though it many of its key attractions are within 1.5km and may best be reached on foot. I would argue this is the best way to see the city.

If you do decide to explore via public transport, you can find connections, timetables, and ticket information from the official ATM site. You can catch most of the key tram routes from the Rynek, a few streets away from the train station. Chances are that you’ll just need to pay for a simple 20-minute ticket, costing 4.60zł – concessions are also available. Validate when you get onboard the vehicle and you can change between different buses and trams, as necessary.

Qubus Hotel Katowice – image © booking.com

Where Should I Stay In Katowice?

Where you stay depends very much on your budget and what is available for your dates. It is possible to get a functional 3-star room for less than 200zł per night (45€), although you’d normally expect to pay 350-400zł (79-90€) during the summer months.

Use an online booking service like Booking.com to get full information and genuine guest reviews. It’s often possible to reserve a room with no upfront payment and pay when you check out. Most hotels offer the option for cancellations, in case you need to cancel your trip.

Check Krakow Hotel Availability

Destination

Check-in date

Mon 16 Sep 2024

Check-out date

Tue 17 Sep 2024

When’s The Best Time Of Year To Visit Katowice?

Weather-wise, Katowice is similar to Kraków. The temperature drops below zero from December to February, and is still cold in March. It is warm from May to September, peaking in July and August, between 13-25°C. July also bring the most rainfall, though it tends to be a rainy city all year round. And you can expect some snow early in the year.

Katowice isn’t a tourist destination, which means you won’t find the high-season crowds of Kraków. Consequently, it remains a comfortable place to visit from late April right through to early October. It also lights up for Christmas, with a small and jolly traditional market on the Rynek.

What Should I Pack For A Trip To Katowice?

Our packing list for Kraków has advice for anywhere in Poland. Katowice can be a rainy place, and snowy in the winter, so make sure you take a waterproof jacket, headwear, and resilient shoes.

Is Katowice Safe For Travellers?

Despite a slight increase over the last few years, crime stats for Katowice are generally low compared to cities of a similar size. Keep your wits about you and extricate yourself quickly from any situation that looks troublesome, and you should have an event-free time in the city.

Travel Insurance For Katowice

Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw

Other Polish Cities You Can Visit From Kraków

You will find a general overview of the transport network on our How To Travel From Kraków To Other Polish Cities page. This gives information on how to use trains, coaches, planes, and private vehicles in Poland, and where each type of service departs in Kraków.

• Białystok: In the north east of Poland, Białystok has a lively cultural scene and a handful of tourist attractions, and is close to the UNESCO-listed Białowieski National Park and the oldest forests in Europe.
• Gdańsk: On the Baltic coast, Gdańsk is friendly and great for food, and one of Poland’s biggest tourist destinations.
• Gdynia: Gdynia is also a port city with some lovely sandy beaches, and also makes a great day trip from neighbouring Gdańsk.
• Łódź: Set in the very heart of Poland, Łódź is coming into its own as a creative city. The city is alive with murals and street art. There’s a great food scene and a nice mix of architectural styles. Right now, Łódź has that exciting feel of the future.
• Lublin: On the eastern side of Poland, Lublin is best known as a cultural and academic city. It has a rich Jewish heritage and was apparently referred to as the ‘Jewish Oxford’ in the Jagiellonian era. There is a nice mix of medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque, with some atmospheric cobbled streets.
• Olsztyn: Up in the north, Olsztyn is often overlooked by tourists keen to reach the more famous Gdańsk. It does, however, have a pretty Old Town and ranks very highly for quality of life. What’s more, the city provides a gateway to some gorgeous wild countryside of lakes and forests.
• Poznań: 300km to the west of Warsaw, youthful Poznań has a lively, friendly nightlife, with plenty of restaurants and bars. The Old Town is brightly coloured and quirkily decorated with bold styles similar to Southern Germany. There’s plenty here to keep you occupied for a long weekend, with a museums, a cathedral, and historical buildings, but the city also makes a great base for exploring Poland’s countryside.
• Sopot: Another seaside resort, between Gdynia and Gdańsk, Sopot is a playground for the rich. With sandy beaches and a pier, as well as the shops, bars, and clubs of Bohaterów Monte Cassino, it can be very busy at the height of the season. Even more than Gdynia, Sopot might be best sampled first as an afternoon out, rounded off with a meal in one of the excellent fish restaurants.
• Szczecin: Close to the border with Germany, Szczecin is off the beaten track for most tourists. The Old Town is pretty and there are a handful of attractions to see. But, mainly, visiting Szczecin is a great opportunity to get to know Polish food and to engage with the culture – there is a fine Philharmonic building and the grand Ducal Castle is now an arts centre.
• Toruń: Largely untouched by the Second World War, Toruń is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Vistula River to the north west of Warsaw. The architectural highlights are dominated by the huge Gothic cathedral and the city feels less hectic than more famous tourist destinations.
• Warsaw: Poland’s capital city is easy to reach from Kraków and makes a good weekend destination. Much of Warsaw was built after 1945. Even the pretty Old Town is mostly reconstruction. But there are excellent museums and places to eat. It’s also one of Europe’s great cities to go out drinking!
• Wrocław: Wrocław is a charming city in the western part of Poland, with islands and bridges criss-crossing the water and a strong Gothic flavour to the architecture. Built out from the 10th century Ostrów Tumski (Cathedral Island), Wrocław also has a stunning market square, much of which is listed within a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Zakopane: 110km from Kraków, Poland’s outdoor capital and winter resort, Zakopane is nestled at the root of the High Tatra mountains. The area is excellent for hiking, skiing, and a range of other activities. However, there is also unique folk architecture and plenty of more spectacular attractions.