KATOWICE Katowice the capital of Upper Silesia Katowice

KATOWICE

Katowice – the capital of Upper Silesia Katowice is the capital city of Silesian voivodeship. It lies in the south-west part of Poland on the rivers Klodica and Rawa. It is the main city of Upper Silesian Industrial Area and the most populous city of Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union as well as one of the most growing Polish Metropolises.

TOURIST ATTRACTION Cathedral in Katowice St. . Mary’s Church, built in the years 1862 -1870 Church of St. Michael Archangel , the oldest church in the city, built in 1510 Drapacz Chmur, one of the first skyscrapers in Europe

Saint Mary Church ,

Church of Saint Michael Archangel

Drapacz chmur – one of the first skyscrapers in Europe Drapacz Chmur (English: Skyscraper) is a historical building in Katowice. It was the first skyscraper built in post. World War I. Finished in 1934 after five years of construction, it made pioneering Polish use of steel frame construction. Today, Drapacz Chmur is considered the most spectacular and beautiful example of functionalism in Poland. The building has seventeen stories, fourteen above the ground, and contained one of the first garbagechutes in Poland.

Some interesting places to see Silesian Insurgents Monument the largest and heaviest monument in Poland. It is a harmonious combination of architecture and sculpture with appropriate symbolism: the wings symbolize three Silesian Uprisings 1919 - 1920 - 1921 while the names of places that were battlefields are etched on the vertical slopes. The monument, which was funded by the people of Warsaw for Upper Silesia, is considered Katowice’s landmark

Parachute Tower - 50 m (160 ft) tall lattice parachute tower built in 1937 for training parachute jumps. It was used in the first days of World War II. Parachute Tower Katowice is the only existing parachute tower in Poland.

Spodek –flying saucer Spodek (meaning "saucer" in Polish is a multipurpose arena complex in Katowice, Poland, opened in 1971 at 35 Korfanty Street under the name Wojewódzka Hala Widowiskowo-Sportowa w Katowicach (Voivodeship Sport and Show Arena in Katowice), under which it is known in the Polish technical/architectural literature, and under which it formally functioned until 1997. Aside from the main dome, the complex includes a gym, an ice rink, a hotel and three large car parks. It is the largest indoor venue of its kind in Poland. It hosts many important cultural and business events. view. Its name is "flying saucer" in Polish as it resembles a tilted flying saucer. Spodek is a major contribution to the cultural significance of Katowice in Poland, especially for the younger generations.

Culture in Katowice is a powerful academic and cultural centre on the national scale. Situated at the crossing of transport routs and due to its past, there is an impact of several cultures, i. e. the Polish, the German, the Jewish and the regional Silesian ones intermingle here. Katowice is also considered to be one of the best developed Polish cities in terms of a modern infrastructure.

Famous theatres in Katowice Silesian Theater Ateneum Theater Korez Theater Cogitatur Theater Rialto Cinetheater

Cinemas in Katowice IMAX Katowice Cinema City- Punkt rozrywki 44 (13 halls) Cinema Cit - Silesia City Center (13 halls) Helios Cinema Center (9 halls) Światowid Cinema (1 halls) Rialto Cinetheater (1 halls) Cinematographic Arts Center (2 halls)

MUSEUMS Silesian Museum History of Katowice Museum Archdiocesean Musum Missionary Museum P. Steller Biographical Museum Centre of Polish Scenography Silesian center of refreshment and culture Smallest Books in The World Museum The Silesian Chamber

Festivals and events in Katowice Rawa Blues Festiwal - Spodek Metalmania - Spodek Metal Hammer Festival- Spodek Mayday - Spodek International Competition of Conductors by Fitelberg International Festival of Military Orchestras International Exhibition of Graphic arts"Intergrafia" The all-Polish Festival of the Director's Art the "Interpretations"

Shopping in Katowice Silesia City Center Located mid-way between Katowice and Chorzów on the site of an old 1904 coal mine, the spectacular Silesia City Center easily trumps everything else in the region. A combined retail, gourmet and entertainment complex, the 65, 000 metre-square building was opened in 2005 and is designed to blend in with the surrounding Gothic architecture, which it does rather smoothly. With 250 shops including Tesco, Saturn and EMPi. K superstores, SSC is a decent place to eat as well thanks to the upstairs Bierhalle restaurant and Hana - a magnificent sushi restaurant located externally in the mine’s former swimming pool. There’s entertainment too, in the guise of the Cinema City, and a Pure Fitness club too. Other features include the preserved, red brick St Barbara’s Chapel and the remains of the tower that once lowered the miners underground - now the symbol of the commercial centre