museum
Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial
The preserved Nazi camp and museum near Oswiecim, a sombre, essential stop for remembrance.
29 km · about 35 min drive
EuropePolandSilesia
Katowice
Silesia, Poland · Europe
About Katowice
Katowice is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Chorzów, 29km from Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial.
Katowice is in Silesia, Poland, with about 290,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Chorzów, about 6 km away.
Katowice (/ˌkɑtəˈvitsə/, Polish: [katɔˈvit͡sɛ] ; Silesian: Katowice; German: Kattowitz) 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.Read more
The Katowice metropolitan area has a population of 2.5 million, and is part of a larger Katowice–Ostrava metropolitan area that extends into the Czech Republic and has a population of around 5 million people.
Katowice was founded as a village in the 16th century, whereas several modern districts of Katowice were founded as villages in the Middle Ages. Throughout the mid-18th century, Katowice grew 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Katowice?
Within an hour or so of Katowice: Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial (29 km), Ogrodzieniec Castle (The Witcher, Kaer Morhen) (43 km).
Are there any good drives near Katowice?
The nearest famous roads are Zakopianka (Road to the Tatras), Droga pod Reglami, Zakopane and Cervenohorske Sedlo.
Where is Katowice?
Katowice is in Silesia, Poland, about 6 km from Chorzów.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 286,960
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Poland
- Region
- Silesia
- Timezone
- Europe/Warsaw
- Coordinates
- 50.2597, 19.0217
Tags
Worth the detour from Katowice
2 notable places within an hour's drive.
film location
Ogrodzieniec Castle (The Witcher, Kaer Morhen)
The ruined Polish hilltop castle used as Kaer Morhen and battle sites in Netflix's The Witcher.
43 km · about 50 min drive
Driving in Poland
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.42/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€5.00/100km
When to drive here
April to October
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