Katowice: Old Town Highlights Walking Tour

Learn the facts and legends of the historic city of Katowice on a private walking tour of the highlights and main attractions. The origins of Katowice date back to the 16th century and its rapid development was initiated in the mid-nineteenth century with the development of industry. Currently, the city is the seat of the authorities of the Silesian Voivodeship.

Start the tour in front of the biggest monument in whole Poland! Continue to the representative part of Katowice. The urban design of the city was created as a result of the expansion and connection of individual villages and workers' estates during rapid development in the 19th and 20th centuries. The city center was shaped in the middle of the 19th century, the more intense buildings were built after 1880. The buildings erected at that time have an eclectic decoration with later elements of the Art Nouveau style. At the end of the 19th century, it was considered to be a small Paris.

The Katowice architecture of the inter-war years, despite the original assumptions of unification and standardization, was characterized by great diversity and individuality. At that time, the provincial authorities had a large share in investments, which also attracted private and church investors. The most impressive buildings created in this period include the building of the Silesian Parliament, built in 1924-1929 and the archcathedral of Christ the King.