Katowice

Katowice is not a typical destination for a vacation, it is the capital of the Silesia Woiwodship, (similar to a county or state), this area is known as Slansk by Poles. Yes that was the area that Hitler wanted so badly during the Second World War. It was attractive mainly for its coal mines and heavy industry. During communist times, it was the powerhouse of the economy.

Today it has had little development since the fall of communism, mainly due to the closure of many of the coalmines. The economy has not recovered. Although many initiatives have been focused on the area, such as a Special Economic Zone, the jolt of the closures has proved difficult to get over. As a matter of interest, the Polish Government copied the methods of closure that used by Margaret Thatcher in the UK.

In reality, the city is part of a group of 14 different conurbations, with a total population of 3.5 Million people. There are plans to group these cities and towns together and call them Silesia. The City should be the last port of call on any Polish Tourists itinerary as although the city has several Museums and Art Galleries there is very little else of note.

A couple of things for which the city is known:-

The first skyscraper in Europe Drapacz Chmur, is there.

The city was renamed Stalingrod, (Stalin City), by the communists but the locals wouldn't use the name, so it was dropped.