Katowice Travel Guide – Visit Katowice – Budget Travel In Poland

Is Katowice Poland’s most underrated city? Visit Katowice and discover why it has more going for it than just its proximity to Krakow.

As I left Krakow (again) and headed to Katowice, I was repeatedly asked a simple question: why?

It appeared that Katowice was not regarded by many as a city worth visiting. I had only booked a two-night stay so it didn’t really matter. Surely I could find enough to keep me interested for two days? There must be some reason to visit Katowice?

How To Get To Katowice From Krakow 

Getting to Katowice from Krakow was very easy. Buses were the cheapest option and also the easiest as they leave regularly throughout the day. The bus station in Krakow is located by the train station and the buses to Katowice leave from the lower level. Despite it being a Polish national holiday, the roads were not congested and the bus arrived in Katowice on schedule.

Where To Stay In Katowice

These are some of the best budget hostels in Katowice, according to user reviews. These are affiliate links to the Agoda web site. I receive a small amount for any bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.

• Polonia
• Hostel Gwarek
• Hostel Katowice Centrum
• Wita Stwosza
• Kaktus Guest House
• Hostel Kamienica Rynek 7
• Hostel Kamienna Centrum
• Ondraszka

Pinball Rooms

I had booked a stay at ‘Pinball Rooms’ (map) and I followed Google Maps to the location but could not find the hostel. I tried one building that I thought could be the hostel but it soon became apparent that it was not what I was looking for.

Eventually, I walked into a side-street car-park and I spotted the hostel in the far corner. I was then approached by the man who was running the car-park and who spoke no English. After a brief moment of confusion, I realised that this was the man who would check me in. It was all a bit odd and confusing.

Eventually, he showed me to the hostel and then my dorm which, to my pleasure, was empty. I had the room to myself!

I had a good stay at Pinball Rooms. It was well located and the dorm was comfortable. The WiFi was good and the bed had privacy curtains, a charging station and came with a good sized locker.

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Things To Do In Katowice

After settling in at the hostel, I went out to explore the city. The first point of interest was the Silesian Insurgents’ Monument (map).

This was the perfect location to get a view of the ‘Spodek’ indoor arena (map).

I continued to explore the city which was deadly quiet due to the national holiday. I came across a few statues and a cathedral but not much else. It was time for a beer.

Mały Kredens bar

I did a bit of research and found a nearby bar called Mały Kredens bar (map) that had good reviews. The beer was good and cheap and it was very cozy inside.

After a couple of beers, I hit the streets again. Darkness had fallen on the city so I headed to Mariacka (the main bar street) to see if there were any signs of life. The cathedral looked wonderful all lit up but the bars all seemed very quiet. I decided to venture out of the city centre.

Hospoda Czech Bar

About 15 minutes walk out of the city centre is ‘Hospoda’ (map): an underground bar selling Czech beers and snacks. I thought it was a small bar when I entered but it seemed to go on forever.

I ordered a beer and took a look at the food menu. I was very excited to see nakladany hermalin on the menu and I just had to have some.

Namaste Traveller’s Bar

Just a short walk away from Hospoda was a travellers’ bar that hosts evenings where people give talks and presentations about their travels. The district I was in felt a bit ‘local’ and slightly intimidating so a travellers’ bar sounded welcoming.

Unfortunately, there were no events on this particular evening. It was a very cool place though but, like everywhere else, it was almost empty. I decided to call it a night and headed back to the hostel, via a late night food stop.

Visit Nikiszowiec

The next morning, I decided to take a bus to the former mining workers’ district of Nikiszowiec. The day started with a visit to the Nikiszowiec Museum (map). The museum gives a history of the area and, as the museum is housed in a former laundry, a lot of the museum is devoted to the laundry. I never really imagined I would visit a museum about laundry services in the early 20th century!

From the museum you can rent an audio guide that navigates you around the area and gives detailed information on the sights.

It does make it obvious that you are a tourist and I did feel a little anxious at times. Maybe the football hooligan graffiti that I saw around the town contributed to this.

The information was perhaps a little TOO detailed but I was happy enough to enjoy the architecture of the area.

Nikiszowiec is a unique place that is definitely worth spending a couple of hours exploring.

Bars In Mariacka

In the evening, I returned to Mariacka which was much busier. I had a beer in a bar called ‘Sceneria’ (map) where they had an open mic. It was a nice bar but there was only so much blues noodling I could take so I had just the one and left.

Fabryka Pizza

I stood on the streets of Mariacka trying to decide what to do. Another bar? Food? I decided on food but then couldn’t decide between a Polish restaurant or pizza. I felt I should eat Polish but I really fancied pizza! In the end, pizza won.

It was a good choice as the pizza was delicious! After I’d finished eating, I headed back to the hostel. I wasn’t really up for a night out in Mariacka. The bars seemed very standard and not at all as cool as the ones I’d visited the previous night.

Leaving Katowice

The next morning, I had a bus to take me to Brno. It is so easy to move around in the Schengen area of Europe. A couple of hours and I would be in the Czech Republic. No visas, and no lengthy queues to have visas checked.

Before my bus journey, I had a delicious breakfast and coffee at a nice little cafe called ‘Wawelska’ (map).

Is Katowice Worth Visiting?

Should you visit Katowice if you are travelling in Poland? Whilst it obviously does not have the appeal of some other Polish cities, Katowice is worthy of a two night stay. There are some interesting bars and nice cafes. A trip to Nikiszowiec is a unique experience and should be considered during your stay.

For more information, visit https://www.katowice.eu/en/