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History and facts:

In the Middle Ages at the area of Katowice farming settlements were located. Villages, associated mainly with ironworks and mines, were reformed into industrial cities in the second half of the 19th century. In 1865 Katowice obtained civic rights. In 1919-1921 during three Silesian uprisings the inhabitants stood against the German government in order to separate the region from the Germany and join it with Poland. In 1922 Katowice was incorporated into reborn Polish Republic. During occupation it was annexed to the Reich.

Today Katowice is one of the biggest industrial centres in Poland as well as decision making and service centre of the biggest city industrial complex in the country, a science and culture centre too. Katowice has about 340 000 inhabitants. It is an important railway and road junction, connected with A4 motorway and plenty of domestic roads. About 30 km from Katowice the Pyrzowice Airport is located.

Location:

Katowice is situated in the Katowice Upland (Wyżyna Katowicka), on the Rawa and Kłodnica rivers, in the centre of Upper Silesian Industrial District. Because of considerable changes in nature caused by industry accumulation on a relatively small area, the Park of Culture and Rest was created both for tourists and inhabitants, on the North West borderline of Katowice.

In the north-east part of the city the Forest Park of Katowice, Three Ponds' Valley and Murckowska Valley, great places for recreation, are located. There are two reserves in Katowice: the Murckowski Forest Nature Reserve (woodland) and the Ochojec Nature Reserve (floristic). In addition, around the Upper Silesian Industrial District the Forest Protection Lane is being created for the purpose of weekend tourism (600 ha). The district is surrounded in the south by the Landscape Park of Cysterskie Landscape Compositions of Ruda Wielka. The Błędowska Desert, the biggest sand area in southern Poland (32 km2) located at the periphery of the area, attracts a lot of tourists and townspeople.