It was -2° Celsius and snowing when we began our tour of Katowice, a city in southwestern Poland, on foot. “Sorry about the weather,” said Patrycjusz Piechowski, our interpreter, as we stepped out of the hotel and into the powdery snow. But there was no need for him to apologise. At 9 pm, the snow, freezing as it was, left a stunning first impression: the city lights, shimmering against the frozen ground, had lit up the sky. It was just before Christmas: the decorations were up, and Christmas trees lined Aleja Rozdzienskiego, an arterial road along which stand a number of Katowice’s iconic buildings. Each one bore a distinctive design and character — from a saucer-shaped structure right next to our hotel, to a square building with a red-brick façade, to a low-rise with a grassy roof. As we gawked at the eccentricity all around, we realised we were bang in the middle of the city’s ‘zone of culture’. And this was just the beginning. First came the Spodek, the UFO-shaped building that houses a multipurpose arena complex. It is connected to the International Congress Centre, a sprawling structure with glass panels and grassy roof, the venue of conferences and trade fairs. A stone’s throw away was the Silesian Museum, a cluster of glass-and-metal structures dedicated to Silesia. A mineral-rich region in central Europe comprising parts of Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic, it has changed political affiliations over time, from being a part of the Roman empire and the Austrian monarchy to the German empire until World War II. Now, the locals speak a distinct dialect of Polish (opinion is divided on whether it is a separate language) and are deeply influenced by German culture. The museum traces the history of the region and its transformation into one of the most modernist cities of Poland. What caught our eye at the museum, though, was a vintage mine shaft that rose from behind one of the buildings. The shaft was part of a colliery that closed operations not too long ago, and is now integrated into the glass-and-metal architecture. A lift transports visitors to the viewpoint on top. After the colliery closed operations in 1999, jobs dried up and the area became deserted, as the focus shifted from mining and heavy industries. Ten years later, the government decided to develop the land into the ‘zone of culture’. This hub, now, symbolises the transformation of Katowice. The capital of the Katowice Agglomeration — a cluster of 14 cities in southern Poland — the city has the lowest unemployment rate and the highest average monthly salary in the country, and is a very green city to boot (42 per cent of the city is forested and 15 per cent is agricultural land). The Silesian Park is about twice the size of New York’s Central Park. The capital of the Silesian Voivodship is now the industrial centre of Poland, with well developed economic, physical and social infrastructure. Katowice is still a coal and steel centre, but it has also developed auxiliary services. There are automotive, power, IT, food, service and tourism sectors. The Katowice SEZ hosts companies from the automotive, machinery, construction, food and household appliances sectors apart from services such as BPOs, IT and R&D. But Katowice isn’t all business. The city takes its history, culture and education quite seriously. We walked by a café bustling with activity. Many of the visitors were students, who had walked across the street from the University of Silesia, one of the largest public universities in Poland. This is just one of several dozen universities, high schools, technology institutes and trade schools in the region. A series of pubs and eateries greeted us, brimming with students winding up the day with tea or the local beer. As the night wore off, we were warmed by the mulled wine and sat entranced by the stories of the students about World War II that their grandparents had told them. The reminders of mining culture are everywhere. Silsesia City Centre, a large shopping mall, is built over a former coal mine. The red-brick structure of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra was inspired by Nikiszowiec, a coal miners’ settlement in Katowice in the early 20th century. But the no-frills exterior is in stark contrast to the opulence inside — the doors open into a majestic staircase lit by chandeliers, to the state-of-the-art concert halls and studios. Our next stop added a bit of colour to our day. Katowice, which retains its pre-war architecture (the city was not destroyed during WWII, unlike most Polish cities), usually stands elegant with its conservative, pre-war-era structures. But those structures have vibrant additions: dragons, abstract patterns, and writing in Polish lay sprawled across the brown, sombre walls. Turning a corner, we came upon St Mary’s Church, one of the oldest existing churches in Poland, dating back to the 19th century. The neo-Gothic church was given a makeover in 2010. The road across which it stands is now a hub of outdoor events. In 2015, Katowice celebrated its 150th birthday, marking its transformation from a city of coal and steel to a modern metropolis and industrial hub. The ‘zone of culture’ represents the city’s ability to build on its past, literally and figuratively. The government is looking further ahead, with downtown Katowice being refurbished, and investments in infrastructure and growth of the services industry. Startups are being encouraged and even co-financed. Foreign investment and partnerships, particularly from Asian countries, including India, is being actively sought. But for now, it’s over to the last drop of snow.
