This impressive Gothic castle was first mentioned in surviving records in 1222, although some experts believe it's originally from the 12th century. Reaching its apogee in the 15th century, it housed successive Silesian dukes, Habsburg nobles and commercial magnates, before burning down in 1811. Now it houses a culture centre and stages various events and festivals.
Toszek Castle
Katowice
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
26.59 MILES
A symbol of Katowice's transition from a centre of heavy industry to one of culture, the Silesian Museum sits in an ingeniously repurposed coal mine in…
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Museum of Katowice History at Nikiszowiec
29.06 MILES
This branch of Katowice's museum, an ethnographic exploration of working-class and industrial life in Upper Silesia, lies in the distinctive suburb of…
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Franciscan Church of the Holy Trinity
29.9 MILES
This church off the southern corner of the Rynek was built of brick around 1330. It boasts an ornate high altar, an 18th-century organ and a domed…
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26.39 MILES
With a base measuring 89m by 53m, this is Poland's largest cathedral. Erected between 1927 and 1955, the neoclassical sandstone basilica's progress was…
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Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park
23.07 MILES
This sprawling open-air museum contains scores of traditional wooden buildings spread over 20 hectares, representing architectural styles from Upper…
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26.22 MILES
The city's central market square is not lined with historical burghers' houses as you’d find elsewhere in Silesia, but is instead encircled by drab…
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29.85 MILES
Two blocks east of the market square, this museum is housed in a former Jesuit college dating to 1698, with the more recent addition of a glass-and…
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26.1 MILES
Built of reinforced concrete between 1964 and 1971, Spodek – which means 'saucer' – really does look like a UFO has landed just north of central Katowice…
Nearby Katowice attractions
0.44 MILES
In May 1940 popular British novelist PG Wodehouse, creator of the masterful valet Jeeves and his hapless employer Bertie Wooster, was captured by the…
2. Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park
23.07 MILES
This sprawling open-air museum contains scores of traditional wooden buildings spread over 20 hectares, representing architectural styles from Upper…
26.1 MILES
Built of reinforced concrete between 1964 and 1971, Spodek – which means 'saucer' – really does look like a UFO has landed just north of central Katowice…
26.11 MILES
This blocky, 14-storey, 60m-high apartment building was Poland’s tallest building from 1934 until 1955. Considered the purest example of functionalism in…
5. Garrison Church of St Casimir the Prince
26.13 MILES
A functionalist concrete-and-brick affair with lovely art deco interiors, it was built between 1930 and 1933 (the year before the skyscraper opposite,…
26.22 MILES
The city's central market square is not lined with historical burghers' houses as you’d find elsewhere in Silesia, but is instead encircled by drab…
7. Cathedral of Christ the King
26.39 MILES
With a base measuring 89m by 53m, this is Poland's largest cathedral. Erected between 1927 and 1955, the neoclassical sandstone basilica's progress was…
26.41 MILES
Spread over two floors, this museum showcases sacral art from the late 14th century to the present day, including some beautiful Gothic altarpieces. Entry…