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This summer, Katowice was named the best Polish city to live in, with Warsaw landing in 10th place and Kraków closing the list. So, what the fuck is Katowice — and does it really beat both capitals, plus every other major city in the country?
I doubt you’ve ever even heard the name Katowice, unless you’ve spent some time in Poland or you’re a hardcore esports fan following major international tournaments — many of them held in the local UFO-shaped Spodek arena for whatever reason.
The city itself is only the 11th largest in the country, with roughly 300k residents. But only on paper, while in reality Katowice is seamlessly interconnected with 18 smaller municipalities, forming a conurbation of 2 million people (3M metro area).
Ironically, many towns in the Upper Silesian conurbation are considered some of the worst places in Poland, with Sosnowiec being a nationwide meme for its borderline poverty, social issues, chronic underdevelopment, and infrastructure disasters.
The reason is simple: Katowice is built on coal mining and heavy industry, so along with a strong economy it carries the usual bag of problems: poor air, depressing cityscapes, and a higher proportion of ‘culturally deprived’ people in population.
Katowice sits near the Czech border, right by the Moravian Gate — a narrow pass between two mountain ridges linking Poland with Western Europe. That location makes it a major hub for ground transport (arguably, a bit more culturally diverse).
I’ve passed through Katowice numerous times and visited on several occasions — most recently this summer, just two days after Business Insider Poland published the ranking. So, what do I make of it, and how keen am I to move here from Kraków?
Well, I’ve been to 10 out of the 16 cities on the list, plus another 20 across Poland. Honestly, if I had to rank places to live in, Katowice wouldn’t be on the list at all. Sure, it has its own vibe, but I’d rather experience it from a distance.
Sure, if you look at household income, real estate prices, and overall cost of living, then yes — Katowice probably strikes a more balanced profile. But there’s a reason people are willing to pay more to live in Kraków, Warsaw, Gdańsk, or Wrocław.
