It's been almost 7 months since I moved to the Netherlands from Poland. After fleeing from the war in Ukraine, I ended up in Poland and took shelter there. Many of you might know the story of my journey but I feel like this incident happened yesterday. Poland is a beautiful country and I regret that I didn't explore the country much due to my mental condition. I was traumatized and my mind was not clear at that moment so I only feel nothing but grateful to those who helped me make my journey and recover my mental health. Thanks to the entire @polish.hive community who not only help me by giving me shelter but also tried their best to give me and my dog comfort and happiness.
After arriving in Poland, at first, I was in Warsaw. Later I moved to Ruda Slaska (Ruda Śląska) city near Katowice. I thought Ruda Slaska is a suburban area at first but later I came to know it's a city in Silesia in Southern Poland. From Katowice, it takes 25 minutes by car, and by bus, it takes around 1 hour to reach Ruda Slaska. Anyway, this post is not going to be about Ruda Slaska, I will write about my relationship with Ruda Slaska another day. Today I am going to give you a short tour of a beautiful city in Southern Poland called Katowice.
Before going to Ruda Slaska, I went to Katowice from Warsaw by train. The station was nice and simple but full of Ukrainian refugees at that moment. I am talking about march, 2022 when the war in Ukraine just broke out. At first, I didn't notice Katowice thoroughly because I didn't feel any interest in exploring the city. I was not in a travel mood and of course, it's understandable how I was feeling at that moment after fleeing from the war. But I am grateful to @asia-pl and @sk1920 who took the opportunity to show me the beautiful Katowice city of Poland before leaving for the Netherlands. Otherwise, I would have never been able to explore the city by myself. They managed time for me to show them their city and explained as much as possible about the city. I already forgot most part of the discussion. Sorry about that...
It was a nice winter sunny day in Katowice, people were waiting for the arrival of spring. It was the weekend and was a perfect day to see the city.
Katowice is known as the capital of the Silesia Province in Southern Poland and The city is called the central city of the Silesian Metropolitan area. It is one of the most populated cities in Poland and is famous for many global events. The city flag is so similar to the Ukrainian flag and I often used to feel confused and hardly could differentiate between the flag of Katowice and Ukraine. Anyway, we had started our city exploration from the city center. I must admit the streets and architecture of the city are remarkable and iconic.
Most polish cities are known for Medieval Architecture but Katowice is different. Different styles of architecture had been introduced in the city. Due to the expansion and annexation of various villages, towns, and estates; different styles of architecture had been introduced and created today's urban layout. Diverse architectural styles are the reason for today's unique Katowice.
Mid-18th century Katowice evolved into a village because of the discovery of rich coal reserves in the area. Later industrialization happened and the village slowly evolved into a city; if I am not wrong. Still, coal mines and several steel factories can be found in Katowice.
The architecture of this city started evolving during the late mid-19th and earlier 20th century. So architectural style is very identical to the cities like Berlin or Wroclaw, following neo-renaissance and neo-baroque styles. I was not familiar with this kind of architecture because I have never seen such styles in person. At first, I thought buildings are a mixture of neo-classical and gothic architecture. I was not wrong though, some structures were designed following the Greek Gothic style.
Pedestrian streets were very comfortable to walk, with no cycles, no vehicles, only walkways following a long straight axis. The city center is a very inviting and popular spot for locals and tourists. A lot of restaurants are located in the city center. Besides, anyone can enjoy their meal while observing the beautiful architectural structures.
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I didn't find any similarities between these buildings. The exterior of each building is unique and different. I heard that regular renovation is needed to preserve the original structure and exterior of these buildings. They are very old and some of them are from the 18th and 19th centuries. I also noticed that some structures were under renovation, especially the exterior part.
This part of the city seemed very clean but I am sure Asia and Sk can explain better than I do as they live in this city.
What I love about the city center of Katowice is the different styles of architecture and colors of the exterior of the buildings. Walkways are connected to each other and anybody can enjoy the exquisite diverse architecture through walking.
We spent hours there walking and exploring the city. I just shared one small part of the city center.
I will share the International modern part and historical part of this city. You will be amazed to know how diverse Katowice city itself.
Thank you so much for reading...
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Priyan...
I am @priyanarc.... An architect, a dreamer, and a passionate writer who loves to write about life. I try to present my own perspective and experiences. Please leave your feedback and criticism because it's the only way I can know and reach your mind and thought easily...
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All images used are captured by the author...