Things to do in Janów-Nikiszowiec: a historic workers' estate, a mine shaft complex, galleries and a park by the ponds. See what to visit in Katowice.
Janów-Nikiszowiec is a district of Katowice defined by its mining history: a brick estate, shafts, a parish cemetery and monuments to people tied to the colliery. Most sites cluster around Nikiszowiec, so you can start from one square and continue on foot.
What should you see first in Janów-Nikiszowiec?
Begin with Nikiszowiec, a company estate for workers, raised between 1908 and 1919 to a design by the brothers Georg and Emil Zillmann, and a Historic Monument of Poland since 2011. Compact red-brick buildings cluster around Wyzwolenia Square and a Neo-Baroque church, so a walk along a few streets is enough to see it.
The company Georg von Giesches Erben put up the houses for the men of the Giesche colliery, a mine renamed Wieczorek in 1946. On the square stands St Anne's Church with a brick facade and two towers, consecrated in 1927 and the work of the same Berlin architects who planned the houses. In the middle of Nikiszowiec you will also find the Emil and Georg Zillmann Square, named in honour of the two designers.
Where can you learn about miners' lives and see art in Janów-Nikiszowiec?
The everyday life of a working family is the subject of Galeria Magiel at Rymarska 4, a branch of the Katowice History Museum. Its permanent exhibitions show how the estate's residents lived and worked, and a separate part concerns the Janów Group of artists.
Outside the estate, see the Pułaski shaft complex on Szopienicka Street. It was built in 1903-1911, has a 40-metre steel headframe and is listed as a monument. The Wieczorek colliery is also linked to the Szyb Wilson Gallery at Oswobodzenia 1, a private contemporary art gallery in a brick pay office and bathhouse from 1915, formerly part of the Wilson shaft.
Where can you rest, and which memorials are in the district?
For a rest, Bolina Park works best: a city park of 4.71 hectares by the Bolina ponds, next to Giszowiec. It has paved paths, sports pitches, chess tables, a playground and a small stage circle.
Among sites commemorating people and events, the Silesian Insurgents Monument on Zamkowa Street is an obelisk with an eagle that replaced an older monument from 1922, demolished in 1939. The cemetery on Cmentarna Street was founded in 1910 together with St Anne's parish, and since 1928 it has held a monument to those who fell in the Silesian Uprisings. It is an active burial ground, with the Janów pond next to it. The small Józef Wieczorek Monument on Nałkowskiej Street commemorates a Giesche miner who became a politician; since its renovation in 2010 it takes the form of a colourful hand.
Frequently asked questions
How much of Janów-Nikiszowiec fits into half a day?
Nikiszowiec with St Anne's Church and the Zillmann Square, Galeria Magiel and the Pułaski shaft complex. Bolina Park is a good addition at the end for a rest.
Which places in Janów-Nikiszowiec suit a rainy day?
Galeria Magiel and the Szyb Wilson Gallery are indoor places. St Anne's Church can also be seen in poor weather, because its form and facade are clear from the outside.
Who designed Nikiszowiec?
The estate was designed by Georg and Emil Zillmann, architects from Berlin. The same authors designed St Anne's Church and the Pułaski shaft complex.
Where can you find more places in this district?
All the sites in the district are gathered on the page for attractions in Janów-Nikiszowiec.
Industrial heritage
