Churches and monasteries
monumental domed church with a bishops' crypt, a pantheon and a viewing terrace on the roof
Churches and monasteries
a Neo-Gothic church with an 86 m brick tower, the cathedral of the Katowice diocese from 1925 to 1957
Churches and monasteries
a Dominican convent at the Church of the Transfiguration in central Katowice
Churches and monasteries
the first brick church in Katowice, a Neo-Romanesque Lutheran church with stained glass
Churches and monasteries
Modernist garrison church with a single tower and an Art Deco interior
Churches and monasteries
oldest surviving Catholic church in central Katowice, Neo-Gothic, with a 71-metre tower
Churches and monasteries
a three-metre bronze figure of the Pope by Gustaw Zemła beside the cathedral
Churches and monasteries
enclosed convent of Discalced Carmelite nuns with a chapel open for morning Eucharist
Churches and convents in Śródmieście, Katowice: the Cathedral of Christ the King, St Mary's Church and two friaries in the city centre.
Eight places stand within one district, so a visit works well on foot. They include Catholic and Protestant churches from the mid 19th century to the 1930s, two religious houses and a monument next to the cathedral.
Start with the Cathedral of Christ the King at Plebiscytowa 49 and St Mary's Church on plac ks. Emila Szramka. The first is a monumental church with a dome and a portico, listed as a national monument of history. The second is the oldest surviving Catholic church in central Katowice, a neo-Gothic building with a 71-metre tower.
These eight places are part of a much larger set: churches and monasteries in Silesia number several hundred across the region, and Śródmieście itself lists dozens of other places.
The Cathedral of Christ the King has a crypt, organs, a pantheon and a viewing terrace. Construction took over a quarter of a century: the Katowice diocese was created in 1925 and the church was consecrated in 1955. It is regarded as the only Roman Catholic church built in Poland in the 20th century specifically to serve as a cathedral.
In the north-western corner of Cathedral Square stands the monument to Pope John Paul II, a bronze sculpture by Gustaw Zemła blessed in 2006. It is not a church, but a natural stop on a visit to the cathedral.
A few buildings show how the city grew. The oldest is the Protestant church at Warszawska 18: the Church of the Resurrection dates from 1856-1858, was the first brick church in Katowice and is neo-Romanesque, extended until 1902.
The neo-Gothic St Mary's Church comes from 1862-1870 and was designed by Alexis Langer. The brick Church of Saints Peter and Paul at Mikołowska 32 was built for the southern part of the growing city and has an 86-metre tower. It served as the diocesan cathedral from 1925 to 1957.
The Church of St Casimir the Prince on Kopernika Street is quite different. It was built in 1930-1933 in a functionalist spirit, of brick, with one tall tower on the corner. It was a garrison and school church, and its original furnishings survive almost complete.
The Dominican friary at Sokolska 12 has operated since 2012 next to the parish of the Transfiguration. It is a convent that carries out pastoral work, not an enclosed monastery.
The Discalced Carmelite convent at Kilińskiego 15a is home to the sisters, so it is a place of prayer rather than a sight to enter. It was established in 1989 and its chapel was consecrated in 1991. On a walk it works as a stop seen from outside.
All addresses lie in one district, so the easiest order follows the streets: Plebiscytowa and Cathedral Square, then Warszawska and Mikołowska, and finally Kopernika. With more time, add historic sites in Śródmieście or museums in Śródmieście.
Eight places are listed: five churches, two friaries and the John Paul II monument by the cathedral. All lie in one district.
The first brick church in Katowice is the Protestant Church of the Resurrection from 1856-1858. Among Catholic churches, St Mary's is the oldest surviving one in the centre.
Yes, the Cathedral of Christ the King has a viewing terrace, as well as a crypt, organs and a pantheon.
The Dominican friary runs pastoral work at its parish and the Carmelite convent is the sisters' home. Treat them as places of prayer, not sights to enter.
