At present Katowice is one of the fastest growing and most important cities in Poland. Katowice is also the capital of the Silesian Voivodeship and the seat and heart of the first metropolitan union in Poland – Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolia (GZM), connecting 41 cities and communes. Due to this fact, Katowice’s investment potential should be considered in the light of the entire Metropolis GZM.

The central city of the Metropolis GZM with 2.2 million population

High rating by Fitch: A-

20% of the Katowice budget allocated for investments

Central academic center – 19 universities with almost 90,000 students and over 22,000 graduates a year in Metropolis

Very well developed transport infrastructure – the best road network in Poland, promoting the development of sustainable transport (friendly to pedestrians, drivers, cyclists, people using public transport), an access to 3 international airports (within a 30- 100 km radius) nearest Katowice Airport

One of the largest centers of modern business services in Poland - 135 BPO, SSC / GBS, IT and R&D centers from a metropolitan perspective

One of the largest regional office markets in Poland with an office space of 748,500 sq m2

Dynamic development of business tourism

over 42% of green areas

High quality of life (many cultural, sport events, investments in social and sports infrastructure, etc.)

Undoubtedly one of the advantages of Katowice is its excellent geographical location, which is certainly not without significance for both the city’s residents and numerous investors who have appreciated the potential of Katowice. The city is located in the southern part of Poland, at the intersection of important communication routes, which are at the same time the key corridors connecting Western and Eastern Europe as well as Northern and Southern Europe. Thanks to its convenient location and well-developed communication network, Katowice is one of the most important economic centers in Poland.

Katowice on the map of Poland and neighboring countries

administrative map of Silesian Voivodship

The city’s strong position results mainly from its location in the center of the well-connected Metropolis GZM. This excellent location combined with a high-quality transport infrastructure enables an easy and convenient access to the Metropolis – for those who travel by car, train or by plane.
  • access to 2 highways A1 and A4, express roads S1 and S86, important European road routes (E 40, E 75 and E 462) and railway routes (E30, E 65, C-E 65)
  • Silesian Intercity Road, so called DTŚ – which is a high-speed freeway that enables convenient transfers between cities in the Metropolis
  • integrated transfer hubs in Katowice: transfer hub „Ligota” built in 2018, 3 more integrated transfer hubs were completed in 2020 („Zawodzie”, „Brynów”, and „Sądowa” with International Bus Station) with over 1,100 parking places
  • 3 international airports only within 100 km from Katowice: Katowice Airport – 30 km from Katowice, Kraków Airport – 67 km, Ostrava Airport – 100 km
  • majority of European capitals or airline transfer hubs available within 5 hours total travel time

Katowice is one of the best-connected cities in Poland, fast travel around Katowice and adjacent cities is ensured by an extensive public transport network – bus and tram, as well as rail transport. Public transport in Katowice, which is a member of Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolia (GZM), is organized by the Metropolitan Transport Authority.

ZTM (Metropolitan Transport Authority) combines over 50 cities and towns, connecting the most important centres of the Silesian Voivodeship. Nearly 1,700 buses, trams and trolleybuses run every day through Silesia and Zagłębie. Over 500 lines use almost 7,000 stops and cover over 100 000 000 kilometers a year.

Koleje Śląskie, owned by the provincial government of Silesia, transport approx. 20 000 000 passengers a year. Currently, the carrier offers 62 trains, but at the end of 2023, Koleje Śląskie has concluded a tender for another 27 units. Most trains were purchased with the support of the European Funds.

Starting from 2024, the Metropolis GZM (GZM) – Katowice is its capital –  organises the city bike rental system. METROROWER is the largest rental system in Poland and the third largest in Europe. 7,000 bicycles and 924 bicycle rental stations are available in 31 cities of the Metropolis. These are 4th generation bikes equipped with a GPS transmitter. Thanks to the integration of various urban systems, now if you rent a bike in Tychy or Chorzów, you can return it in Katowice, Sosnowiec, Siemianowice Śląskie or Zabrze.

Railroads
Tram lines
Bus lines