Places worth seeing/visiting in the nearby area*
Cracow/Krakow
The city of Krakow, which lies on the banks of the Vistula River, was for centuries the capital of Poland, and has accumulated a quarter of Poland’s total number of museum artefacts. A visit to Krakow is a meeting with the most glorious era in Polish history. Krakow’s Old Town, along with Wawel Castle and the city’s Kazimierz district were placed on the First World Heritage List, created by UNESCO in 1978. At that time, such prestigious recognition had been awarded to only 12 of the world’s most famous heritage sites.
More about: http://www.krakow.pl/english/
Wieliczka Salt Mine
It is one of the most valuable monuments of material and spiritual culture in Poland. Being the only salt mine in the world preserved in such pristine condition it is also a world class monument, featuring among twelve objects on the UNESCO’s World Cultural and Natural Heritage List.
More about: http://www.wieliczka-saltmine.com/
Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum
Auschwitz concentration camp was a network of German Nazi concentration camps and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II. It was estalished by Germans in 1940, in the suburbs of Oswiecim, a Polish city, which name was changed to Auschwitz. It consisted of Auschwitz I (the original camp), Auschwitz II–Birkenau (a combination concentration/extermination camp), Auschwitz III - Monowitz (a labor camp to staff an IG Farben factory), and 45 satellite camps. All over the world, Auschwitz has become a symbol of terror, genocide, and the Holocaust.
More about: http://auschwitz.org/en/
The Polish Jurassic Highland
The Cracow-Częstochowa Upland (also known as the Polish Jurassic Highland) is 80-kilometre strip of heights between Cracow and Częstochowa. Combination of prehistory, history and the present. In the past Jura was defended by countless castles whose picturesque ruins – “Eagles Nests” – now are symbols of the region.
The Jurassic rocks and numerous caves are places where the most successful Polish climbers and cavers began their career. Due to fantastic shape of the terrain Jura is also a great place for mountain biking, horseback rides and cross-country skiing.
Although the area is very popular among rock-climbers from Poland and the neighbouring countries, the Jurassic limestone rocks still abound with enjoyable and as yet not over-explored routes.
More about: https://jura.slaskie.travel/en-US
The Jasna Gora Monastery
This is a monastery and sanctuary of the image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, the greatest place of pilgrimage in Poland and one of the world’s most important shrines to the Virgin Mary. Every year it is a destination for 4 million tourists from 80 countries, as well as for approximately 1 million pilgrims from Poland. However The Jasna Góra Monastery is not only a place of pilgrimage for Catholic and Orthodox churches, but also one of the most important Polish military fortresses.
More about: http://www.jasnagora.pl/Default.aspx
The Castle in Pszczyna
It is a unique residence on the European scale with over 70% original, historical furnishings from the turn of the 20th century.
More about: http://www.zamek-pszczyna.pl/english/history
The Industrial Monuments Route
Tourist route connecting 42 objects in Silesia presenting industrial heritage of the region of Upper Silesia. They represent mining and metallurgical tradition, energy flow, railways, telecommunication, water production and the food industry.
More about: http://www.zabytkitechniki.pl/en-US
Nikiszowiec & Giszowiec
The two housing estates built for the miners working in a nearby coal mines. Their rich history and interesting architecture from the beginning of the 20th century create the unique atmosphere which makes an amazing impression. Nikiszowiec became a background for many films about the Upper Silesia. Giszowiec is a rare phenomenon in Europe as it was designed and built as a “city – garden”.
More about: https://katowice.eu/en/aktualnosci?ItemID=11&ListID=%7b5AE66C1B-19FD-4411-BD33-BC6BE77C3786%7d
Historic Coal Mine "Guido"
The mine was founded in 1855 by Count Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck and took his name from its name. In the 1960’s it was transformed into the Experimental Coal Mine “M-300” and in 1982 the mine became a branch of the Museum of Coal Mining in Zabrze.
More about: http://kopalniaguido.pl/index.php/en/
*The costs of described attractions are not covered by the Conference organizers.
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