Locations with an easy commute to Katowice: where to choose a flat and where a house

Katowice is the heart of the Upper Silesian-Zagłębie Metropolis. Its central position in the conurbation and its role as a voivodeship capital mean that this city has the largest job market in the region. Every day tens of thousands of people commute here to offices and factories. Where should you live to be able to reach Katowice quickly and comfortably?

The capital of the Silesian Voivodeship is one of the best-connected cities in Poland. Such major routes as the A4 motorway, the S1 and S86 expressways and the Drogowa Trasa Średnicowa (the Central Trunk Road), which links the east of the metropolis with the west, all run through Katowice. The city has more than a dozen tram lines, an important railway station and a dense network of bus connections. Unfortunately, despite such well-developed transport infrastructure, getting to Katowice at rush hour causes a lot of trouble, so before choosing a place to live it is a good idea to first analyse its location in terms of its connection with the centre of the GZM (the Upper Silesian-Zagłębie Metropolis).

Districts of Katowice

Where should you live to have a good commute to Katowice? The first thing that comes to mind, of course, is the districts of the city itself. Koszutka, Dąb and Załęże border the city centre (Śródmieście), so getting in from these areas is not a particular problem. You can reach the centre comfortably from them both by car and by tram, and in some cases you can even be tempted to walk. In recent years the city has built cycle paths there, so a bicycle also works well as a means of transport from these districts. However, multi-family housing dominates there, and for this reason they should be considered when looking for flats rather than houses.

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There are greater opportunities to find an attractive place to build or buy a house in the southern districts of Katowice, such as Panewniki or Brynów. Unfortunately they are further from the city centre and so far no tram line has been built there, so during the morning and afternoon rush hours the main roads get very congested.

Commuting from nearby cities is good too

Because Katowice lies at the centre of a heavily urbanised metropolis, it is well connected with neighbouring cities. Visitors from outside the region sometimes find it hard to see the boundaries, because the individual municipalities have grown so much into one another. In some cases getting to the centre of the voivodeship capital from other cities takes less time than from individual districts.

Siemianowice Śląskie, Chorzów and Świętochłowice are very well located in relation to Katowice, but thanks to the A4 motorway and the DTŚ you can also quickly drive to the centre of Katowice from Ruda Śląska, Zabrze and Gliwice. For commuting by public transport it is worth considering buying a property in Bytom or Sosnowiec. Passengers from these cities have frequent trams and buses to Katowice, as well as Koleje Śląskie trains. From each of these cities you can reach the centre of the metropolis in less than 30 minutes.

To choose a good place to live, it is best to contact an estate agent. They will help you choose the best location, one that lets you avoid long and tiring commutes, so that you can devote more time to your family and friends or – simply – to yourself.