An afternoon and evening in Katowice...

A quick in-and-out job, made possible by fast electric trains. Around two and half hours, time to edit articles, read The Economist from the front to the back, and grab a meal in the Wars restaurant wagon.

Arriving in Katowice, it is a short stroll through the city centre to get to the venue of our event today, the KTW office complex. On my way, I note that Katowice's trams have names - a nice human touch to public transport! The one facing the camera is called 'Heniek' (I checked online - there's no 'Ziutek', but there is a 'Zyguś'). Behind the trams, I see that the Christmas fair is already in place, and traders are busy trading.

Left: view from the 30th (and top) floor of the second KTW tower, the highest point in Katowice (133m), looking west. This is an excellent vantage point to witness the fantastic growth potential of the Silesian conurbation. Note the tram interchange at the foot of the the office complex. A dynamic city, Katowice is rapidly accelerating from its coal-mining roots.

Below: heading back to the station for the train back to Warsaw, I pass the Christmas market, now fully illuminated. Billboards advertise festive visits to Brno, which is actually closer to Katowice than Warsaw. And indeed, here and there I could hear Czech spoken by groups of middle-aged tourists, here for the Christmas shopping.

Below: Katowice does neon well. Note the vertical light poles, in the Ukrainian colours. Katowice has not forgotten!

Back in Warsaw, Central station. My return train was the Polonia Vienna-Warsaw express, which called at Ostrava and Katowice on the way. I was hoping the train would consist of Austrian or Czech carriages, so I could sample the in-train dining experience offered by the respective operators, ÖBB or České dráhy, and compare them to PKP's Wars. Sadly, the rolling stock was made up entirely of Polish carriages, although it was hauled by a Czech locomotive (below). I had to make do with Wars for the second time in a day (thought this time only for Polish cider, and peanuts). The train departed and arrived on time, and was profitably full. Hurrah for rail travel!

My second visit to Katowice this year; the city continues to impress with its sheer economic dynamism.

This time three years ago:
Wola's Joryt building (and its place in Polish popular culture)

This time four years ago:
Karczunkowska viaduct opens to cars, but not to pedestrians

This time five years ago:
Edinburgh's Polish statues

This time six years ago:
Edinburgh - walking the Water of Leith

This time seven years ago:
Poland's north-west frontier

This time eight years ago:
Cars must fade from our cities

This time ten years ago:
Unnecessary street lighting wastes public money

This time 11 years ago:
Warsaw's heros on the walls 

This time 12 years ago:
Tax dodge or public service? 

This time 14 years ago:
Warsaw's woodlands in autumn

This time 15 years ago:
Still here, the early snow

This time 16 years ago:
Another point of view