Attraction in Katowice
NOSPR (Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra)
The purpose-built home of Poland's National Radio Symphony Orchestra, with acoustics by the designer of some of the world's leading concert halls.
Reviewed and updated July 2026
NOSPR, Katowice's concert hall in the Culture Zone
The orchestra moved into this hall on Wojciech Kilar Square in October 2014, on the site of a former timber yard belonging to the Katowice coal mine. It stands in the Culture Zone next to the Silesian Museum and Spodek, a cluster of cultural buildings on the reclaimed mine grounds north of the centre.
Architecture and acoustics at NOSPR
The building was designed by Polish architect Tomasz Konior, with concert-hall acoustics by Yasuhisa Toyota of Nagata Acoustics, whose work spans several internationally regarded halls. The brick and concrete forms draw on Upper Silesian building traditions, including the Nikiszowiec workers' estate.
Hearing a concert at NOSPR
The main hall seats 1,800 with a smaller chamber hall for around 300. The venue runs a full symphonic and chamber season and has been part of the European Concert Hall Organisation since 2019. Check the official NOSPR site for the programme and tickets, and note that concerts are the usual way to see the interior.
Frequently asked questions
More attractions in Katowice
Nikiszowiec
A complete early-twentieth-century miners settlement of red-brick courtyards, now a protected monument and the most atmospheric corner of Katowice.
Spodek
Katowice's 1971 saucer-shaped arena is the city's best-known building and its main venue for concerts, sport and trade fairs.
Silesian Insurgents' Monument
Three great steel wings honouring the Silesian Uprisings, frequently described as the largest and heaviest monument in Poland.
Kościuszko Park
Kościuszko Park is one of Katowice's oldest and largest green spaces, home to a 1510 wooden church and Poland's only parachute tower.
Altus Skyscraper
Altus is one of the tallest buildings in Katowice, a roughly 125 metre mixed-use tower on ul. Uniwersytecka holding offices, shops and a hotel.
Parachute Tower (Wieża Spadochronowa)
The Parachute Tower in Kościuszko Park is the only surviving parachute training tower in Poland, a 1930s landmark tied to Katowice's defence in September 1939.
More to explore in Katowice
Museum
Silesian Museum
A major regional museum built into the shafts and tunnels of a closed Katowice coal mine, with most of its galleries underground.
Nature
Valley of Three Ponds (Dolina Trzech Stawow)
A large lakeside park in southern Katowice for walking, cycling and water sports, and home to the OFF Festival.
Restaurant
Browar Mariacki
A brewpub on Mariacka Street brewing its own beer in a converted warehouse, with Silesian and grilled dishes alongside.
Restaurant
Wspolwinni Katowice
A MICHELIN Guide listed restaurant near the Culture Zone, with a seasonal menu that crosses southern European and modern Polish cooking.
Hotel
Hotel Monopol Katowice
Katowice's five-star hotel by the station, in a 1903 building with restaurants and a spa with an indoor pool.
Hotel
Vienna House Easy by Wyndham Katowice
A large four-star hotel near the centre with 203 rooms, including apartments with kitchenettes, a short walk from the station.