Almost 220,000 people live in Sosnowiec, which is predominantly an economic centre that is developing successfully due to its Special Economic Zone, but if you expect only to see grey blocks of flats and factory chimneys then you may become confused. The neatly renovated downtown includes some very interesting historical sights, such as Sielecki Castle occupied by the Sosnowiec Centre of Art, the Schoen Palace and Dietl Palace or the Orthodox church of Faith, Hope and Love.

Among the several green areas in the town, the most recommendable is the Leon Kruczkowski Park with its Exotarium, designed to show everyone the diversity of flora and fauna from around the world. There are about 80 species of plants while the animal section has fish, reptiles and mammals.

Sosnowiec was home in 1920-30 to Jan Kiepura, a tenor of international fame. The town formerly had a significant population of Jews – and among the most famous citizen of Sosnowiec is Wladyslaw Szpilman, the composer and musician portrayed in Roman Polanski’s The Pianist.