For decades Katowice had a serious PR problem in the menacing shape of its own central train station – a truly ghastly architectural abomination that sheltered all manner of strange smells and a host of dubious characters. Having ourselves survived many a close encounter with tunnel dwelling riffraff and several existential dilemmas while commiserating in the communist era cafeteria, we are overjoyed to announce that those days are gone and no longer will travellers have to live in fear of drawing near to this huge communication hub. The loooong awaited, fully renovated and totally reconceptualised Katowice train station officially opened in October 2012 and was fully operational from April 2013. The finished product is indeed a thing of beauty (wait, are we still in Katowice?), and while it will undoubtedly take time for some people to fully scrub the industrial stain of the old train station from their memory, those arriving in the city for the first time will find themselves greeted by a fully modern metropolis that exceeds expectations. Congrats Katowice, it’s nice to meet you.