Katowice, Poland

Standing at the heart of the upper Silesian conurbation, 400,000-strong Katowice is very much the ugly duckling of Polish cities. Despite a few surviving pockets of nineteenth-century grandeur, it's a predominantly grey place grouped around a distinctly unengaging twentieth-century centre. However, thanks to its international airport and rail links, Katowice represents many peoples' first taste of southwestern Poland, and you may well find yourself here en route to somewhere else. Central Katowice is low on sightseeing attractions, but with the odd museum and a spectacular park, the city's outlying areas do possess some very interesting places to visit.