Cheap flights from Dublin to Katowice from £79

Poland isn’t the most likely place to look for deserts. However, there is one not far from Katowice — Błędów Desert. It is the biggest accumulation of loose sand you’ll find far from the sea in Central Europe. The desert covers 32 square kilometres of land. Its sands reach as deep as 70 metres! An hour’s drive is the only thing, which separates Katowice from this picturesque land of small dunes. It may well be worth the effort!

This 20th-century cathedral is one of the largest in Poland. Its unusual exterior may remind you of a government building, but don’t let yourself be confused. Come inside, and you won’t be disappointed. Pay attention to miners’ patron Saint Barbara sculpture overlooking an altar of coal and a monument to lost miners. The large dome houses five bells, the largest of which weighs 3.5 tonnes.

Thanks to recent infrastructure improvements, Katowice has become a bike-friendly city. Its parks (the Silesia Park, the Valley of Three Ponds, etc.) offer countless roads for exploration on a two-wheeled transport. The city-organised bike rental system has more than 600 vehicles in dozens of stations. Just install the app, pay two euro for registering — and a three-hour ride will cost you less than one euro.