Gliwice — the radio station, Silesian magnates and tropics in a coal city

Forget the typical image of Silesia. We take you to the former Prussian Gleiwitz — a cultural melting pot where great history shifted borders and huge fortunes built empires. This is the hometown of Oscar Troplowicz, creator of the famous NIVEA cream, and it was here, under the tallest wooden tower in Europe, that a provocation was staged which provided the pretext for the outbreak of World War II. We will discover a city of extreme contrasts: we will peek into the luxurious residences of Silesian industrial magnates, and moments later confront the bleak darkness of the ruins of the Victoria Theatre, burned in 1945. Finally, we will enter the steamy, exotic jungle in the gigantic Palm House that the smoky industrial city created for itself in the heart of the coal basin.

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PROGRAM

• Gathering: 17.05.2026 (Sunday), 6:30 — parking lot in front of the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw (by the Kinoteka cinema). Departure at 6:35 towards Gliwice. Planned return to the same place around 21:30.
• GLIWICE RADIO STATION — The provocation that changed the world. We will see the Gliwice Radio Station — the tallest wooden structure in Europe (111 m). We will learn the background of the secret operation that served as a pretext for unleashing World War II.
• OLD TOWN — Palaces and ruins. With a local guide we will visit Villa Caro — a residence dripping with luxury belonging to a 19th-century industrialist. We will also see the dark ruins of the Victoria Theatre, burned in 1945, and stroll the streets around the Gliwice Market Square.
• FREE TIME — about 1 h 15 min – 1 h 30 min for independent exploration and lunch.
• JUNGLE IN A COAL CITY — Walk to the Municipal Palm House: gigantic greenhouses and exotic palms under which the Silesian bourgeoisie sought escape from the smoky sky.

The trip is led by:

• Barbara Palewicz-Ryży — a native of Gliwice, guide and enthusiast of industrial tourism. She will show Gliwice from the perspective of someone who grew up in the very center, presenting true and unexpected stories of the city.
• Tomek Nowakowski — tour leader and guide, seeker of tourist contrasts. He has visited over 60 countries and will show the raw beauty of Silesian industrial landscapes and places with an unexpected past.

Cost: 250 zł/person + admission tickets to visited sites.

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You are warmly invited!