Once Katowice's most modern edifice, Altus began the Silesian capital's post-communist march to modernity, and at 27 stories and 125 metres tall it was the the tallest building in all of southern PL for a long time before it was completely eclipsed by Wrocław's 225m Sky Tower in 2012. A thoroughly unique culture, entertainment, business and retail centre all contained in one glittering package, within Altus' 63,000 square metres you'll find a diverse range of ways to spend a typically dreary day in Silesia; in fact, with one of the best hotels in town occupying the upper floors, it's conceivable you could spend your entire trip to Kato within the Altus confines.

Home to a Marriott Hotel, fitness centre, squash courts, atrium gallery and several fine restaurants (Via Toscana, Kyoto Sushi), Altus also contains a plethora of retail boutiques and salons (including an Apple Macintosh service store), banks, cafes, and a rooftop bar with incredible views of the city beyond, which you'll be perfectly content to miss out on exploring. The complex is so vast they even have superfluous space leftover for offices and conference facilities. Serviced by an underground parking lot with 566 spaces, there's even an Avis car rental spot and a car wash. Now that's thorough.