Olsztyn - Olsztyn

Olsztyn(German: Allenstein) is a big city in the polish Voivodeship Warmia-Masuria, Next Elblag the only one in the voivodeship. It is also the capital of the voivodeship and the historical center of Warmia. Olsztyn is in the center of the Allenstein Lake District with numerous lakes in the urban area. The cityscape is characterized by the brick Gothic.

Olsztyn is located on the European Brick Gothic Way, the Way of St. James, the Street of the Gothic Castles, the Grunwaldweg and the Kopernikusweg.

Districts

Olsztyn is divided into 23 districts, of which the city center with the old town is likely to be the most interesting for tourists. In particular, the outer parts of the city are beautifully situated by lakes and often have beaches or marinas.

background

Olsztyn was first mentioned in a document at the beginning of the 14th century as a protective post against the Lithuanians. The town belonged to the bishops of Warmia, who built a brick-Gothic castle here. The city joined the Prussian Confederation and, along with all of Warmia, submitted to the Polish king in 1454, which the Teutonic Order recognized in the Peace of Thorne of 1466. In 1521 Nicolaus Copernicus defended the city against an attack by the knights of the order. In the course of the First Partition of Poland in 1772, Warmia and with it Olsztyn came to Prussia, in 1871 to the German Empire, in 1918 to the Weimar Republic and in 1945 to Poland.

With 170,000 inhabitants, Olsztyn is the largest city in Warmia-Masuria and the seat of the voivodeship administration. It is a good starting point for exploring the surrounding lake areas. It also offers visitors a whole range of sights and cultural activities. The most important historical building in the 650-year-old city is the castle of the Teutonic Order from the 14th century, today the seat of the Museum of Warmia and Mazury. Among other things, it shows a Copernicus exhibition to commemorate the work of the important astronomer in the city. The planetarium, which was built on his 500th birthday in 1973 and bears his name, also commemorates Copernicus. The core of the city, which was badly damaged in the war, was carefully rebuilt. Around the market are old town houses with their characteristic arcades. Here and in the Staromiejska promenade there are a number of nice shops, cafes and restaurants. The old town hall from the 17th century was destroyed in the war and later rebuilt true to the original. Diagonally opposite is the birthplace of the famous architect Erich Mendelsohn. A plaque commemorates the pioneer of modern building. In Allenstein he designed the small chapel in the Jewish cemetery. Further sights are the late Gothic cathedral and the High Gate, part of the city fortifications from the 14th century. There are eleven lakes in the city. A philharmonic hall, a theater and a puppet theater as well as several galleries contribute to the cultural life. Not far from Olsztyn there is a modern golf club in Naterki.

getting there

By plane

The 53.48194444444420.937777777778Olsztyn-Mazury Airport(IATA: SZY) is 58 km away and is from 50.07777777777819.784722222222Krakow-Balice Airport(IATA: CRC) and from 51.5183333333337.6122222222222Dortmund Airport(IATA: DTM) approached. The airport is 10 km south of Szczytno (Ortelsburg). There are train connections from Szczytno to Olsztyn, Pisz, Ełk and Ostrołęka.

By train

Olsztyn has two railway stations, Olsztyn Zachodni (Western Railway Station) and Olsztyn Główny (Central Railway Station) with connections to Poses and Szczecin. From there you can transfer to Germany.

By bus

Olsztyn has a central bus station (ZOB) directly at the main train station (Olsztyn Główny) from which the company operates Sindbad and Warmia also offer trips to Germany.

In the street

Olsztyn is located on the S51 expressway, which connects to the S7 expressway from Danzig above Warsaw to Krakow creates.

By boat

Excursion boats operate on the lakes in the urban area.

mobility

The old town can be explored on foot or by bike. Buses and trams go to the more distant parts of the city.

Tourist Attractions

• Brick-Gothic bishop's castle
• brick Gothic St. James Cathedral
• Brick-Gothic Lorenz Church
• neo-Gothic Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
• neo-Gothic St. Mary's Church
• neo-Gothic garrison church
• neo-Gothic evangelical church
• neo-gothic orthodox church
• neo-Romanesque Josephskirche
• neo-renaissance Christ the King Church
• Protestant Art Nouveau chapel
• Brick Gothic high gate with remains of the city wall
• Brick Gothic old town hall
• neo-renaissance New Town Hall
• Renaissance chapel Jerusalem
• baroque bishop's palace
• Town houses in the old town
• Art Nouveau houses and Art Nouveau villas in the suburbs
• Jewish Cemetery

activities

The city is from the long-distance hiking trail E11 crossed. Water sports can be practiced on the numerous lakes of the lake district of the same name around the city. The All is a popular kayak river. Canoe competitions take place here in summer.

shop

Olsztyn is the region's shopping destination. There are some large shopping malls, mainly on the large access roads. The largest trading centers include:

• Galeria Warmińska
• Aura Centrum Olsztyna
• CH Jakub
• CH Gracja
• CH H&B
• CH Manhattan
• CH Ducat
• CH Decada

There are numerous small mom and pop shops in the center.

kitchen

Olsztyn is located in the center of a lake district. Fresh fish characterizes the local cuisine. For Polish cuisine, see the relevant section in the article Poland.

nightlife

The nightlife is concentrated in the old town with its student pubs and bars.

accommodation

Hotels, private rooms, hostels and student residences of all price ranges are available.

Learn

The city has seven universities, of which the Warmian-Masurian University is the most important. 35,000 students study at it, who make up almost a quarter of the city's population. She is particularly known for her veterinary medicine faculty. There are also four independent research institutes.

Work

Private German teachers are often sought. For other activities, knowledge of the Polish language is essential.

security

It's pretty safe. If you go out on the lakes, you should check the weather forecast beforehand. Strong and rapidly approaching heat thunderstorms in summer are not uncommon.

health

In Olsztyn there is a university clinic and numerous medical practices and pharmacies. In addition to the university clinic, there are six other public hospitals with voivodship status. There are also private hospitals.

Practical advice

The Warmian-Masurian Museum with interesting exhibitions about the region is located in the brick Gothic bishop's castle. Here are some exhibits from Copernicus, who lived in the castle for a while. Other interesting museums are the Gazeta Olsztynska Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Zoological Museum and the Sports Museum.

The city also has ten art galleries and a planetarium, which is the second largest in Poland and opened in 1973 for the 500th birthday of Copernicus. There is also an important observatory from 1979. Friends of classical music will enjoy a visit to the Philharmonic, founded in 1972. Numerous open air music festivals take place in summer, such as the blues nights.

trips

Olsztyn is in the center of the Allenstein Lake District.

• Elbląg
• Frombork
• Braniewo
• Ostróda
• Lidzbark Warmiński

literature

See article too Poland.

Web links

• https://www.olsztyn.eu/o-olsztynie.html - Olsztyn official website