Opole (Voivodeship) - Oppeln (Woiwodschaft)

The voivodeship Opole(Polish: Województwo Opolskie) is in the southwest Poland and borders on the voivodeship to the west Lower Silesia, in the north to the voivodeships Greater Poland and Łódź, in the east to the voivodeship Silesia and in the south Czech Republic. Opole is by the Silesian Plain on the Or as well as through the mountains and hills of the Sudeten in the south and the Krakow-Czestochowa Juras as well as the Silesian Plateau in the north and east. Capital and largest city is Opole in the center of the voivodeship. Apart from the capital, there are no other large cities.

In this region you will find numerous brick Gothic churches, defense towers and castles and beautiful lake districts. There are good opportunities for water sports (kayaking, swimming, sailing, diving) at the four large reservoirs and the rivers. The kayak route along the Glatzer Neisse is very varied. in the Reichenstein Mountains, which is in the voivodeship with the Bischofskoppe Hikers and winter sports enthusiasts get their money's worth when it reaches a height of up to approx. Also the Jura and the Silesian plateau, which on Sankt Annaberg Reaching a height of over 400 meters above sea level are interesting hiking areas. The hilly Sudetenvorland, for example the Leobschützer Lösshügelland, has its own charm. The voivodeship capital Opole in particular offers an interesting cultural program.

Regions

The name comes from the capital Opole. Historically, the Opole region belongs to Upper Silesiawhose capital was originally Opole. Small parts also belong in the west Lower Silesia to the Opole Voivodeship, which make up about 20% of its area, which belonged to the Principality of Neisse in the Middle Ages. Parts of the north are in the historical Greater Poland (Weluner Land), Parts of the south to historical Moravia.

• The voivodeship has a share in the northeast Krakow-Czestochowa Jura with its chalk cliffs:
  • A small part of the Woischnik-Welun plateau is in the voivodeship.
• The voivodeship has a stake in the east Silesian plateau with its highest elevation, the Sankt Annaberg.
• This runs through from southeast to northwest Odertal the Silesian Plain in the voivodeship. Here lies with the Falkenberger Heath also the largest forest area in the voivodeship.
• The hilly one joins the Oder valley to the southwest Sudeten Foreland on, that until after Lower Silesia enough.
• The voivodeship has a share in the south-west Eastern Sudetes.
  • The Reichenstein Mountains is in the border triangle Lower Silesia and Moravia south of the Glatzer Neisse.
  • The Zuckmanteler Bergland has the highest mountains in the region. In the area of ​​the voivodeship they can reach up to 900 meters in altitude. On the Moravian side they are over 1,100 meters above sea level.

places

Woischnik-Weluner plateau

• 51.11666666666718.2166666666671 Byczyna
• 51.0518.452 Praszka
• 51.03333333333318.4333333333333 Gorzów Śląski
• 51.01833333333318.0569444444444 Wołczyn
• 50.98333333333318.2166666666675 Kluczbork
• 50.87518.4166666666676 Olesno

Silesian Plain

• 51.07277777777817.7069444444447 Namysłów
• 50.86666666666717.4833333333338 Brzeg
• 50.68333333333317.3666666666679 Grodków
• 50.748717.6168810 Lewin Brzeski
• 50.63333333333317.611 Niemodlin
• 50.5833317.6512 Tułowice
• 50.67222222222217.92527777777813 Opole
• 50.57638888888917.87138888888914 Prószków
• 50.4751517.9653915 Krapkowice
• 50.48805555555618.02388888888916 Gogolin

Silesian plateau

• 50.67305555555618.21305555555617 Ozimek
• 50.72777777777818.44444444444418 Dobrodzień
• 50.6533818.3849319 Kolonowskie
• 50.60944444444418.4820 Zawadzkie
• 50.518.28333333333321 Strzelce Opolskie
• 50.5441666718.3805555622 Jemielnica
• 50.42916666666718.18111111111123 Leśnica
• 50.45611111111118.167524 Góra Świętej Anny
• 50.41916666666718.12361111111125 Zdzieszowice
• 50.33333333333318.226 Kędzierzyn-Koźle
• 50.39055555555618.35416666666727 Ujazd

Sudeten Foreland

• 50.3858717.6603528 Biała
• 50.4333317.7666729 Moszna
• 50.34388888888917.86722222222230 Głogówek
• 50.217.83333333333331 Głubczyce
• 50.15777777777817.9832 Baborów
• 50.07916666666718.00888888888933 Kietrz

Reichenstein Mountains

• 50.451734 Paczków
• 50.46666666666717.17535 Otmuchów
• 50.47138888888917.33388888888936 Nysa

Zuckmanteler Bergland

• 50.31305555555617.37416666666737 Głuchołazy
• 50.31972222222217.57916666666738 Prudnik

Other goals

Kayak and houseboat trails

• Biravka
• Glatzer Neisse
• Gliwice Canal
• Himmelwitzer water
• Hotzenplotz
• Klodnitz
• Malapane
• Prosna
• Steinau
• Stober
• pasture
• Zinna

Lakes

• 50.44638888888917.2594444444441 Reservoir Neisse
• 50.463317.12222 Reservoir Ottmuchau
• 50.47516.967222223 Patschkau reservoir
• 50.72189518.1298454 Turawa reservoir

Other goals

• The 50.44138888888917.7694444444441 Moschen CastleType is group designation is one of the most beautiful neo-renaissance castles in Europe.
• The 50.8637517.46692 Brzeg CastleType is group designation is one of the most beautiful Renaissance castles in Central Europe.
• By the 50.2817.453 Zuckmanteler BerglandType is group designation (Polish Góry Opawskie) in the Eastern Sudetes in the south the Sudeten main hiking trail.
• The Sudeten Foreland is a hilly landscape that connects to the north of the Sudetes.
• The 50.58333317.7166674 Falkenberger HeathType is group designation (Polish Bory Niemodlińskie) south of the Oder is one of the largest contiguous forest areas in the region.
• The 50.881917.8325 Stober HeideType is group designation (Polish Bory Stobrawskie) north of the Oder is also one of the largest contiguous forest areas in the region.

background

The area came under Mieszko I. together with all of Silesia before 990 to the emerging Polish state. After Poland was split up in 1138, Opole belonged to the Principality of Silesia with its capital in Wroclaw, but soon after the partition of Silesia it became a principality with the capital in Opole. It belonged to Upper Silesia, which split up into other principalities, some of which came to Bohemia in the 14th century and some stayed with Poland. The Bohemian part came to the Habsburgs in 1526 and to Prussia in 1742. After the First World War, Upper Silesia was divided after a referendum and Opole remained with the German Empire, while the eastern part was around Katowice came to Poland. In 1939 the eastern part of Upper Silesia was occupied by the Wehrmacht and in 1945 by the Red Army. In the course of the westward shift of Poland after the Potsdam Agreement, the eastern part of the previously divided Upper Silesia also came to Poland. Opole has been a separate voivodeship in Poland since 1945, and was given its current form in 1999.

Today the Opole Voivodeship is the center of the German-speaking minority in Poland. In the 2011 census, over 78,000 people (also) stated German ethnicity, which corresponds to around 7.7% of the total population. B. identify as both German and Pole). In around 20 municipalities, Germans make up over 20% of the population, German is the second official language there and bilingual place-name signs have been set up. The German cultural traditions are supported by the Social-cultural society of the Germans in Opole Silesia groomed. Another 100,000 citizens indicated their ethnicity as (also) "Silesian" (either just Silesian or Silesian and Polish).

language

The official language of the Opole Voivodeship is Polish, in the communities with a larger German minority also German.

The colloquial language of some residents is Silesian, a Polish dialect from Upper Silesia. Most Poles also speak good or very good English. Some also have a second foreign language such as German, Russian, Spanish, French or Italian, which are mainly spoken and understood in the large and tourist-relevant cities.

getting there

By plane

The Opole Voivodeship itself does not have its own international airport. The airport in Germany, Austria and Switzerland can be reached by plane Katowice (50.47416666666719.081 Katowice Airport(IATA: KTW)) or Wroclaw (51.10277777777816.8858333333332 Wroclaw Airport(IATA: WRO)) approach.

road

The journey is recommended by car. The road conditions are very good. The journey from Germany is recommended via Gorlitz, Legnica and Wroclaw on the highway Autostrada A4. The A4 is very well developed here. The drive from the German border can be done in just over two hours if the traffic is calm.

By bus

Long-distance buses go to all major cities.

By train

Long-distance trains stop in the capital, among other places Opole. The rail network is very well developed.

By boat

The Or is from the confluence with the Gliwice Canal navigable.

mobility

The road network is one of the densest in Poland. This also applies to train connections.

Tourist Attractions

The medieval towns and castles as well as the rebuilt historical center of are particularly worth seeing Opole. Many Silesian wooden churches are located in the Opole Voivodeship.

Particularly beautiful old stalls and / or castles have:

• Opole is the capital of the Opole Voivodeship.
• Nysa at the Glatzer Neisse was once the capital of the principality of the same name.
• Brzeg was also the capital of a principality of the Silesian Piasts. The Renaissance Piast Castle is the most important building in the voivodeship.
• Paczków is a medieval town on the Glatzer Neisse.
• Prudnik is a medieval located on the river of the same name.
• Moszna is known for its neo-renaissance castle.
• The monastery on the Sankt Annaberg is the religious center of the region.
• Głuchołazy is a former spa town with a beautiful spa park in the Zuckermantler Bergland.

activities

In the Sudetes you can go hiking, horse riding and cycling, or do winter sports in winter. This is also where the eastern part of the Sudeten main hiking trail.

kitchen

In Poland, the Silesian cuisine is particularly hearty, tasty, and rich in meat and calories. For Polish cuisine, see the relevant section in the article Poland.

nightlife

There are many clubs and restaurants in Opole.

security

It is actually quite safe, but you should not neglect the necessary care in large crowds, e.g. in large markets or train stations - as everywhere in the world.

climate

The climate is a transitional climate from temperate to continental. The summers are generally warm to hot with mean temperatures between 16 ° C and 21 ° C and the winters are cold, with mean temperatures around -5 ° C. Precipitation falls mainly in spring and autumn.

literature

See article too Poland.

Web links

• http://www.umwo.opole.pl/ - Official website of the Opole Voivodeship
• Representation of the Opole Voivodeship in Germany