Silesian Voivodeship - Województwo śląskie

Silesian Voivodeship
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Country	Poland
Capital city	Katowice
Surface	12,333 km²
Population	4 650 000
Tongue	Polish, Silesian
Car code	NS
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Silesian Voivodeship - is located in the southern part Polish, bordered by Czechs and Slovakia and four other provinces: Łódź Province, Świętokrzyskie, Lesser Poland and Opole.

The Śląskie Voivodeship is one of the smallest voivodships in terms of area, but second only to Mazowieckie, in terms of population. The voivodship has the highest Poland the level of urbanization.

Characteristic

The area of ​​the Śląskie Voivodeship is 12,333 km² and the number of inhabitants is approximately 4,650,000. It is divided into 36 poviats.

Geography

The Silesian Voivodeship is geographically and physically divided into at least three parts:

• Silesian Upland - coincides with the area of ​​the largest industrial grouping, the Upper Silesian Industrial District,
• Wieluń Upland - the upland stretching from the vicinity of Wieluń to Czestochowa and Kłobucka,

Kraków-Częstochowa Upland - it stretches from the vicinity of Wieluń in the Łódzkie Voivodeship to the vicinity of Krakow in the Małopolskie Voivodeship,

• Beskids - mountain ranges including Beskid Śląski, Beskid Mały and Beskid Żywiecki

fauna and Flora

Fauna

There are many species of animals in the Silesian Voivodeship. From the animal world in the voivodship, you can meet 63 species of mammals, 262 species of birds, 6 species of reptiles and almost all species of amphibians found in Poland. There are also many invertebrates and fish (mainly in mountain rivers) in the voivodeship.

Flora

The flora of the Silesian Voivodeship is very rich. It has 1,500 species. Higher plants found in the region are almost as much as half the number of species that make up the flora of Poland. It includes 7 species of clubfoot, 8 horsetail, 25 fern, 7 gymnosperms and 1,253 angiosperms (data from 1997).

The plants unique and important for the local flora include, among others Polish Warzucha, Polish spurge, conic valleys, mountain olives, spring cinquefoil, rock turf, European flower and Moravian monkshood.

Climate

Regardless of the anthropogenic influences, the weather and climatic conditions of the Śląskie Voivodeship should be described as typical for the transitional variety of the temperate warm climate, shaped by a number of climate and weather elements, the most important of which are: air temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, air humidity, cloud cover, precipitation atmospheric, insolation.

Temperatures and precipitation here are rather moderate and typical for this part of Poland. Depending on the part of the Śląskie Voivodeship, there are different winds, mainly shaped by western winds. The highest average forward wind speed of 35 m / s was measured on January 15, 1981 at the station located on the Skrzyczne Mountain. However, the maximum gust wind speed is 48 m / s and was measured on December 19, 1989 in Bielsko-Biała.

History

The province should not be equated with Polish Silesia as a historical land that falls within the present-day voivodeships of Opolskie, Śląskie, Dolnośląskie and partly Lubuskie. This region has repeatedly been the cause of conflicts on the European arena and came under Czech, Austrian and German rule. Historical conditions made this area multi-cultural. Silesians they use their own dialect and often emphasize their national or ethnic distinctiveness. In addition, they are indigenous people, that is, the primitive (native) people of these areas, who inhabited the local lands for several centuries before Mieszko I. Apart from the Silesians, the voivodship is inhabited by Żywiec Highlanders, belonging to the Lesser Poland region.

Drive

By plane

It is located in the Silesian Voivodeship Katowice-Pyrzowice airport[1] (IATA: KTW) with two passenger terminals and one cargo terminal.

By train

There are many larger and smaller railway stations in Silesia. The most important of them, however, is the train station in Katowice, located almost in the city center, connected with Galeria Katowicka - a large shopping center. Other stations can be found in almost every medium and large city.

By car

Silesia is one of the best developed regions in terms of road infrastructure. All GOP cities are connected by a network of two-lane roads. Thanks to this, traveling around Silesia and driving from Katowice to Krakow (90 km) or from Katowice to Wrocław (200 km) via the A4 motorway is the most convenient way to travel.

The seat of KZK GOP in Katowice

By bus

In the Upper Silesian Industrial District, the main carrier is KZK GOP, which also cooperates with MZK Tychy, PKM Jaworzno and MZKP Tarnowskie Góry. The most important information about tariffs, timetables, etc. can be found on the official website of KZK GOP: http://www.kzkgop.com.pl/

By ship

The area of ​​the Silesian Voivodeship cannot be reached directly by boat.

The Gliwice Canal provides access to the Odra River, which is used as an inland logistic waterway. Tourist cruises on the Oder have been developing for the last few years, but despite this, there are not many of them.

Counties

Poviats of the Silesian Voivodeship

The following poviats are distinguished in the Śląskie Voivodeship:

Town poviats

• 1 – Czestochowa
• 2 – Bielsko-Biala
• 3 – Bytom
• 4 – Chorzow
• 5 – Katowice
• 6 – Dąbrowa Górnicza
• 7 – Gliwice
• 8 – Jastrzebie Zdroj
• 9 – Jaworzno
• 10 – Mysłowice
• 11 – Piekary Śląskie
• 12 – Ruda Slaska
• 13 – Rybnik
• 14 – Siemianowice Śląskie
• 15 – Tychy
• 16 – Sosnowiec
• 17 – Świętochłowice
• 18 – Zabrze
• 19 – Żory

Land counties

• 20 – Będzin poviat
• 21 – Bielsko poviat
• 22 – Bieruńsko-Lędziński poviat
  

  Division of the voivodeship into communes
• 23 – Cieszyn poviat
• 24 – Częstochowa poviat
• 25 – Gliwice poviat
• 26 – Kłobuck district
• 27 – Lubliniec poviat
• 28 – Mikołów County
• 29 – Myszków district
• 30 – Pszczyna poviat
• 31 – Racibórz poviat
• 32 – Rybnik poviat
• 33 – Tarnowskie Góry district
• 34 – Wodzisławski poviat
• 35 – Zawiercie district
• 36 – Żywiec district

Interesting places

It is worth seeing the list on the website for this purpose https://gdziewyździeac.pl/49512/33-ciekawe-miejsca-i-atomcje-w-woj-slaskim-ktore-warto-zobaczyc.html

Transport

Road transport

S1 expressway in Mysłowice

The Śląskie Voivodeship has the best-developed road network in Poland, as evidenced by the number of roads per 1 square km here. Road transport, however, is poorly developed in the northern areas around Częstochowa. Road routes in the voivodeship run mainly along the north-south line, although many roads (for example the motorway from Kraków to Wrocław) run from east to west. The longest road in the voivodeship is the S1 expressway, with a total length of over 140 km.

The only motorways in the Śląskie Voivodeship are A1 and A4, and the expressways include: S1, S11, S52 and S86. In addition, there are plans to build the S69 road, which is to be part of the S1 expressway.

See also: https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drogi_wojewódzkie_w_województwo_śląskim

Railway transport

Bielsko-Biała Główna Railway Station - recognized by the infoarchitektura.pl portal as the 8th most beautiful in Poland

There are 1,978 km of railway lines in operation in the Śląskie Voivodeship (1st place in the country), of which 921 km are single-track lines, and 1057 km - double or more tracks. 1,734 km of railway lines are electrified (as of December 31, 2013). In 2017, a statistical resident of the Śląskie Voivodeship traveled 4.5 times by train.

From 9 December 2012, all intra-voivodeship railway connections are provided by Koleje Śląskie, in which the Śląskie Voivodeship is the sole shareholder. Connections with neighboring voivodeships are made by Koleje Śląskie and Przewozy Regionalne, and long-distance connections by PKP Intercity.

In 2015, the subsidy for Koleje Śląskie was PLN 140 million, and for Przewozy Regionalne - PLN 34 million.

There are 35 active railway stations in the voivodeship, almost half of which underwent renovation in the 21st century, and 3 are entered in the register of monuments: Bielsko-Biała Główna, Czechowice-Dziedzice and Sosnowiec Główny (as of June 30, 2015).

Rail freight transport consists mainly of hard coal transport.

Air Transport

Terminal B of the Katowice-Pyrzowice airport

The international airport Katowice-Pyrzowice is located approximately 30 km north of the center of Katowice. After the expansion and commissioning of the third terminal, it has an annual capacity of approx. 5.5 million passengers. In 2017, 3.8 million passengers were handled. It has three passenger terminals and a cargo terminal. There are plans to build a fourth passenger terminal. It operates regular scheduled connections with over forty airports. It is a leader among regional airports in charter flights.

In the center of Katowice there is also the Katowice-Muchowiec airport, in the Kaniów industrial airport in Kaniów, the Rybnik-Gotartowice airport operates in the Rybnik Coal District. In addition, there are also many other smaller airports and landing sites in the voivodeship.

The nearest active landing site in Częstochowa is Częstochowa-Rudniki, located 15 km from the city center. It is a post-military landing field in private hands, with a sports use - the Aero Club of Częstochowa operates in part of its area. It is not adapted to the handling of large airplanes, it is possible to land only small passenger airplanes. The last time the airport was used by airlines in 1983 - for one season, LOT Polish Airlines offered connections from it.

Water transport

The Port of Gliwice, together with the railway station, customs terminal, free customs zone in Gliwice, warehouse base, parking lots and offices, is one of the elements of the Silesian Logistics Center. The port in Gliwice is considered to be the most modern and universal inland port in the country, due to its shape, lines and structures of the port quays, the layout of the basins, and the area of ​​the aquarium. There are reloading devices in the port with a maximum lifting capacity of 20 tons. The port's annual throughput capacity is approximately 2 million tons. The Port of Gliwice is the beginning of the Gliwice Canal connecting the cities of GOP with the Oder (Odra Waterway), and through it with the network of inland canals of Western Europe and the Baltic Sea.

Accommodation

Gastronomy

There are many eateries in the Silesian Voivodeship. Statistically, in each commune there are at least 2 facilities of this type, and in some communes and cities even more. In a voting conducted at the beginning of 2019, voters selected 35 best restaurants in the voivodeship. The list includes the following premises:

• Itamae Sushi (Bielsko-Biala)
• 

  The building of the Crystal Cafe in Katowice
  Oaza Restaurant (Chełm Śląski)
• Dumpling Zapiecek (Czechowice-Dziedzice)
• Albatros Inn (Brudzowice)
• Pod Orzechem Restaurant (Bytom)
• Piccolo Cellar (Chorzow)
• Złoty Groń Restaurant (Istebna)
• GierKrówka (Zawada near Częstochowa)
• Palace Restaurant (Dąbrowa Górnicza)
• Trzy Światy restaurant(Gliwice)
• 

  Restaurant Dworek Cieszyński in Cieszyn
  Trele Morele (Jastrzebie Zdroj)
• Trzy Bramy restaurant (Jaworzno)
• Adit (Katowice)
• Pizzeria Luna (Miedzno)
• La Familia restaurant (Lubliniec)
• Carmelov (Mysłowice)
• Brothers Pizza (Piekary Slaskie)
• The Highlander Manor Krywan (Mikołów)
• Kukubara Bowling Center (Myszków)
• Chamber Restaurant (Pszczyna)
• Restaurant Przy Kominku (Racibórz)
• The Essence of Taste plus the Old Wozownia (Ruda Śl.)
• Cozy Dumpling House (Rybnik)
• Confit Restaurant and Wine (Siemianowice Slaskie)
• Czarci Młyn (Sosnowiec)
• Rock and Rondel (Tychy)
• Silesian cuisine at Franka's (Świętochłowice)
• Lando Restaurant (Ptakowice)
• Willa Rydułtowy (Rydułtowy)
• Twist Restaurant (Zabrze)
• Chicago Bar & Restaurant (Zawiercie)
• Parole del Gusto restaurant (Żywiec)
• Climate Restaurant (Żory)

Jasna Góra sanctuary

Worth seeing

• Czestochowa - the spiritual capital of Poland, Jasna Góra is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Europe.
• Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska - the land of castles and limestone outliers, a paradise for lovers of cycling or climbing; places of particular interest are:
  • 

    Castle in Bobolice
    Olsztyn - majestic ruins and a view of the Falcon Mountains, which are the highest hills in the Jura,
  • Podzamcze - near Ogrodzieniec, the largest Jurassic ruins, immortalized in Zemsta according to Andrzej Wajda,
  • Birów Mountain - Podzamcze, replica of the settlement
  • Góra Zborów - a nature reserve in Podlesice, situated on a lofty, rocky hill

• 

  Chechło-Nakło Lake
  The Beskidy loop - a route leading through the most famous and attractive towns of the Silesian Beskids, a mountain range with one of the best tourist infrastructures in Poland; It leads through Bielsko-Biała, Żywiec, Węgierska Górka, Istebna, Koniaków, Wisła, Szczyrk, Ustroń and Cieszyn - a city on the border with many remnants of the reign of the first Piasts and Habsburgs.
• Historic Guido Coal Mine in Zabrze - unique in Europe, a hard coal mine open to tourists
• 

  Queen Louise Adit
  Upper Silesian Narrow Gauge Railways - Silesian narrow-gauge railway (track width 785 mm); The oldest continuously operating narrow-gauge railway in the world. It runs on the route Bytom - Tarnowskie Góry - Miasteczko Śląskie. The entire route takes approximately 1 hour 10 minutes to complete. trains run in the summer season.
• Central Museum of Firefighting in Mysłowice - the largest museum of firefighting in Poland
• Provincial Park of Culture and Recreation General Jerzy Ziętek in Chorzów
• Castle in Bedzin - The 14th-century Będzin castle was once an important element of the defense system of Poland's western borders. Currently, it houses a museum with a permanent exhibition "Old Arms" and "The History of Będzin".
• The Triangle of the Three Emperors - the place where the borders of three European powers once converged: Russia, Prussia and Austria-Hungary.
• 

  Radio station in Gliwice
  Black trout adit in Tarnowskie Góry - an adit located at a depth of 20-30 meters and flooded with water. Sightseeing takes place by boat.
• Tyskie Browarium - a museum institution in which exhibits on the tradition and history of Tyskie Browary Książęce as well as collections of photographs, mugs, barrels, bottles, coasters and many other exhibits related to beer have been collected. Tyskie Browarium is located at ul. Mikołowska 5 in Tychy.
• 

  Spodek in Katowice
  Pszczyna - the capital of the former Duchy of Pszczyna, it is a city with a centuries-old history. The proof of this is one of the most beautiful castles in the Silesian Voivodeship. Apart from Princess Daisy Castle (whose bench stands in front of the castle gate), in Pszczyna you can admire the Castle Park, the Silesian Press Museum, the Bażantarnia Palace, the Evangelical Church, the Market Square and the Ludwikówka Manor. While in Pszczyna, it is also worth visiting the open-air museum Zagroda Wsi Pszczyńskiej and the Show Farm of Bison in Jankowice.
• Castle Museum in Pszczyna - a castle-museum with a rich collection and an adjacent park complex.
• 

  Wooden church in Miedźna
  In the largest city in the Polish mountains (here we are talking about Bielsko-Biała), apart from the mountain peaks themselves, there are many equally important monuments and attractions. They include, among others Market Square, Castle of the Sułkowski Princes, Town Hall, 11-go Listopada Street, Hotel Prezydent, St. Mikołaja, Studio Filmów Rysunkowych, Polish Theater, Podcienie Street, Bielski Zion (the Evangelical district with the only monument to M. Luther in Poland), the "Old Factory" Museum, the House under the Frogs, Gondola lift to Szyndzielnia, Church of St. Barbara and the Weaver's House. More interesting information on the website: http://www.wiecznatulaczka.pl/zobaczyc-bielsku-bialej-pwiedznik-dla-ludzi-aktywnych/.
• In Lipowa, situated at the foot of Mount Skrzyczne, apart from the climb to the top, it is worth visiting the Educational and Natural Path "Zimnik Valley". It will be an ideal place not only for children, but also for adults. Among the historic buildings located in the village, one should mention the church of Saint Bartholomew. At a distance of 15 km from Lipowa, there is a popular tourist destination in the Beskids - Szczyrk.
• 

  Castle of the Dukes Sułkowski in Bielsko-Biała
  Porąbka-Żar Szczytowo-Pompowa Power Plant - the second largest power plant of this type in Poland. The power plant is open to visitors every Sunday during summer holidays. Tourists are shown around the power plant by one of its employees
• Łodygowice - a large tourist town, situated under the highest peak of the Little Beskids (Czupel). There is a historic wooden Roman Catholic church in the village, a 17th-century fortified manor house with a park complex, and a 19th-century Galician peasant house located next to the church.
• Pietrzykowice - a town on the Żywieckie Lake, with a group of about 10 bunkers.
• IN Tresna - a small town on the beautiful Żywieckie Lake, it is worth standing on the water dam, situated between the Żywieckie and Międzybrodzkie Lakes.
• 

  Porąbka dam
  IN Żywiec it is worth visiting Śródmieście, visiting the Żywiec Brewery Museum and visiting the beach on Żywieckie Lake, called Żywiec Sea. It is also worth visiting the nearby Węgierska Górka, where Polish bunkers have been standing quietly for several decades, as a proof of Polish sacrifice during the September campaign.
• IN Bładnice Czesław Kanafek, a gunsmith, who produces replicas of historic cannons and black powder weapons, runs his workshop. All cannons can be fired. Mr. Czesław's works "appeared" in films Fire and sword and Mr Tadeusz.
• 

  The peak of Barania Góra
  IN Brenna an interesting place is the hunting manor "Konczakówka" built in 1924 from limb and larch logs imported from the Alps, laid without the use of nails, and the "Old Cinema", a historic wooden building from the beginning of the 20th century, today a meeting place for regional teams.
• IN Drogomyśl there is an Evangelical-Augsburg church (pl. Kościelny 2), built in the Classicist style in 1788. A foundation plaque in Latin with the coat of arms of the church's founders, the Kalisz family, is embedded in the walls of the temple. On the other side of the street stands the Kalisz Palace, dating from the 18th century. Dobrego Pasterzao in an extremely original architecture (Plac Dobrego Pasterza) from 1966-1969, built according to a design by Zbigniew Weber. It is also worth seeing a natural monument - English elm.
• 

  Ski jump in Wisła
  IN Górki Małe there is a private "Chlebowa Chata", a place where you can try to thresh the grain with a flail, grind the grain on burrs, bake flatbread - then you can eat it and wash it down with grain coffee with milk, try to separate the cream from the milk and churn the butter, and then taste these delicacies. It is therefore worth visiting and participating in these farm work, it will certainly be an unforgettable experience, especially for townspeople who are unfamiliar with working in the former village, and especially for children for whom all food comes from the store.
• Great hills. The biggest tourist attraction is the noble manor complex built in 1734, which was bought in 1922 by Tadeusz Kossak from the famous family of painters, the father of the famous writer Zofia Kossak-Szczucka, 2nd name of Szatkowska. Tadeusz Kossak lived there with his family, his daughter, a writer, lived and worked here. The writer's last apartment in the gardener's house (from 1957) was turned into a biographical museum devoted to her. In addition, in 1931, thanks to Aleksander Kamiński, the Stanica of the Polish Scouting Association was established on the Bucze Hill, and then the Central School of Instructors of the Polish Scouting Association.
• A unique place in Istebna it is antique, wooden Kurna Cottage Jan Kawulok, where you can see how it used to be in a highlander's chamber. The chimney of the cottage (without a chimney - the smoke from the stove was rising in the room), is equipped with old appliances, furniture, and most interestingly, with numerous shepherd's instruments - made by Jan Kawulok. Noteworthy here are: thrombites, groves, pimples, ocarina and others. Also a must visit The Jerzy Kukuczka Memorial Chamber created in his family house, the guardian of which is Jerzy Kukuczka's wife, Cecylia, who with great emotion, despite the passage of time, shows mementos of her deceased husband, his mountain equipment, medals, cups and other valuable souvenirs.
• IN Konczycach Wielkie there is an 18th-century wooden church of st. Michael the Archangel, one of the largest wooden churches in the Silesian Foothills. Inside, you cannot miss the beautiful Rococo baptismal font, decorated with the scene of Christ's baptism in Jordan. Also worth seeing is the over 750-year-old "Mieszko" - the oldest oak in Silesia, with a trunk circumference of 910 cm and a height of 35 m, which makes it one of the 15 largest oaks in Poland.
• Kończyce Małe - the most interesting is the "Cieszyn Wawel", that is the castle in Konczyce, built in the 15th century in the Gothic style and expanded in the 16th century in the Renaissance style. After the devastation of World War II, it was renovated in the years 1956-1957 and 1993-1995. Two wings from the quadrilateral and an arcaded arcade from the side of the courtyard have survived. The castle houses the Regional Chamber of Cieszyn Village and the hotel and restaurant "Gościniec Zamkowy". The church of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the 18th century. The faithful make a pilgrimage here to the 15th century painting of Our Lady of Kończyce, famous for graces, placed in the main altar.
• Pruchna on the route Katowice - Cieszyn) in which it is worth seeing the churches: Evangelical-Augsburg pw. Of the Lord's Resurrection (ul. Główna 66), built in 1893 and the Roman Catholic church of st. Anna (ul. Główna 37), built in the place of the former wooden church in 1871-1873, a small castle (built in 1870), the former seat of the Komora Cieszyńska farm, former "U Brańczyk" inn, at 2 Główna Street (formerly Pruchna 42), the oldest building in the village, a monument from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. An interesting relic of the past is the last penitential cross in Cieszyn Silesia (58 Katowicka Street).
• IN Wisła there are trophies and memorabilia of our famous skier in several museums Adam Małysz. There is the Residence of the President of the Republic of Poland "Zamek", the PTTK center in the Habsburg Castle (from 1897-1898), the Parachuting Museum in the "Agawa" building, and in the building of the former inn from 1794 there is the seat of the Beskid Museum in which there are exhibits illustrating the basic fields life, culture and work of highlanders in the Silesian Beskids, such as pastoralism, weaving, woodworking, carpentry, blacksmithing and processing wool and linen. The largest Polish river of the same name has its source in the city - Vistula.
• In the baroque parish church of St. Zebrzydowice, one of the oldest parishes in the Duchy of Cieszyn, in the chapel there is a baptismal font with a Baroque sculpture of St. John the Baptist, and among the tombstones placed in the church, one is interesting, because it is the only example of a Renaissance knight's sculpture from 1572 on the tombstone of Jerzy Liszka in the left wall of the chancel.
• Racibórz is one of the oldest cities in Upper Silesia, and for centuries also the capital of the Duchy of Racibórz. The main attractions of this town are the market square and the medieval Piast castle, dating back to the 13th century. It is also worth visiting the Moravian Gate Arboretum, which is an interesting botanical garden presenting local flora.