I was on a school trip in the largest city in this voivodeship - Wroclaw. I think it is a very beautiful city. Even, more so than Poznań from Greater Poland Voivodeship, to which I have much closer because the hour by train
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5. Lower Silesian
Lower Silesian Voivodeship, or Lower Silesia Province (PL: Województwo dolnośląskie) - in southwestern Poland, is one of the 16 voivodeships (provinces) into which Poland is divided.
The history of the region dates back over a thousand years and Lower Silesian was once part of Medieval Poland, Bohemia, Austria, Prussia, Germany and modern Poland after 1945. At its foundation the territory was under the rule of the Piast dynasty and became a duchy. It was divided into small realms reigned by Piast princes after the testament Boleslaw III Wrymouth (PL: Bolesław III Krzywousty) in 1138. During this time, cultural and ethnic Germanic influence prospered due to immigrants from the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire. Lower Silesian was also a leading Polish cultural center. The Book of Henrykow (PL: Księga henrykowska), which contains the earliest known sentence written in the Polish language, as well as a document which contains the oldest printed text in Polish, were both created here. Zlotoryja (PL: Złotoryja), Poland's first town, was granted municipal privileges according to German Magdeburg rights by Henry the Bearded (PL: Henryk I Brodaty). Over the next centuries, Lower Silesian has experienced epochal events such as the Protestant Reformation, the Silesian Wars, industrialisation and the two World Wars, suffering a nearly total ross of its German population and Polish new sttlement after 1945.
Lower Silesian is one of the richest provinces in Poland as it has valuable natural resources such as copper, brown coal and rock materials, which are exploited by the biggest enterprises. Its well developed and varied industries attract both domestic and foreign investors.
Its capital and largest city is Wroclaw (PL: Wrocław), situated on the Oder River (PL: Rzeka Odra). It is one of Poland's largest and most dynamic cities with a rapidly growing international profile, and is regarded as one of the most important commercial, educational and tourist sites in the whole country. Burial sites of Polish monarchs and consorts are located in Wrocław and Trzebnica. Furthermore, the voivodeship is famous for is many castles and palaces and is one of Poland's most visited regions by tourists.
Only in Polish
Flag
Coat of arms
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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY
The voivodeship was created on January 1, 1999 out of the former Wrocław, Legnica, Walbrzych (PL: Wałbrzych) and Jelenia Gora (PL: Jelenia Góra) Voivodeships, following the Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998. It covers an area of 19,946 square kilometers (7,701 sq mi), and as of 2019 has a total population of 2,899,986.
Although much of the region is relatively low-lying it also includes Sudeten Foreland (PL: Przedgórze Sudeckie) and part of the Sudetes (PL: Sudety) mountain range running along the Polish/Czech border. Popular ski resorts in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship include Karpacz and Szklarska Poreba (PL: Szklarska Poręba) in the Karkonosze mountains. Other important tourist destinations in the voivodeship include the chief city, Wrocław, as well as the towns of Jelenia Góra and Legnica. The town of Boleslawiec (PL: Bolesławiec) is famed for its pottery.
The voivodeship has the largest number of spa towns in Poland: Teplice Silesian-Spa, Dlugoopole-Spa, Duszniki-Spa, Jedlina-Spa, Kudowa-Spa, Ladek-Spa, Polanica-Spa, Przerzeczyn-Spa, Szczawno-Spa, and Swieradow-Spa (PL: Cieplice Śląskie-Zdrój, Długoopole-Zdrój, Duszniki-Zdrój, Jedlina-Zdrój, Kudowa-Zdrój, Lądek-Zdrój, Polanica-Zdrój, Przerzeczyn-Zdrój, Szczawno-Zdrój, and Świeradów-Zdrój).
Lower Silesian Voivodeship is bordered by Lubusz Voivodeship to the north-west, Greater Poland Voivodeship to the north-east, Opole Voivodeship to the south-east, the Czech Republic (Hradec Králové Region, Liberec Region, Olomouc Region and Pardubice Region) to the south, and Germany (Saxony) to the west.
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TRANSPORT
The Wrocław - Copernicus Airport serves as an international and domestic airport.
The main railway station is Wroclaw Main (PL: Wrocław Główny).
The A4 motorway, A8 motorway and A18 motorway run through the Voivodeship.
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TOURISM
Lower Silesian Voivodeship is one of the most visited voivodeships in Poland. It is famous for a large number of castles (99), and palaces (hundrets), inter alia: Zamek Książ, Zamek Czocha, Zamek Chojnik, Zamek Grodziec, Zamek Gorzanów, Zamek Kliczków). There is also a lot in the Jelenia Góra valley.
The voivodeship's most widely visited city is Wrocław with many sights and attractions, inter alia open all year round Aquapark, Wrocław SPA Center and famous Wrocław dwarf's.
The annual international Chopin Festival is held in the Fryderyk Chopin Theatre (PL: Teatr Fryderyka Chopina) in Duszniki-Zdrój, established at the site of the first concert played by the Polish virtuoso pianist outside of the Russian Partition of Poland. Other major attraction of the town is the Museum of Papermaking (PL: Muzeum Papiernictwa), established in a 17th-century paper mill.
The Festival of Good Beer (PL: Festiwal Dobrego Piwa) is held every year, on the second weekend of June.
Śnieżka is one of the first European peaks visited by tourists, it is also the highest peak of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship and the whole of the Sudetes.
Other highlights include: Twierdza Kłodzka, Fort Srebrna Góra, Wambierzyce, Legnickie Pole, Henryków, Opactwo Lubiąż, Opactwo Krzeszów, Oleśnica Mała, Kościół Wang Stave, Kościoły Pokoju, Sokołowsko, Niedźwiedź Jaskiniowy, Muzeum Górnictwa Złota i Metalurgii w Złotym Stoku, Kopalnia Węgla Kamiennego w Nowej Rudzie, Muzeum Przemysłu i Kolejnictwa w Jaworzynie Śląskiej, Kaplica Czaszek w Czermnej, Góra Ślęża, Góry Stołowe, Góry Sowy, Karkonosze, Główny Szlak Sudetów, Park Krajobrazowy w Dolinie Baryczy and connected with the history of World War II - comples tunnels Project Riese a German Gross-Rosen concentration camp, German War Cemetery and Park Peace in the Nadolice Wielkie.
I haven't translated all he names, if you want you can translate - are word with italics
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PROTECTED AREAS
Protected areas in Lower Silesian Voivodeship:
- 2 National Park:
- Karkonosze National Park - part of a UNESCO trans-border biosphere reserve
- Table Mountains National Park
- 12 Landscape Park:
- Barycz Valley Landscape Park - partly in Greater Poland Voivodeship
- Bobr Valley Landscape Park (PL: Bóbr, or Park Krajobrazowy Doliny Bobru)
- Bystrzyca Valley Landscape Park
- Chelmy Landscape Park (PL: Chełmy. or Park Krajobrazowy Chełmy)
- Jezierzyca Valley Landscape Park
- Ksiaz Landscape Park (PL: Książ, or Książański Park Krajobrazowy)
- Owi Mountains Landscape Park
- Przemkow Landscape Park (PL: Przemków, or Przemkowski Park Krajobrazowy)
- Rudawy Landscape Park
- Sleza Landscape Park (PL: Ślęża, or Śłężański Park Krajobrazowy)
- Snieznik Landscape Park (PL: Śnieżnik, or Śnieżnicki Park Krajobrazowy)
- Sudety Walbrzyskie Landscape Park (PL: Sudety Wałbrzyskie, or Park Krajobrazowy Sudetów Wałbrzyskich)
- 67 Nature reserves
- 20 protected landscape areas
- 3100 Natural monuments
- 114 Ecological usages
- 15 Teams nature and landscape
and many areas of Natura 2000 network.
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ECONOMY
Lower Silesian is one of the richest regions in Poland. The Gross domestic product (GDP, In Polish PKB) of the province was 41.1 billion € in 2018, accounting for 8.3% of the Polish economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 23,400 € or 78% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 85% of the EU average. Lower Silesian Voivodeship is the province with the second highest GDP per capita in Poland.
Since 2005, the voivodeship recorded the highest in the countury economic growth rate (around 10% per annum).
GDP per capita in Lower Silesian Voivodeship and Poland:
| Lower Silesian Voivodeship | GDP per capita | Poland | GDP per capita |
| 2000 | $10 440 (+2.8%) | 2000 | $10 140 (+4.0%) |
| 2005 | $13 060 (+4.9%) | 2005 | $12 600 (+3.5%) |
| 2006 | $13 700 (+7.3%) | 2006 | $13 020 (+6.2%) |
| 2007 | $14 980 (+9.5%) | 2007 | $13 760 (+6.5%) |
| 2008 | $16 039 (+7.2%) | 2008 | $14 450 (+5.0%) |
| 2009 | $16 350 (+2.0%) | 2009 | $14 720 (+1.9%) |
The southwest part of the Voivodeship is considered part of the so-called Black Triangle (PL: Czarny Trójkąt), an area of heavily industrialization and environmental damage on the three-way border of Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
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CITIES AND TOWNS
The voivodeship contains 91 cities and towns. These are listed below in descending order of population (as of 2019):
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ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION
Lower Silesian Voivodeship in divided into 30 counties (PL: Powiaty), four of which are city counties. These are further divided into 169 gminas.
Lower Silesian is divided into three districts administrative province government, the capital of Wrocław (administrative region).
- 1 one district Wałbrzycki
- Powiat in the district:
- Świdnica
- Kłodzko
- Ząbkowice Śląskie
- Dzierżoniów
- 2 second district Legnicki
- Powiat in the districts:
- Głogów
- Jawor
- Lubin
- Polkowice
- Złotoryja
- 3 third district Jeleniogórski
- Powiat in the district:
- Bolesławiec
- Kamienna Góra
- Luban
- Lwówek Śląski
- Zgorzelec
The counties are listed in the following table (ordering within categories is by decreasing population):
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GOVERNORS
| Name | Period |
| Witold Krochmal | Janyary 4, 1999 – October 22, 2001 |
| Ryszard Nawrat | October 22, 2001 – March 21, 2003 |
| Stanislaw Lopatowski (PL: Stanisław Łopatowski) | March 31, 2003 – December 21, 2005 |
| Krzysztof Grzelczyk | December 21, 2005 – November 29, 2007 |
| Rafal Jurkowlaniec (PL: Rafał) | November 29, 2007 – December 1, 2010 |
| Aleksander Skorupa | December 28, 2010 – March 11, 2014 |
| Tomasz Smolarz | March 12, 2014 – December 8, 2015 |
| Paweł Hreniak | December 8, 2015 – present |
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What more to write - I recommend to go to Wrocław ^^
You will find more
or
CREDITS TO ARTIST for photo and articles from Wikipedia
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