Europe Travel Guide

Wadowice is a town in southern Poland, 50km from Krakow with 19,500 inhabitants (2001), situated on the Skawa river, confluence of Vistula, in the eastern part of Silesian Plateau (Pogrze ?laskie). Wadowice is famous as the birthplace of Pope John Paul II (1920).

History
The first permanent settlement in the area of today’s Wadowice was founded in late 10th century or early 11th century. According to a local legend, the town was founded by certain Wad or W?ad, a short form for the Slavic name of Ladislaus. The town is first mentioned as Wadowicze in St. Peter penny register in years 1325-1327. In 1327 it is also mentioned (under the same name) in a fief registry sent from prince John I Scholastyk of O?wi?cim to Bohemian king John I, Count of Luxemburg. At this time it was a trading settlement belonging to the Dukes of Silesia of the Piast Dynasty, and according to some historians it was already a municipality. In 1430 a great fire destroyed the town. It was soon rebuilt and granted city rights, along with a city charter and a self-government, based on the then-popular Che?mno Law. The privileges, granted by Prince Kazimierz I of O?wi?cim led to a period of fast reconstruction and growth.

Wa?brzych (pronounce: [‘vawb?ix], German Waldenburg) is a town in south-western Poland with 139,600 inhabitants (1995). Situated in the Lower Silesian Voivodship (since 1999), it was previously the capital of Walbrzych Voivodship (1975-1998).

Education
Wa?brzyska Wy?sza Szko?a Zarz?dzania i Przedsi?biorczo?ci

Politics

Walbrzych constituency
Members of Parliament (Sejm) elected from Walbrzych constituency
Magdalena Bana?, SLD-UP
Zbigniew Chlebowski, PO
Marek Dyduch, SLD-UP
Franciszek Franczak, Samoobrona
Grzegorz Grniak, LPR
Krystyna Herman, SLD-UP
Mieczys?aw Jedo?, SLD-UP
Adam Markiewicz, SLD-UP
Czes?aw Pogoda, SLD-UP

People
Abraham Robinson

Wa?cz is a county town in northwestern Poland with approx. 27,300 inhabitants (2002), between the Radun and Zamkowe lakes.

Situated in the West Pomeranian Voivodship (since 1999), formerly in Pila Voivodship (19751998) and Koszalin Voivodship (195075)

Warka is a town in central Poland, located on the left bank of Pilica river (60 kilometers south of Warsaw), with 11,300 inhabitants. It has been situated in Masovian Voivodship (since 1999), previously being in Radom Voivodship (1975 – 1998).

Warka is the birthplace of general Kazimierz Pulaski (March 6, 1745), and is also famed for its Warka Brewery (since 1478).

Famous people
Kazimierz Pulaski
Jzef Sowi?ski

Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa, see also other names, in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto Sto?eczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. It is located on the Vistula river roughly 350 km from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. Its population as of 2004 was estimated at 1,676,600, with an urban agglomeration of approximately 2,400,000. Area of this city is 516,9 sq. km, with an urban aglomeration of 1226,6 sq.km

The city, also the capital of Masovian Voivodship, is home to many industries (manufacturing, steel, electrical engineering, automotive industry), comprises 66 higher learning institutions incl. (Warsaw University, Warsaw University of Technology, Higher School of Business and Medical Academy) and over 30 Theatres including the National Theatre and Opera and the Philharmonic National Orchestra.

Location
Warsaw is located on both sides of the Vistula river, approximately 350 kilometres from both the Carpathian mountains and the Baltic Sea. It is located in the heartland of the Masovian Plain. Average altitude is 100 m above sea level, although there are some hills (mostly artificial) located within the confines of the city.

Warta (Latin: Varta, German: Warthe) is a river in western-central Poland, a tributary of the Oder river. With a length of approximately 808 kilometers it is the country’s third longest river. Warta has a basin area of 54,529. It is connected to the Vistula by the river Note? and the Bydgoszcz Canal (Kana? Bydgoski).

It flows out of Upper Silesia (the Silesian Voivodship) near Zawiercie, flows through Lodz Land, Greater Poland and Lubusz Land where it empties into river Oder near Kostrzyn. It is connected to river Vistula by the Note? river and the Bydgoszcz Canal near Bydgoszcz.

Cities
Zawiercie
Cz?stochowa
Dzia?oszyn
Sieradz
Warta, Town
Dobra
Ko?o
Konin
Pyzdry
?rem
Mosina
Puszczykowo
Lubo?
Pozna?
Oborniki
Obrzycko
Wronki
Sierakw
Mi?dzychd
Skwierzyna
Gorzw Wielkopolski
Kostrzyn

Wasilkw is a town in north-eastern Poland.

Situated in the Podlasie Voivodship (since 1999), previously in Bialystok Voivodship (1975-1998).

W?growiec is a town in north-western Poland, 50 km from both Pozna? and Bydgoszcz. Since 18th century it has been the a seat of a powiat. It is currently attached to the Greater Polish Voivodship. The town is located in the middle of the historical region of Pa?uki and the Chodzie? lake area (Pojezierze chodzieskie), on the river We?na and its tributaries Nielba and Struga, as well as on the shores of Durw Lake.

Geography
The region around the town is rich in lakes. The town itself sits in the middle of Lake Durw. The Wagrowiec municipal area boasts a rare attraction: two rivers, the Nielba and We?na cross there, without conmingling.

Administration
Wagrowiec is constituted as a gmina miejska, or municipal commune. The city is also the seat of the rural commune of W?growiec, and is the seat of powiat of W?growiec.

Situated in the Greater Poland Voivodship since 1999, Wagrowiec was previously a part of the Pila Voivodship (1975-1998).

Wejherowo (see also Cities alternative names), is a city in Eastern Pomerania, northern Poland, with 47,300 inhabitants (1995).

History
It was founded in 1643 by Jakub Wejher as a result of his participation in the defence of the Smolensk fortress, which was besieged by the Russians.

It has been the capital of Wejherowo County in Pomeranian Voivodship since 1999, and was previously in Gdansk Voivodship from 1975 to 1998. The city is part of Tricity, an agglomeration of over 1 million inhabitants.

During the second half iof the 19th century, a significant number of Jewish families began migrating to Syracuse, New York including the renowned Shubert theatrical family.

Many local Poles became victims of German extermination policies during World War II. The county is the location of a mass murder site in Piasnica with some 66000 murders committed.

W?gorzewo (former Polish name: W?gobork, German: Angerburg, Lithuanian: Ungura) is a popular touristic town in Warmia and Masuria voivodship, Poland, not far from border of Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast). Lake Mamry is close to the town.

W?gorzewo was founded by the Teutonic Knights and became part of the Polish fief Ducal Prussia. After the partitions of Poland the town became part of East Prussia.

The town had German majority at the time, however there were sizable minorities of Masurians and Lietuvninks. Lietuvnink minority dimished after XVI-XVII centuries however.

During World War 2 80% of the buildings in town were destroyed. After the war it became part Poland, together with whole southern part of East Prussia.

The town is famous for the festivals which take place in summer: rock festival, sailors’ song festival and poetic song festival.