Jastrzębie Zdrój, one of the cities of the Voivodeship of Silesia is located in the Rybnicki Plateau, which divides the Oświęcimska and Raciborska Valleys. To the south, it borders with the Czecg Republic. The city is located not far from the big cities of Upper Silesia and holiday towns of the Beskid Śląski Mountains; only 130 km south west of Cracow and 320 km south of Warsaw; and almost the same distanse from five other Europeans capitals such as: Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, Berlin.

Although Jastrzębie Zdrój appeared as a city only in 1963 - when it gained its civic rights - first written data about a settlement located here data back to the 13th century. The orginal name of the city Jastrząb (Jastrzemb) is connected with a legend about Black Knight - the owner of this land. Like a hawk ("Jastrząb" in Polish). Black Knight used to attack merchant`s caravans that were running along the trail leading through the Morawska Gate. The year 1861 is an important date in the history of Jastrzębie, when springs of therapeutic brine were discovered during examinationof hard coal deposits. In the same year, they were used in treatment of rheumatic diseases. The health resort of Bad Konigsdorf-Jastrzemb quickly appeared on list of the best Europen spas.

Doctor Mikołaj Witczak played an invaluable role in the history of Jastrzębie as a health resort. As a spa doctor (and the only Pole among 12 physicians working in the entire poviat of Rybnik), he introduce modern treatment methods, and first of all started to treat sick children. Under his management, many period facilities and questhouses were constructed, among others the local medicinal water taproom and concert bowl. Some of them have been preserved up to this day; wonderfully renovated they evoke the climate of a city "with waters", although they are not used by health resort visitors any more... since the history of Jastrzębie as a spa ended in the 1960`s.

At that time the local deposits of coking coal started to be intensely mined. Within 12 years, 5 mines were built and the city population increased twenty times. Due to mining, the therapeutic brine springs disappeared. The city of Jastrzębie Zdrój ceased to be a health resort; it was replaced by a big industrial centre. In 1980, thanks to the so-called "Jastrzębie Agreements" signed in the "Zofiówka" Mine (former "Manifest Lipcowy"), Jastrzębie found itself on the pages of the latest history of Poland and the Solidarity Movement. This protocol of social compromise, the third one after Gdańsk and Szczecin, started a process of political, economic and social changes in entire Poland.

Today`s Jastrzębie Zdrój is the city covering about 85 sq. Km and inhabited by almost 100,000 people.


Wodzisław Śląski has a population 50 thousand and covers the area of 49,6 sq. km. It was founded over 700 years ago. It is located in the south-west part of the Rybnicki Plateau belongingto Upper Silesia. Its great location only 17 km from the Czech Border, 130 km from Cracow and 350 km from Warsaw and almost the same distanse from five others Europeans capitals: Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava and Berlin makes it very easy to access and entices investors to open up new businesses. In the near future there will be even better access through the passing nearby motorway A-1.

The town also has good railway connections to the nearby towns and cities. The Market Square (see pictures below) is the central part of town and a favourite place of meeting and hangouts. First evidence of colonization within the Vodzislavian territory goes back to the Stone Age. In 1241 the town was destroyed by the Tartar hordes. The Duke of Opole Vladislaus I decided then to revive the town through colonization under the German rule. The name of the town arises from the name of its founder-originally Vladislavia, in about 1300 year was appeared the name of Loslaw which preserved in various variants through many centuries.

Extremly large market suggests that Duke Vladislaus I attached great importance to the town. In 1257 he founded the monastery of Franciscan Minors provide help for people living in poverty and that year was agreed upon as the date of granting municipal rights. At the time of Duchess Constance the town was fortified and it was surrounded with a moat provided with waters of the Vodzislavka, called nowadays the Leśnica River. At that time the town developed rapidly. Townspeople were engaged in trade and handicraft, particularly in tanning, shoemaking and weaving.

Craftsmen diplayed their goods on several days fairs-the town possessed the privilege of organizing four fairs a year. Until 1526 the Vodzislavian Class-State stayed under supremacy of the Czech kings, to 1742 under the German Habsburgian Empire and till 1809 was within the territory of German Prussian State. In 1945 Wodzisław was appointed the district town around which new residential quarters were built due to rapid industrialization. Changing the economical face of the Vodzislavian Land was caused by the development of mining industry and metallurgy.

WORTH OF SEEING

1.The old town market-marked out in 1257 on the plan of quadrangle.

2.Monastery complex formerly belonging to the Franciscans-originally under the invocation of the Holy Trinity raised in XV century presently the House of District Court.

3.The Palace-raised in the years 1743-1747 by the then proprietor of Wodzisław. Its neighbourhood comprises the Palace Park in which penitential crosses can be seen.

4.Building of the Town Hall-built in 1879, designed as the seat of the Borough Court.

5.Knight s Tower-Romantic Tower is Neo-gothic style, situated in the local wood on the emplacement of a medival castle; built in 1857 by Edward Brauns was rebuilt in 1991.

6.St John Nepomuk s figure from 1745-originally is stood in front of the palace at the Kubsza Street, presently on the cmentary at the Pszowska Street.

7.Post-office building-built in about 1880 year in the eclectical style with domination of Neogothic ornamentation.