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Two NKJO college students pictured in one of the main streets of Gorzow Wielkopolski in Poland. In the background is the impressive Gothic cathedral which dominates the skyline of the centre of Gorzow. More pictures of Gorzów. Gorzow Wielkopolskie is one of two capitals of the
Lubuskie region. The other being
Zielona Gora. Gorzow has a population of 125,500, and is situated in the
west of Poland. It lies in the centre of a triangle formed between Berlin
(Germany), Poznan and Szczecin; and is located beside the river
Warta, which is the 3rd
biggest river in Poland after the Wisła and Odra. Far back in history the area where Gorzow now stands
was part of the Santok defence settlement and was called Kobyla Góra.
In 1254 a town by the name of Landisberch Nova was founded by
Albrecht de Luge. As time progressed the name evolved into Landsberg
Warthe and it became a prosperous part of the Prussian province of
Brandenburg.
During
the second world war Gorzow
was the location of two big prison camps: no 936 Stalag Alt Drewitz and S
Under Polish control,
Gorzow's expelled German population was replaced by Polish speakers from
what is now Ukraine and the east of Poland. To complete the process
of turning what had been the German city of Landsberg Warthe into a
Polish one the name of the city was changed to Gorzow Wielkopolski. Under
the communist system
Gorzow continued to develop as a centre of industry: the most well-known and
successful of which were
Stilon, a producer of synthetic fabrics and Ursus where parts of
agriculture machines were produced. Sadly after the changes of 1990 very
little industry remains in the city, and because of this unemployment is
currently at more than 20%. There are
several places worth visiting in the city itself. The central point in
Gorzow is the old town with its 14th century Gothic
Cathedral of the Assumption. This impressive gothic church was built in
stages from the 13th century. The massive tower being added
in the 14th century. Close to
the centre there are the remains of the 14th century town
defensive
walls. The average height of the walls is 4,5m. Apart from this Gorzow has three cinemas, a
few art galleries, a theatre and two museums. Gorzow is also famous for
its parks, there are several large and
many small ones. The main
museum in Gorzow on Warszawska street houses some fine examples of
handicrafts, and is surrounded by a park, which also contains a
megalithic tomb from 2100 BC and is the site of an early medieval
stronghold. Nearby stands the neo-Romanesque Church of St Stanislaw from
the 18th century. Gorzow is also blessed with some fine
historic houses from the XIX and beginning of XX century.
In the
direction of Gdansk one can find a large and well-tended cementary of Russian
soldiers, killed during the fierce battles at the end of the second
world war. A short walk away from this was the city's former cemetery in
German times, which has been levelled and converted into a park. Nearby,
there is a mental hospital, with buildings dating from the XIX
century. On the other side of the river is a palace dating from the XIX century with an interesting interior and the remains of what was once an impressive garden. Not far from there, there is the second museum – the old historic timber framed Granary from 1798.
The area around Gorzow is one of the most picturesque in the whole of Poland, with numerous lakes, large stretches of forest and many quiet and unspoilt farming villages. The unspoilt nature of the Lubuskie region combined with Gorzow's location close to Berlin and the German border make the area an interesting and potentially attractive location for a holiday with a difference. Finally, if you'd like to see what Gorzow looked like before the end of the Second World War, have a look at our Gorzów in old pictures section. Polish name: Gorzów Wlkp German Name: Landsberg Warthe Province: Lubuskie Nearby Large Cities: Berlin (90 minutes), Frankfurt Oder (60 minutes), Poznan (120 minutes), Szczecin (75 minutes), Zielona Gora (120 minutes) Nearby Villages and Towns: Barlinek; Bogdaniec; Borek; Brzozowiec; Chwalecice; Chwalowice; Czechow, Debno, Deszczno, Dobiegniew; Gorki; Goscinowo; Gralewo; Janczewo; Karsko; Klodawa, Kolczyn, Kostrzyn, Krasowiec, Krzeszyce, Lipki Wielkie, Lubniewice, Mysliborz, Nowiny Wielki, Polichno, Rogi, Rozanki, Santocko, Santok, Sciechow, Skwierzyna, Stare Kurowo, Strzelce, Swierkocin, Trzebiszewo, Ulim, Wawrow, Witnica. Local Attractions: Barlinecko - Gorzowski National Park; Drawa National Park; forests; numerous lakes such as Lipie; annual river, music and dance festivals; mini zoo; roadside shrines; safari zoo; Notecka Forest; Slonsk Bird Reserve; Miedzyrzecz fortifications Related Links: Pictures of Gorzow Wlkp; Map of the Gorzów area Comment on Gorzów Wlkp: Add your own comment and opinion about Gorzow Wlkp to this page. Useful Links:
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