Białystok Travel Guide

Białystok

Białystok Travel Guide - Białystok is a place in northeastern Poland in the province of Podlaskie. Białystok is situated on the Biała River and is the largest city in north eastern Poland being the second most densely populated city of the country.

Located near Poland's border with Belarus, the capital of the Podlaskie province being the administrative, economic, and academic centre of the region. As of June 2009, Białystok had a population of 294,399 and from 1921 to 1998, it was within the Białystok Voivodeship, since 1999 it has been the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship.

Białystok was given its name by the Lithuanian prince Gediminas in about 1320, according to legend, but the first mention of the town dates back to 1514.

It has a large industrial centre that includes industries in metal, textiles, wood and food processing.

There are six schools of higher education including a Technical University and the Białystok University known as “The University of Bialystok” which was established in 1997. Although it is a young university in terms of establishment under its own name, it has an old association going back about 40 years with an academic tradition being transformed from the Branch of Warsaw University, which had existed in Bialystok for nearly 30 years.

The Aleksander Węgierko Drama Theatre was built in 1938 (address: ul. Elektryczna 2, telephone + 48 85 741 59 90) and has two stages - the Small and the Big Stage. The theatre repertoire consists of classical drama and modern works of Polish and foreign authors. For refreshments there is the “Antrakt” cafe within the complex. Other theatres include; the Białystok Puppet Theatre (address: ul. Kalinowskiego 1, tel + 48 85 742 50 31), the School Theatre of the Białystok branch of the Warsaw Theatre Academy (address; ul. Sienkiewicza 14, tel + 48 85 743 53 53) and the Klaps Amateur Theatre which is operated by the Youth Cultural Centre (address: ul. Warszawska 79A).

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Accommodation in Białystok

You will find the full range of accommodation in this town from the most luxurious five star hotels with up to date and modern amenities to pensions (a type of guest house or boarding house) and rooms or apartments at very reasonable prices. Some of the larger towns and cities will also have hostels.

If you prefer to stay in a more rural location there are a number of “Agro” style of accommodation places on farms and in the countryside plus there may be camp sites nearby.

If you see something you like or wish to know more about please contact the accommodation directly as I do not take commission and I take the attitude that their own website will have more up to date details on what they offer than if I were to include it here.

If you wish to advertise your accommodation on Białystok Travel Guide please contact me.

Activities & Attractions in Białystok

Poland is a country with a large variety of landscapes, a place where you can experience all four seasons. This provides the visitor with many opportunities for adventure and different activities and visiting attractions, whether you enjoy the mountains, lakes, rivers or the beaches you will find something that suits you.

If you see something you like or wish to know more about the activity or attraction please contact the provider directly as I do not take commission and I take the attitude that their own website will have more up to date details on what they offer than if I were to include it here.

What ever activity or attraction you run, if you wish to advertise on Białystok Travel Guide please let me know.

Geography of Białystok

Awaiting details.

History of Białystok

Awaiting details.

Museums in Białystok

There are several museums in Białystok. The largest being the Podlaskie Museum located in the old Townhall in Rynek Kościuszki. It exhibits collections of archaeological and ethnographic treasures as well as the Gallery of Polish Painting from the period stretching from the end of the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century's. Others include: the Historical Museum and Alfons Karny Museum of Sculpture, which are both departments of the Podlaskie Museum, the Białystok Museum of the Village which is located in the village of Osowicze. There is also a Military Museum which was founded in 1968.

Polska is full of history and the Polish are great lovers of knowledge of the past so you will find many museums in the country, whether it be a folk, military, science, skansen, transport or any other type.

Poland has a long history and has been an important trading route that has been invaded by many different groups over the past 1,000 years. Museums are a great way to explore the nations history about the inhabitants of the land in the past, their lives and customs.

Accept a free advert about your museum and include it below by writing an article about it here on David's Travel Guides. Follow the link for the article. For the rest, if you see something you like or wish to know more about please contact the museum directly as I take the attitude that their own website will have more up to date details on what they offer than if I were to include it here.

What ever museum you run, you can advertise it on Białystok Travel Guide at no cost.

Places to Eat in Białystok

There are many restaurants covering the usual pizza to those offering local Polish traditional and regional cuisine.

If you see something you like or wish to know more about please contact the place to eat directly as I do not take commission and I take the attitude that their own website will have more up to date details on what they offer than if I were to include it here.

If you wish to advertise your cafe, restaurant or bar on Białystok Travel Guide please advise me.

Tourist Information in Białystok

David's Travel Guides - This web site will eventually have tourist information on most of the places in Polska. Being a web site you will be able to access the information on most digital platforms, including your laptop, personal computer or a mobile phone.

Tourist organisations are welcome to contact me for details on how to display their information on Białystok Travel Guide.

PTTK - Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society is a non-profit organisation that you will find in many places in Poland.

It is one of the oldest tourist societies in Europe and was was created by the merger of two societies: Polish Tatry Society (1873) and Polish Country Lovers Society (1906).

Official Tourist Information Centres in Poland are divided into 1*, 2*, 3* and 4* Certified and Non-Certified. All Certified Tourist Centres provide information in one or more foreign languages and have an expanded range of services as compared to the Non-Certified.

Transport in Białystok

There is no international airport in Podlaskie Voivodeship. The nearest Polish airports are Warsaw's Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW) and Modlin Airport (WMI).

Coach station Białystok - Bohaterów Monte Cassino street 10.- Operators include: PKS buses (the biggest state owned coach company), Polski Express (regular connections with about 30 towns in Poland) and Eurolines Polska - (An international service operating to approximately 160 towns and cities in Poland, 300 towns and cities accross Europe and the old Soviet Block countries).

Railway station Białystok - Kolejowa street 9. - There are domestic destinations to; Gdańsk (about 8 hours), Kraków (4 hours 40 minutes), Łódź (4 hours 30 minutes), Szczecin (14 hours) and Warszawa (2 hours 20 minutes), and one international service to Vilnius in Lithuania.

Krywlany airport lies within the city limits. It is currently used only by Aeroklub Krywlany, an air sports and recreational flying association, and by private aircraft. The city is aiming to modernize the airport by 2010 to make it suitable for civil air transport and is aiming to attract low cost carriers. Most locals use the International airport at Warsaw.

Websites of Białystok

If you have a website that is an official one linked to this town, or you administer a local community or an important trade site please contact me here at Białystok Travel Guide as I may be interested in including it.