Opole Travel Guide

Opole Coat of ArmsOpole Travel Guide - Opole in south western Poland in the province of Opolskie. Opole is a city on the Oder River (Odra). Once it was a Slavic settlement on the fork of the Odra and the Młynowka Canal.

It has a population of 125,992 as of June 2009 and is the capital of the Opole Voivodeship, Opolskie, and also the seat of Opole County.

Opole is the historical capital of Upper Silesia. Today, many German Upper Silesians and Poles of German ancestry live in the Opole region, in the city itself Germans make up less than 3% of the population.

It became a stronghold and a town as from the 13th Century and later was to become the capital of the Duchy of Opole. Part of Bohemia from 1528 and under the control of the Hapsburg from 1532 to 1742. In 1742 Opole passed into the hands of Prussia and at the outbreak of the Second World War it had about 50,000 inhabitants. Not until 1945 did it become part of Poland and in 1950 was named as the capital of the region.

A major flood in July of 1997 placed 70% of the city under water.

Most major cities in Poland seam to have an old town and Opole is no exception, situated at the mouth of the canal and dominated by the Piast Tower which was built in the 13th Century to replace an earlier stronghold. There is also an Amphitheatre and a pond associated with the Castle.

Opole has a large industrial centre with three cement mills, a power station and chemical equipment and metallurgical factories. There are two main educational establishments: Opole University and a Technical University.

Opole Travel Guide

David's Travel Guides Information

This site is a travel Guide about the country of Polska which is located in central Europe. You are very welcome to visit my site and I hope that you will enjoy the experience.

My guide is easy to use as each village, town and city has it's own page with useful information for the visitor. Not all sections appearing on the left of my guide, on this place may have information as this is an ongoing project.

It may be the case that this location has not yet been reviewed and written about so if you can contribute any information about this place to improve this guide please send it to Opole Travel Guide.

Accommodation in Opole

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 Opole Travel Guide please contact me.

Accommodation

Awaiting Accommodation Article
This place to stay may just be the right accommodation for you.
Name & Website Link Address Type
Hotel Poland Full Advert Example Any Type
Gościniec Arkadia ul. Franciszka Buhla 3, 45-626 Opole Hotel
DeSilva Premium Opole ul. Powolnego 10 Hotel ****
Festival ul. Oleska 86 Hotel ***
Szara Willa ul. Oleska 11 Hotel ***
Zaodrze ul. Spychalskiego 25 Hotel ***
Zacisze ul. Grunwaldzka 28 Hotel **
Oaza ul. Oleska 117 Hostel

Activities & Attractions in Opole

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, you can advertise on Opole Travel Guide.

Activities & Attractions

Opole's Rynek
The Rynek (town square) was badly damaged during WWII and has been rebuilt with attractive styled Baroque and Rococo houses. There are the usual pubs, street cafes and bars to be found and in the middle a 64 metre tall high tower attached to the Town Hall styled on the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. The original dated back to 1864 but it collapsed in 1934 and was rebuilt in the same style.
Bolko Isle and Zoological Garden
This is known as the green lungs of the town, an oasis where you can relax amongst the grand Oaks or take a run, cycle or if you feel more energetic, do some roller skating. The zoological garden has about 300 different types of animals, including Western Lowland Gorillas and California Sea Lions. Opole Zoo is involved in many breeding programmes for endangered animals so a visit will help with a worthy cause.
Amphitheatre
Opole Amphitheatre is an important place to visit if you are an music fan and enjoy the many festivals that take place each year in Poland. This is where the famous, National Polish Song Festival has been held for almost 50 years. The building can be found on the senic Pasieka Isle, along the banks of the River Oder.
Piastowska Tower
Opole's oldest monument and the symbol of the town. A 35 metre tower built around 1300 and a great viewing point to see Opole. It also has a multimedia presentation about the Duke of Opole, Bolek I.
Opole's Venice
Called Młynowka Canal, is a section of the old diverted river bed where there were a number of water mills, once the economic life blood of the city. Take a stroll on a sunny summers evening and see the reflections in the canal.
Polish Musicians' walk of Fame
In 2004 as an initiative of the Polish Song Capital Foundation a walk was establised of statues, famous stage artists made from bronze. It now has 38 as of 2016.
University Hill
165 metres above sea level you will find University Hill in the old town district and a panorama of Opole. Two Gothic churches, Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Adalbert of Prague's. The Artists Square located to the east with statues of Polish artists that have been connected to the Polish Song Festival such as Agnieszka Osiecka, Czesław Niemen, Marek Grechuta, Kabaret Starszych Panów and Jerzy Grotowski.
Name of Activity Street Type URL
Philharmonic Hall
ul. krakowska 24
Music filharmonia.opole.pl

Geography of Opole

Opole is situated on the border of Upper and Lower Silesia on the banks of the River Odra. The river divides to form an island, the Wyspa Pasieka, which was inhabited in the ninth century by a Slavic tribe known as Opolanes. It is also an important trade centre including manufacturers of cement, metals, and furniture.

History of Opole

Medieval Period

Opole's history began in the 8th century when according to archeological excavations, the first Slavic settlement was founded on Ostrówek, the northern part of the Pasieka island located in the middle of the Odra River. In the early 10th century it developed into one of the main gróds [fortified military camps] of the Slavic Opolanie. At the end of the century Silesia became part of Poland and was ruled by the Piast Dynasty; the land of the pagan Opolanie was conquered by Duke Mieszko I in 992.

During the 11th and 12th centuries it was also a castellany. After the death of Duke Władysław II the Exile, Silesia was divided in 1163 between two Piast lines- the Wrocławska line in Lower Silesia and the Opolsko-Raciborska of Upper Silesia. Opole became a duchy in 1172 and shared much in common with the Duchy of Racibórz, with which it was often combined. In 1281 Upper Silesia was divided further between the heirs of the dukes. The Duchy of Opole was temporarily re-established in 1290.

In the early 13th century Duke Casimir I of Opole decided to move the settlement from the Pasieka island to the right shore of the Odra River, since the 17th century it was the old stream bed of Odra known as Młynówka. All of the inhabitants were moved in order to make place for the duke's new castle that was eventually built in the place of the old city.

Former residents of Ostrówek together with German merchants that immigrated here from the West, received the first town rights probably as early as around, 1217 though this date is disputed by historians. Opole received German town law in 1254, which was expanded with Neumarkt law in 1327 and Magdeburg rights in 1410. Opole developed during the rule of duke Bolko I of Opole. In this time the castle was finally completed and new buildings, including the city walls and the Holy Cross church, were constructed.

Along with most of Silesia, in 1327 the Duchy of Opole came under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Bohemia, itself part of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1521 the Duchy of Racibórz (Ratibor) was inherited by the Duchy of Opole, by then also known by its German equivalent, Oppeln. The second castle of Opole was probably founded in the 14th century by duke Władysław Opolczyk, though some sources claim that it was originally a wooden stronghold of Opole's castellan dating back to the 12th century.

Habsburg Monarchy Period

With the death of King Louis II of Bohemia at the Battle of Mohács, fought on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, Hungary and was a decisive event for the history of East-Central Europe for the following centuries. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by the forces of  the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.

The Ottoman victory led to the partition of Hungary for several centuries between the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburg Monarchy, and the Principality of Transylvania. The death of Louis II as he fled the battle marked the end of the Jagiellon dynasty in Hungary and Bohemia, whose dynastic claims were absorbed by the Habsburgs via the marriage of Louis' sister. Silesia was inherited by Ferdinand I, placing Opole under the sovereignty of the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria. The Habsburgs took overall control of the region in 1532 after the last Piast duke of Opole - Jan II the Good died.

In those days the city was still mainly Polish-speaking (around 63%), with other nationalities represented mainly by Germans, Czechs and Jews. The last two dukes of Opole: Nicholas II of Niemodlin and Jan II the Good did not speak any German.

Beginning in 1532 the Habsburgs pawned the duchy to different rulers including a number of monarchs from Poland. With the abdication of King John II Casimir of Poland as the last Duke of Opole in 1668, the region passed into the direct control of the Habsburgs. At the beginning of the 18th century there were estimated to be around 20% of Germans in the population of Opole.

Prussian Silesia Period

King Frederick II of Prussia conquered most of Silesia from Austria in 1740 during the Silesian Wars; Prussian control was confirmed in the Peace of Breslau in 1742. During the Prussian rule the ethnic structure of the city began to change. In the early 20th century the amount of Polish and bilingual citizens of Opole, according to the official German statistics, varied from 25 to 31%.

From 1816–1945 Opole was the capital of Regierungsbezirk Oppeln within Prussia. The city became part of the German Empire during the unification of Germany in 1871.

After WWI

After the defeat of Imperial Germany in World War I, a plebiscite was held on 20 March 1921 in Oppeln to determine if the city would be in the Weimar Republic or become part of the Second Polish Republic. 20,816 (94.7%) votes were cast for Germany, 1,098 (5.0%) for Poland, and 70 (0.3%) votes were declared invalid. Voter participation was 95.9%. Results of the plebiscite in the Opole-Land county were different, with 30% of population voting for Poland.

Oppeln after the plebiscite, under international ruling in August 1921

Oppeln was the administrative seat of the Province of Upper Silesia from 1919–1939. With the defeat of Poland in the Invasion of Poland at the beginning of World War II in 1939, formerly Polish Eastern Upper Silesia was re-added to the Province of Upper Silesa and Oppeln lost its status as provincial capital to Katowice (renamed Kattowitz).

On 15 February 1941 and 26 February 1941, two deportation transports with 2,003 Jewish men, women and children on board left Vienna Aspang Station to Opole, By March 1941, 8,000 Jews were deported to the ghetto which had been set up in Opole. From May 1941, 800 men capable of work were deployed as forced labourers in Deblin.

Liquidation of Opole ghetto began in the spring 1942. A transport to Belzec extermination camp left on 31 March 1942 and deportations to Sobibor followed in May and October 1942. Of the 2,003 Viennese Jews, twenty-eight are known to have survived.

Opole Since 1945

After the end of the Second World War in 1945, Oppeln was transferred from Germany to Poland according to the Potsdam Conference, and given its original Slavic name of Opole. Opole became part of the Katowice Voivodeship from 1946–1950, after which it became part of the Opole Voivodeship.

Unlike other parts of the Recovered Territories, Opole and the surrounding region's autochthon population (one of the earliest known inhabitants of a place) remained and was not forcibly expelled as elsewhere. Over 1 million Silesians who considered themselves Poles or were treated as such by the authorities due to their language and customs were allowed to stay after they were verified as Poles in a special verification process. It involved declaring Polish nationality and an oath of allegiance to the Polish nation.

In the later years however many of them left to go to West Germany to flee the communist Eastern Bloc. Today Opole, along with the surrounding region, is known as a centre of the German minority in Poland that recruits mainly from the descendants of the positively verified autochthons. In the city itself only 2.46% of the population declared themselves to be German, according to the last national census of 2002.

Much of the above history of Opole has been quoted from Wikipedia.

Museums in Opole

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, if you wish to advertise it on Opole Travel Guide at no cost please get in touch with us.

Museums

Muzeum Wsi Opolskiej

You can find this museum on the main road leading to Wrocław about 8km west of Opole city centre. The museum is an open air Opole village showing about 60 wooden rural dwellings from the region. A wooden church from Gręboszów dating back to 1613 is an example of local Silesian church architecture. Other buildings include a windmill and an eighteenth century water mill in working order.

Name of Museum Street Type URL
Muzeum Wsi Opolskiej Ul. Wrocławska 174,
45-835 Opole
Open Air Museum muzeumwsiopolskiej.pl
Muzeum Slaska Opolskiego ul.sw. Wojciecha 13 Museum muzeum.opole.pl
Muzeum Diecezjalne ul. Kardynała Kominka 1a Museum muzeum.diecezja.opole.pl
Centralne Muzeum Jencow Wojennych ul. Minorytow 3 Museum www.cmjw.pl/
Muzeum Uniwersytetu Opolskiego ul. Kopernika 11 Museum muzeum.uni.opole.pl

Places to Eat in Opole

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 you can let us know at Opole Travel Guide.

Places to Eat

Awaiting Article

This place to eat may just be the right one for your pallet.

Name of Eating Place Street Type URL
Cafe Dolce Vita ul.Krakowska Cafe dolcevita.opole.pl
Pub Maska-Laboratorium Rynek 4 Pub pubmaska.pl
Kubryk Rynek 32 Restaurant pomidor.opole.pl
Pomidor ul. Sosnkowskiego 4b lok. 5 Restaurant pomidor.opole.pl
Gastrofaza ul. 1 Maja 20/1 Restaurant bargastrofaza.pl
Laba ul. Spacerowa 16 Cafe laba-opole.pl
Pauza ul. Ozimska 19b Cafe pl-pl.facebook.com/pauzaopole
Coffeemoment ul. Koraszewskiego 14 Cafe coffeemoment.pl

Tourist Information in Opole

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 David's Travel Guides.

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.

Tourist Information

Emergency Numbers

If you need the police in Opole the telepnone number is 997 for emergency or 998 for fire service or 999 for medical service.

Name of Tourist Office Street Type URL
City Tourist Information Office Rynek 23 45-015 City Tourist Office www.opole.pl

Transport in Opole

There are currently no international airports in Opolskie with the nearest one being Wrocław Nicolaus Copernicus Airport.

The train and bus stations are next to each other just south of the Old Town about a 10 minuet walk. Opole is on the main railway line between Katowice, about one and half hours, and Wrocław, about one hour 15 minuets with most of the Katowice trains continuing to Krakow. There are also a number of trains to Częstochowa each day, about one hour and 45 minuets. Fast trains to Warsaw take about 4 and a half hours.

Here are some useful websites to help you find your way to this place.

Transport

Bicycle Rental

Why not dicover Opole by bicycle. Opole Bike or Nextbike is the place to rent two wheels. Either telepnone (+48) 22 382 13 12 or look on their website at; nextbike.pl. Another option is Bike - ul. Rzeszowska 3, 45-316 OPOLE - (+48) 77 455 19 22 - website www.bikeopole.pl

Name Type URL
e-podroznik.pl Bus & Train Timetables www.e-podroznik.pl
Wrocław Nicolaus Copernicus Airport Airport www.airport.wroclaw.pl
POLREGIO S.A. Railways polregio.pl/

Websites of Opole

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 Opole Travel Guide as I may be interested in including it.

Websites

Awaiting Article

No further information as yet.

Name of Website Address Type URL
Opole.pl Rynek, Ratusz, 45-015 Official Site www.opole.pl

Regional Links

Province

The Opolskie Voivodship was created in 1999 and is located in the south west of Poland.

Province

 

 

 

Places in Province

The cities, towns and villages of the region of Opolskie.

Places in Province

Map of Opole

 

Opole Fontanna na placu Wolności Fountain
Opole Market Square
Opole Defensive Wall
Opole Cathedral

 

Opole Travel Guide
David's Travel Guides