Opoczno

Opoczno Castle

Flag

Coat of arms

Opoczno

Coordinates: 51°23′N 20°17′E / 51.383°N 20.283°E

Country

Government

• Mayor

Rafał Kądziela

Area

• Total

23.91 km² (9.23 sq mi)

Elevation

190 m (620 ft)

Population (2007)

• Total

23,162

• Density

970/km² (2,500/sq mi)

Time zone

CET (UTC+1)

• Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

Postal code

26-300

Car plates

EOP

Website

http://www.opoczno.pl

Opoczno [ɔˈpɔt͡ʂnɔ] (Yiddish: אפאטשנא‎ Opochna) is a town in south-central Poland, in eastern part of Łódź Voivodeship (since 1999), previously in Piotrków Trybunalski Voivodeship (1975–1998). It has a long and rich history, and in the past it used to be one of the most important urban centers of northwestern Lesser Poland. Currently, Opoczno is an important road and rail junction; its patron saint is Saint Cecilia, and the town is famous across Poland for its folklore.

Opoczno lies on the Wąglanka river, in northwestern corner of historic Lesser Poland, on the boundary between Lesser Polish Upland, and Mazovian Lowland. On December 31, 2008, its population was 22,744. The town and its commune have a total area of 190 km2, which makes it one of the largest communes in the voivodeship. In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Opoczno was part of Sandomierz Voivodeship, and for centuries was the seat of a large county; in the Second Polish Republic, and in the period 1945 - 1975, it belonged to Kielce Voivodeship.

The town is an important communication hub. It lies near the Central Rail Line, which connects Silesia and Kraków with Warsaw. Opoczno has a rail station, along the line nr. 25, with connections to Tomaszów Mazowiecki and Skarżysko-Kamienna. Furthermore, the town lies along National Road Nr. 12 (future Expressway S12), which creates a connection between western and eastern parts of Poland, and has a good connection with the nearby A1 Motorway.

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Wikipedia