Oleśnica
Oleśnica | |
|---|---|
Market Square and town hall Wrocław Gate Saint John Basilica Holy Trinity Church Public library | |
| Motto(s): Miasto wież i róż "A Town of Towers and Roses" | |
| Coordinates: 51°12′N 17°23′E / 51.200°N 17.383°E | |
| Country | Poland |
| Voivodeship | Lower Silesian Voivodeship |
| County | Oleśnica |
| Gmina | Oleśnica (urban gmina) |
| First mentioned | 1189 |
| Town rights | 1255 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jan Bronś |
| Area | |
• Total | 20.96 km2 (8.09 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 150 m (490 ft) |
| Population (2019-06-30) | |
• Total | 37,169 |
| • Density | 1,800/km2 (4,600/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 56-400 |
| Area code | +48 71 |
| Car plates | DOL |
| Highways | |
| Voivodeship roads | |
| Website | http://www.olesnica.pl |
Oleśnica (Polish: [ɔlɛˈɕɲit͡sa]; German: Oels) is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland, within the Wrocław metropolitan area. It is the administrative seat of Oleśnica County and also of the rural district of Gmina Oleśnica, although it is not part of the territory of the latter, the town being an urban gmina in its own right.
Established in medieval Poland, Oleśnica was the capital of a small eponymous principality from 1313 to 1884. It was a notable center of Polish printing in the early modern period. The town is famed for its large 16th-century ducal castle. The castle's inner courtyard arcades, a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture, are iconic in the region. The town also contains architecture in other styles, including Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassical and Renaissance Revival, and is home of the only surviving chained library in Central Europe. It is located on the Route of the Heroes of the Battle of Warsaw 1920, the main highway connecting Wrocław with Łódź, Warsaw and Białystok.