Opole, the capital of the Opolskie voivodship, is a medium sized city of 150,000 and coverings a total area of 96 km2. It is located in the south-western part of Poland, on the river Oder as it crosses the Slaska Plain. As a consequence, the region can be described as typical agricultural lowlands.

Its position in the open valley of the river Oder gives Opole a mild climate characterised by low temperature variations and a small amount of rainfall. The average annual temperature is 8° Centigrade, and the winters are very short and mild while the summers are long with warm days. These climatic conditions encourage outdoor sports and recreational activities.

Leaving legend aside, the name Opole originates from the old Polish word “opole”, meaning an ancestral territorial community. Another explanation of the origin of the city’s name is that it comes from the simple word “pole” (field in English): as the legend goes, there once lived a tribal lord who had lost his way while hunting in the thick woods, and when he eventually came across a settlement, he cried “O! Pole!”. Following that, he decided to start a city there.

With a known hist... ( più >>)