Location
With a population reaching almost 300 000, Białystok is
the biggest city in north-eastern Poland and the capital of
Podlaskie province. Its area constitutes 6.4% (20 180 km2) of the total area of the country, which makes it 6th largest voivodship. It is the administrative, economic, scientific and cultural centre of this part of the country which is called the
Green Lungs of Poland owing to the extraordinary treasure of its natural environment.
The ecologically clean region, rich in tourist attractions, as well as the well developed infrastructure of the city, make Białystok an attractive place for those who live here, come here to rest or engage in tourist activities.
For many, Białystok is an excellent base from where one can explore the vast area of the Green Lungs of Poland - the wilderness of the Białowieska primeval forest, the marshes of the Biebrza river valley, the many charming towns and villages and quiet spots of the region of Podlasie.
Białystok can be reached by car, train, PKS buses and other coach companies. The city has an airport, Krywlany, presently used mostly for sport and training purposes, however also able to accommodate small tourist passenger planes.
Nine motor and railway, domestic and international routes cross in the city. Białystok is located on the international railway
line from Berlin to Moscow via Warsaw and St Petersburg. The town is dissected by an eastbound road from Germany through Poland on to Grodno in Belarus and then St Petersburg in Russia, and by a southbound route from the north to the south of Europe, as well as by the Via Baltica from the Baltic States, which heads on towards Warsaw.
The
close location of Białystok
to the borders of Belarus, Lithuania and Russia, as well as the very comfortable transport connections, create perfect conditions for the development of cultural and economic contacts with the countries of both Eastern, as well as Western Europe. There are several border crossings located in the neighbourhood of Białystok - in Kuźnica Białostocka, Bobrowniki, Siemianówka, Czeremcha, Połowce, Ogrodniki, Trakiszki and Budzisko.
Author
The Białystok City Guide and
Podlaskie Voivodship Office.