Bielawa
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| Sunset in Bielawa | |||
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Bielawa
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Poland | ||
| Voivodeship | Lower Silesian | ||
| County | Dzierżoniów | ||
| Gmina | Bielawa (urban gmina) | ||
| Established | 13th century | ||
| Town rights | 1924 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Ryszard Dźwiniel | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 36.21 km2 (14 sq mi) | ||
| Highest elevation | 964 m (3,163 ft) | ||
| Lowest elevation | 280 m (919 ft) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 31,988 | ||
| • Density | 883.4/km2 (2,288/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 58-260 to 58-263 | ||
| Area code(s) | +48 74 | ||
| Car plates | DDZ | ||
| Website | http://www.bielawa.pl | ||
Bielawa [bjɛˈlava] ( listen) (German: Langenbielau) is a town in south-western Poland with 31,988 inhabitants (2010). It is situated in Dzierżoniów County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship (since 1999); previously it has been a part of the Wałbrzych Voivodeship (1975-1998).
Bielawa lies in the central part of Lower Silesia, stretching along the Bielawica stream in the Sowie Mountains region. The town covers an area in excess of 36 square kilometres (14 sq mi).
Bielawa lies at an altitude range of 280 and 964 m above sea level, in the Sowie Mountains. The region is considered one of the most captivating nooks of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, drawing numerous year round tourists. Among its many outdoor attractions, the region is home to four major hiking trails of varying difficulties, situated in an 80 square kilometre Scenic Park of the Sowie Mountains. The area also includes numerous cycling trails and ski lifts.
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History
- 13th century — Bielawa was established
- 1720 — First brick house
- 1741 — Addressing the village by the Prussian army
- 1805 — Christian Dierig involves weaving company (Christian Dierig AG)
- 1806-1808 — French occupation
- 1891 — The opening of the railway line Dzierżoniów - Bielawa
- 1924 — Giving Bielawa town rights
- 1945 — Soviet occupation
- 2006 — The opening of the bypass
Main sights
Bielawa offers a rich choice of old architecture. At its center is the 19th-century Neo-Gothic Church of the Assumption with a 101 m tall tower (the third tallest in Poland). Other interesting architectural buildings include a late-Renaissance palace originally built as a fortified manor house, the Church of the Corpus Christi erected in 1743, and numerous Baroque houses from the 18th century, converted in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Bielawa is also a home to a number of medieval penitential crosses.
Population
Famous people
- Eleni Tzoka, singer
- Aleksandra Kwasniewska, singer
- Robert Skibniewski, basketball player
- Marcin Teodoru, Hollywood Film Director http://www.circlefilms.com
- Tomasz Zabłocki, basketball player
- Jarosław Kuźniar, journalist in TVN24
- Janusz Góra, footballer
- Jacek Trzeciak, footballer
- Adam Wysota, one of the pioneers of free-spirit motorcycling on the American continent.
- Art Binkowski, Polish-Canadian Olympic boxer (Sydney, 2000)
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Bielawa is twinned with:
- Lingen in Germany
- Hronov in Czech Republic
- Chatham-Kent in Canada
- Burton upon Trent in the United Kingdom
External links
- Official town website
- Jewish Community in Bielawa on Virtual Shtetl
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