| Rabka-Zdrój | |||
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| Typical wooden house | |||
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Rabka-Zdrój
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Poland | ||
| Voivodeship | Lesser Poland | ||
| County | Nowy Targ | ||
| Gmina | Rabka-Zdrój | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 36.59 km2 (14.1 sq mi) | ||
| Highest elevation | 560 m (1,837 ft) | ||
| Lowest elevation | 500 m (1,640 ft) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| • Total | 13,052 | ||
| • Density | 356.7/km2 (923.9/sq mi) | ||
| Postal code | 34-700 | ||
| Website | http://www.rabka.pl | ||
Rabka-Zdrój [ˈrapka ˈzdrui̯], usually referred to as Rabka, is a spa town in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland. It is located between Kraków and Zakopane in a valley on the northern slopes of the Gorce mountains, where the rivers Poniczanka and Słonka join the river Raba (). In 2008 it had a population of 13,052. There is a substantial population of "gorale."
Rabka was known for its salt-works and from 1864 became a popular spa. The first treatment centre for children was established a few years later and continues to this day. Hydrotherapy continues to be utilised in local hospital and sanatoriums.
The Władysław Orkan Museum, housed in a 17th-century larch-wood former church, includes a collection of folk sculpture and paintings on glass. It also houses the "Order of the Smile Museum" (which children award to adults) and hosts events such as a winter carnival, the Carpathian Festival of Children's Regional Ensembles and the Mountain Children's Holiday International Festival. Other entertainment and folk events are held in the summer season.
There is an open-air railway museum nearby in Chabówka;
Maria Kaczyńska, married to Lech Kaczyński (former President of Poland), was educated in Rabka.
Its sister cities are Rovaniemi, Finland; Murrhardt, Germany; Chateau-Gontier, France; Frome, England and Gmina Dominowo.
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