About
One of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Upper Silesia, Gliwice has a rich history, interesting architecture and is a hub of cultural and sports activity in the region. This makes it both a great place to live as well as a popular tourist destination.
Gliwice has fantastic transport links. It is located at the junction of two motorways: A1 and A4, and the central highway DTŚ (Drogowa Trasa Średnicowa) connects it to the key Silesian cities, such as Katowice, Chorzów, Świętochłowice, Ruda Śląska and Zabrze. Katowice International Airport is situated just a 20 minute drive away.
The city is an important academic, scientific and industrial centre in the region, occupying a high position in innovation and development rankings.
Historical background
Gliwice was founded before 1276, after the introduction of the Magdeburg Law. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, it had a population of circa 900 people, originating chiefly from Lower Silesia and western Europe. Over the years, it was governed alternately by Poland, Czechia and Germany. After World War II, it was incorporated into Poland along with the rest of Upper Silesia. This development was followed by an influx of Poles from other parts of the country and the Polish Eastern Borderlands.
Despite its turbulent history, Gliwice still retains its medieval heritage, at least architecturally. It is organized around a main square, with a grid of streets around it. Back in the day, it was bordered by a defensive wall, including towers, a moat and two gates – the White (Bytomska) Gate and the Black (Raciborska) Gate. You can see their remnants to this day.
A good place for business
In recent years, Gliwice has become one of the most modern cities in Upper Silesia. Excellent location, great investment opportunities, well-developed technical infrastructure and convenient transport links all contributed to its rapid development. Traditional heavy industry and coal mining have been replaced by modern enterprises, which form part of the Upper Silesian Agency for Entrepreneurship and Development.
The road to innovation has been paved by the academics at the Silesian University of Technology and other academic institutions, such as the Polish Academy of Sciences. The economic development of Gliwice is largely due to its inclusion in the Katowice Special Economic Zone, leader of the FDI Business Financial ranking in 2015-2017.
After hours
Gliwice offers its citizens a great variety of leisure activities. Vast green spaces, stadiums, football pitches, swimming pools, tennis courts, climbing walls and an indoor ice rink – sports afficionados have plenty to choose from. The city also prides itself on its palm house, where you can see over a thousand species of tropical plants.
The city has a rich cultural life, too. Music festivals, open air events, exhibitions, plays – there’s always something going on. Since 2018, the city is also home to one of the largest multi-purpose entertainment venues in Poland, Arena Gliwice.
You simply can’t be bored here!
For more information, see Visit Gliwice.
