Szlaki województw śląskiego i opolskiego

Kędzierzyn-Koźle is a city located in the southeastern part of the Silesian Lowland, in historical Upper Silesia. It is the seat of the Kędzierzyn-Koźle district. The city lies on the Oder river, at the outlet of the Gliwice Canal and the mouth of the Kłodnica. The city was created in 1975 from the merger of Kędzierzyn, Koźle, Sławięcice, and Kłodnica. Kędzierzyn-Koźle is home to some of the largest chemical plants in Poland – Zakłady Azotowe Kędzierzyn, as well as the "Blachownia" chemical enterprise. The city is inhabited by 54.8 thousand residents, which makes it the second-largest city in the Opole Voivodeship in terms of population. The first source information about the fortified settlement of Kosle comes from the "Polish Chronicle" written in Latin in the years 1112–1116 by Gallus Anonymus. In turn, in 1283, the name of Kędzierzyn was mentioned in a Latinized form as Kandersino. The granting of town rights to Koźle took place in 1281. The lands around the town were then part of the Duchy of Koźle and Bytom, which from 1289 were a fief of the Bohemian king. In 1526, the duchy passed under the rule of the Habsburgs, and two centuries later – under the rule of Prussia. In the mid-18th century, the expansion of the fortress in Koźle began, and in subsequent decades the Kłodnica Canal was built, which contributed to the economic revival of the region. In 1807, the Koźle fortress was besieged by Napoleonic troops. After World War II, the city became part of the Polish state.