Szlaki województw śląskiego i opolskiego

Opole is a city with county rights and the seat of the authorities of the Opole Voivodeship and the Opole district. In terms of population, it is the twenty-seventh, and in terms of area – the fifteenth largest city in Poland. The Oder river flows through the city located in the Silesian Lowland in the Wrocław Pradolina. Opole is one of the oldest cities in Poland, granted town rights under Magdeburg law before 1217 by Casimir I of Opole. In the times of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Opole – as the capital of the Opole-Racibórz Duchy – was a trade center. The rapid expansion of the city was also caused by the creation of the Opole Regency in 1816. In the second half of the 20th century – along with the opening of a number of industrial plants – a rapid economic development of the city took place. At that time, new residential districts were also erected, and the number of inhabitants tripled. Opole, together with the Opole and Krapkowice districts, forms the Opole agglomeration, with over 315 thousand inhabitants. The patron saint of the city of Opole is Adalbert of Prague (Wojciech Sławnikowic), a saint of the Catholic Church. The city contains a number of monuments, including the Gothic Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Cross with the graves of the Silesian Piasts, the hall church of the Holy Trinity with a Baroque interior, the Piast Tower, which is a remnant of the medieval castle, as well as the town hall building from the second half of the 19th century. The popular National Festival of Polish Song is organized in Opole, thanks to which the city bears the title of the "capital of Polish song".