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Wroc³aw is Poland's fourth most populated (640,000 inhabitants) and fifth biggest (293 000 km?) city.
The 1000-year-old city of Wroc³aw, picturesquely located on the River Odra and its tributaries, is popularly known as the "city of a hundred bridges". One of the most beautiful Polish cities, it is also a great centre for culture, science and dynamically expanding economy. It is difficult to overestimate the economic role of Wroc³aw. As early as the Middle Ages, the city won fame for its fairs, which attracted merchants from all over the world.
Transport
Wroc³aw reaps the benefits of its location at the very heart of Europe, at an intersection of historical routes from north to south and from east to west. The city is a major transport centre in this part of the continent. Wroc³aw has direct rail connections with Poland's largest cities and with Prague, Frankfurt, Berlin and Lvov. Ten outgoing rail lines along with three major and twenty-one minor railway stations make it Poland's largest rail junction. Twelve national and international roads run through the city. Wroc³aw is crossed, among others, by the shortest artery linking Baltic ports with the Mediterranean and by a route from Berlin to Kiev. The shipment of goods along watercourses seems a good alternative to land transport. Wroc³aw has two river ports and transshipment platforms. There are also regular flights from the Wroc³aw International Airport to Frankfurt am Main, Munich, London, Copenhagen, Vienna and Berlin, as well as regular domestic flights to and from Warsaw. The airport has modern navigation equipment which makes it possible for both passenger and cargo flights to land and take off in any weather conditions.
The Economic Profile
The city's well-developed "business environment" facilitates the undertaking of various economic initiatives.
The region's leading industry sectors include electrical machinery, electronics, motor vehicle, power, construction, chemical and food-processing industries, while the traditional industries include coal, copper ore and mineral resources mining and the production of clothes, fabrics and china. The Lower Silesia Province is Poland's leading supplier of many types of industrial goods. The region ranks:
- 1st in the production of electrical turbo-machines, domestic refrigerators, deep freezers, washing machines, spin-driers and cookers, table porcelain and china, and crystal glass;
- 2nd in the production of cotton and cotton-like fabrics, machinery and tools for the construction industry, machinery and tools for road construction and land improvement industries, as well as detergents and washing-up liquids.
With nearly 7500 production plants, including over 600 large factories, Wroc³aw merits the reputation of an industrial leader. The city's industries employ approximately 60 000 people; that is 28% of all working people.
The largest factories are situated in the western and northern sections of the city. Wroc³aw maintains strong economic links with other towns of the province such as Ole¶nica, O³awa, Brzeg Dolny and Jelcz-Laskowice, thus forming one of Poland's largest industrial conurbations.
Human Resources
With its 21 schools of higher education and 96,000 students, Wroc³aw is the most significant academic centre of the region and one of Poland's most important academic centres. Wroc³aw's universities employ 6,500 full-time lecturers, including 1,150 professors. The biggest higher education schools are the University of Wroc³aw, the Wroc³aw University of Technology, the Wroc³aw School of Economics, the Medical School, the Academy of Agriculture, the Academy of Physical Education, the Academy of Fine Art and the Academy of Music. The most significant achievements of the Wroc³aw scientists include pioneering research on strong magnetic fields, low temperatures and the phenomenon of superconductivity as well as immunology and experimental therapy. Higher education schools in other cities and towns of the region can be found in Legnica, Wa³brzych, ¦widnica, K³odzko and Jelenia Góra. Most of them are private vocational schools and business schools or local branches of the Wroc³aw universities.
Culture
Wroc³aw, beside Warsaw and Cracow, is among Poland's most significant cultural centres. Wroc³aw boasts two theatres, an operetta, a pantomime theatre, a puppet theatre, a philharmonic, 10 museums, numerous galleries, three arts colleges and a large group of artists. In the 1960s and 70s Wroc³aw was viewed as Poland's capital of the theatre and one of the world's capitals of avant-garde theatre. Wroc³aw was the home of the Laboratory Theatre led by Jerzy Grotowski, an outstanding producer and reformer of the 20th century theatre. Music also plays a significant role in the cultural life of Lower Silesia. Many outstanding composers live in the region, and plenty of music festivals, a Lower Silesian speciality, are organized here. The most significant of those is the 40-year-standing "Wratislavia Cantans" held in the historical churches in Wroc³aw and in a number of other towns of the region. Each year, the festival hosts a few thousand artists from all over the world.
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