Świętokrzyskie and its friendly, sociable citizens invite you to visit one of the most beautiful and most fascinating areas in Poland. Our region not only guarantees fine leisure and remarkable experiences, but it is also a great ground for economic activity.
The Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship is located in the centre of the country, i.e. the south-eastern part of Poland, on a junction of the major transport routes. It covers the area of 11.691 sq. km and is divided into 14 districts and 102 municipalities. The magistrate district is the Kielce District which, at the same time, has the biggest territory and is a main urban, industrial, scientific and cultural unit. The remaining major cities of the region are: Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, Starachowice, Skarżysko-Kamienna and Sandomierz. Świętokrzyskie borders on with six other voivodeships: Mazowieckie in the north, Lubelskie in the east, Małopolskie in the south, Śląskie (Eng. Silesian) in the south-west, and Łódzkie in the west. The whole area lies on left side of the Vistula’s river-basin.
It is a land of fresh air, crystal-clear streams and rivers, vast woodlands and a charming, rural scenery of fields, meadows, hills and valleys. All these create an ideal shelter for various animal and bird species. Therefore, for all the tourists who will decide to enjoy an active past-time, the region has much to offer - over 1500 km of hiking and 200 km of cycle trails go through these picturesque sites, the amateurs of horsemanship shall find near 20 horse-riding centres, the aviation lovers can go to Masłów and Pińczów flying clubs, while numerous reservoirs on the rivers enable professional sailing, waterskiing and windsurfing. Świętokrzyskie is also a great winter-sports centre – in the area of Kielce there are 9 skiing centres, equipped in T-bar lifts, where the slopes are 300-800 metres long and almost all of them are artificially snowed and hardened during the season.
Nevertheless, Świętokrzyskie provides not only bodily attractions, it is also a soothing for the mind. History really entwines with legends here. The marvellous architectural sites and wildlife relics remind of the ancient times and suggest what the region was like centuries ago. Churches, castles, palaces, shrines and museums – all these await the trippers nearly on every piece of the Świętokrzyskie land. Some places are visited in crowds, while the others use to be less attended and a bit forgotten, yet still, enchant with their unacknowledged, intact beauty.
Not many are aware that Świętokrzyskie is also a great place to run an enterprise. One of its main advantages is vicinity of the most prominent Polish agglomerations (Warsaw, Cracow, Katowice, and Łódź). The distance from Kielce to these cities oscillates between 120 and 180 km and a relatively well developed transport network, constantly modernized thanks to the funds from the European Union, enables fast and efficient communication. At the same time, the costs of the economical activity, not to mention the labour costs, are incomparably cheaper. The is also a growing number of enterprise and technology enclaves, as well as special scientific and technological parks, e.g. the dynamically expanding Starachowice Special Economic Zone which actively takes part in the process of reinforcing entrepreneurship in the region. The facilitative atmosphere for making investments and undertaking economical actions is being encouraged by the local authorities, as well as, various business institutions, which devote funds for this purpose.
In terms of local industry in Świętokrzyskie, it concerns mainly metal production and handle, excavation and processing of natural resources, and the production of groceries. The most significant natural wealth of the Świętokrzyskie Region are the mineral deposits of gypsum, which belong to the most abundant in Europe. When taking into consideration their size, diversity and level of excavation, Świętokrzyskie is among the country’s leaders.
Bearing all these in mind, one cannot be bored in the area of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. Here, you will find unique natural environment, favourable economic conditions, but most of all, the hospitable people who have provided an excellent, welcoming atmosphere.
Come and try for yourself!
