Poland Point

The Opole voivodeship is the smallest region in the administrative make-up of the country in terms of both area, and population. 10% of the 1 million inhabitants of this voivodeship are ethnic Germans, which is 70% of all the ethnic Germans in Poland. (See Germans of Poland).

The transport route from Germany to Ukraine runs through Opole. The region has four border crossings and direct rail connections to all important Polish cities, as well as to Frankfurt, Munich, Budapest, Kiev, and the Baltic ports.

The Opole voivodeship is a green region with three large lakes: Turawskie, Nyskie, and Otmuchowskie (the latter two are connected). The Opawskie Mountains are extremely popular. The region also includes the castle in Brzeg, built during the reign of the Piast dynasty — pearl of the Silesian Renaissance, the Franciscan monastery on top of Saint Anne Mountain, as well as the medieval defence fortifications in Paczków (referred to as the Polish Carcassonne).

The region has the warmest climate in the country.

Protected areas in Opole Voivodeship include the following three areas designated as Landscape Parks: