Tarnów

Poland, Poland

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Tarnów is a historic city in southeastern Poland's Lesser Poland Voivodeship, located at the Carpathian foothills near the confluence of the Biała and Dunajec rivers, with a population of around 105,000 as of recent estimates.

Founded in 1330 by King Władysław Łokietek and first mentioned in 1124, it boasts one of Poland's best-preserved medieval urban layouts, featuring a picturesque Renaissance market square (Rynek) lined with colorful merchant houses, a 16th-century town hall now serving as a museum, and landmarks like the 14th-century Tarnów Cathedral and remnants of an old synagogue reflecting its once-thriving Jewish community.

A key rail junction on major east-west lines and near the A4 motorway, Tarnów is an industrial hub with major chemical plants like Grupa Azoty in the Mościce district, alongside cultural attractions such as Strzelecki Park, the Gothic Revival Church of the Holy Family, and sites tied to World War II history including the first transport to Auschwitz monument.