'''Piotrkow Trybunalski''' (Pronounced: ''Pyotrkooff'') [http://www.piotrkow.pl/] is second biggest city in the ?od? voivodship of Poland with 80,738 inhabitants (2005). It is the capital of Piotrkow County and it's almost 800 years old. The city itself was portrayed in the movie ''Jacob the Liar'' starring Robin Williams.

Understand

According to tradition – not confirmed by historical sources – Piotrkow was founded by Piotr Wlostowic, a powerful 12th century magnate from Silesia. The name of the city comes from the name ''Peter'' translated into Polish (''Piotr''), in a diminutive form (''Piotrek'', or "Pete"). The town has been known in Yiddish as ????????? or ''Petrikev'', in German as ''Petrikau'', and in Russian as _P_u_______{___r or ''Petrokov''.

In the early Middle Ages the Piotrkow region was included in the province of Leczyca owned by the ''Piast dynasty''. Ca. 1264 it became part of a separate principality. The foundation of the city and its development were connected with its geographical position and an advantageous arrangement of the roads linking the provinces of Poland in the Piast times. At first a market town and a place of the princes' tribunals (in the 13th and 15th centuries), Piotrkow became an administrative centre (the capital of the district since 1418), and in the later centuries it also became an important political centre in Poland. The first record of Piotrkow is included in a document issued in 1217 by the Prince of Krakow, ''Leszek I the White'', where there is a mention of the prince's tribunal held "in Petrecoue". Medieval Piotrkow was a trading place on trade routes from ''Pomerania'' to Russia and Hungary, and later from ''Masovia'' to ''Silesia''.

During the 13th century, apart from the tribunals, Polish provincial princes made Piotrkow a seat of a few assemblies of the Sieradz knights, which according to historical sources were held in 1233, in 1241, and in 1291. It might have been during the 1291 assembly that the Prince of Sieradz, ''W?adys?aw I the Elbow-high'', granted Piotrkow ''civic rights'', because in documents from the beginning of the 14th century he mentions "civitate nostra Petricouiensi".

The first foundation certificate and the other documents were burnt in a great fire which destroyed the city ca. 1400. The privileges and rights were re-granted by King ''Wladys?aw II Jagiello'' in 1404. The city walls were built during the reign of King ''Casimir III'', and after the great fire they were rebuilt at the beginning of the 15th century. During the reign of Casimir III, many expelled German Jews from the ''Holy Roman Empire'' immigrated to the town, which grew to have one of the largest Jewish settlements in the kingdom.

Between 1354 and 1567 the city held general assemblies of Polish knights, and general or elective meetings of the Polish ''Sejm'' (during the latter Polish kings of the ''Jagiellon dynasty'' were elected there). It was in the city of Piotrkow that the Polish Parliament was given its final structure with the division into Upper House and Lower Chamber in 1493. King ''John I Albert'' published his "Piotrkow privilege" on May 26 1493, which expanded the priviliges of the ''szlachta'' at the expense of the ''bourgeoisie'' and the peasantry.

Piotrkow became part of the ''Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth'' in 1569. When the seat of the Parliament was moved to ''Warsaw'', the town became the seat of the highest court of Poland, the Royal Tribunal, and trials were held there from 1578-1793; the highest Lithuanian court was held in ''Hrodna (Grodno)''. Piotrkow's Jewish population was expelled in 1578 and only allowed back a century later. The town became a post station in 1684. Ca. 1705, German settlers (often ''Swabians'') arrived in the town's vicinity and founded villages; they largely retained their customs and language until 1945.

While the importance of Piotrkow in the political life of the country had contributed to its development in the 16th century, the city declined in the 17th and 18th centuries, due to fires, epidemics, wars against Sweden, and finally the Partitions of Poland.

During the invasion of Poland at the beginning of World War II, Piotrkow was the setting for fierce fighting between the Polish 19th Infantry Division and the 16th Panzer Corps of the German Wehrmacht on September 5 1939. The town was occupied by Nazi Germany for the following six years.

Piotrkow had the first ghetto for Jews in occupied Poland, built as early as October 1939. Approximately 25,000 people from Piotrkow and the nearby towns and villages were imprisoned there. 22,000 were sent to the Treblinka extermination camp, while 3,000 were imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps.

On 18th January, 1945 the Soviet Red Army entered the city, dislodging the German troops. Anti-communist partisans continued to fight in the vicinity in the following years. From 1949-70, Piotrkow was built into an industrial center.

Piotrkow was the capital of the district, within the Lodzkie voivodeship, until 1975. Then, following the changes in the administrative division of the country, the city became the capital of the new Piotrkow Voivodeship, thus regaining the status of an important administrative, educational and cultural centre of Poland. In 1999 the Piotrkow Voivodeship was dissolved and Piotrkow became the capital of Piotrkow County within the ?odz Voivodeship.

Get in

By plane

'''[http://www.airport.lodz.pl/ ?od? W?adys?aw Reymont Airport] (IATA: LCJ)''' is nearest international airport (about 50 km), but better choice is largest Polish '''[http://www.lotnisko-chopina.pl/?lang=en Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport] (IATA: WAW)''' (about 160 km).

By train

  • '''Piotrkow Trybunalski''' terminal station for domestic trains. There are great (but slow) train links from all major Polish cities.
  • The schedule of trains in Poland [http://rozklad.pkp.pl/bin/query.exe/en?]

    By car

    Piotrkow is located in junction of roads:

  • road '''A1'''; '''E75''' Gdansk - ?od? - '''Piotrkow Trybunalski''' - Czestochowa - Katowice
  • road?'''8'''; '''E67'''?from state border with Lithuania in Budzisko trought Warsaw - '''Piotrkow''' - Wroclaw and finally to state border with Czech Republic in Kudowa-Zdroj.
  • road ?'''12''' from state border with Germany in Leknica trought Leszno - Kalisz - '''Piotrkow''' - Radom - Lublin and state border with Ukraine in Beredyszcze
  • By bus

    Because of it's well location, at junction of many major roads Piotrkow Trybunalski has well route to almost all major cities in Poland as Warsaw, ?od?, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Katowice, Lublin etc. By the PKS[http://www.rozklady.com.pl] lines you can get to (or from) all these cities every day. From Warsaw or Katowice you can get to Piotrkow Trybunalski by the Polski Express. There are some international lines too for example Eurolines[http://www.eurolines.com/].

    Get around

    '''Public transport''' is operated by '''MZK Piotrkow trybunalski''' [http://mzk.piotrkow.pl/]. The descriptions on bus stops are in Polish only. See the Polish phrasebook if you feel uncomfortable. [http://mzk.piotrkow.pl/rozklad/main.htm The schedules are here]

    '''Taxis''' are another option, and they are quite cheap for a Westerner. However, one should be sure that there is a taxi sign atop the cab and that the driver has a permit. Best way is to use one of Taxi companies (''phone numbers''):

  • Radio Taxi Pilica - ''9625''
  • Radio Taxi Plus - ''9623''
  • See

  • Orthodox Church ,located on Slowackiego street about 200 m east from train station
  • Court of law ,located on Slowackiego street about 300 m east from train station
  • Trybunalski Square, located about 1 km east from the train station. Is the old market square, with antique tenement houses
  • Royal Castle (curently museum), nearby the Trybunalski Square (about 300 m east)
  • Great Synagogue (curently library), just next to Royal Castle
  • For more information visit the "Tourist Information Point" called "Informacja Turystyczna" on Czarnieckiego Square 10, 44 732 36 63 (next to Trybunalski Square)

    Do

    Cinemas

  • <do name = "Hawana Cinema" address = "ul. Slowackiego" directions = "About 200 m east from train station" phone = "+48 (44) 647 64 10" url = "http://www.heliosnet.pl/main.php?l=1&m=piotrkow" hours = ". Movie selection contains the lastest american hits with Polish subtitles.

    Learn

    Work

    Buy

  • The main commercial street in Piotrkow Trybunalski is '''Slowackiego Street'''
  • Other places for small shopping:

  • '''Echo''' [http://www.echo.com.pl/zakonczone_realizacje.php?mode=powierzchnie&o=12] - shopping mall, al. Sikorskiego
  • '''Carrefour''' [http://www.carrefour.pl/page/pl/handlowy/hipermarkety/znajdz-sklep/lodzkie/piotrkow-trybunalski/carrefour-piotrkow-trybunalski/] - supermarket, and gallery of (about 20) small shops
  • '''Kaufland''' - supermarket on Lodzka street, with small gallery of shops (about 8)
  • '''Stadium Market''' - big open air market located on Dmowskiego street, every saturday you can buy here everything from vegetables, over clothes to live pets
  • Eat

    Budget

  • <eat name = "Da Grasso" address = "ul. Wojska Polskiego 38 (corner of Torunska)" directions = "" phone = "+48 (44) 649 57 60" email= "dagrasso@dagrasso.pl" url = "http://www.dagrasso.pl/" hours = "Monday - Thursday 11 - 23, Friday - Saturday 11 - 01, Sunday - 12 - 22. 5-25 PLN. Their big pizza is more than enough for 2 hungry people.
  • <eat name = "Tina" address = "ul. 3go Maja 20 or ul. Matejki 5" directions = "" phone = "+48 (44) 647 23 64 or +48 (44) 732 69 00" email= "" url = "" hours = "Monday - Friday 11 - 23, Saturday 11 - 00, Sunday - 12 - 22. 5-25 PLN.

    Mid-range

  • <eat name = "Randez-vous" address = "ul. S?owackiego 14" directions = "" phone = "+48 (44) 649 04 44" email= "" url = "" hours = "??. 0-50 PLN.
  • <eat name = "Altamira" address = "ul. Dmowskiego 38" directions = "" phone = "+48 (44) 733 91 51" email= "" url = "" hours = "Daily: ??. 0-50 PLN.
  • <eat name = "Dworek pod Debami" address = "ul. Skrajna dz.46" directions = "" phone = "+48 (44) 732-38-25" email= "" url = "http://www.dworek-pod-debami.pl/?dir=english" hours = "Daily: ??. 0-50 PLN.

    Splurge

  • <eat name = "Staromiejska" address = "Trybunalski Square 4" directions = "" phone = "+48 (44) 649 70 53" email= "" url = "" hours = "Daily: ??. 0-100 PLN.
  • <eat name = "Ormianin" address = "Trybunalski Square 10" directions = "" phone = "+48 (44) 647 69 63" email= "" url = "" hours = "Daily: ??. 0-100 PLN.

    Sleep

    Budget

  • <sleep name = "Hotel PIOCEL" address = "ul. Dworska 6a" directions = "" phone = "+48 (44) 646 80 32" email= "" fax = "" url = "" hours = ". ? 30.00+ (ca. $10+ per person) per night.

    Mid-range

  • <sleep name = "Agat" address = "Wojska Polskiego 118" directions = "" phone = "+48 (44) 646 28 49" email= "biuro@hotelagat.pl" fax = "" url = "http://www.hotelagat.pl/index.php?wyroznik&jezyk=en" hours = ".
  • <sleep name = "Trybunalski" address = "Grota Roweckiego 5" directions = "Nearby train station" phone = "+48 (44) 647 87 12" email= "hotel@trybunalskie.pl" fax = "" url = "http://www.trybunalskie.pl" hours = ".

    Splurge

    Contact

    Stay safe

    Cope

    Get out

  • Belchatow
  • ?od?