Bełchatów
Place in Łódź Voivodeship, Poland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bełchatów ([bɛu̯ˈxatuf] ⓘ) is a city in central Poland,[5] with a population of 55,583, as of December 2021.[3] It is located in Łódź Voivodeship, 160 kilometres (99 miles) southwest of Warsaw.
Bełchatów | |
|---|---|
Gabriel Narutowicz square | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Bełchatów | |
| Coordinates: 51°22′N 19°22′E | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship | Łódź |
| County | Bełchatów |
| Gmina | Bełchatów (urban gmina) |
| Established | 14th century |
| City rights | 1743-1870, 1925 |
| Government | |
| • City mayor | Patryk Marjan (NN) |
| Area | |
• Total | 34.64 km2 (13.37 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 55,583  |
| • Density | 1,605/km2 (4,160/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 97-400 |
| Area code | +48 44 |
| Vehicle registration | EBE |
| National roads |  |
| Voivodeship roads |    |
| Website | http://www.belchatow.pl |
The Elektrownia Bełchatów, located in Bełchatów, is the largest coal fueled power plant in Europe and the fifth largest in the world. It produces 27–28 TWh of electricity per year, or 20% of the total power generation in Poland.[6] 8,000 people work directly for the company that runs the coal mine and electricity plants.[6]
The city is also known for the successful volleyball club Skra Bełchatów and local krówki (traditional Polish candy).
Districts
One municipal division of Bełchatów comprises numerous housing estates, including the Budowlanych housing estate located in the central part of the town (close to the "Kultura" cinema, the Municipal Cultural Center, the Town Hall and the church). The estate is also close to the "Rakówka" river and Olszewski Park.
Other municipal divisions of Bełchatów include Dobrzelów District, Grocholice, and the following housing estates:
|
.JPG) Osiedle 1 Maja .JPG) Osiedle Binków in Bełchatów. |
History
Grocholice was a private church town, whereas Bełchatów, Dobrzelów and Zdzieszulice were private villages of Polish nobility, administratively located in the Piotrków County in the Sieradz Voivodeship in the Greater Poland Province of the Kingdom of Poland.[7]
Cuisine
The officially protected traditional food of Bełchatów (as designated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland) is wyborowa krówka bełchatowska, a local type of krówka (traditional Polish candy).[8]
Transport
National road 74 bypasses Bełchatów to the north. Vovoideship road 484 connects the town to Kamieńsk and to Buczek.
The nearest railway station is in the town of Piotrków Trybunalski to the east.
Sports
- Skra Bełchatów – men's volleyball team playing in PlusLiga (Polish top division), 9–time Polish Champions, 7–time Polish Cup winners.
- GKS Bełchatów – men's football team playing in the lower divisions, which has also played in Ekstraklasa (top division) in the past.
International relations
Twin towns - sister cities
Aubergenville, France
Myślenice in Poland
Csongrád in Hungary
Alcobaça in Portugal
Tauragė in Lithuania
Former twin towns
Sovetsk, Russia
In February 2022, Bełchatów suspended its partnership with the Russian city of Sovetsk as a reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[10]
Notable people
- Harry Haft (1925–2007), survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp and a professional boxer in the United States during 1948–1949
Gallery
PGE headquarters
GKS Bełchatów Stadium
Olszewski Manor
Library
A view of the Power Plants and the Lignite Mine
.JPG)
.jpg)
