Otwock, Urban municipality in Masovian Voivodeship, Poland
Otwock is an urban municipality in Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, located about 23 kilometers southeast of Warsaw on the right bank of the Vistula River. The municipality sits in a flat area near the mouth of the Świder River at roughly 100 meters (330 feet) elevation.
The arrival of the Vistula Railway in 1877 brought the first summer visitors from Warsaw who built wooden retreats along the river. The settlement gained town status in 1916 as it grew from a forest clearing into a residential suburb.
The name Otwock comes from the Polish word for "open" and refers to clearings that once marked this forested riverside area. Today residents use the Świder riverbank for weekend walks, and local families gather in small parks where children play among tall pines.
The municipality sits directly on the suburban rail line from Warsaw, with trains running several times an hour in both directions. Free public transport is available to residents and complements the train links for local journeys.
Two research reactors operate here: Ewa, which started in 1958 as the first reactor in Poland, and Maria from 1974. Both serve only scientific purposes and are used for material research and medical isotopes.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
