Przemyśl

Przemyśl is a city in southeastern Poland that stretches along both banks of the San River, where the Carpathian Mountains meet the Sandomierz Basin. The city center sits on an elevation, while residential neighborhoods spread across surrounding valleys and flat areas.

A fortress on a trade route through the Carpathians emerged here in the 10th century and became contested ground between Poland and Ruthenia. Later wars transformed the place into a military hub with extensive 19th-century defensive works.

The name derives from an old Slavic word meaning passage, referring to the geographic position between mountains and plain. Local markets today display Polish and Ukrainian traditions side by side, especially in food and handcrafted goods.

The railway station connects travelers directly to major Polish cities and serves as a main crossing point between Poland and Ukraine. Visitors should allow time for border procedures depending on their destination and keep travel documents ready.

The 19th-century fortifications stretch across dozens of kilometers and include hidden underground tunnels that visitors can partly explore. Some forts lie far outside the city center in wooded hills and are accessible only on foot.