General information about Leszno

Leszno is very easy to find on the map of Poland – it is situated halfway between the biggest cities of western Poland: Poznań and Wrocław. Important communication routes intersect here: road and rail from north to south and from west to east, making it easy to reach Leszno by car or by train. Leszno also has a small airfield, serving both aviation sports and small tourist airplanes.

The name of the town „Leszno” comes from the hazel – the bush that bears tasty hazelnuts, once growing in the primeval forest areas. Until today, the town has been  surrounded by beautiful forests where inhabitants actively spend their free time.

The history of Leszno counts about 500 years. It was established as a private town belonging to the Leszczyński family, one of the most powerful magnate families in Poland, who issued one of our kings, Stanisław Leszczyński. In its history Leszno was destroyed several times by wars and fires, but each time it was rebuilt, leasing the most beautiful of its history. It captivates with baroque architecture: churches, town hall and tenements in the Market Square, greenery of parks and squares. 

Currently, Leszno has a population of almost 65.000. Most of inhabitants are employed in industry, services and trade. Thousands of young people from all over the region come here every day, because the town boasts excellent secondary schools and has two higher schools: the State School of Higher Vocational Education and the private Higher School of Humanities.

The inhabitants of Leszno are famous for their thriftiness and love of order, but they can also have good fun – there are many outdoor events here, the largest of which are the Air Picnic, the Leszno Days, the Leszno Baroque Plus Festival, the Return of the King and Leszno Flavour Gourmet Picnic. Since 2016, the Town Theater has also been operating in here – the first new public theater in Poland from 40 years!

However, our biggest passion is speedway – a special kind of motorcycle racing on a short track. Our speedway team Fogo Unia Leszno has won the Polish Championship 15 times, and on the days when speedway races are held, you can see white and blue outfits in the colors of the team all over the town. What is more, Leszno is known throughout  the world as a centre of aviation sports, especially gliding and ballooning.

A lot of information about Leszno - both its past and today, and especially about current events, you can find in the mobile application, available for Android and iOS. We invite you to download it, especially when you are going to our town.