Sister Cities

Budapest is the capital of Hungary and has a population of 1.7 million people with a metro area of 3.3 million.

The capital city is also Hungary’s political, financial, educational, cultural and technological center, with one of Europe’s fastest-growing urban economy. Budapest’s metropolitan area produces close to half of the country’s gross domestic product. Budapest has a two-tier self-government system, which consists of the Municipality of Budapest and 23 district municipalities.

The Municipality of Budapest provides public services, within its scope of responsibilities, through municipal institutions, business entities and public utility companies funded by itself or, to a lesser extent, through purchasing services. Municipal duties and powers are vested in the local governing body, the General Assembly of Budapest.

Among the priorities of the leadership of the Municipality of Budapest are tackling the climate crisis and forging a green transition, enhancing participatory democracy, developing an ambitious innovation and digital agenda, promoting social inclusion and addressing the housing crisis.

Kharkiv is a city in the northeastern part of Ukraine, located on the southern tip of the Central Russian Upland - the capital of the Kharkiv region.

The city is situated on three small rivers: Charkiw (tributary of the Łopań River), Łopań (tributary of the Uda River) and Uda (tributary of the Dońca River). The dominant language is Russian.

At the beginning of 2020, with a population of around 1.45 million, Kharkiv was second (after Kiev) among the most populous Ukrainian cities. It is one of the ten largest cities in Ukraine in terms of area.

Kharkiv is one of the largest industrial, cultural and scientific centers of Ukraine.

The city is developing the machinery, armaments, metal, chemical, means of transport (including aviation), building materials, light and food industries. Today Kharkiv is home to the International Defense Industry Fair. There are over a dozen universities, academies and other colleges.

Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States. It is the main business, cultural and scientific center of the US Midwest.

Historically, Chicago is considered to be the birthplace of skyscrapers. It was here that the first skyscraper was built in 1885.

Chicago is also the largest Polish community in the world, numbering over 1.8 million people. The largest organizations of people of Polish origin have their headquarters here, incl. Polish American Congress (PAC). In Chicago, daily newspapers, weeklies and monthly magazines appear in Polish, and programs in Polish can be watched on TV.

Düsseldorf is a city with county rights in Germany and the capital of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

It is one of the largest cities in western Germany, with an area of ​​217.21 km2 and a population of around 620,000, thus ranking seventh in Germany in terms of population.

Düsseldorf, which experienced a phase of accelerated development after World War II, is a city of great economic importance and home to many German industrial concerns, such as: ARAG and Ergo Group (including Victoria Versicherung), ThyssenKrupp, E.ON (energy), Henkel (chemistry) and Metro AG (trade). Both Novell and many other Japanese companies have their headquarters here.

Collections Premieren Düsseldorf (CPD) is considered the world's largest fashion fair, and the Internationale Bootsausstellung Düsseldorf, held annually since 1969, is the world's largest exhibition of yachts and water sports equipment.

Düsseldorf is the birthplace of the German poet Heinrich Heine (December 13, 1797).

Hamamatsu is a Japanese city in the Shizuoka Prefecture located on the island of Honshu on the Pacific Ocean. It is the largest city by population in the prefecture and an important Japanese road and rail hub. Hamamatsu was granted city rights on July 1, 1911. 

Hamamatsu is an industrial city, a significant car, motorcycle, boat and engine manufacturer due to the Suzuki Motor Co., Honda Motor Co., Yamaha factories located.

Hamamatsu is also an important music center and center of the Japanese industry of modern musical instruments, where manufacturers have their factories: Yamaha Corporation, Kawai Musical Instruments, Roland Corporation, Kawai Musical Instruments, Tokai Guitars Com-pany.

Since 2014, Hamamatsu has been established a UNESCO City of Music. The city hosts music festivals and competitions, including the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition, which brings together the best pianists from around the world.

Hamamatsu is also a city of many festivals, such as the Akiha Fire Festival, the Kite Festival, the Hamakitaku Festival of the past, tradition and poetry.

In Hamamatsu, there is a replica of the Fryderyk Chopin monument by Wacław Szymanowski from Warsaw's Łazienki Park.

Hanoi is the capital and the largest city of Vietnam, next to Ho Chi Minh City, located in the Red River Delta, in Tonkin. According to the 2019 census, it has nearly 4 million residents.

The origins of the city are related to the citadel of Cổ Loa, built around 200 BC. During its existence it has had many names: Tống Bình, Long Đỗ, Đại La, Thăng Long, Đông Quan, Đông Kinh. The name Thăng Long functioned for the longest time, until the end of the 19th century (though with some breaks).

Hanoi is also called the City of the Rising Dragon, the Eastern Capital, the Venice of the East, the City among the Rivers. Hanoi owes its many names over the centuries to ancient legends, ruling dynasties and its geographical location in the Red River Delta.

Colonial elegance combined with Asian colors makes Hanoi unmatched among Far Eastern capitals. Contrasts are visible to the naked eye at every step - French tenement houses, luxury shops, charming squares and parks stand out from the chaotic life of the capital. It is worth sitting in an old atmospheric cafe and contemplating the city traffic, getting lost in the tangle of narrow streets to find the true spirit of the city.

                                 

Harbin is a city in Manchuria, the capital of the Chinese province of Heilongjiang, founded in 1898 during the construction of the East China Railway by Adam Szydłowski.
In Manchurian, the name Harbin means "place where fishing nets are dried".

At present, the city is inhabited by over 5 million people, and the history of settlement in this place dates back over 2.2 thousand years BC.

In 1898, a settlement was established on the site of the village, conceived as a station of the East China Railway. In 1896, tsarist Russia took advantage of China's weakness and imposed a treaty on it that allowed the construction of a line connecting Siberia and Vladivostok by the shortest route. Many Poles took part in the construction of this railway line, including Eng. Adam Szydłowski, founder of the Russian Harbin.

The local cuisine is also influenced by Russia. In restaurants, you can order borscht that is not found anywhere in China, and there are bakeries in the city baking bread that is equally exotic to other Chinese (Chinese: 列 巴, lièba). The Harbinians are famous for their strong heads, and the cherry vodka is the city's export drink.

The Ice Sculpture Festival is the world's most famous recurring event in Harbin, which is a great tourist attraction. In January, the Russians celebrate the Feast of Crest (the Baptism of Jesus Christ), which in Harbin was a pretext for the erection of crosses made of ice from the Sungari River. Other ornaments were also erected around the crosses, e.g. hurdles and lanterns.

After the city was handed over, the Chinese holiday lost its Russian and Orthodox character, and from 1963 it became a permanent fixture on the city's cultural calendar.

The most distinct remnants of the old Harbin are the monuments of Russian colonial architecture, thanks to which the city enjoyed the title of "Oriental St. Petersburg".

Île-de-France is the administrative region, the largest agglomeration and the historic land of northern France, which consists of 8 departments: Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis, Seine and Marne, Marne Valley, Oise Valley and Yvelines.

The largest cities in the region are Paris, the capital of the region, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Versailles and Saint Denis.

The region is also the most populous area of ​​France. Île-de-France represents 18% of the country's population. The suburban buildings are so dense that often the administrative boundaries are imperceptible.

In 1965, the Paris region was divided into 8 districts (10 years later the region was named: Île-de-France). The split was a continuation of the administrative reform of 1956, which was to contribute to economic development. Since then, Île-de-France has grown rapidly and the region produces 30% of France's gross national product. Various areas of the industry, especially the automotive industry, are very well developed - there are factory of Peugeot, Renault or Citroën brands.

Its communication and public transport are among the most modern in Europe. The region boasts one of the largest communication hubs in the world. The agglomeration is served by 11 airports, a modern and extensive rail network: TGV, RER and Metropolitan. There are 800 kilometers of highways and 2,000 kilometers of roads in the region.

Île-de-France is the financial, industrial and, above all, cultural center of France - numerous monuments and a rich history attract millions of tourists who want to learn more about the specificity of this beautiful region.

Kyiv is the capital and largest city of Ukraine (in terms of population and area), situated on the Dnieper River. It has the status of a separate city and is the administrative center of the region.

Kyiv is also the largest industrial, cultural and scientific center of the country. According to estimates from the beginning of 2020, the city had less than 3 million residents.

It has a well-developed engineering, aviation, optical, precision, electrical and electronic, shipbuilding, chemical, light, food and building materials industries.

The city is also an important rail and road hub. It is served by two international airports (Borispol and Zhulany). There is also a river port and a metro network.

There are about 20 universities in Kiev (including the Taras Shevchenko University, the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, the National Technical University and the National Academy of Music), and the headquarters of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Cultural institutions include, among others National Opera Taras Shevchenko, National Drama Theater named after Ivan Franko, Ukrainian Drama Theater Lesi Ukrainki (actually: Łarysa Petriwna Kosacz-Kvitka of the Korczak coat of arms), the National Philharmonic of Ukraine and numerous museums.

 

 

 

Nur-Sultan is the capital of Kazakhstan. Its roots go back to the first half of the 19th century.

In the years 1998-2019 it was called Astana, and before that Akmola. In March 2019, it was renamed Nur-Sultan, in honor of the outgoing President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev.

The modern Nur-Sultan boasts modern infrastructure and many futuristic buildings.

According to the data from 2020, the population of Nur-Sultan exceeds one million residents.

On July 16, 1999, Astana was awarded the medal and title of the City of Peace by UNESCO.

From June 10 to September 10, 2017, the world exhibition Expo 2017 was held in Astana, the theme of which was "Energy of the future". The exhibition was visited by over 4 million people.

 

 

 

Located by the Black Sea, Odessa is the capital of the Odessa Oblast of Ukraine, the largest port city in Ukraine and the third largest city in Ukraine (after Kyiv and Kharkiv). Often Odessa is called the "pearl of the Black Sea".

Due to its location, from the very beginning it was a multicultural city of many religions in which the cultures of the East and the West have been brought together for years, which is reflected in the diverse architecture of the city. It is a young city, less than 200 years old, although in ancient times there were already Greek settlements in this area. It was founded in May 1794 by the decree of Tsarina Catherine II, recommending the establishment of a commercial and military port.

Odessa is a coastal city with beautiful beaches and warm sea, making it a major tourist, holiday, spa, cultural and scientific centre. It attracts more and more tourists who want to rest by the Black Sea. It is also an important centre of the developing shipbuilding, electrotechnical, refining, chemical and food industries.

In Odessa, you can find many traces of Polish presence. Adam Mickiewicz, exiled to Russia for his patriotic activity, stayed in the city, where he wrote, inter alia, two important works: "Crimean Sonnets" and "Odessa Sonnets". Odessa was also visited by Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz (Historical Travels) and Józef Ignacy Kraszewski (Memoirs of Odessa, Jedysan and Budżak). In Odessa, there were also, inter alia, Polish inventor Stefan Drzewiecki and Seweryn Potocki, Polish architects: Feliks Gąsiorowski (Hotel Imperiał / Spartak, Nowikowa House, Archaeological Museum), Lew Włodek (Hotel Pasaż), Mikołaj Tołwiński (including the University Library and other university buildings, Railway Directorate).

Odessa is also a city of writers. Alexander Pushkin, exiled for anti-tsarist activity, stayed there for some time. Izaak Babel was born in Odessa - a writer of Jewish origin, author of "Odessa Tales", poets Regina Dereva and Anna Akhmatova, as well as writers: Yevgeny Petrov, Witold Wirpsza, Vladimir Żabotyński.

The Potemkin Stairs are the symbol of Odessa. The first association with the stairs is the famous film "Battleship Potemkin" by Sergei Eisenstein - a Russian director and one of the most eminent authors of the Soviet editing school.

Oslo is the capital and most populous city of Norway. Its origins date back to the end of the Viking era, when it was founded by Harald Hardrada. Originally known as Ánslo, it has been the capital of Norway since the 14th century.

In 1624, Oslo was completely destroyed by fire. However, after rebuilding, the new city was called Christiania. Then in 1925, the city was renamed Oslo.

Oslo is an important centre of trade, maritime industry and shipping not only in Norway but also in Europe. Many of the world's largest shipping companies and marine insurance brokers operate in the city.

Oslo has repeatedly taken a place at the forefront of international rankings based on the quality and comfort of life.

Oslo is considered an open and friendly city. This can be seen in the statistics on the residents. At the beginning of the century, Oslo's population began to increase rapidly, making Oslo the fastest growing major European metropolis. This was mainly caused by international immigration.

Oslo is the 2019 European Green Capital.

Paris is the capital and largest city of France, located in the center of the Paris Basin, on the Seine, is the country's political, economic and cultural centre.

It is estimated that over 12 million people live in the entire agglomeration - the so-called Greater Paris is inhabited by about 10.7 million, and in the entire urban complex - by over 12 million.

Paris, which is a separate department number 75, is also the capital of the Île-de-France administrative region. The city has a concentric layout with starry boulevards.

Originally, Paris was a Celtic settlement and its history dates back to the 3rd century BC. 

From the 11th century, the city developed rapidly, which was stopped by the cholera epidemic and the Hundred Years' War.

On July 14, 1789, the French Revolution broke out, which began with the capture of the Paris Bastille prison. It resulted in the establishment of the Republic.

In the following centuries, Paris developed strongly, and great poets, writers and artists of the Romantic period, including Polish, lived and worked here, who shaped the unique atmosphere of the city.

In the 19th century, the Second Republic was established, and Paris underwent a thorough reconstruction, the effects of which can be seen today.

Paris is a city of monuments, symbols that everyone knows - Notre-Dame de Paris, Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Montmartre hill with the Sacre Coeur basilica, world-famous museums with works of art, architectural buildings, universities and institutions of international importance.

Paris is also a world centre of fashion and art. Paris has a special place in world culture and therefore attracts tens of millions of tourists from all over the world each year.

Rio de Janeiro is the largest city in Brazil after São Paulo, it is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro, and until 1960 it was also the capital of Brazil. Together with the suburbs, it has a population of 12 million.

The city is located in the southeastern part of the state in Guanabara Bay on the Atlantic Ocean. It is situated between the steep hills of Pão de Açúcar - the "Sugarloaf" which rises to 396 m above sea level and Corcovado - "Garbata Góra" with the statue of Christ the Savior. Rio de Janeiro also has the wonderful, world-famous sandy beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, the Maracanã stadium and numerous Olympic venues. The city attracts crowds of tourists with annually celebrated carnival and bossa nova music.

Rio de Janeiro is a city of contrasts: it may be one of the most modern metropolises, but on the other hand, it has favelas with drug crime, gang fighting and a high homicide rate. The situation worsened in early 2018, when the Brazilian army took control of the city.

The Portuguese, when discovering the city, established here only trading posts so as not to disturb the Indians living in these areas.

In 1555, a settlement of the French Hugonots was established here too. They occupied the entire bay, giving home to the colony of La France Antarctique, which was supposed to be free from persecution.

The Portuguese, who wanted to colonize all of Brazil, started fighting against the French as early as 1565 under the command of Estácio de Sá. After winning fights in 1567, they built a city on the bay, which they named São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro after the patron saint of Saint Sebastian.

However, they quickly changed the name to the previous one - Rio de Janeiro.

 

 

 

Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia, situated on the Daugava River near its confluence with the Baltic Sea in the Gulf of Riga. It is the main economic and industrial, communication (seaport, air port and Riga Central railway junction), cultural and scientific centre of the country.

In 2020, the population of Riga was around 627,000. people.

The historic Old Town entered the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List.

It is one of the largest clusters of Art Nouveau architecture in Europe.

Seoul is the capital and the largest city of South Korea. At present, it is inhabited by over 10 million people. Its history goes back over two thousand years. For centuries, Seoul has been a strategic point in terms of defense and economy.

It was almost completely destroyed during the Korean War. Currently, it is an extremely dynamically developing city. It is the seat of many international companies such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai.

Seoul, which has been described as "the most wired city in the world", boasts a very technologically advanced infrastructure. It is also one of the world leaders in internet connectivity. Since 2015, Seoul has provided free Wi-Fi access in public spaces. It has the largest number of high-speed Internet connections and wi-fi access points in the world.

Every year, Seoul is visited by nearly 10 million tourists.

In 1988, the Summer Olympics were held in Seoul. In turn, in 2002 Seoul, along with Japan, hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Istanbul is the largest and most populous city in Turkey, it is an important cultural and commercial centre.

Istanbul is seen as the bridge connecting East and West. The city is situated on both sides of the Bosphorus Strait, from the northern coast of the Sea of ​​Marmara to the southern coast of the Black Sea. The western part of the city is located in Europe, the eastern part in Asia. Making it the only metropolis in the world located on two continents.

The area of ​​Istanbul is 1,539 km2 - the city is 974.97 km2 on the European side and 855.95 km2 on the Asian (Anatolian) side.

Istanbul is home to Turkey's main financial centre, home to dozens of banks and stock exchanges.

There are five universities in the city, the oldest of which - Istanbul University - was founded in 1863.

Taipei is the capital of Taiwan, located in the northern part of the island. Together with New Taipei it forms an agglomeration of about 9 million residents.

Most of the city is located in a basin and is bounded by two relatively narrow valleys of the Keelung and Xindian rivers that merge to form the Danshui (Tamsui) River along the city's western border. During the Qing Dynasty, the city was the capital of a prefecture and for a short time the province of Taiwan. Under Japanese colonial rule, it was called Taihoku.

In 1945, after the Second World War, after the defeat of the Japanese, Taipei returned to Chinese rule and became the capital of the province of Taiwan within the Republic of China

After the communists took power in China (1949), Taipei became the capital of the Chiang Kai-shek government in exile. For this reason, it experienced a large influx of immigrants. Later, the number of residents began to stabilize and the city developed dynamically.

In 1967, it received the status of a separated city.

Taipei together with New Taipei is the largest economic centre of Taiwan. Many thousands of enterprises and industrial plants operate in it. The city is an international trade centre and venue for the world's IT fair. Every year, the latest technologies for collecting and processing data are presented there.

Taipei is dominated by the electronics industry.

Tbilisi is the capital and largest city of Georgia, located on the Kura River, with a population of 1.173 million.

It is the main cultural, scientific (Tbilisi State University, National Library and numerous universities) and industrial (including locomotive production) centre of Georgia.

Tel-Aviv is Israel's second largest city. The city is a meeting point of tradition and modernity, reflecting history while embracing extraordinary innovation.

Located on the coastal plain of Sharon lying on the Mediterranean Sea. Tel Aviv covers an area of ​​51.8 km2, being the largest and most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area, today it is a centre of innovation, culture and creativity.

Tel-Aviv was founded in 1909 on the outskirts of the ancient seaport of Jaffa. In 1934, "The Hills of Spring" received city rights. Two years after the establishment of the state of Israel, Tel-Aviv and Jaffa were merged into a single city.

The intensive development of the city took place in the 1960s, when most of the city's modern buildings were built. In 2003, the White City in Tel-Aviv entered the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The urban agglomeration of Tel-Aviv is the second largest economy in the Middle East. The innovative development of the city is observed.

Tel-Aviv ranks second among the world's largest start-up centres, is a place where all talented people interested in implementing their ideas want to work, it has quickly become an important point on the technological map of the world.

Tel-Aviv is home to the Stock Exchange and many research and development centers of international companies.

Toronto is Canada's largest city and the provincial capital of Ontario. Toronto is recognized as one of the most multicultural, multi-ethnic and cosmopolitan cities in the world. In the city itself 160 languages ​​are used on a daily basis.

The area where Toronto is located has been a trade route that has been used by the indigenous peoples for over 10,000 years. The first Europeans came here in the 17th century. In turn, the beginnings of British settlement date back to the end of the 18th century. It was then that the city of York was founded here, which was renamed Toronto in 1834.

In 2001, the United Nations named it World's Most Multicultural City.

Toronto has been recognized as one of the greenest cities as well as one of the most innovative in terms of implementing green technologies. Green areas cover almost 1/5 of the city's area.

Vienna is the capital and the largest city in Austria, situated on the Danube, at the same time forming a separate federal state. Vienna is an administrative, industrial, commercial and service, academic, tourist and cultural centre of international importance.

It is the seat of Austrian central offices (including parliament, president and government), religious associations operating in Austria, as well as numerous companies, associations, organizations and universities. The UN, IAEA, OSCE and OPEC have their headquarters in Vienna.

According to data from January 1, 2020, the population of Vienna is 1,911,191, while the area - 414.87 km2. The city is officially divided into 23 districts. 

The city was founded around 500 BC as a Celtic settlement. In the 15th century BC Vienna became a Roman border post. It was granted city rights in 1221, becoming one of the largest and most important cities of the Holy Roman Empire, and after its fall - the capital of the Austrian Empire, and then of Austria-Hungary. In 1918 it became the capital of the Republic of Austria.

The historic centre of the city, full of monuments from all historical periods, with the predominance of 19th-century historicism and secession at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, entered the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001. Due to the wealth of attractions, it is one of the most visited cities in Europe.

Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, located in the Vilnius Lake District, on the Neris River. The unusual architecture attracts many tourists, and the complex of historic buildings entered the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994.

The city has an area of ​​401 km2 and has approx. 600 thousand. and is the largest in the Baltics. It is a large economic and industrial centre. 

Vilnius is historically closely related to Poland. Until 1795, it was the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and in the years 1922–1939 it was within the borders of the Second Polish Republic.

Vilnius is referred to as the main center of science in Lithuania, there are eight universities in the city, including: Vilnius University, University of Poland, a branch of the University in Białystok and a center of Polish culture in Lithuania.

The following are headquartered in Vilnius: the Polish Theater Studio, the Association of Polish Scientists of Lithuania, the House of Polish Culture and the Vilnius Theater Meetings of the Polish Stage.

In 2009, Vilnius was named the European Capital of Culture.

Zagreb is the capital and largest city of Croatia, currently inhabited by over 800,000. residents. The city was created from the settlements of Gradec and Kaptol lying on the neighboring hills, which are the center of today's Zagreb.

It is situated on the northern bank of the Sava, on the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain range, extremely diverse and interesting architectural features, attracting numerous tourists every year.

Today, Zagreb is the administrative, economic, cultural and scientific centre of Croatia. It is also an international centre of trade and business as well as a communication hub between Central and Eastern Europe.

Zagreb is an independent administrative district, the city is constantly developing, promoting and implementing innovative ideas and projects, supporting an economy based on entrepreneurship, innovation and knowledge.