Zielona Góra

Sister cities

• Aurora
• Wuxi
• Nitra
• Helmond
• Troyes
• L'Aquila
• Cottbus
• Soltau
• Verden
• Kraljevo
• Bistrița
• Zittau

History

The first settlement in the area of Zielona Góra was built in the valley near the Złota Łącza stream during the reign of the Polish ruler Mieszko I. The oldest settlement was agricultural. It later developed into a trading point along routes from Poznań to Żagań and further to Lusatia. The region received an influx of German burghers in the second half of the 13th century during the medieval Ostsiedlung. In 1323, the settlement became a city with Crossener Recht, a variation of Magdeburg rights. A document in the town archive of Thorn (Toruń) dating from before 1400 used a sigil with the name GRVNINBERG, an early form of the German name Grünberg. In 1477 the town defeated a 5,000-strong army from neighbouring Brandenburg which attempted to seize it during the succession war to the Duchy of Głogów. In 1488, Duke John II of Żagań, destroyed the castle to prevent his enemies from using it. although Polish king Sigismund I the Old still claimed his rights to the city in 1508. In 1641, King Władysław IV Vasa of Poland confirmed these rights. Another important branch of the city's economy at this time was winemaking. The city converted to Lutheranism during the Protestant Reformation through the efforts of Paul Lemberg, Abbot of Sagan. The city declined during the 17th century, especially during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and following decades. Grünberg endured plundering, debts, emigration of burghers, and fires. it existed till 1935 when Lisowski was murdered by the Gestapo. In 1923 a branch of the Union of Poles in Germany was established. The city was first connected to the Glogau (Głogów)-Grünberg-Guben railway line in 1871, followed by connections to Christianstadt (Nowogród Bobrzański) in 1904, Wollstein (Wolsztyn) in 1905, and a local line to Sprottau…

Geography

Zielona Góra is surrounded by tree-covered hills. The adjacent woodland makes up approximately half of the city's total area. The name of the city translates to 'Green Mountain' in both Polish and German. Zielona Góra features several tourist attractions and important historical sites including the preserved medieval Old Town, 13th-century Market Square, tenements, palaces, parks and the famous Palm House on Wine Hill. Its strong connection to vineyards and grape-picking earned Zielona Góra the nickname "The City of Wine". The city has been known for its wines for centuries. It is now one of two places in Poland with wine grape cultivation mainly for white wines, the other being the wine growing region near the town of Warka in Masovia. The first wineries around the city were built in 1314. At the Paradyż Abbey near Zielona Góra, monks have been making wine since 1250. The number of vineyards at peak production is estimated at 4,000 in the region, with 2,500 in Zielona Góra itself. During the communist era wine production was reduced, but since 1990 it has recovered. Since 1852, an annual wine festival has taken place in the town. Wine is no longer produced in Zielona Góra itself, with the last factory closed in the early 1990s. Vodka Luksusowa (namely: Luxury vodka), made from potatoes rather than grain, is produced in distillery in Zielona Góra. Jarzębiak, a Polish fruit vodka made from rowan berries and other fruit ingredients, registered as a regional traditional beverage by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland, is also produced in Zielona Góra. Another officially designated traditional beverage is the Zielona Góra beer, with local brewing traditions dating back to the 18th century.

Most recent

• M 4.2 — 2026-05-03
  6 km E of Radwanice, Poland
• M 4.2 — 2026-01-21
  5 km E of Polkowice, Poland
• M 4.1 — 2025-12-08
  4 km NNW of Polkowice, Poland
• M 4.5 — 2025-10-21
  1 km WSW of Grębocice, Poland
• M 4.5 — 2025-10-18
  2 km SW of Polkowice, Poland
• M 4.5 — 2025-09-12
  3 km NE of Lubin, Poland