Zywiec

Żywiec, a city and commune, is located in southern Poland, in the Żywiec Valley, on the Soła and Koszarawa rivers that join nearby. The name of the city derives from the noun "żywiec", an Old Polish name for livestock, which is illustrated by the head of the aurochs in the city coat of arms. It refers to the breeding of cattle, sheep and pigs, and their slaughter, which was once common in Żywiec. The city is famous for the production of beer, produced here as early as in the Middle Ages. The brewery in Żywiec was founded on the initiative of the prince of Cieszyn and Albrecht Frederick Habsburg, the owner of the so-called Żywiec state.  Currently, Żywiec is one of the industrial centres in the south-eastern part of the Silesian Province. Due to its unique location at the foot of mountain peaks, and at the same time on the shores of a vast lake, the surroundings of Żywiec are an ideal place for tourism and relaxation.