Starachowice

In the first half of the nineteenth century, the city was the largest metal industry center of the Kingdom of Poland and part of the so-called Old Polish Industrial District.

In 1899 a blast furnace was put into operation and the settlement became an important center of iron mining and metallurgy. The furnace was finally put out of operation in 1968.

Today, in this place, there is the Museum of Nature and Technology in Starachowice, which includes post-industrial facilities from the 19th century with a fully preserved layout and technological line of two steel plants from 1841 and 1899.

In the museum you can also see, among others the world's largest steam engine, a settlement of ancient iron metallurgy with a smelting furnace and vintage cars once produced by Zakłady Starachowickie, including a restored papamobile, produced on an old 660 M2 chassis for the needs of John Paul II's first pilgrimage to Poland in 1979.