Two days in Rzeszów, heart of Poland's aviation industry

Lack of sleeper-train space three weeks (!) before date of travel meant that I had to fly to Rzeszów on Monday. Very good visibility on approach to Rzeszów's Jasionka airport (below), the A4 motorway visible lower left.

My first four meetings of the day were all in or around the Aeropolis Science and Technology Park, home to many global aerospace companies and their supply chain. These include several UK businesses that have recently moved into the area.

The area around the airport is a boomtown. New buildings appearing at an incredible pace, older ones (like, three-four years old) being extended. The BorgWarner gearbox factory has been extended five times since the original site was opened. Below: the G2A Arena, just across the road from the airport terminal, is a popular conference and exhibition venue.

An excellent example of a British manufacturer in Poland's Aerospace Valley - McBraida (established in Bristol in 1954) specialises in the precision machining of aircraft engine parts from extremely hard materials such as titanium. The firm has been present in Rzeszów since 2013 and currently employs over 70 people. Other British firms here are Bodycote and Poeton (heat-treatment and coating respectively), and Rolls-Royce joint venture, Aero Gearbox International.

The day's last meeting was in Rzeszów's Old Town, so a chance to walk around and take in the summer atmosphere (last time I was in the Old Town was in March 2017 on a sunny but cold day).

A very attractive part of Rzeszów, well catered for with bars and restaurants. The Stary Browar Rzeszówski, where we pitched by, brews its own craft beers. A 'deska konesera' of four quarter-litre mugs on a wooden board costs but 20zł (£4.23). Each was excellent, the American Pale Ale the best.

Below: the Old Town square in the late evening.

Below: the 1890s juxtaposed with the 1990s. How will the 2090s look?

Below: Rzeszów's main railway station is undergoing a massive remont, likely to go on for a long time. There's no direct link between the ticket hall and waiting rooms in the station building and the platforms; the only way is across the footbridge in the foreground, as the underground passages are closed. The train back to Warsaw took five and a quarter hours, with long (planned) waits in Tarnów (25 minutes) and Kraków (21 minutes to change direction of travel). The line via Lublin is currently being modernised, so the more direct rail route home is not an option.

Below: awaiting entry into Kraków Główny station, 318.3km from Warsaw Central.

This time last year:
Hala Gwardii, Hala Mirowska

This time two years ago:
Four stations between Piaseczno and Czachówek

This time five years ago:
A tragedy foretold