KuyavianâÂÂPomeranian Voivodeship ( ) is one of Poland's 16 voivodeships (provinces).
It was created on 1 January 1999 and is situated in mid-northern Poland, on the boundary between the two historic regions, from which it takes its name: Kuyavia () and Pomerania ().
Its two chief cities, serving as the province's joint capitals, are Bydgoszcz and Toruà Â.
The KuyavianâÂÂPomeranian Voivodeship was created on 1 January 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998. It consisted of territory from the former Bydgoszcz, Toruà  and Wà Âocà Âawek Voivodeships.
The area now known as KuyaviaâÂÂPomerania was previously divided between the region of Kuyavia, Dobrzyà  Land, Pomerania (including Cheà Âmno Land and Kociewie), and Greater Poland (including Paà Âuki and Krajna). Of the two principal cities of today's KuyavianâÂÂPomeranian voivodeship, one (Bydgoszcz) was historically located in Kuyavia, while the other (Toruà Â) was an important town of Cheà Âmno Land.
The functions of regional capital are split between Bydgoszcz and Toruà Â. Bydgoszcz serves as the seat of the centrally appointed governor or voivode (), while Toruà  is the seat of the elected Regional Assembly (sejmik), and of the executive elected by that assembly, headed by the voivodeship marshal (marszaà Âek województwa).
The KuyavianâÂÂPomeranian Voivodeship is bordered by five other voivodeships. These are Pomeranian Voivodeship to the north, WarmianâÂÂMasurian Voivodeship to the north-east, Masovian Voivodeship to the east, à Âódà º Voivodeship across a short boundary to the south, and Greater Poland Voivodeship to the south and west.
The voivodeship contains 5 cities and 47 towns. These are listed below in descending order of population (according to official figures for 2019):
The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the province was 21.8 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 4.4% of Polish economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 17,300 euros or 57% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 64% of the EU average.
Transportation infrastructure is of critical importance to the voivodeship's economy. Kuyavia-Pomerania is a major node in the Polish transportation system. Railway lines from the South and East pass through Bydgoszcz to connect to the major ports on the Baltic Sea. In addition to this, Bydgoszcz is home to the rolling stock manufacturer PESA SA, Poland's largest and most modern producer of railway and tram products. The province's sole international airport, Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport, is located in Bydgoszcz and has connections to a number of European destinations as well as Warsaw, which are all operated by either Irish carrier Ryanair or LOT Polish Airlines.
The main railway stations of the province are Bydgoszcz main station and Toruà  main station; both stations are served by fast PKP Intercity trains which connect them with the capital Warsaw, as well as other major Polish cities. In addition to these fast express services, iregional trains on electrified lines are operated by the Polregio, while regional rail transportation on unelectrified lines within the voivodeship are provided by Arriva RP, a private firm to which the provincial government subcontracted the provision of rail transport.
The A1 and S5 highways pass through the province, with the S10 also under construction.
All major towns of the province have municipal transportation companies operating buses, while Bydgoszcz, Toruà  and Grudziàdz also have extensive tram systems.
The Kuyavian-Pomeranian voivodeship's government is headed by the province's voivode (governor) who is appointed by the Polish Prime Minister. The voivode is then assisted in performing his duties by the voivodeship's marshal, who is the appointed speaker for the voivodeship's executive and is elected by the sejmik (provincial assembly). The current voivode of Kuyavia-Pomerania is Ewa Monika Mes, and the present marshal is Piotr Caà Âbecki.
The Sejmik of Kuyavia-Pomerania consists of 33 members.
The KuyavianâÂÂPomeranian Voivodeship is divided into 23 counties (powiats): 4 city counties and 19 land counties. These are further divided into 144 gminas.
The counties are listed in the following table (ordering within categories is by decreasing population).
Protected areas in KuyavianâÂÂPomeranian Voivodeship include the nine Landscape Parks listed below.
There are eight Historic Monuments of Poland and one World Heritage Site in the voivodeship:
The region is rich in historic architecture ranging from Romanesque and Gothic architecture to Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau. Other preserved historic old towns include Bydgoszcz, Grudziàdz and Brodnica. There are also numerous castles, including Dybów, Golub, Radzyà  Cheà Âmià Âski, à Âwiecie, Zamek Bierzgà Âowski, preserved castle towers, including Brodnica and Kruszwica, and palaces, including Jabà Âonowo-Zamek, Ostromecko, Wàpielsk, à »oà ÂÃÂdowo. The Dybów Castle was the place where in 1454 King Casimir IV Jagiellon issued the famous Statutes of Nieszawa, covering a set of privileges for the Polish nobility; an event that is regarded as the birth of the noble democracy in Poland, which lasted until the late-18th-century Partitions of Poland. The manor in Szafarnia was a place of stay for Fryderyk Chopin during his 1824 and 1825 summer vacations, and contains a museum dedicated to the composer.
Wà Âocà Âawek, Toruà  and Bydgoszcz contain preserved Gothic cathedrals. Locations of historic monasteries include Cheà Âmno, Grudziàdz, Mogilno, Rywaà Âd and SkÃÂpe. In Gàsawa, there is the 17th-century Saint Nicolas Church with a unique collection of multi-layered mural paintings, dating back several centuries.
There are three spa towns: Ciechocinek, Inowrocà Âaw and Wieniec-Zdrój.
Major museums and art galleries are located in Bydgoszcz, Toruà  and Wà Âocà Âawek, including the Leon Wyczóà Âkowski Regional Museum in Bydgoszcz, District Museum in Toruà  and Museum of Kuyavia and Dobrzyà  Land in Wà Âocà Âawek. The more unique museums include:
There are numerous World War II memorials in the province, including a memorial at the site of the former Potulice concentration camp, memorials at the sites of Nazi massacres of Poles, including the largest massacres at Mniszek, Gniewkowo, Klamry, à Âopatki and Fordon, and memorials to Allied prisoners of war held by Nazi Germany in the region at the sites of the former Stalag XX-A, Oflag XXI-B and Oflag 64 POW camps in Toruà  and Szubin.
Other notable sights include the Bydgoszcz Canal, connecting Bydgoszcz and Nakà Âo nad NoteciÃÂ, the Battle of Koronowo (1410) Monument, and monuments do distinguished people from the region, including cryptologist Marian Rejewski (birthplace and monument in Bydgoszcz), writer Jan Kasprowicz (childhood home and monument in Inowrocà Âaw), and surgeon Ludwik Rydygier, the first surgeon in the world to carry out a peptic ulcer resection (former clinic and monument in Cheà Âmno).
Motorcycle speedway, basketball and volleyball enjoy the largest following in the province. The KS Toruà  and Polonia Bydgoszcz clubs are among the most accomplished speedway clubs in the country and contest the Pomeranian-Kuyavian Derby, one of the fiercest speedway rivalries.
Since the establishment of the province, several major international sports competitions were co-hosted by the province, including the EuroBasket 2009, 2009 Women's European Volleyball Championship, 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, EuroBasket Women 2011, 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, 2014 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship, 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2025 Speedway of Nations and 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships.