Cieszyn, Poland a City Divided

On the border of Poland and the Czech Republic is the city Cieszyn. It is techinically in both countries. It is Cieszyn on the Polish side and Cesky Tesin on the Czech side. The frontiers of the countries as some of the easiest to cross in Europe. Walk to the corner and show the nice boy in the uniform your passport and he will smile and wave you on. After entering the European Union it is now even easier to cross the border.The city itself is a very charming and smaller version of Vienna in design. Cieszyn is a small city but bustling none the less. The heart of the city is on the Polish side of the border the Czech side is mainly residential. The main industy of the city is sweets. Cookies and candies are made in Cieszyn. There is also dark Polish beer brewed as well. Cieszyn is really a tourist town as it is not far out of the Tatras and their ski resorts. During the communist era this is where the Polish Ski teams would train.
Due to many fires many of the earliest wooden buildings have burned and were replaced by stone building in the 18th century during a Hapsburg rule. The central sqaure is a large and grand area filled during the day with shoppers and stalls.
Cieszyn is also the home of one of Poland's premier film festivals. Surrounded by mountains and on the Otzer River Cieszyn is worth the trip. The etomology of the name Cieszyn is the Polish expression "I'm Happy".