Zator, Lesser Poland Voivodeship

Gmina Zator is an urban-rural gmina (administrative district) in Oświęcim County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the town of Zator, which lies approximately 16 kilometres (10 mi) east of Oświęcim and 37 km (23 mi) west of the regional capital Kraków. The gmina covers an area of 51.44 square kilometres (19.9 sq mi), and as of 2006 its total population is 9,049 (out of which the population of Zator amounts to 3,726, and the population of the rural part of the gmina is 5,323).

The Duchy of Zator was one of many Duchies of Silesia. It was split off the Duchy of Oświęcim, when after eleven years of joint rule the sons of Duke Casimir I in 1445 finally divided the lands among themselves, whereby his eldest son Wenceslaus received the territory around the town of Zator. The fragmentation of the duchy continued after Wenceslaus' death in 1468, when in 1474 his sons Casimir II and Wenceslaus II as well as Jan V and Władysław again divided the Zator territory in two along the Skawa river. After the death of Casimir II in 1490 however both parts of the duchy were reunited, and in 1494 Jan V as the last surviving brother became its sole ruler. As Jan himself had no heirs, he decided in the same year to sell the duchy to King John I Albert of Poland, under a guarantee that he would remain duke until his death. Jan was killed in 1513 and Zator was united with Poland. At the General sejm of 1564, King Sigismund II Augustus issued privileges of incorporation recognizing both Duchies of Oświęcim and Zator as part of the Polish Crown into the Silesian County of the Kraków Voivodeship, although the Polish kings retained both ducal titles and the name of the Duchy survived in the legal acts (it had however no special privileges). The lands of the former Duchy became part of the Habsburg monarchy after the First Partition of Poland in 1772. Though part of Austrian Galicia, Zator and Oświęcim from 1818 to 1866 belonged the German Confederation. Until 1918, the Emperor of Austria also called himself Duke of Zator as a part of his grand title. When the Second Polish Republic was established in 1918, even the ducal title ceased to exist.

Palczowice [palt͡ʂɔˈvit͡sɛ] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Zator, within Oświęcim County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately 17 km (11 mi) east of Oświęcim and 36 km (22 mi) west of the regional capital Kraków.

Rudze [ˈrud͡zɛ] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Zator, within Oświęcim County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately 2 kilometres (1 mi) south-east of Zator, 18 km (11 mi) south-east of Oświęcim, and 36 km (22 mi) west of the regional capital Kraków.

Podolsze [pɔˈdɔlʂɛ] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Zator, within Oświęcim County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) north of Zator, 15 km (9 mi) east of Oświęcim, and 37 km (23 mi) west of the regional capital Kraków.

Hyperion is a steel roller coaster located at Energylandia in Zator, Poland. The ride was manufactured by Swiss manufacturer Intamin and opened on 14 July 2018. It is themed to a fictional mission to Saturn's moon Hyperion and reaches a height of 77 metres (253 ft), has a maximum speed of 142 kilometres per hour (88 mph), and features several hills and banked turns. As of 2021, Hyperion is the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster in Poland as well as the tallest roller coaster with an inversion.

Energylandia is an amusement park located in Zator, Lesser Poland, in southern Poland. It is approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) away from Kraków and 335 kilometres (208 mi) away from Warsaw, Poland's capital city. Energylandia is the largest amusement park in the country, at 70 hectares (170 acres). The park has one of the highest roller coaster counts of any theme park in the world.

Trzebieńczyce [tʂɛbjɛɲˈt͡ʂɨt͡sɛ] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Zator, within Oświęcim County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) south-east of Zator, 19 km (12 mi) south-east of Oświęcim, and 35 km (22 mi) west of the regional capital Kraków.

Laskowa [lasˈkɔva] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Zator, within Oświęcim County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) south-east of Zator, 19 km (12 mi) south-east of Oświęcim, and 35 km (22 mi) west of the regional capital Kraków.

Formuła is a steel launched roller coaster at Energylandia in Zator, Poland. It was the first Space Warp Launch Coaster built by Dutch manufacturer Vekoma and opened on 25 June 2016. It has a height of 24.7 metres (81 ft), reaches a maximum speed of 79.2 kilometres per hour (49.2 mph), has a track length of 560 metres (1,840 ft), and features three inversions.

Zadra is a steel roller coaster located at Energylandia in Zator, Poland. It was built and designed by American manufacturer Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC). The ride opened in 2019. It uses RMC's patented I-Box Track, which consists of a steel track on wooden supports. It is the first coaster to be built from the ground up using the I-Box Track, rather than using an existing structure. Zadra reaches a height of 62.8 metres (206 ft) making it tie for the tallest RMC steel rollercoaster in the world alongside Iron Gwazi, which has a similar layout. It has a maximum speed of 121 kilometres per hour (75 mph), and features three inversions.

Łowiczki [wɔˈvit͡ʂki] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Zator, within Oświęcim County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately 4 kilometres (2 mi) south-west of Zator, 16 km (10 mi) south-east of Oświęcim, and 39 km (24 mi) west of the regional capital Kraków.