Bialystok's history started in the 15th century when Raczko-Tabutowicz received the area of forests at the Bialka River.
Bialystok, the capital of Podlaskie Province, is one of the few big European cities placed on the border of Western and Eastern European cultures.
Its location in the neighbourhood of Belarus, Lithuania and Russia, as well as the convenient transportation links, create excellent conditions for the development of economical and cultural contacts with countries of Eastern and Southern Europe.