Puławy is a city in eastern Poland, in Lublin Province of northern Lesser Poland, located at the confluence of the Wisła and Kurówka rivers. According to the GUS census estimate, the city had a total population of 49,839 in 2006. Puławy is the capital of Puławy County, and was known as Nowa Aleksandria, or Nowo Aleksandria, from 1846 to 1918 during partitions of Poland. Its coat of arms is the Pahonia. Puławy was first mentioned in documents in the 15th century. At that time, it was spelled as Pollavy, and its name probably comes from a Vistula river ford, which was located nearby. The town is a local center of science, industry and tourism, together with nearby Nałęczów and Kazimierz Dolny. Puławy is home to Poland’s first permanent museum, it also is a Vistula river port. The town has two bridges, four rail stations, and serves as a road junction. In the nearby Dęblin there is an airport. Puławy has several sports clubs, with the most famous ones being Wisła Puławy (men’s football 2nd Division in 2016/17, swimming, track and field, weight lifting), and KS Azoty-Puławy (men’s handball 1st Division).
