Drohiczyn

Drohiczyn stands above the Bug, an old stronghold at the meeting of Polish, Lithuanian and Rus' lands. In 1253 Daniel of Galicia received a royal crown here from a papal envoy. Its position made it a prize for competing rulers, but also helped it grow into a major centre of Podlasie. It was later held by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania before becoming a town of the Polish Crown.

Alexander Jagiellon granted Drohiczyn Magdeburg rights in 1498. In the sixteenth century it became the capital of Podlasie Voivodeship, with courts, churches and monasteries serving the surrounding region. The town's long history as a frontier seat was reflected in its different religious communities and in the changing authority of the rulers who held the lands along the Bug.