Szydlow - a village in southern Poland, located in the province Sventokshinskom 43 kilometers south-east of Kielce. Because of the large number of plum trees village called plum capital of Poland. Every year the festival of plum.

Szydlow history dates back to the twelfth century. The village received city rights in 1329 and lost them in 1869. There are several tourist attractions, including the synagogue of the sixteenth century, built as a fortress.

Initially, Szydlow belonged to the Polish king. In the mid-fourteenth century, King Casimir the Great founded a fortified castle and the church of St Ladislaus. The city was surrounded by a defensive wall with three gates. Szydlow soon became the seat of mayor, here began arriving artisans and Jewish settlers. The development of the city contributed to the wine trade, cattle breeding and brewing. In the sixteenth century worked in the city bakers, tailors, shoemakers, blacksmiths. It was built brewery, open bath, built a synagogue. In 1564 in Szydlow were 180 houses, 49 of which were located in the market square.

The good times ended in the first half of the 17th century. In 1630 the town was burned by the Swedes at first, and later the troops of George Rakoczy. The population decreased from 1,300 to 350 people, the number of homes decreased to 54. After these conflicts Szydlow fell into disrepair. In 1789 there was built a stone town hall, 5 mills, and were 196 houses, many of which were abandoned. The castle, built by King Casimir the Great, was destroyed.

After the third partition of Poland in 1795, Szydlow was annexed to the Austrian Empire, but in 1809 became the seat of the Duchy of Warsaw. In 1869, as a punishment for the participation of residents in the January Uprising, the Russian authorities have taken Szydlow city rights.

During World War II, the Germans opened here ghetto village itself was partially destroyed. In 1960, the population was already 1402 people.

Despite the small size of the village did not, there are several interesting attractions. The medieval center of the city with 700-meter defensive wall. Of the three former gate, to date only survived Cracow Gate. Church of St. Stanislaus of the 14th century, the Gothic church of All Saints from the 14th century and the ruins of the royal castle and former hospital. The synagogue, built in the 16th century in the style of the late Renaissance, now a museum of Jewish culture.