Choszczno

Choszczno is a town in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship of north-western Poland and the administrative centre of Choszczno County. It lies in a marshy district between the river Stobnica and Lake Klukom, about 32 kilometres southeast of Stargard, on the main railway line between Szczecin and Poznan. The town is known in German as Arnswalde. As of December 2021 it had 14,831 inhabitants. Its skyline is marked by a Gothic church and by 19th century industrial buildings, among them a gasification plant and a water pressure tower. About 80 percent of its buildings were damaged or destroyed in the Second World War, and the town was rebuilt afterwards as the seat of local government for the Choszczno commune. Its microclimate and nearby lakes have made it a rehabilitation centre for convalescing patients and a destination for water sports and golf, and it is home to the 2nd Artillery Regiment. Local industry includes machinery, clothing, animal feed and starch.