Krosno is a historic city, known primarily for the production of glass. There is a Glass Heritage Center here, focusing on its production. There are also many valuable monuments and the Podkarpackie Museum with an exhibition of kerosene lamps.
The city was founded in the 15th century and very quickly became an important center on the trade route leading to Hungary through the nearby Dukla Pass. It was an important center of wine trade, developed especially by the merchant Wojciech Portius. His monument can be seen near the parish church, which also houses the Baroque tomb chapel of the Portius family.
As a result of the 17th and 18th century wars, Krosno fell into decline and it flourished again in the second half of the 19th century, when oil deposits were discovered in the area. In nearby Bóbrka, Ignacy Łukasiewicz opened the world's first crude oil mine. They also quickly began to be established in other towns, and oil mining schools were established in Chorkówka and Ropianka. Due to the fact that the railway line was connected, Krosno grew into an important industrial center. Today, the exhibitions of the Subcarpathian Museum recall it, including one of the world's largest collection of kerosene lamps.
Another branch of industry important for Krosno was glass production. Huta Krosno is appreciated all over the world for the excellent quality of its products and their design. For this reason, Krosno is called the City of Glass. In order to maintain and popularize these traditions, the Glass Heritage Center was established, which is currently the biggest attraction of Krosno.
Most of the monuments and attractions of Krosno are concentrated in a short distance from the Market Square. Next to it, there is a Gothic parish church and a Franciscan church from the same period, in which the painting of Our Lady of Murowa is venerated. Around the Market Square there are arcaded tenement houses, some of which have retained their Renaissance portals. From here, you can also go down to the Pre-Threshold Cellars, where there are exhibitions devoted to the use of glass in science and art.
